Typical Dialogues - The Hairdresser

AUDIO TYPICALDIALOGUESANSWERS ON PAGE 50

THE HAIRDRESSER

Here’s a typical dialogue with lots of useful vocabulary and expressions to use when you go to the hairdresser’s. In this scene Mr Paylos has come in for a haircut. Listen to the dialogue and answer these questions. (answers on page 50)

1. What does the hairdresser offer the man? 2. Is the customer satisfied in the end?

Hairdresser: Good afternoon, sir. Haircut? You know we’re giving away a free brush and comb for every customer this month. Mr Paylos: Oh good. I’ll have a haircut then, please. Hairdresser: OK, take a seat, please. Now, how would you like it? Mr Paylos: Well, I just need a trim - you know, just a bit off the back and the sides. Hairdresser: Very well, sir. Now just sit back and relax while I put this blindfold on you. Mr Paylos: Blindfold? Hairdresser: Yes, I find it easier to work if the customer can’t see what I’m getting up to. Mr Paylos: Getting up to? Hairdresser: I mean, doing. Could I interest you in a perm? We’ve got some very good offers this month. Mr Paylos: Erm, no thanks. Hairdresser: A change of colour perhaps? We’ve got a very snazzy new range of hair dyes. Mr Paylos: No, I’m fine thanks. Hairdresser: Very well, sir. Whoops! Mr Paylos: What? What’s wrong? Hairdresser: Nothing. It’s just that these scissors are a bit blunt. It’s nothing to worry about. You just sit back and relax. Mr Paylos: So, erm, is this a busy time of the year? Hairdresser: Yes, very busy. And there have been no fatal accidents for twenty years. Mr Paylos: Fatal accidents? I didn’t ask about any accidents. Hairdresser: Oh, didn’t you, sir? I’m sorry. It just sort of slipped out. Mr Paylos: Erm… what happened twenty years ago? Hairdresser: I don’t like to talk about it. Mr Paylos: By the way, I was just wondering - it says outside that you also do gardening work. Is that right? Hairdresser: Yes, I find the two jobs are quite similar. Mr Paylos: What? Hairdresser: I said… Good, now I’m just going to burn off those loose ends. Mr Paylos: Burn? Erm, sorry, but I can feel some heat on the back of my neck… in fact it’s quite hot, erm, and it hurts. Hairdresser: Oh dear. Mr Paylos: What? Hairdresser: I don’t suppose you’ve got any glue, have you? Mr Paylos: Glue? Look, I think you’ve done quite enough. Let me have a look. Hairdresser: Here you are, sir. Shall I dry the remaining hairs for you, sir? A bit of hairspray might look good. Mr Paylos: No, no, I’m fine. (looking in the mirror) Oh, yes. This haircut is very, very good. I like the way there are some spiky bits, and some bald patches and a bit of long hair at the back. It’s perfect. How much do I owe you? Hairdresser: That’ll be 20 euros, please. Plus you get your free comb. Mr Paylos: Excellent!

G L O S S A R Y

a brush n an object you use to make your hair look nice. It has many soft plastic “hairs” on it a comb n an object you use to make your hair look nice. It has many hard plastic “teeth” on it a trim n a haircut that consists of cutting off a little hair a bit off the back exp “cut a little hair from the back of my head” the sides n the hair at the sides of your head a blindfold n a piece of material that completely covers the eyes to get up to something exp to do something - usually something bad or illegal a perm abbr a “permanent”. A process which makes your hair curly (with lots of little circles) snazzy adj stylish and attractive a hair dye n a chemical that makes your hair change colour whoops! excl people say this when they do something wrong or make a mistake scissors n an object you use to cut paper or hair blunt adj if a knife is “blunt”, it doesn’t cut very well busy adj if you are “busy”, you have lots of work to slip out phr vb if something “slips out”, you say that thing accidentally to burn off phr vb to eliminate something by burning it loose ends exp the ends of your hair that are not in place glue n a substance used for sticking paper onto paper spiky bits exp bits of hair that are sticking up (in a vertical position) bald patches exp areas of your head with no hair. Someone with no hair is “bald”

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