John Humphrys meets Johnny Rotten

John Humphrys

John Humphrys has been a presenter of Radio 4's Today programme since January 1987.

Humphrys has a reputation as a tenacious and forthright interviewer; occasionally politicians have been very critical of his style after being subjected to a tough interview on live radio

Johnny Rotten

John Joseph Lydon (born 31 January 1956), also known by his former stage name Johnny Rotten, is an English singer-songwriter, best known as the lead singer of punk rock band the Sex Pistols from 1975 until 1978

What could we learn?

• 1.- Compare accents - BBC style - working class • 2.- Harsh and rude speech - Abuse of you, don´t, imperative and non gradable adverbs

• 3.- How to deal with an insult/offense/affront

(The famously abrupt Lydon didn't react well to the journalist's suggestion that he wasn't the only young person to be "anti-establishment. He hit out at the interviewer)

• JR:..” you silly sausage”; Stop it, don't be silly• JH:..” I’ve never been called a silly sausage

before”

Silly Sausage, a light hearted insult to describe someone who is being silly or generally stupid.

• 4.- To Rile Someone Up(annoy, bother, disturb, irritate, provoke, peeve)

Humphrys riled Lydon further by suggesting "it was great publicity", with the singer responding, "Great publicity?? It carried a death sentence mate. Let's get serious."

Degrees of anger (in increasing intensity)

• to be / get steamed up - feel annoyed• to be / get hot under the collar - feel irritated • to be on the warpath - prepare to vent one's anger• to be up in arms - protest strongly• to be hopping mad - feel very angry• to fly off the handle - suddenly lose one's temper• to throw a wobbler - become suddenly angry with

someone and break down in tears• to do one's nut - totally lose one's temper• to hit the ceiling / roof - comprehensively lose one's

temper• to blow one's top / a fuse / a gasket - totally lose

one's temper• to rant and rave - to argue loudly and energetically