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Some people are funny whatever they do. Others... well, when they try to make us laugh all they do is embarrass themselves. Alice and Neil discuss humour and teach you related vocabulary. Neil is a bit of a comedian but will he manage to make Alice laugh?

This week's question

Which Greek word means the study of laughter and its effects on the body? Is it…

a) risology?

b) gelotology?

c) comology?

get something (idiomatic)
understand

gag
joke or funny story

stand-up comedy
a type of comedy where a comedian performs in front of and talks directly to their audience

narcissistic
being too interested in yourself – for example your appearance or other personal qualities

aspiring
wanting to be successful in your chosen career

unique
unusual or special

perseverance
to keep on trying to achieve something even when it’s difficult

outwork
work harder than everybody else

introverts
people who are generally quiet and more interested in their own thoughts and feelings than in spending time with other people

extroverts
people who are generally lively, outgoing, and enjoy the company of others

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript

Alice
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Alice…

Neil
… and I'm Neil. OK Alice, I've got something for you here… a question…

Alice
Yeah.

Neil
Ready? What is the Mexican version of One Direction?

Alice
Um… No idea.

Neil
Juan Direction. Get it?

Alice
Very good…

Neil
Juan Direction... You know?

Alice
Yes, yes, I get it.

Neil
Never mind. Can you guess what the subject of today's show is instead?

Alice
Is it bad jokes?

Neil
Come on! That was a good little gag! Yes. The subject of today's show is… what makes us laugh. And in this context, to get something, for example a gag – or joke, means to understand it. We all like to laugh – well not you apparently – but most of us do! It's good for our health, it reduces stress and releases feel-good hormones in the body.

Alice
OK, thank you, Neil. But how about answering today's quiz question? Which Greek word means the study of laughter and its effects on the body? Is it…
a) risology?
b) gelotology?
or c) comology?

Neil
That's difficult and I'm going to say c) comology because it's got the word 'comedy' in it, you see?

Alice
Oh, very good. OK. Well, we'll find out later if you're right. Now, did you know, we rarely laugh when we're on our own? Laughter is a social thing that we generally like to share with other people.

Neil
Really? I laugh when I'm watching cartoons on my own – don't you, Alice?

Alice
No, Neil, I don't. Anyway, some researchers believe that the purpose of laughter is related to the way we bond with each other. And the more we laugh, the more we bond as a group.

Neil
Interesting idea. It could explain why stand-up comedy – where a comedian performs in front of and talks directly to their audience – is very popular entertainment. But what does it take to keep your audience laughing? Let’s listen to Steve Byrne, a successful US comedian talking about this.

INSERT
Steve Byrne, comedian
The one single thing an aspiring comedian should do is to write, write, write and talk about the things that make them laugh. Selfishness – time to be selfish – time to be a little narcissistic. What is it that makes you laugh? Because that will get you closer to finding your voice. Because ultimately that's why people come see you.

Neil
So comedians need to be selfish and narcissistic – that sounds pretty negative!

Alice
Yes, it does. Narcissistic means being too interested in yourself – for example your appearance or other personal qualities. And aspiring means wanting to be successful in your chosen career.

Neil
And what does Steve mean when he says comedians need to find their voice?

Alice
Well, he means they need to talk about what they think in a way that's unique – meaning unusual or special – to them.

Neil
OK. Let's listen to Steve again talking about turning 40 and what he finds funny about that.

INSERT
Steve Byrne, comedian
When you turn 40 you will hear this in your life and hopefully you'll hear this the rest of your life. 'You look good for 40. You look good for 52. You look great for 63.' You never hear that when you're young. You never hear: 'You look good for 19.'

You think there's going to be some magic potion – some magic shortcut to it all. It's writing and getting up on stage. It takes a lot of perseverance and it's such a competitive occupation. You know, you've just got to outwork everybody.

Neil
Well, we heard Steve making his audience laugh there. And by the way, Alice, you look fantastic for 40.

Alice
That's not funny, Neil. I'm only 39 and you know it. Anyway, moving on, Steve says there's no magic potion or shortcut to success. You have to work hard – it doesn't happen by itself. And perseverance means to keep on trying to achieve something even when it's difficult.

Neil
He says you have to outwork everybody – which means to work harder than everybody else. Steve certainly doesn't make comedy sound much fun, does he?

Alice
No. In fact some people say there's a connection between depression and comedy – that comedians can be introverted and depressive.

Neil
Is that right? Introverts

are generally quiet people who are more interested in their own thoughts and feelings than in spending time with other people.

Alice
Yes, you'd think that most comedians would be extroverts – people who are lively and enjoy the company of others. OK I think it's time for the answer to our quiz question, Neil. I asked: Which Greek word means the study of laughter and its effects on the body? Is it…

a) risology?
b) gelotology?
or c) comology?

Neil
Yes. I said c) comology, which I think I'm beginning to regret now.

Alice
Yes, well, indeed. Sorry, I'm afraid that's the wrong answer. It's actually b) gelotology – which comes from the Greek word, gelos, meaning laughter.

Neil
OK. You can stop sniggering now, Alice and just tell us today's words once again?

Alice
Alright then. Here they are:
get something (e.g. a joke)
gag
stand-up comedy
narcissistic
aspiring
unique
perseverance
outwork
introverts
extroverts

Neil
Well, that just about brings us to the end of today's 6 Minute English.

Alice
See you next time.

Both
Bye.

Ordinal numbers

What's the date today? And do you know how to say it? Find out about ordinal numbers and have a go at the quiz in 6 Minute Vocabulary.

Summary - meaning and use

Ordinal numbers tell us the position of something in a group. They are used for:

1. Dates
It's the twelfth of November

2. The order of events
Her fiftieth birthday

3. Position in space
Our apartment's on the first floor
It's the third on the right

4. Order of quality
The first prize in the competition

Spelling and form

We usually form ordinal numbers by adding -th to cardinal numbers:
four - fourth
first, second and third are irregular forms
fifth, eighth, ninth, twelfth and numbers ending in -y have irregular spellings: twentieth

We say dates with the and of:
the eighth of April
April the eighth

But we don't write them like that. We write them as:
8th April
April 8th
8 April

First, second and third have the irregular suffixes 1st, 2nd and 3rd

We usually use the definite article the with ordinal numbers:
on the third day
It was the first time I've ever been to France

But sometimes we use possessives:
my thirtieth birthday
Julia's second child

Ordinal numbers are also used as adjectives and adverbs without the or a possessive adjective.

Catherine
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute Vocabulary with me, Catherine.

Neil
And me, Neil. And today we're talking about ordinal numbers.

Catherine
Yes. So numbers like first, second and third. So let's start by listening to Laurence. He's talking about his 18th birthday party. While you listen, try to answer this question: What date was his party? Here's Laurence.

INSERT
Laurence
For my 18th birthday last year, I invited about sixty friends and relatives! It was on the twenty-fifth of May and it was the first time that I've ever had a big party. It was in a restaurant on the third floor of a hotel. The food was really delicious and I won second prize in the dancing competition!

Neil
So we asked you: What date was Laurence's birthday party?

Catherine
And the answer is: the twenty-fifth of May.

Neil
That's right. Now the twenty-fifth is an ordinal number like the first and the second. Ordinal numbers tell us the position of something in a group - the dates in a month, for example.

Catherine
Or which birthday it is. Laurence said it was his eighteenth birthday.

Neil
Yes, he did. Lucky him! And ordinal numbers are different to cardinal numbers. We use cardinal numbers like one, two, three for counting and to answer the question how many.

Catherine
And to make a cardinal number into an ordinal number, add the letters t-h to the end of the cardinal number. Eighteen - eighteenth; sixty - sixtieth.

Neil
And that works for all the cardinal numbers except for first, second and third – they're irregular, but for all the others, it's add t-h, so that's fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh…

Catherine
Eighth, ninth, tenth. So that's good but in writing we do have a couple of irregular spellings, such as fifth:

Neil
f-i-f-t-h

Catherine
eighth

Neil
e-i-g-h-t-h

Catherine
ninth

Neil
n-i-n-t-h

Catherine
twelfth

Neil
t-w-e-l-f-t-h

Catherine
And for numbers ending in -y like sixty, drop the -y and add -i-e and -t-h to make sixtieth:

Neil
s-i-x-t-i-e-t-h

Catherine
Now let's look more closely at dates. Listen for the date in this clip.

INSERT CLIP 1
It was on the twenty-fifth of May and it was the first time that I've ever had a big party.

Neil
The twenty-fifth of May. When we say the day before the month, we always use the words the and of: the twenty-fifth of May.

Catherine
But when we say the month before the day, we don't use the word of. It's just May the twenty-fifth.

Neil
We often use the word the with ordinal numbers, but we can also use possessives. In this next clip, Laurence uses the possessive adjective my before eighteenth.

INSERT 1 CLIP 2
For my 18th birthday last year, I invited about sixty friends and relatives!

Catherine
Let's have another clip.

INSERT 1 CLIP 3
It was in a restaurant on the third floor of a hotel. The food was really delicious and I won second prize in the dancing competition!

Neil
So, now we have two more ways of using ordinal numbers: space and quality.

Catherine
Yes, we do. And the third floor tells us about the position of the floors in space. It's the same as when we give directions, for example: Take the second left after the traffic lights.

Neil
And second prize tells us about the quality. And a point to make here is that ordinal numbers can be used as adjectives and adverbs without the. Like in the phrase he won second prize. Second is an adjective.

IDENT
6 Minute Vocabulary from BBC Learning English.

Neil
And now it's quiz time! Number one: Which of these is correct? The party's on: a) thirtieth of July b) the thirtieth July c) the thirtieth of July.

Catherine
And it's c) the thirtieth of July.

Neil
Great! Now, number two. Which word in this list is wrong? First, second, third, ford, fifth.

Catherine
The answer's ford. It should be fourth.

Neil
Yes, it should! Number three: Which of these is correct? a) My twenty-first birthday b) My the twenty-first birthday c) The my twenty-first birthday.

Catherine
The answer's a) My twenty-first birthday.

Neil
Well done if you got them right. But before we go, here's a vocabulary tip. Try saying your own important and memorabl

e dates in English, for example, birthdays, anniversaries and festivals. If the dates are important, you're more likely to remember the English.

Catherine
There's more about this at bbclearningenglish.com. Join us again soon for more 6 Minute Vocabulary.

Both
Bye!

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The BBC is offering women around the world a voice to discuss the issues they care about. Catherine and Li talk about the programmes and debates about issues as diverse as the right of Indian women to use the toilet for free, to women who opt out of motherhood.

This week's question

How many female heads of state or government do we have now, in 2015? Is it:

a) 9

b) 19

c) 29

You can hear the answer at the end of the programme.

covered
(here) talked about

childless
without children

role
(bere) the way you are expected to behave

discrimination
unfair treatment of people who belong to different groups, e.g. male and female

at the core
in the centre

pee
urinate, pass water

sexism
treating somebody unfairly because of their gender

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript

Catherine
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Catherine…

Li
…and I'm Li. And today we are talking about women's rights. Catherine, do you think women's rights are well covered by the media?

Catherine
Covered means 'talked about'. And I would say it could be better, to be honest. Many women's magazines are all about beauty tips, fashion and how to please your man. Now, I'm interested in the real issues. One thing the media doesn't talk about much is what the role of childless women, like myself, is. And childless means 'having no children'.

Li
Yes. In some societies, the role of women – role, the way they are expected to behave – is to have children. If they don't, it's like there's something wrong with them, and they are supposed to be unhappy.

Catherine
I have no children and I'm very happy. Anyway, women in various countries around the world want to discuss problems which are close to home. And that's why the BBC has organised a series of programmes to discuss some issues that affect half the world's population. The series is called 100 Women and it's the theme of this 6 Minute English.

Li
The discrimination against women happens in different ways in different countries.

Catherine
Discrimination means the unjust treatment of people who belong to different groups - in this case, male and female. Maybe Li, more women should be in positions of power. And that's what today's quiz question is about. Li, how many female heads of state or government do we have around the world now, in 2015? Is it:

a) 9
b) 19 or
c) 29

Li
Well, I'm going to guess… c) 29.

Catherine
That's very optimistic and we'll find out later if you're right. Now, let's talk about the BBC's 100 Women season. The season will include programmes across all the BBC platforms – including radio, online, TV and social media. And the BBC's Tammi Walker is working on the social media offer. Here she is, explaining what audiences can expect.

INSERT
Tammi Walker, BBC social media producer for 100 Women
Within the season we've got big debates. One is "Is news failing women?", which is obviously at the core of what we are trying to get to. And that will be a live debate held in London but we're going to have people speaking in different countries about that. And we're also doing a big debate called "What does it mean to be a good girl or an ideal woman?". December the 1st we have three topics - leadership, relationships and image - and we're going to do three live debates on that day. And we've sent out packs to over 100 women's groups around the world, so that on the day they all get involved.

Li
So at the core of the project 100 Women there will be live debates. By the way, the word 'core' means 'the central part of it'.

Catherine
Indeed. And as you know Li, in some countries, women face some fairly basic problems… Here's Tammi Walker again. And this time, what word means, well, you know, what you do when you go to the toilet?

INSERT
Tammi Walker, BBC social media producer for 100 Women
We are tying in with World Toilet Day, with the right to pee. For example in India, women are charged 25 rupees to go to the toilet whereas men obviously can go anywhere for free. You don't have to pay to go!

Li
Yes. Women in India have to pay to pee – it means to urinate, to pass water – while men can go anywhere. It is a matter of public health too.

Catherine
Most definitely. Now, this is the third BBC 100 Women season. Last time it prompted a big discussion in Iran. Let's hear what Sanam Dolatshahi has to say. She's a producer from BBC Persian. And can you understand what the word sexism means?

INSERT
Sanam Dolatshahi, producer, BBC Persian
Many people are familiar with other 'isms' you know – for example, racism. When you say 'racism' people know what it means in Iran. But not necessarily sexism. Many people confused it with sex. So some people were asking us: Air your programmes about sexism after the watershed, after 9 pm, you know, so that the children will not watch.

Li
Sexism means to have a very strict i

dea of what each sex can or can't do and it is a form of prejudice. Sometimes people are prejudiced and they don't even know it.

Catherine
Absolutely. But this prejudice, whether known or unknown, can bring a lot of suffering. Well, there's a lot more we could say about women in our society but we are running out of time. So let's get back to our quiz question Li…

Li
Yeah. You asked me about women in powerful positions…

Catherine
That's right. I asked you: How many heads of state or government do we have around the world now, in 2015? Is it:

a) 9
b) 19 or
c) 29

Li
And I said c) 29.

Catherine
Unfortunately Li, it's wrong! The correct answer is b) 19. And according to a 2015 United Nations report, in 1995 there were only 12 female heads of state or government but now there are 19. And before you go let me remind you of some of the key words we've used today. They were:

covered
childless
role
discrimination
at the core
pee
sexism

Li
Well, that just about brings us to the end of today's 6 Minute English. We would like to invite you to follow the BBC 100 Women season in English or your own language. Men are invited too.

Catherine
And you can find the programmes using the hashtag 100women or go to www.bbc.com/100women. See you next time.

Both
Bye.