In the News: Top Store Fires Santa for Telling a Joke

Some news from last 10th December related to the topic of Christmas and Jobs. Do you understand the meaning of the highlighted words and expressions? (Think first! Do not use the dictionary until you finish the exercises I suggest!)

A top New York department store has fired its Santa Claus after two customers did not like one of his jokes. John Toomey, 68, had worked as Macy’s Santa for 20 years. A middle-aged couple asked him why Santa was always so jolly, to which he replied, “because I know where all the naughty boys and girls live”. They complained his humour was in bad taste. He was shocked to receive his marching orders the following day. Toomey instantly became the world’s second most famous Santa. Thousands of customers complained to Macy’s about his firing. He was offered dozens of new jobs around the world. He accepted one just down the road from Macy’s. He told reporters: "Helping the kids - that's what it's all about, you know.”

Macy's has refused to comment on the incident, calling it a simple personnel matter. Employees and former colleagues of Mr Toomey described his sacking as "devastating" and definitely not in the spirit of Christmas. Santa Toomey was a very popular and professional Father Christmas. He even had his own white beard. He claimed he was “no bad Santa”. He explained to the San Francisco Chronicle that no one had ever disliked his jokes before. He said he would never use inappropriate humour with children. He gave the newspaper another of his favourite jokes: "When I ask the older people who sit on my lap if they've been good and they say 'yes', I say 'Gee, that's too bad’”.

Find synonyms for these words in the text: 
speak - unsuitable - sacked - unfortunate - leading - upsetting - crude - criticize - happy - coworkers

Some opinion questions...
- What springs to your mind when you hear the expression "Santa Claus"?
- What does Santa Claus have to do with Christmas?
- What is really Christmas spirit?
- Should there be more images of Jesus and fewer of Santa at Christmas?
- What qualities should a professional Santa have?
- What questions would a department store job interviewer ask someone wanting to be a Santa?
- What would you like from Santa this Christmas?

You can read the original article here.