This cartoon by Kipper Williams from The Guardian refers to the measures taken by the Greek government to combat Greece's mounting debt crisis (see earlier post).
A couple are dining in a Greek restaurant. The man says to the woman: "Great news—they've had to lay off the bouzouki player.
The joke is that the man doesn't appreciate bouzouki music, and is pleased that the player has lost his job as part of the cost-cutting measures.
VOCABULARY
1. If someone is laid off, they are told by their employer to leave their job, usually because there is no more work for them to do, or to save money (which is the case here).
2. Austerity is a situation in which people's living standards are reduced because of economic difficulties.
