Skeleton crew

Learning English Conversations

BBC

Language Learning, Education

4.6 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 19 May 2020

⏱️ 3 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

An expression for when there aren't many people working.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is a download from BBC Learning English.
0:03.0	To find out more, visit our website.
0:06.0	The English we speak.
0:09.0	From BBC learning English.
0:11.0	com.
0:14.0	Hello and welcome to the English we speak with me Faye Fay.
0:18.0	And me, Roy.
0:20.0	We may sound a little different.
0:22.0	That's because we're not able to record in our normal studios during the coronavirus outbreak.
0:28.0	In this program, we have an expression that is used to describe the minimum number of people that are required to run a business.
0:36.2	Speaking of which, there are not many people working in the train stations today.
0:41.3	No, you're right. It's because of the strikes on the trains. Ah, so that's why it was
0:48.0	hard to get a train this morning. The train companies decided to run the trains on a skeleton crew.
0:55.0	What! Skeletons driving the trains?
0:58.0	Is this some kind of ghost story? I think I walk home. No Roy, skeleton crew refers to the minimum number of people
1:09.2	needed to run a business or an organization.
1:12.8	Ah, yes, and it's usually in times of crisis or during an emergency, for example the coronavirus that people run businesses with a skeleton crew.
1:26.0	Exactly. Let's listen to these examples.
1:30.0	Due to the financial problems of the company, the office will be run with a skeleton crew for the foreseeable future.
1:40.0	The COVID-19 emergency means that we will run the buses with a skeleton crew until further notice.
1:48.0	A skeleton crew will be needed to keep the park open over the winter months.
1:52.8	This is the English we speak from BBC Learning English and we're talking about the
	...

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