Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Know Your
English
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The Hindu’s Know Your English
The following compilation is of “Know Your English” article published every week in The Hindu Daily. This collection is
Volume I from July 2001 to June 2006. The weblinks to the published dates are given at the end of the page. In case of any
discripancies, errors, pl consult to the particular web page. Also you can browse through the contents page and click on the title
you wish to read. It will get you there. All the Questions are linked to the answers.
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CONTENTS Page
1 Know your English July 03, 2001
2 WHAT IS the meaning of ``sting operation''?
3 What is the difference between ``while'' and ``whilst''
4 Who is a ``psephologist''?
5 What is the meaning and origin of the expression ``to hit the sack''?
6 Does the word ``history sheeter'' exist?
7 What is the meaning of ``We fear the president may be buying a lemon here''.
8 WHAT IS the origin of the expression ``lion's share''?
9 How is the word ``dilettante'' pronounced?
10 What is the difference between ``corrigenda'' and ``errata''?
11 One of my teachers keeps telling us to ``chill out''. What exactly does he mean by that?
12 What is the correct spelling of ``whiskey''? Is it ``whiskey'' or ``whisky''?
13 Know your English July 24, 2001
14 WHAT IS the meaning and origin of the word ``laconic"?
15 Is there a word for someone who fears thunder and thunderstorms?
16 What is the difference between a ``robber" and a ``thief"?
17 What is the meaning of the expression ``talk through one's hat"?
18 What is the meaning of ``bimonthly"
19 WHAT IS the meaning and origin of "red letter day"?
20 What is the meaning of "misogynist"? How do you pronounce the word?
21 Is it OK to say, "Which class are you studying?"
22 What is the difference between "martyr" and "victim"?
23 What do the initials FAQ stand?
24 WHAT IS the meaning and origin of the expression "to give someone an even break"?
25 Can we say 7 into 20 is 140?
26 What is the difference between "despise" and "hate"?
27 Which is correct? "Co-brother" or "co son-in-law?"
28 How is the word "exposi" pronounced?
29 What is the meaning and origin of the expression "Can't hold a candle to someone"?
30 What is the difference between "partially cooked" and "partly cooked"?
31 How do you pronounce `schizophrenia'?
32 Should I say, "I enclose" or "I enclose herewith"
33 What is the opposite of "postpone"?
34 Is it OK to say, "Myself Subh Karan"?
35 Know your English August 28, 2001
36 What is the meaning and origin of the expression ``to throw one's hat into the ring?
37 What is the plural of "mother-in-law"?
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Which of the following sentences is correct? "The fees has to be paid", or "The fees have
38
to be paid"?
39 Does the word "timepass" exist?
40 What is the word for a wife who is excessively fond of her husband?
41 Is it OK to say, "Rectify my doubts"?
42 Know your English September 18, 2001
43 IS IT correct to say ``He has good command over English"?
Which of the following sentences is correct? The Government has many problems''or ``The
44
Government have many problems"?
45 What is the meaning and origin of the term ``son of a gun"?
46 What is the difference between ``should'' and ``must"?
47 What is the meaning of ``ground zero"?
48 WHAT IS the meaning of "neck to neck"?
49 What is the meaning of "You scared the daylights out of me"?
Which of the following sentences is correct? ``The driver of the bus was expired in the
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accident'' or ``The driver of the bus expired in the accident"?
51 What is the difference between "placebo" and "panacea"?
52 Is it wrong to say, "Protest against something"?
53 Know your English October 09, 2001
54 WHAT IS the plural of "staff "?
55 What is the difference between `fairly' and `rather'?
56 What is the origin of the expression "French leave"?
What is the difference between "She went out slamming the door" and "She went out and
57
slammed the door"?
58 What is the meaning of "infructuous"?
59 Know your English October 23
60 WHAT IS the difference between "resume" and "bio-data"?
61 Is `juggernaut' derived from Lord Jagannath?
62 What is the meaning of "cut off one's nose to spite one face"?
63 Is it OK to address a person "Mr. Balagopal, Esq."?
64 In English are there words without vowels?
65 What is a baby elephant called?
66 WHAT IS the difference between "cousin" and "half brother"?
67 Which of the following sentences is correct? All ways/Always keep to the left.
68 What is the meaning of "on the qui vive"
Which of the following sentences is correct? "Seventy per cent of the population are of the
69
opinion.
70 What is the difference between an "escort" and a "convoy"?
71 What is the origin of the term "Molotov cocktail"? How is the word "Molotov" pronounced?
72 What is the meaning of "Friday dressing"?
73 WHAT IS the meaning of "bolt from the blue"?
74 What is the meaning of the term "vox populi"?
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113 What is the meaning of the expression "on the receiving end"?
114 What is the correct pronunciation of the word "photograph"?
115 Is it OK to say "Ganesh is going to abroad"?
116 What is the meaning of "cock-a-hoop"?
117 Isn't a female cat also called a "tabby"?
Which of the following sentences is correct? "I bathe every morning" or "I bath every
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morning".
119 What is the meaning of the idiom "to rob Peter to pay Paul"?
120 WHAT IS the meaning of "feel good factor"?
Do you congratulate someone "on" getting a job, or do you congratulate him "for" getting a
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job?
122 What is the word for a child who is born after his father's death?
123 What is the difference between "ornamental'' and "ornate''?
124 Is it OK to say "Me neither"?
125 What is the meaning and origin of the expression "off the cuff"?
126 Look beat, Considering going, Homemaker...
127 WHAT IS the origin and meaning of the expression `cock and bull story'?
128 Does the word "kakorraphiophobia" exist? If it does, what does it mean?
129 What is the difference between lacto-vegetarian and lacto-ovo-vegetarian?
Which of the following sentences is correct? "Each of the children were given chocolates"
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or "Each of the children was given chocolates".
131 How do you pronounce the word "pusillanimous"?
132 Which of the following is correct? "In behalf of" or "on behalf of'"?
133 What is the difference between "stairway" and "staircase"?
134 WHAT IS the meaning of "wild card" in tennis?
135 What is the meaning of "can't see the wood for the trees"?
136 Can the word "bon voyage" be used with people who are travelling by train or car?
137 What is the meaning of "get hot under the collar"?
138 What is the meaning of "theme park"?
140 Which of the following is correct? Compare to or compare with?
141 One talks about a "gaggle of geese", what about swans?
142 What is the difference between "for sale" and "on sale"?
143 Is it OK to say that something is "very unique"?
144 What is the meaning of "It isn't worth a hill of beans"?
145 What is the difference between "homicide" and "murder"?
146 Is it OK to say "I am running forty"?
147 What is the meaning of "the straw that broke the camel's back"?
148 Does the word "aunty" exist?
149 Why is the "green room" called the green room?
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What is the difference between "I will lend you the money right now" and "I would lend you
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the money right now"?
491 How is the word "curmudgeon" pronounced? What does it mean?
492 Uncommon phrases
493 What is the difference between a "linguist" and a "polyglot"? Jan 05, 2004
494 Is it OK to say, "He is angry on me"?
495 What is the meaning of "cyber coolies"?
496 How is the word "brusque" pronounced?
497 What is the meaning and origin of the expression "to throw in the towel"?
498 Does the word "Stepney" exist? Jan 12, 2004
499 What is the meaning of the expression "whistle in the dark"?
500 How is the word "impugn" pronounced?
501 What is the difference between a "hotel" and a "restaurant"?
502 How do you respond to "How do you do"?
503 How is the word "tortoise" pronounced?
504 What is the meaning of "back burner"? Jan 19, 2004
505 What is the meaning of "per se"?
506 What is the difference between "cite" and "quote"?
507 How is the word "gobbledygook" pronounced?
508 Know Your English Jan 26, 2004
509 WHAT IS the meaning of "baloney"? Feb 02, 2004
510 What is the meaning of the idiom "bone of contention"?
511 What is the difference between "de facto" and "de jure"?
512 What is the meaning and pronunciation of the word "cachet"?
513 WHAT IS the meaning and origin of "to bury the hatchet"? Feb 09, 2004
514 What is the difference between "I searched for the room" and "I searched the room"?
515 Is it OK to say, "Long time no see"?
516 How is the word "voyeur" pronounced?
517 What is the difference between a "sceptic" and "cynic"?
518 WHAT IS the meaning of the idiom "give a dog a bad name and hang him"? Feb 16, 2004
519 Why can't we say "chairwoman"?
520 Is it OK to say "sponsorers"?
521 What is the difference between "premier" and "premiere"?
522 How is the word "psyche" pronounced?
WHICH OF the following sentences is correct? "I wish I was a minister", or, "I wish I were a
523
minister". Feb 23, 2004
524 What is the meaning of "willy-nilly"?
525 How is the word "sachet" pronounced?
526 What is the story behind "Narcissus"?
527 Is it ok to pronounce the "t" in often?
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528 WHAT'S THE difference between "incidence" and "incident?---March 01, 2004
529 What is the meaning of "knock your socks off "?
530 Is it "eighty foot road" or "eighty feet road"?
531 What is the difference in pronunciation between "beer" and "bear"?
532 What is the meaning and pronunciation of "lingua franca"?
533 On being antsy, miffed & so on---March 08, 2004
534 Which is correct? "None of us is impressed" or "None of us are impressed"? Mar 15, 2004
535 What is the meaning of "danseuse"?
536 What is the meaning of "between the devil and the deep blue sea"?
537 How is the word "franchise" pronounced?
538 What is the meaning of "shot in the arm"?
539 WHAT IS the meaning of the idiom "To set the Thames on fire"? March 22, 2004
540 What is the meaning of "chokers"?
541 Is it ok to say "the shoe has a fascination for me"?
542 Which is correct? "Relieved of" or "relieved off"?
543 What's the difference between "endemic" and "epidemic"?
544 WHAT IS the difference between "up-and-coming" and "upcoming"? March 29, 2004
545 What is the meaning and origin of "get on the soapbox"?
546 What is the meaning of "second cousin"?
547 What is the meaning and origin of "Faustian deal"?
548 How is the word "repertoire" pronounced?
Which of the following is correct? "One of the cars have run out of gas" or "one of the cars
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has run out of gas"?
550 Gabfest, Cheek by Jowl, Sleep at the switch... April 05, 2004
551 WHAT IS the difference between "stipend" and "scholarship"? April 12, 2004
552 Is it ok to write "Mrs. & Mr." instead of "Mr. & Mrs."?
553 What is the meaning of "call upon"?
554 What is the meaning of "have a millstone around one's neck"?
555 What is the meaning of "goody two-shoes"?
556 WHAT IS the meaning of "to have a beef with someone"? April 19, 2004
557 What is the difference between "exalt" and "exult"?
558 Which is correct? "It is I" or "It is me"?
559 Why is the bone called "funny bone"?
560 What is the meaning and origin of "cut and run"?
561 What is the meaning of "cyberslacker"?
562 Know Your English April 26, 2004
563 WHAT IS the difference between a "chauffeur" and a "driver"? May 03, 2004
564 What is the meaning of "paddle your own canoe"?
A man marrying a man and a woman marrying a woman. Is there a word for such a
565
marriage?
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871 What is the difference between `learned' and `learnt'? November 07, 2005
872 Which is correct `Petrol station' or `petrol bunk'?
873 What is the meaning of `inter alia'?
874 Is it okay to say, `Heartfelt congratulations!'?
875 What is the meaning of `eating someone's lunch'?
876 What is the meaning and origin of `taking the wind out of one's sails'?
877 What is the difference between `extempore' and `impromptu'? November 14, 2005
878 What is the meaning of `sexing up a document'?
879 How is the word `disparage' pronounced?
880 Some men grow their hair long in order to cover their bald spots. Is there a word for this?
881 What is the meaning of `stay the course'?
882 What is the difference between `anyway' and `anyways'? November 21, 2005
883 How is the word `ennui' pronounced?
884 What is the meaning and origin of `wearing one's heart on one's sleeve'?
885 What is the difference between `speak English' and `speak in English'?
886 What does `pari passu' mean?
887 Which is correct? `He's a teacher of English' or `He's an English teacher'?
When somebody says `Sorry', we usually respond by saying `Never mind'. Are there any
888
other alternatives?
889 What is the difference between `fatal' and `fateful'? November 28, 2005
890 What is the meaning of `face in the crowd'?
891 What is the meaning and origin of `pleased as Punch'?
892 What is the meaning of `sine qua non'?
893 Is it OK to say, `On the lights, please!'
894 How is the word `beau' pronounced?
895 What is the meaning of `go the whole hog'? December 05, 2005
896 How is the word `obsequious' pronounced?
897 What is the difference between `ambience' and `ambiance'?
898 What is the origin of `nit picking'?
899 What is the meaning and origin of `to eat out of one's hand'? December 12, 2005
900 What is the difference between `eat like a horse' and `eat like a pig'?
901 What is the meaning of `tryst'?
902 How is the word `idiosyncrasy' pronounced?
903 What is the difference between `defence' and `defense'?
904 I don't find `bitter gourd' in the dictionary. Does the vegetable have another name?
905 What is the meaning of `da bomb'?
906 What is the meaning and origin of `above board'? December 19, 2005
907 What is the meaning of `parochial'? How is the word pronounced?
908 Is it OK to say, `The President Abdul Kalam visited Chennai last week'?
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909 Why do we call the place where the police work a `station'?
910 How is the word `fragile' pronounced?
911 What is the meaning of `catch as catch can'? December 26, 2005
912 Why is 26 December called `Boxing Day'?
What is the meaning of `period' in the following sentence? `He is an intelligent man.
913
Period.'
914 What is the meaning of `kowtow'? How is it pronounced?
915 What it the difference between `curriculum vitae' and `resume'?
Outside marriage halls, we see signs that say, `Bride marries Bridegroom'. Some read,
916
`Bridegroom marries Bride'. Which is correct?
917 What is the meaning of `Beltway politics'? 02 January 2006
918 What is the meaning and origin of `get someone's goat'?
919 What is the origin of `quiz'?
920 What is the difference between `nevertheless' and `however'?
921 Is it OK to say, `Yesterday night'?
922 What is the difference between `sell' and `sell out'?
923 KNOW YOUR ENGLISH 09 January 2006
924 KNOW YOUR ENGLISH 16 January 2006
925 Which is correct? `Blind in one eye' or `blind to one eye'? January 23, 2006
926 What is the meaning and origin of `touch wood'?
927 What is the difference between `He is my best friend' and `He is a close friend'?
928 What is the meaning of `et al'?
929 How is the word `hegemony' pronounced?
930 What's the difference between `see through someone' and `look through someone'?
931 Is it OK to say, `He was given an yellow card'?
932 Know your English January 30, 2006
933 Know your English February 06, 2006
934 Know your English February 13, 2006
935 Know your English February 20, 2006
936 What is the meaning of `step up to the plate'? February 27, 2006
937 What is the difference between `sparse' and `scarce'?
938 What is the meaning of `sting operation'?
939 How is the word `hoi polloi' pronounced?
940 Is it okay to say, "Every day they have wada and dosa during the midday?"
941 Know Your English March 06, 2006
Which is correct "My house is opposite to the railway station" or "My house is opposite the
942
railway station"? March 13, 2006
943 What is the meaning of `dies non'?
944 Cricket commentators talk about `the rub of the green... ' What does it mean?
945 What is the difference between `ample' and `enough'?
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What is the difference between `Only Ram can play tennis' and `Ram can only play
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tennis'?
983 What is the difference between `psych out' and `psych someone out'?
984 How is the word `loquacious' pronounced? June 12, 2006
985 Is it OK to use `ranker' to mean `top rank in an examination'?
986 What is the meaning of `out of the box'?
987 What is the meaning and origin of `hit the sack'?
988 What is the difference between `password' and `buzzword'?
989 Know Your English June 19, 2006
990 How is the word `poignant' pronounced? June 26, 2006
991 Why is television called the `idiot box'?
992 What is the meaning of `buy someone off'?
993 What's the difference between "How are you?" and "How do you do?"
994 What is the difference between `shovel down' and `shovel into'?
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``WEREN'T YOU supposed to come over and have dinner with me yesterday?''
``That's right. But there was a problem. You see...''
``....what was the problem?''
``My cousin rang me up around 6:00 and asked me to come over. You see his landlord's son is
returning from the U.S. So the landlord wants my cousin to vacate the flat by the end of the month.
My cousin and I were out all evening trying to find a suitable accommodation.''
``Did you find one?''
``No. It's so hard to find an accommodation these days.''
``You cannot say `an accommodation'. In British English the word `accommodation' is an uncountable
noun. So you shouldn't use `an' before it.''
``Really? I didn't know that! How about this sentence? There is a shortage of cheap accommodation in
our city.''
``Sounds pretty good. Some of the delegates wanted to know if we could take care of their
accommodation.''
``The university refused to provide the teachers free accommodation.''
``Why should the university provide free accommodation?''
``Good question. Many teachers....''
``...by the way, this cousin of yours. What does he do?''
``He's an academician.''
``He's an academician? Which academy does he belong to?''
``Academy? What are you talking about?''
``Well you said that he was an academician. Which academy does he...''
``...he doesn't belong to any academy. What I meant to say was that he is a teacher. He teaches at the
university.''
``A teacher, eh? In that case, the word you are looking for is `academic'.''
``What is the difference between an 'academic' and `academician'?''
``Well, strictly speaking, an `academic' is a person who teaches or does research at the university.''
``I see. How about this example? When I grow up I certainly don't want to be an academic.''
``The example is OK. But the word `academic' has the stress on the third syllable `de'.''
``But a lot of people I know....''
``...tend to put the stress on the second syllable. But the stress is on the third. The `a' in the first
syllable is like the `a' in `cat', `bat', and `sat', while the `a' in the second syllable is pronounced like the
`a' in `China'. And ....''
``....I think I can guess the rest. The `e' probably sounds like the `e' in `set', `pet', and `get'. The final `i'
must be like the `i' in 'sit', `bit', and `hit'.''
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What is the meaning and origin of the expression ``to hit the sack''?
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One of my teachers keeps telling us to ``chill out''. What exactly does he mean by that?
- A. Whitney Brown
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"HOW WAS your trip to Madras? Was your sister happy to see you?''
"I don't know if she was happy to see me or not. But she was definitely happy to note that my water
bottle was full."
"Your water bottle! What was so great about...''
"...there's an acute water shortage in Chennai. Things are really bad. If you were to walk into a
stranger's house with a couple of bottles of water, he would welcome you with open arms!"
"It's that bad, eh? It's nice to know that your sister was happy to see your water bottle at least. Did you
inform that you were planning to take up a job in Bombay?""No, I didn't. Besides, I haven't really
decided whether..."
"...you should have informed that you were...."
"....informed her."
"What?"
"You should have informed her. You cannot say 'You should inform' or 'She informed'. You don't
merely 'inform', you 'inform someone' of something. You have to let the listener know who that
someone is. Here is an example. I informed Bala that there would be a meeting tomorrow."
"Would it be wrong to say 'I informed that there would be a meeting tomorrow'?"
"Yes, it would."
"I see. Then how about this example? The Principal informed some of the students that there would be
no school tomorrow."
"Wishful thinking on your part. But the example is fine. The Manager informed Madhuri that he was
taking the rest of the day off."
"The teacher informed me that I had done fairly well in the test. How does that sound?"
"Sounds great! I must say that you cotton on fast."
"I `cotton on' fast. What's that supposed to mean?"
"Why don't you try and guess the meaning?"
"Well, let me see. I gave you an example and then you said that it was right. And then....Does cotton
on mean that I understand things quickly?"
"Well done. When you `cotton on' to something, you begin to understand it or realise it."
"Is it an expression that is used often?"
"It is an expression used by native speakers of English in informal contexts."
"I see. How about this example then? At long last Harish cottoned on to the fact that Chitra wasn't
interested in him at all."
"That's a pretty good example. Most of the students cottoned on to what the teacher was trying to
say."
"That never happens in my case. Especially when it comes to Physics. Whenever my Physics teacher
says something, it takes me at least half an hour to cotton on to what it is she is saying."
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"That's because you don't cotton to physics like some of your other classmates."
"Cotton to? You mean cotton on to, don't you?"
"No, I mean `cotton to'. Here is an example. Jaya doesn't cotton to Karunanidhi."
"That example makes everything clear. Everyone knows that the two can't stand each other. So does
`cotton to' mean to like someone."
"Very good. When you `cotton to' someone or something, you like the person or thing. Here's another
example."
"Wait, wait! Let me come up with one. At the meeting the Manager came up with an excellent idea.
Unfortunately, the Chairman didn't cotton to the idea."
"The heroine of the film didn't cotton to all the attention that the new hero was getting."
"It's not at all surprising that Namratha and Krishna didn't cotton to each other."
"That's a pretty good example. Now then, how about..."
"....by the way, how is your friend Namratha doing? Last I heard she was trying to find a job. Has she
found one?"
"Didn't I tell you about Namratha? She won the lottery about six months ago. And since then she has
been in tall cotton."
"Not cotton again."
"You don't cotton to expressions with the word cotton, do you? Anyway, any idea what 'in tall cotton'
means?"
"Not a clue."
"When you say that someone is in `tall cotton' it means that he or she has life made. The person is
fairly successful and has absolutely no problems with money."
"I wish I were living in tall cotton."
"Who doesn't? The two Ministers were in tall cotton till the CBI figured out what it was that they
were doing."
"Can I say the two Ministers were in tall cotton till the CBI cottoned on to what they were doing?"
"You certainly can."
"How about this example? Twenty years from now I hope to be in tall cotton."
"Sounds good to me. By the way, the expression 'in tall cotton' is considered to be slang. So it should
be used only in informal contexts."
"I'll try and remember that!"
"Hey, where are you off to?"
"Nagu's brother is leaving for Chennai tomorrow. Apparently he and his mother in law just don't get
along."
"So how are you going to solve their problem?"
"Simple. I am going to ask him to carry about ten bottles of water."
"You have just given me an idea. I think you and I can become rich by selling water to our relatives in
Chennai!"
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(Giri, Kurnool)
A thief is someone who takes things from you without your being aware of it. A pickpocket, for
example, is a thief. He comes up behind you and takes away your wallet without your knowledge. A
thief doesn't threaten you with a gun or a knife. In fact, in most cases, you are hardly aware of his
presence.
In the case of a robber, on the other hand, you are aware of his presence. You usually come face to
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face with him. A robber takes things from you by threatening you; he may have a gun or a knife. In
the case of a robbery, you are aware of the fact that things are being taken from you. People who force
you to part with your belongings are robbers; those who take it away from you without your
knowledge are thieves.
What is the meaning of the expression ``talk through one's hat"?
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"If you want your spouse to listen and pay strict attention to every word you say, talk in your sleep."
- Anonymous
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WHAT IS the meaning and origin of the expression "to give someone an even break"?
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"Despise" is a stronger word than "hate". When you say that you despise someone, it implies that you
"hate" that person, but it also carries with it the sense that you have contempt for him/her. In other
words, when you hate someone, you dislike the individual intensely, but when you "despise" him, you
not only dislike him, but you also look down on him. So, when you despise someone, you consider
him being beneath you; you may think that the individual is worthless. The word "hate" does not carry
with it this negative connotation. You can hate someone who is superior to you. Here are a few
examples.
*Nandita despises her new boss.
*I am told that Tara despises the company I work for.
Which is correct? "Co-brother" or "co son-in-law?"
Erratum: A "quarterly" is a magazine that comes out every three months and not four as indicated in
the column dated July 31. A quarterly is published four times a year!
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What is the meaning and origin of the expression "Can't hold a candle to someone"?
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enclosed a copy of ". But the fact remains that even native speakers of English do say, "enclose
herewith". The example provided by the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English for the word
herewith is "I enclose herewith two copies of the contract".
What is the opposite of "postpone"?
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"HI I see that the house next door has now become an office. It has a nice name too. Silent World."
"Silent World, indeed. It's a misnomer."
"A what?"
"M..i..s..n..o..m..e..r. The first syllable sounds like the word "miss", while the second sounds like the
word 'no'.""The final 'e' is like the 'a' in 'china', I suppose? But what does the word mean?"
"It means that something has been given the wrong name or designation."
"A wrong word has been used to describe something. Is that what you are saying?"
"I guess you could say that. For example, Silent World is a misnomer for the office next door. It
should be called 'Noisy World'. It is anything silent."
"Calling Agarkar an 'all rounder' is a misnomer."
"That's a pretty good example. But the stress in 'misnomer' is on the second syllable. Here's another
example. 'First class restaurant' is a misnomer for the run down place we have down the street. And do
you know..."
"...what's the matter with you today? Why do you look so grumpy?"
"Haven't you told me a million times that I always look grumpy?"
"Not this grumpy. Something go wrong with the presentation you made yesterday?"
"You're smarter than you look. But yes, the presentation went down like a lead balloon."
"Went down like a lead balloon, eh? Is that another way of saying that your presentation flopped?"
"That's right. When you say that something went down like a lead balloon, it means that it was a total
disaster. It failed to be funny."
"You tried to make a funny presentation? That was a big mistake. You have no sense of humour.
Everyone knows that. Your jokes always go down like a lead balloon."
"They do not. Nobody has ever told me that my...."
".... remember the play you wrote a couple of years ago. You thought it was really funny. But nobody
else did. It went down like a lead balloon."
"Well if you keep insulting me like that, you will go down like a ton of bricks."
"Sorry. I didn't mean to insult you. But you ...."
"...Oh never mind. I guess it's about time I forgot all about the presentation."
"Your presentations are usually good. At least that's what you claim. What went wrong this time?"
"I just didn't have time to prepare. I'd spread myself too thin, and...."
".... spread yourself too thin? You certainly don't look it. If you ask me, you have put on weight."
"Spreading oneself too thin has nothing to do with putting on or losing weight. When you say that you
have spread yourself too thin, what you are implying is that you are doing too many things at the same
time."
"I see. And if you are doing too many things at the same time, then it isn't possible for you to focus on
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anything in particular."
"Exactly!"
"Many of the students in my class have spread themselves too thin."
"Bala is teaching five courses this semester. I am afraid that he has spread himself too thin."
"I make it a point never to spread myself too thin."
"You are a completely different case. You make it a point to work as little as possible. Now then,...."
"...o.k. Grumpy, did you ask the people what they thought of your presentation?"
"I did try to sound out a couple of people, but they weren't very...."
".... `sound out people'. That's an interesting expression."
"When you sound someone out, you...."
"....I think I can guess the meaning. When you sound someone out, you probably try and find out what
he/she thinks about something."
"Excellent. That's exactly what it means."
"Suresh was keen on knowing what Suparna thought of his new movie. He wanted me to sound her
out."
"That's a good example. My boss is planning to bring about big changes in our company. He wants
me to sound everyone out."
"...this presentation that you were making was for some private company, right?"
"That's right."
"Are you going to get paid for it?"
"Get paid for it? You must be joking. The poor owner is running it on a shoestring budget."
"A shoestring budget? What does that mean?"
"When you run something on a shoestring it means that you running it at a very low cost. You are
running it on a small or inadequate budget."
"I see. And does this...."
"....let me give you another example. The ...."
"....let me try. My cousin started a restaurant on a shoestring budget."
"My uncle's company was able to produce high quality material on a shoestring budget."
"That's great! What's the company called?"
"Shoestring!"
***
``Water is composed of two gins - oxygin and hydrogin. Oxygin is pure gin. Hydrogin is gin and
water."
- A student in U.S.A.
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What is the meaning and origin of the expression ``to throw one's hat into the ring?
(Chandrasekhar, Chennai)
The word "fees" is considered to be plural; the singular is "fee". Rules of grammar dictate that "fees"
should be followed by a plural verb. The correct sentence is, "The fees have to be paid". Here are a
few more examples.
* The entrance fee has gone up.
* The school fees are exorbitant.
* The fee is likely to be increased.
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- A student
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"Vinita has financial problems? But I thought she was very rich."
"Her father is very rich, that's true. But..."
".... so why doesn't she ask her father for some money?"
"Ask him for money! Are you crazy? He'll eat her out."
"He'll eat her out? What does that mean? Does it ...."
".... when someone eats you out, what ...."
".... the expression probably means to scold someone severely. Am I right?"
"I am impressed. Can you give me an example?"
"The Principal ate the teacher out and put the fear of God into her."
"Didn't the other teachers protest?"
"That was just an example. The Principal that we have now is too timid to eat anyone out."
"The coach ate the player out for playing an irresponsible shot."
"When the students walked in half an hour late, the Professor really ate them out."
"That was a good example. By the way, how did you guess the meaning of `eat someone out'?"
"Well, `eat someone out' sounds like `chew someone out'. And I know that `chew someone out' means
to scold someone."
"Very good. And like the expression `chew someone out', `eat someone out' is mainly used in
informal contexts. In fact, `chew someone out' is considered to be slang."
"The teacher chewed me out for coming late to class.''
"The coach gave the entire team a good chewing out."
"John Wright has to probably give our players a good chewing out every other day. Unfortunately, it
seems to have no effect on them."
"It's getting late. I'd better go. Are you eating out today?"
"No, I am eating in for a change."
"Eating in? Is it the opposite of `eating out'?"
"That's right! When you say that you are eating in, what you are actually saying is you are eating at
home. I am feeling very tired today. Why don't we just eat in?"
"My grandmother is a great cook. Whenever we go to her place, we always eat in."
"That's a good example. People who travel a lot generally hate eating out. When they get back home,
they prefer to eat in."
"Well, I'd better be going. Today being a weekday we'll all be eating in. I don't want my father to
chew me out for being late."
"What will you be having for dinner? Any idea?"
"The usual rice and sambar."
"I am planning to make pizza."
"I love pizza."
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As to the origin, well to begin with, the expression ``son of a gun'' was a polite way of referring to an
illegitimate child, usually a boy! In the old days, it was standard practice to take women on long
voyages. Sometimes these women became pregnant and had the baby on the ship. Usually the
maternity ward, if you can call it that, was the midsection of the ship, next to the cannons. Since all
deaths and births on a ship had to be recorded, the newborn baby's record was written up as well. If it
was not clear who the father of the child was, then next to the father's name, the word ``Gun'' was
written &151; referring to the cannon next to which the child was born. Against the child's name, the
word ``son'' was written. Hence the expression, ``son of a gun".
What is the difference between ``should'' and ``must"?
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The Greek word "panacea" means "universal remedy". During the old days it was common practice
for some people to claim that a certain herb could cure all diseases; they claimed that it was a panacea.
We now know that there is no such herb. Though the word "panacea" continues to be used, the focus
now has shifted from curing bodily ills to social ills. Here are a few examples.
* America thinks that getting rid of terrorism is the panacea for the world's problems.* Borrowing
money from the World Bank may help. But it is not a panacea.
* Marrying someone rich is not the panacea for your problems, Krishna.
A "placebo", on the other hand, is a substance that is given to an individual instead of real medicine.
We have met people who keep complaining about their health all the time. Every time you meet them,
they have a different ailment. Most of the time the problems are imaginary. Some people visit the
doctor and take great pleasure in explaining to him the various aches and pains. The doctor knows that
the patient's illness is imaginary, but in order to please the patient he gives him tablets, which he
recommends, should be taken every day. The tablets are not medicine, but sugarcoated pills.
The tablets are a placebo; they have no medicinal value. The patient after taking them, however,
begins to feel better. As far as he is concerned he has become well because of the tablets that the
doctor has given him. The imagined aches and pains disappear because the patient feels that he has
been taking genuine medicine!
* The doctor kept his coloured placebos in the bottom drawer.
* He began to feel better after a couple of days. He didn't realise that what the doctor had given him
was nothing more than a placebo.
* Namratha wasn't given the real drug, but only a placebo.
Is it wrong to say, "Protest against something"?
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"I don't think so. You see, our poor Chief Minister is not doing anything, actually. He is merely a
mouthpiece for somebody else. Somebody else is running the State for him. Try this example. The
electrician that the company sent had no clue what he was doing. He was merely flying by the seat of
his pants."
"Most traders don't know what is happening in the stock market. Many of them are flying by the seat
of their pants."
"That's a good example. The expression can also be used to mean, `by sheer luck and very little skill'.
My cousin got through school by the seat of his pants."
"If I get through, it will probably be by the seat of my pants."
"That's what your cousin Shanthi said. But she ended up coming first in the university. By the way,
how is she? She's married to a stockbroker, isn't she?"
"Not anymore. She divorced with him some six months ago.''
"You don't `divorce with' someone. You divorce someone. For example, she divorced her husband six
months ago."
"If it hadn't been for her parents, Usha would have divorced her husband long ago."
"I am sure she would have. I still don't understand how she puts up with that husband of hers."
"Not all marriages are made in heaven, you know. But tell me, is it wrong to say, `divorce with'?"
"Yes, it is. You cannot say `divorce with', but you can say, `divorce from'. For example, she got a
divorce from her husband six months ago."
"Ramakanth received a letter from his wife saying that she wanted a divorce from him."
"That's a good example. By the way, the `i' in divorce is not pronounced like the `ie' in `tie', `die', and
`pie'. It sounds like the `i' in `bit', `hit', and `kit'. The stress is on the second syllable."
"I see. Tell me, can ...."
"....and, one needn't always get a divorce from someone. One can also get a divorce from something.
For example, I can say, you must divorce yourself from the strange ideas that your friends have put in
your head."
"Nandita feels that many of our politicians are divorced from the needs of the people."
"That's a pretty good example. Venkat is unable to divorce fantasy from reality."
"I agree with you completely. It's surprising to see so many marriages ending in divorce these days.
Do you think your marriage is doomed for failure?"
"Difficult to answer the question right now because I am not even married. But I can assure you that it
will not be `doomed for' failure."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because you cannot say `doomed for', that's why. Something can be `doomed to' fail, but not
`doomed for'."
"I see. The idea that the Principal came up with was doomed to fail."
"All her short stories are doomed to oblivion."
"My father firmly believes that anything I start is doomed to fail."
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"That's because you never think things out. You fly by the seat of your pants."
"Oh thank you, Prophet of Doom!"
***
Men are simple things. They can survive a whole weekend with only three things: beer, boxer shorts
and batteries for the remote control" — Diana Jordan.
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— Socrates
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"I KNOW that Dilip was well prepared. But when he saw the Chairman sitting in the front row, he
went totally blank. The poor guy forgot what he was going to say."
"That happens to a lot of people. What did Dilip do? I mean, how did he...."
"....he winged it. That was the only...."
"....what do you mean he winged it! You mean to say he ran away?"
"Nobody runs away from a presentation. If Dilip had run away, he would have lost his job. When you
say that somebody `winged it' what you are saying is that the person improvised. He made things up
as he went along; he...."
"....why does it always have to be a `he'? It could be a `she'. She does or says something
spontaneously. Without any preparation."
"That's right. You stand up and say something even though you are not prepared."
"Like some of the speeches that our not so respected politicians make?"
"Exactly! Most of our politicians just wing it."
"Hey, how about this example? When I told my teacher that I wasn't really prepared for the debate, he
told me to just go out there and wing it."
"That's a very good example. Here's another one. The tall man in jeans who came for the audition this
afternoon didn't know his lines. So he just winged it. But to everyone's surprise he got the part."
"Some people have all the luck. Does this example sound OK? The speaker had misplaced his notes.
He had no option but to wing it."
"Sounds great!"
"So tell me, was the Chairman angry with Dilip?"
"He didn't say anything. But my boss was really angry. He went ballistic."
"Went ballistic? Doesn't the expression mean to become extremely angry?"
"Exactly! The teacher went ballistic when the student didn't turn in her assignment."
"My father went ballistic when my sister broke the new table lamp."
"Any way, as I was saying, my boss went ballistic. He has given Dilip his walking papers. He has
asked...."
"....his walking papers? What are you talking about?"
"When a company gives you your `walking papers', it means that you have been sacked. Or `fired', as
the Americans would put it."
"You mean that poor Dilip has lost his job?"
"That's right. He has been asked to leave."
"But that's terrible."
"I know. He is going to be joining the ranks of the unemployed pretty soon."
"The poor guy shouldn't have made the presentation. He should have just run away."
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"Absolutely right."
"But I will tell you one thing though. I'll never let anything worry me. I'll never..."
"...that's what they all say."
***
"I confess that I cannot understand how we can plot, lie, cheat and commit murder abroad and remain
humane, honorable, trustworthy and trusted at home." — Archibald Cox talking about America
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"I see. The Minister has asked the management and the union to come up with an equitable
compromise. How does that sound?"
"Good. Here's another one. The lawyer ensured that there was an equitable division of property
among the three brothers."
"The two parties were interested in arriving at an equitable settlement."
"It's very difficult to arrive at an equitable compromise."
"I know. By the way, how is your friend Dilip doing? Has he found a job?"
"No, he hasn't. He keeps ringing me up every day and talks to me for hours. I feel sorry for him. But
there are times when he drives me up the wall."
"Drives you up the wall? One can drive into a wall. How do you drive up the wall?"
"When you say that someone is driving you up the wall, it means that the individual is driving you
crazy."
"So it's the same thing as `driving someone nuts'."
"That's right. My father's aunt stayed with us for a couple of weeks. She kept asking everyone all
kinds of questions. She was driving us up the wall."
"At least she asked you all kinds of questions. I have an aunt who can sit with you for hours without
saying a word. She just keeps looking at you. Her silence drives me up the wall."
"The doctors told Deepak that they would give him the results in three days' time. The wait is driving
him up the wall."
"The casual manner in which the new maid goes about sweeping the house is driving my mother up
the wall."
"Good maids are hard to find these days."
"My mother would agree with you completely. So, have you shouted at Dilip? Have you told him not
to..."
".... no, things haven't come to a boil as yet."
".... come to a boil? Does it mean to get angry or something?"
"That is one of the meanings, yes. When Geetha heard that she had not been promoted you could see
that she was coming to a boil."
"Amrit was slowly coming to a boil and it was obvious to everyone that the student was going to get a
dressing down."
"The Director came to a boil when he was told that the project was going to be further delayed. He ..."
"...he must have gone ballistic."
"He certainly did."
"You said that `getting angry' was only one of the meanings of `come to a boil'. What are the other
meanings?"
"The expression can be used to refer to problems and situations as well. When you say that the
situation has `come to a boil', it means that it has a reached a crucial or critical stage. For example, the
talks between the management and the union have been going on for three days. But they say that
things have come to a boil."
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What is the meaning and origin of the expression ``be under the weather"?
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respect. It is, however, considered rather old fashioned by native speakers of English. If you wish to
show respect, then you could sign off with ``yours respectfully''. You can conclude your letter in the
following manner: ``Thank you. Yours sincerely, XXXX''
What is the difference between``hanged''and``hung''?
"The average Ph.D. thesis is nothing but a transference of bones from one graveyard to another." —
J. Frank Dobie
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"HI, COME on in. Did you get a cake from your neighbour this morning?"
"A cake from my neighbour? Why should she give me a cake?"
"Today is Christmas, that's why! Doesn't she usually give you a nice big cake?"
"Yeah, she does. But this year, she's celebrating Christmas in Goa. A family get-together or
something."
"That's nice. But is that the reason you're looking so grumpy? The fact that you didn't get a Christmas
cake?"
"No, I am not angry about that. I am angry with your friend Sujatha. We had another one of our
fights."
"You and Sujatha fighting again! Nothing new in that, I suppose. What was the fight about? Was it
about some silly movie?"
"No, it was about the word `handsome'?"
"The word `handsome', eh? What did she do? Did she insult you by calling you `handsome'?"
"Even if I were the last man on earth she would never call me that and you know it. No, the argument
was over whether a woman could be called `handsome'. I said that the word handsome could be used
only with men. She argued that a woman could be called handsome as well. So, tell me. Is she right?
Or am I right?"
"She is, actually."
"What? You mean I can tell someone that Shanti is a handsome woman."
"Well, I wouldn't use the word handsome with a young girl like Shanti. You see, mature women can
be called `handsome', not young girls."
"I see. So when you call a woman handsome are you implying that she is manly?"
"No, no! Handsome does not mean manly. When you refer to a woman as being handsome, what you
are implying is that her features are fairly large and regular rather than pretty and delicate. She is...."
"....in other words, she is not much to look at."
"On the contrary, she is very pleasant to look at. The famous Swedish actress Greta Garbo was often
referred to as being `breathtakingly handsome'."
"So a woman who is fairly well-built, has big eyes and a big nose is more likely to be called
`handsome' rather than pretty?"
"You know what they say, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder."
"That's true. The next time I see Sujatha I have to tell her that she was right. I hate doing that. Tell me,
what have you been up to?"
"Oh, nothing much actually. I have been trying to psych my new boss out.''
"Psych your new boss out? What are you talking about?"
"The expression has several different meanings. One of the meanings of `psych someone out' is to try
and figure the person out."
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"In other words, you try and understand the person. How his mind works. Is that what you are
saying?"
"Exactly! Here's an example. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't psych Janaki out. She's a
bit...."
"...I don't think anyone can psych her out. How about this example? The bowler tried to psych out
Tendulkar, but he...."
"....Tendulkar probably smashed the next three balls to the fence. Don't try and psych me out. I am an
enigma."
"You are anything but an enigma. Anyway, tell me what are the other meanings of psych out?"
"When you psych out about something, you become very excited about it. You may even lose control
over your ability to think. For example, when Janani heard that Hrithik Roshan was coming over to
her place, she psyched out."
"When the students came to know that Sachin was to be the chief guest at the Annual Sports Day
event, they all psyched out."
"But later when the students came to know that it was going to be the Chief Minister and not Sachin
who was going to be the chief guest, everyone was disappointed. No one psyched out."
"That is to be expected, I guess. My father psyched out when he saw last month's telephone bill.''
"Pretty high, eh?"
"Very high! By the way, you have the expression `psych out'. Do you have the expression `psych in'
as well?"
"No, we don't have `psych in', but we do have `psych up'."
"What does it mean?"
"When you psych someone up, you get them mentally prepared to do something. It..."
"....you mean like taking a test or something?"
"Yes, that's right. It could be a test. It could be taking part in some event. Or it..."
"....OK, I think I understand. How about this example? We have an excellent coach. Before every
game he psyches us up."
"It's always a good idea to psych players up before an important game."
"Our Indian cricketers seldom look psyched up when they enter the field."
``I don't even want to talk about those guys. Here's another example. The psyched up musicians were
waiting for the curtains to go up."
"Savitri is psyching herself up for tomorrow's interview."
"Savitri has been called for an interview? That's nice to know. I am sure that if she gets the job, her
parents will be so happy that they will psych out."
"She will get the job provided the interviewers are unable to psych her out in the twenty minutes she
is with them."
"You have a point there."
***
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"Success is like dealing with your kid or teaching your wife to drive. Sooner or later you'll end up in the
police station." — Fred Allen
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HOW DO you refer to the years between 1901 and 1910? Is there a single word for it?
(Subhkaran Choradia, Nagaur, Rajasthan)
No, there isn't. There is no word to refer to something that happened in the first or the second decade
of a particular century. People generally tend to say the `early decades' of the Twentieth Century. We
can, for example, say `the early 1900s', or the first/second decade of the Twentieth Century. It is,
however, possible to refer to something that happened after 1920. For example, the years between
1920 and 1930 are usually referred to as the 1920s. Similarly, we have the 1930s, 1940s, etc. If we
know which century we are talking about, then we may simply say the 40s, the 50s, etc. It is important
to note however that there is no apostrophe after the year. We do not generally write `1930's'; it would
be wrong to do so.
What is a female "postmaster" called?
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The word "blaze" is generally associated with "fire". So "trailblazer" should be someone who
develops something new by destroying everything that is old. This however is not the origin of the
expression. The expression came into being in the late 18th Century when the American settlers were
pushing further and further west — towards Oregon, California, etc. Since they were exploring
uncharted territory and didn't want to get lost along the way, they used to mark the trail that they had
taken. One of the ways that they used to indicate the route they had taken was to remove the bark
from some of the trees. This method of marking trees was known as "blazing". And since they were
marking a trail, we get the expressions "blazing a trail" and "trailblazer".
What is the difference between a "television serial" and a "television series"?
QOBIT
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WHAT IS the difference in meaning between "We have lived here for five years" and "We have
been living here for five years"?
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negative. When you say that something is "ornamental" what you are implying is that the object has
been designed to be decorative without being too vulgar or ostentatious. The stress in this word is on
the third syllable, "men". Here are a few examples.
*The rose plant in that corner is purely ornamental.
*My father designed the ornamental garden at the back of my house.
Is it OK to say "Me neither"?
(Agoramurthy, Hosur)
When you make an "off the cuff" remark what you are doing is saying something without really
having thought about it. You make it spontaneously.
*Off the cuff, I would say that there are about 300 applicants.
*Satish is in the habit of making off the cuff remarks, which hurt a lot of people.
*Think before you answer. I don't want an off the cuff reply.
The "cuff" here refers to the cuff of one's shirt. Speakers sometimes noted down some of the last
minute points/ideas, which they wished to include in their speech, on the cuffs of their shirts. While
they were speaking they would quickly look at the cuff and carry on.
Hence the expression "off the cuff". Our students too give "off the cuff" answers to questions. Some
of them write the answers down on the cuff of their shirts before entering the examination hall!
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"I am sure you were. Aren't you usually playing cricket with your friends at this time"
"Well, yes. But since the exams are around the corner my father has forbidden me from...forbidden
me to.... I can never remember whether it's 'forbidden to' or 'forbidden from'."
"Both are right actually. You can forbid someone to do something or you can forbid someone from
doing something. Here's an example. I..."
".... let me, let me. My parents have forbidden me to play cricket."
"He was forbidden to marry the girl next door."
"I have been forbidden to stay out after seven."
"My uncle should forbid his daughter from using the telephone."
"Good god, why"?
"Because every time she gets a call, she spends nearly two hours talking."
"How about this example? My father has forbidden me from leaving the house after 8:00 in the
evening. "
"Sounds good to me. I forbid most people from smoking in my room."
"That's a good idea. I think all governments should ban cigarette advertising."
"Then where will they get the money they need"?
"Ask my mom. She has some great ideas. You know she is just a housewife, but...."
"... what do you mean just a housewife."
"OK, OK! I don't want to get into an argument here. Look, every time I fill out a form I am asked
what my father is and what my mother is. And against my mother's occupation I usually put down '
housewife'. Isn't there a better word"
"Well, there is...."
"... and I have heard some say, 'Oh, my wife is just a housewife'. As if being a housewife isn't
anything important. Do you get what I am trying to say? I mean..."
"I think I understand. You want another word. How about 'homemaker'? "
"Homemaker"
"Yes, that's right. This is the word that is commonly used these days to refer to someone who stays at
home and looks after the house."
"I see. So can I say that my mother is a homemaker"?
"You certainly can. And the good thing is the word is beginning to be used with men as well. Men
who stay at home and look after the house can be called homemakers too."
"That's pretty neat. Can a man be called a househusband"?
"Yes, he can."
"So, what are you going to be? A 'homemaker' or a 'househusband'."
"If my wife is willing to put up with my cooking, I don't mind being a homemaker. But I am sure you
are going to be a henpecked husband!"
***
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" Only in America can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance."
- Anonymous
"The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of
mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they are okay, then it's you." — Rita Mae Brown
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WHAT IS the origin and meaning of the expression `cock and bull story'?
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A grammarian would frown upon these sentences, but they are becoming common.
How do you pronounce the word "pusillanimous"?
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around a central theme; all the settings and attractions have a common theme running through them.
The theme could be anything; the world of the future, age of the dinosaurs, etc. I am told that
Disneyland in California is an enormous amusement park. Within this amusement park there are
several theme parks (Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, etc).
Which of the following is correct? Compare to or compare with?
(Murthy, Ravulapalam)
Both are acceptable; there is a tendency these days to use the two interchangeably. Careful users of
the language, however, make a distinction between the two. When you compare something "with"
something, then what you are doing is looking for similarities and differences. If you compare
yourself with Tendulkar, then you are trying to find out in what way you are similar to Tendulkar and,
in what way you are different. You are not making a value judgement. You may come up with a list of
similarities and differences — that you are three inches taller than Tendulkar, you haven't scored as
many runs as the master batsman, etc. If, on the other hand, you compare yourself "to" Tendulkar,
then you are placing yourself on the same level as the great batsman. You feel you are as good as
Tendulkar. Remember the song sung by the "Artist Once Known as Prince", "Nothing compares to
you"?
One talks about a "gaggle of geese", what about swans?
*Sriram is always late for office. On Friday he failed to meet an important client. That was the straw
that broke the camel's back. The boss fired him.
*Malathi has always been rude to me. But what she said today was the straw that broke the camel's
back. I am going to complain against her.
It is also possible to say ''the last straw''. For example,
*When he broke the window for the third time, it was the last straw.
*When Shyam didn't bother to come for the family get together, it was the last straw.
There is a limit as to the amount of straw that any animal can carry. A camel, for example, can carry a
certain amount on its back. If you keep adding to the amount, then the animal will become
overloaded. That final straw which makes it impossible for the animal to carry any more is the straw
that breaks the camel's back. The idiom has been in use since the mid 1800s. The expression that was
in use earlier was "The last feather that breaks the horse's back''.
Does the word "aunty" exist?
"That's right. When you `hit the books', or `pound the books', you study very hard. For example, my
neighbour's son has been pounding the books for over six months now."
*"I spent the entire weekend pounding the books."
*"You could also say, I spent the entire weekend hitting the books."
*"I've been hitting the books for over three months now."
"That's what I am worried about. It's about time that you became a study animal."
"A study animal? Does it mean someone who studies all the time"
"Students refer to person who studies very hard as a `study animal'. People tell me that my friend
Madhu is a study animal."
"My sister has always been a study animal."
"Too bad you aren't one."
"I know. I wish I could become a study animal. But the problem is there are so many things that I
want to do. So many...."
"...things you want to do? Like what"
"Oh, like playing cricket, watching TV, reading comics,...."
".... I get the picture. I think you should try and...."
".... look, I am not a study animal. You know it, and I know it. At least I don't run after my teachers in
order to get extra marks. Is there a word for that? You know somebody who is nice to his/her teachers
because he/ she wants to get good marks."
"Yes, there is a word for it. We can...."
".... you have already told me about apple polishing. Is there any other word"
"Grade grubber. He is someone who flatters teachers in order to get good marks."
"I see. How does this sound? During examination time the teacher is constantly surrounded by grade
grubbers."
"Good example. The grade grubbers went to the teacher's house to wish her a happy birthday."
"I guess that the presence of grade grubbers assures old teachers that things haven't changed all that
much."
"That's true. As long as we have human beings teaching, we will definitely have grade grubbers."
"You are probably right. Now then, what...."
".... you know my cousin Ravi has an excellent idea. He thinks...."
".... please don't talk to me about your cousin and his ideas. As far as I am concerned your cousin Ravi
is out to lunch."
"Out to lunch? What does that mean? I haven't come across that expression before."
"Well, when you say that someone is out to lunch it means he /she is out of touch with reality. It's an
expression used in very informal contexts."
"Can I say, don't pay any attention to the school principal. He's always out to lunch."
"You can. My old uncle is out to lunch. He seems to be losing his mind."
When you "kick back", "kick it back", or "kick it" what you are doing is relaxing. If you are sitting at
home with your friends doing absolutely nothing, you can say that you are "just kicking it". This
expression is considered to be slang and therefore used only in informal contexts. Here are a few
examples.
*After the exam, my friends and I kicked it at home last night.
*Some people complain that most government employees go to the office, just kick it back until they
have to go home.
This expression has more or less the same meaning as "chill out".
*I have told Vyomakesh to chill out after the exams.
*Amrit is planning to chill out this weekend.
What is the positive reply to, "Won't you eat"?
argue that a child is not born with intuition, he gains it through experience.
What is the meaning of the idiom "to fish in troubled waters''?
(Nividha, Vishakapatnam)
When you fish in troubled waters what you are doing is involving yourself in a dangerous situation in
the hope of gaining some personal advantage. In other words, you hope to capitalise on someone
else's misfortune. Something that our political parties and politicians are famous for. When a country
fishes in troubled waters, what it is attempting to do is to gain advantage from the political problems
that the other country is having. Here are a few examples.
*Bela is fishing in troubled waters by buying shares of that software company. I understand that the
company is in financial difficulties.
*Any country that interferes in Middle East politics is fishing in troubled waters.
*Many American arms companies have been fishing in troubled waters for several decades now by
selling armaments to states that are potential sponsors of terrorism.
*The Prime Minister denied that his Government was fishing in troubled waters.
Fishermen believe that it is easy to catch fish when the water is "troubled" or rough. Some believe that
the fish come to the surface at this time and therefore it is easier to catch them. Others argue that fish
don't "bite" any better in bad weather than in good weather. They feel that the bad weather drives
away most fishermen and as a result the few that remain catch more fish.
How do you pronounce "impromptu" and how is the word used?
The word "aftermath" was first used to refer to the second crop; that is, the crop that grew after the
first crop was cut. These days the word is figuratively used to refer to the period, which follows an
event. But what is important to remember that the preceding event is usually associated with
something terrible - an earthquake, an explosion, a war, etc. Here are a few examples.
* Five students died in the aftermath of the explosion.
* My cousin's business went bankrupt in the aftermath of the recession.
* In the aftermath of the war thousands of the people fled the country.
How do you pronounce "tsetse"?
WHAT IS the meaning and origin of the idiom "to live the life of Riley"?
* When I saw Ashok kicking the poor puppy, it got my adrenalin going.
* Aparna felt the adrenalin pumping through her body.
What should a sign say? "No admission" or "No admittance"?
job to take care of the house while you are away. Just like you have "babysitters", you now have
"housesitters". These people stay inside the house; they are not like the watchman whom you post
outside for security.
*Ashish is a reliable housesitter. You can call him.
How is the word "flibbertigibbet" pronounced?
"In that case, I agree. Your job is a real gravy train. . Are you as relaxed as this when you are at the
office?"
"I shall not answer such dumb questions"
"Some people just don't know what is good for them. I'd be willing to ride the gravy train any time."
"Talking about trains. Why did you go to the station this morning"
"My uncle arrived this morning. His train was two hours late."
"Which uncle are you talking about"
"The one who gave you a big lecture on why young girls shouldn't wear jeans and T-shirt."
"Oh that old fuddy-duddy. Is he..."
"....that old what"
"F..u..d..dy..d..u..d..d..y. The `u' is pronounced like the `u' in `mud', `bud' and `cud'."
"And the stress is on the first syllable of `fuddy', I suppose"
"That's right."
"What does the word mean"
"An individual who has very old fashioned ideas and attitudes. "
"That's not very surprising. Many people think that my grandfather is a fuddy-duddy. But when you
talk to him you realise that he isn't one."
"You are a fuddy-duddy."
"I am not!"
"Didn't you say last week that a woman's place was at home"
"I did not! That's what my friend Amarnath said."
"Well, in that case, you have friends who are a bunch fuddy-duddies."
"Amarnath is a fuddy-duddy all right. He always wears an old-fashioned glasses".
"That's true. But you cannot say that he wears `an old fashioned glasses'. You will have to say `old
fashioned glasses'."
"I see."
"Tell Amarnath to get rid of his old fashioned glasses."
"That seems to be the trend these days".
"That's true. Hey where are you going"
"Got to take my fuddy-duddy uncle to my father's office."
"But what about all this work? You'd promised to help me."
"You can work yourself up into a lather I guess."
*** *** ***
"I always pass on good advice. It is the only thing to do with it. It is never of any use to oneself." —
Oscar Wilde
"....I know what frosty means. It means `cold'. So when you say that someone is `frosty' what you are
probably implying is that the person is unfriendly."
"Very good. "
"Many people think that you are very frosty."
"Me? Frosty? That's impossible. I am one of the friendliest guys around. I have a nice smile and I ...."
"....according to some of my friends that so called friendly smile of yours is very frosty."
"Oh, please. You are cracking me up."
"Cracking you up? What does that mean"
"When you crack someone up, you cause the person to laugh. For example, Alok told a joke that
cracked everyone in class up."
"It was my job to crack the audience up by telling jokes before the screen went up."
"He had hoped that the anecdote would crack his boss up. But it didn't. So he decided not to ask for
the raise."
"A very sensible thing to do in my opinion."
"It is also possible to say, `break someone up'. Crack someone up and break someone up mean the
same thing."
"I see. How does this sound? It was the clown's job to break the kids up by doing a lot of silly things."
"Bharath told a joke yesterday which broke up everyone."
"Yes, that Bharath has an excellent sense of humour, doesn't he"
"He certainly does. People always crack up when they are in his company."
"Does crack up mean to start laughing or something"
"That's right. When people `crack up' they begin to laugh. For example, one can...."
"....wait. Let me try. Our teacher cracked up the entire class with her silly jokes."
"Atul said something that cracked us all up."
"I am sure it wasn't intentional."
"What do you mean"
"Well, Atul is so frosty. I can't imagine him telling a joke."
"Atul? Frosty? You are cracking me up."
"If you don't stop contradicting everything I say, maybe I will crack you and..."
"...I get the picture."
"Good."
*** *** ***
"I think we should forget about neutering the pets and concentrate on the owners." — Robert J.
Howe
(S. Sandeep)
It's very common to hear people say, "I have forgotten my umbrella at the office'', or "I have forgotten
my glasses at home''. Careful users of the language, however, frown on such sentences. They argue
that the word "forget'' should be used to talk about things that have been left behind accidentally.
For example, it is O.K to say, "I have forgotten my notes'', or, "I have forgotten to bring my
assignment''. When you use the verb "forget'', the place should not be mentioned. If you wish to
specify the place, then the verb "leave'' should be used. Here are a few examples.
* I have left my umbrella at home.
* Oh no! I've left my lecture notes on the dining table.
* She said that she had left her keys at her friend's house.
What do the letters P. R. stand for in P. R. man?
(Vasu, Kakinada)
In India it is fairly common for a man to refer to his wife as his "Mrs." "My Mrs. is not feeling well"
is a sentence that one hears very often. Friends often ask, "How is your Mrs." or "How is your family"
The word "family" is often used to refer to the wife as well. Indians use these expressions in both
formal and informal contexts. A native speaker of English does use the word "Mrs." to refer to his
wife, but he does so usually in informal contexts. He uses the word jocularly; and never in formal
contexts. When talking about his wife, a native speaker refers to her as "my wife" or calls her by her
name.
— Charles Schultz
"Hi! WHAT are you doing here? I thought you and your sister were leaving for Mumbai today."
"We had to cancel our tickets. There is a crisis in Mumbai. My uncle rang up last night saying that he
had lost his job."
"Good grief! Your uncle got his walking papers! That's too bad."
"I didn't say anything about my uncle getting his walking papers. All I said was that he had lost his
job."
"That's what the expression `get your walking papers' means. When your boss gives you your walking
papers, he/she is asking you to leave."
"In other words, he/she is giving you the sack."
"That's right. The situation is really bad these days."
"After Anu got her walking papers, she started her own company. I understand she is doing really
well."
"As soon as she took over, Prema gave the manager his walking papers. Later, without telling anyone,
she hired her own son to do the job."
"That sounds like Prema. A very practical person. Have you heard the latest about Sujatha's father"
"Has the poor man been given his walking papers too"?
"No, no. Nothing like that. He has bought a new house."
"Oh, that! Yes, Ramesh told me. He has been living rather high off the hog lately."
"Living high off the hog? I've never heard that expression before!"
"Well, when you say that someone has been `living high off the hog' what it means is that the
individual is leading a very comfortable life. He has a lot of money and is in a position to eat all the
good things."
"I see."
"It is also possible to say `live high on the hog'. Shekar has been living high on the hog ever since he
got his promotion."
"I see."
"My next door neighbour lost his job several months ago. How he still manages to live high on the
hog is beyond me."
"Maybe he has a lot of money saved up. By the way, what is the connection between a `hog' and
living comfortably"
"Good question. Do you know what a hog is"?
"Of course, I do. It's a pig."
"Yes, that's right. I understand that the best cuts of meat in a hog are located high up on the hog's side.
These choice cuts of meat are pretty expensive."
"And if you are able to buy these choice cuts of meat every day, you must have a lot of money. You
must be fairly well to do."
"Exactly."
"So, did you go to your friend's house to watch the opening match of the World Cup"?
"Unfortunately, I did. I should have just watched the game at home."
"Why do you say that "?
"Well, he had invited a whole bunch of people whom I didn't know. And these guys were more
interested in liquoring up than in anything "
"Liquoring up? Does it mean to drink in excess"
"Exactly."
"In our movies, the hero always liquors up whenever he loses the girl."
"That's true. Why he just doesn't look for another girl is beyond me."
"True."
"It is also possible to liquor someone up. When you liquor someone up..."
"... what that expression probably means is that you try and get someone drunk. You get this other
person to drink a lot of alcohol."
"Exactly! At the party the other day the guests were trying to liquor up my friend."
"Did they succeed"?
"No, they didn't."
"What about you? Did they manage to liquor you up"?
"Me? Certainly not! Imagine me coming home liquored up. I would never be able to live that down."
"To live it down? What does that mean"
"The expression `to live something down' means to overcome some embarrassing or troublesome
problem."
"I see. How about this example? On Independence Day the Principal made such a terrible speech that
he will never be able to live it down."
"That's an excellent example. When I was young I was asked to present a bouquet of flowers to the
principal. Unfortunately, as I was approaching her, I tripped and fell. It was so embarrassing. I have
never lived the incident down."
"Every person has some incident that he/she would like to forget."
"That's true!"
*** *** ***
"Now I know what a statesman is: he's a dead politician. We need more statesman."— Bob Edwards
it is common to hear Americans say "a cold" or "a stomach-ache". Also, while it is common for us
Indians to "suffer from a headache/toothache", native speakers of English generally do not use
"suffer" with these minor ailments. They usually say, "I have a headache", "I have a stomach ache",
and "I have a toothache".
Is it OK to say, "I don't want no excuses"?
Several explanations have been provided by scholars as to the origin of this expression. Some say that
in Cockney, a dialect that is spoken in London, "brass tacks" is rhyming slang for "facts". So what
you are actually saying when you say "let's get down to brass tacks" is "let's get down to the facts".
Another explanation is that during the old days shopkeepers used brass tacks to measure the length of
a piece of cloth. I understand that people who used to sell cloth often had two brass tacks nailed on
top of the shop counter. The distance between the two tacks used to be precisely one yard. So when a
customer wanted to know how long a piece of cloth that he/she was interested in was, the shopkeeper
"got down to brass tacks". He used the tacks to determine the length of the cloth.
Why are ships called "she"?
of "SW", he used to write "U.S". When people asked whether the initials "U.S" stood for the "United
States", they were told that it stood for "Uncle Sam"! There is however little evidence to support this
story.
How is the word "potpourri" pronounced?
"CONGRATULATIONS! Looks like your favourite football team won the World Cup. How did you
celebrate the event? Did you go out to eat?"
"No, I didn't go out. All that excitement made me really tired. After the game, I conked out."
"You what?"
"C..o..n..k..e..d. The `o' in the first syllable is like the `o' in `hot', `pot' and `not'. When you say that
someone has `conked out' it means he/she has fallen asleep. That's one of the meanings. It's an
expression used mainly in informal contexts."
"I see. Can I say, I was so tired that I conked out during the movie"
"I suppose you could. The Minister conked out during the meeting."
"I tried to keep awake, but I conked out after midnight."
"Well, if you conked out immediately after the game, when did you ring up Sujatha?"
"The following day. And when I reminded her of the bet we...."
"....was she disappointed with the way Germany played?"
"Disappointed? She was hopping mad. When I teased her about the way her favourite team played,
she almost bit my head off."
"Bit your head off? I've never come across that expression before."
"When you bite someone's head off, you speak to him/her very angrily. Here are a example.
*"When I asked my boss for a raise, he bit my head off."
*"When the student walked in late, the teacher bit his head off."
"Nowadays it's the students who bite the teacher's head off."
"That's true. Teachers are scared of their students these days."
"Terrified would be a better word."
"When my father forgot my mother's birthday, she nearly bit his head off."
"Really? That doesn't sound like your mother. By the way, it is also possible to say `to chew someone
out'. When you `chew someone out' you scold the individual."
"I see. Can I say, my mother chewed out my father for forgetting her birthday"
"That sounds good to me. When I informed my boss that I was planning to take the weekend off, he
gave me a good chewing out."
"That is to be expected I guess. When I asked Sujatha for the hundred rupees that I had lent her, she
chewed me out."
"Maybe my boss and Sujatha were related in their previous birth. They keep biting everyone's head
off."
"God knows! Anyway, why is your boss so much in the news these days? Every week I see his name
in the newspaper."
"He thinks his younger brother is trying to muscle him out of his job."
jokes. They were sent silly gifts and were invited to parties that were not going to take place.
What is the meaning of "fait accompli"?
indicate "possibility". Some argue that "might," indicates a lesser degree of possibility than "may". By
the way, the word "might" is not the past form of "may".
* It may rain tomorrow. (50% chance of rain)
* It might rain tomorrow. (30% chance of rain)
What is the meaning of "Jack Robinson"?
Some people, as soon as they buy a lottery ticket think they are going to win. They begin to make
plans as to what they are going to do with the money when they get it. When you tell such a person
"not to count your chickens before they hatch" what you are doing is warning him.
You are telling the individual not to celebrate prematurely; you are advising him not to count his
profits before he has the money in his hand. You are asking him to wait for the lottery results to be
announced before he starts making plans. Here are a few examples.
*Ask Suresh. He may be willing to lend you some money. But don't count your chickens before they
hatch.
*Stop talking about the places you are going to see. You still haven't got your visa yet. Don't count
your chickens before they hatch.
This is an expression which comes from a story in Aesop's Fairy Tales. In the story a woman is
carrying a basket of eggs. While she is walking, she begins to think about ....how many chicks she
will soon have...how much money she'll make by selling the chicks...the things she'll buy with all the
money...As she is thinking about all this, she drops the basket of eggs!
Result? The woman is left with no eggs and no chicks. Hence the expression, "don't count your
chickens before they hatch".
Which of the following sentences is correct? "I am busy the next week" or "I am busy next
week"?
"HI. I'VE been trying to get in touch with you since 8: 00 o'clock. But every time I rang up, your line
was busy. Whom have you been talking to?"
"I haven't been talking to anyone. My friend Ramani is here. The telephone has been ringing off the
hook ever since he arrived early this morning."
"The telephone has been ringing off the hook? Does it mean that the phone has been ringing non
stop?"
"Exactly! When you say that the phone has been ringing off the hook what it means is that it has been
ringing constantly. Here's an example. Whenever Achala is at home the phone keeps ringing off the
hook."
"I know. Her parents keep complaining about it all the time. How about this example? When I entered
the house this morning the phone was ringing off the hook."
"Sounds great. Ever since people came to know that Mr. Sunderam has been nominated for an award,
his phone has been ringing off the hook."
"Didn't you tell me that Ramani was going to stay in a hotel while he was here"
"He was planning to. But I believe that the people who are hosting the conference tried to put him up
in a grungy little hotel."
"What hotel"
"G..r..u..n..g..y". The `u' is pronounced like the `u' in `cut', `but', and `hut' and the final `g' is like the `j'
in `jug', `juice', and `joy'. When you say that something is `grungy' it means it is smelly and dirty."
"Dirty and smelly, eh? Sounds like your kitchen. Can I say that your kitchen is grungy"?
"My kitchen is definitely not grungy! You get your grungy feet off the sofa."
"My! My! Somebody is getting to be really sensitive. I don't like going to the new Udipi restaurant.
There is always some grungy stuff on the table."
"It is also possible to say there's always grunge on the table."
"I see. Since Ramani didn't want to stay in some grungy little hotel, he moved in here, did he? How
long is he here"?
"Four days."
"Four days? Poor guy. Will he be able to put up with your cooking for four days"?
"He doesn't have to. You know Ramani. He's one smart cookie. He rang up his friends as soon as he
landed here. His dinners have been taken care of."
"Yes, he was always quite a popular guy. But what does one smart cookie mean? Does it mean
someone who is very smart"?
"That's right. This is an informal expression meaning `intelligent'. For example, I can say, Promod is
one smart cookie. I wouldn't be too surprised if he becomes the CEO of the company."
"My cousin Shanthi is one smart cookie. She knows what she wants and how to get it."
"She may become a politician, then. Some of us have absolute contempt for politicians, but they are a
bunch of smart cookies."
"That they are. They swindle all the money and talk to us about corruption."
"And we are left to do the bellyaching."
"Bellyaching. What does that mean"
"Do you know what a belly is"
"Of course, I do. You usually refer to your stomach as your belly."
"And what do you do when you have a really bad stomach ache"
"When I have a stomach ache, I moan and I groan. I complain about...."
"....exactly! That's what a lot of people do. Complain. And that's what the expression `bellyaching'
means. To complain."
"I see. So, can I say, I don't like talking to Vijay. He's always bellyaching about something or the
other."
"That's a very good example. We should stop bellyaching about the corruption in our country."
"Ganguly always used to bellyache about not having a best-of-three final."
"I guess he will stop bellyaching now."
"Probably will. Did you see him wave his shirt after India's incredible win"
"The whole country did. Makes you wonder, doesn't it"
"What"
"What else he would take off if India were to win the World Cup!"
*** *** ***
"He knows nothing; he thinks he knows everything; that clearly points to a political career." —
The second sentence is wrong. One does not "await for" something or someone; one merely "awaits"
something or someone. Here are a few examples.
*We are awaiting instructions from the Chairman.
*We are waiting for instructions from the Chairman.
*She was awaiting the arrival of her parents.
*She was waiting for the arrival of her parents.
"Await" is considered to be much more formal than "wait".
How do you pronounce the word "blithe"?
"Something like that. If I were you, I would knuckle under to your boss. If you don't, chances are you
might lose your job."
"I have a cousin who knuckles under to his wife."
"Nothing wrong in that. If one is prepared to knuckle under to the boss, why not the wife? Sujatha is
too stubborn to knuckle under."
"The Prime Minister refused to knuckle under to the Opposition."
"I don't think it...."
"....so, tell me. How did you manage to get the raise"
"I said nice things about him. I told him he had great managerial skills. I also ...."
"....don't tell me your boss believed all that"
"He lapped it all up."
"Lapped it all up"
"When you praise someone and the individual `laps it all up', it means that the person accepts or
believes it completely."
"Even though you may have been lying through the skin of your teeth"
"Yes. The person is very eager to hear you say some nice things about him. He wants you to sing his
praises. It's music to his ears. The committee lapped up the lies without raising a single question."
"Even though `Devdas' has got very bad reviews, the public is lapping it up."
"The ageing film star lapped up all the compliments that came in her direction."
"Just like your boss."
"Just like my boss."
"Some of these old people are such pushovers."
*** *** ***
Coughlin's Law: "Don't talk unless you can improve the silence." — Laurence C. Coughlin
WHAT IS the meaning and origin of the expression, "when the chips are down"?
(Nishant, Patna)
The "a", the "o", and the second "e" are pronounced like the "a" in "china". The "e" in the second
syllable "le" sounds like the "e" in "set", "bet", and "pet". The final "e" is silent and the main stress is
on the second syllable. Any idea what the word means? When you say that someone is "malevolent"
what you mean is that he is spiteful; the person wishes to harm others. Here are a few examples.
* The villain gave the old man a malevolent look.
* The malevolence that was displayed was frightening.
* The bombing was an act of malevolence.
What is the difference between "nevertheless'' and "nonetheless''?
"monkey". Do you hear a difference between the "m" in monkey and "MBBS"? The letter "m" when
said in isolation, as it is done in the case of "MBBS" and "MP", begins with a vowel sound. That's the
reason why you use the article "an". But the same letter in words like "monkey" and "man" begins
with a consonant sound. This also explains why the word "university" although it begins with the
letter "u" does not take the article "an" before it. The word does not begin with a vowel sound; the "u"
in university sounds like the "y" in "yes".
What is the meaning of "volte-face"?
(Raju, Chennai)
It is very common to hear politicians say one thing one day and on the very next day say the exact
opposite. This is what we mean by a volte-face. To say the exact opposite; to do a complete
turnaround. It's a total change in one's attitude towards something or someone. Here are a few
examples.
* The Chairman's speech represents a complete volte-face in company thinking.
* Some of the Ministers didn't go along with the party's volte-face on education.
By the way, the "o" in "volte" is like the "o" in "hot", "pot", and "not". Some people pronounce it like
the "o" in "go", "so", and "no". The "a" in "face" is like the "a" in "bath" and "path" and the main
stress is on "face". The final "e" in both the words is silent.
*** *** ***
"Those who can, do; those who can't, teach. And those who can't teach, teach the teachers."— G. B.
Shaw
"WHY DIDN'T you attend the cultural programme yesterday? It was really good."
"Yes, my neighbour told me that it was great. But after all the work I'd put in last week, I needed
some time to relax. I needed downtime."
"Downtime? What does it mean"
"It's a term that was first used in factories. A factory's `downtime' is the period when its machines are
switched off."
"I see. I've heard the term being used with computers."
"That's right. It's also used with computers. A computer's downtime....."
"....is the period when it is switched off. When it is not in use."
"Exactly! So when a person talks about `downtime', he is referring to the period when he does not
work. He relaxes."
"If it's downtime you want, work for a government organisation."
"That's one of the reasons why many people join Government organisations! Downtime resulted in the
production costs of the movie going up."
"Downtime is something that I am really looking forward to."
"Last year we didn't get downtime between projects. It was just terrible."
"That's because you were doing projects for so many different companies. Are you doing the same
thing this year"
"No, this year the boss has decided to zero in on one or two big companies."
"Zero in on? Does it mean focus on"?
"Well, yes. I can say the camera zeroed in on Sachin's shoes."
"He zeroed in on the dead puppy."
"What a terrible example! I picked up the binoculars and zeroed in on the parrots that were sitting on
the tree. It is also possible to zero in on a problem or a subject."
"You give your complete attention to the problem or subject. Is that what it means"?
"Right again. For example, the opposition has zeroed in on the problem of unemployment."
"The newspapers haven't zeroed in on the local problems."
"Local problems don't always sell newspapers. Here's another example. To keep the meeting short, the
two lawyers zeroed in on three clauses in the contract."
"Talking about lawyers. Does your company still retain Vasudevan"?
"No, they fired him long ago. He was goldbricking and my boss didn't like it."
"Goldbricking? I've never come across that term before."
"It means to be lazy. To avoid doing one's duty."
"Like our Government officials! I wish somebody would tell these people to stop goldbricking and do
some work for a change."
"Goldbricking is what our politicians are born to do. Even those who are not goldbrickers become
one....."
"....goldbrickers? Does it mean someone who is very lazy"?
"Exactly! A goldbricker is someone who spends his time doing nothing. Madhu is such a
goldbricker."
"If you think he is a goldbricker, you should meet his brother."
"I have met plenty of goldbrickers in my life, but Madhu takes the cake."
"We've talked about `goldbricking' and `goldbricker'. Does the word `goldbrick' exist"
"Yes, it does. A `goldbrick' is someone who is very lazy."
"Stop wasting your time and get back to work you goldbrick. How does that sound"?
"Sounds great. Our cable operator is such a goldbrick."
"I know. He doesn't know anything. He can't answer even simple questions. He just...."
"..... George Bush is the only person who seems to have an answer to all problems."
"What do you mean"?
"You give him any problem and his answer is get rid of Saddam Hussein and the problem will be
solved."
"He's zeroed in on Iraq, hasn't he? Every time he talks about Iraq he keeps saying `I am a patient man.
I am a patient man'."
"Well after he had killed Caesar, Brutus kept saying that he was an honourable man!"
*** *** ***
"When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a
second seems like an hour. That's relativity." — - Albert Einstein
WHAT IS the meaning and origin of the expression "once in a blue moon"?
delicious"
"Yes, it can. The word `delicious' can be used in a figurative sense as well. When you refer to a smile
as being delicious what you are implying is that it is pleasurable to look at. It is a wonderful smile."
"I see. Can I say, Sanjay has a delicious sense of humour"
"You certainly can. Here's another example. Ashwin told us a delicious joke."
"The only thing I know about Ashwin is that he makes delicious parathas."
"Yes, his parathas are scrumptious."
"They are what"
"S..c..r..u..m..p..t..i..o..u..s. The `u' in the first syllable is like the `u' in `cut', `hut', and `shut'. The `iou'
is like the `a' in `china'. The "t" is like the "sh" in "sheet", "ship", and "shoot". The main stress is on
the first syllable."
"But what does the word mean? Does it mean the same thing as delicious"?
"That's right! The word `scrumptious' is normally used to talk about food. For example...."
".....let me. The meal at the restaurant was scrumptious."
"That's a good example. The chocolates Arjun brought from Dubai were scrumptious."
"Is scrumptious a formal word"?
"No, it isn't. It is normally used in informal contexts. Like the word delicious, it can be used
figuratively as well to mean pleasing and delightful"
"Can I say Janaki's smile is truly scrumptious"?
"I haven't seen Janaki smile. But I would have readily agreed if you had said that Goldie Hawn's smile
is scrumptious."
*** *** ***
"Heaven is an American salary, a Chinese cook, an English house, and a Japanese wife. Hell is
defined as having a Chinese salary, an English cook, a Japanese house, and an American wife." —
James H. Kabbler III.
"HAVE YOU decided which restaurant we are going to? Or are you...."
"....I made up my mind a long time ago. I don't shilly-shally like you."
"You don't what"?
"Shilly-shally. Someone who shilly-shallies can't make up his mind about something. He remains
quite undecided."
"Sounds like my cousin Geetha. She can never make up her mind about anything."
"Here's an example. If you keep shilly-shallying, we are going to be late for the concert."
"Anoushka shilly-shallied for two days. Finally, she said no."
"I have no clue who you are talking about."
"Never mind. Venkatesh never shilly-shallies. He is always sure about what he wants to do. Anyway,
which restaurant are we going to"?
"Utsav. It was recommended by Kala."
"Kala? Your friend with those unusually short fingers"?
"Yes, I am talking about the lady with the pudgy fingers."
"What"?
"P..u..d..g..y. The `u' is pronounced like the `u' in `cut', `but', and `hut'. The `d' and the `g' together
sound like the `j' in `jam', `juice', and `jump'. The main stress is on the first syllable. Do you know
what the word means"?
"I can guess. You said that Kala had pudgy fingers. Well, Kala's fingers are short and fat. So I guess t
hat's what the word "pudgy' means. Short and fat."
"Very good."
"Can the word be used with people as well"?
"Yes, it can. For example, Sharmila's husband is pudgy."
"How about this example? The pudgy child was eating all the time."
"Sounds good to me. Like the word `shilly-shally', `pudgy' is mostly used in informal contexts."
"I figured as much."
"P..o..d..g..y and p..u..d..g..y mean the same thing."
"So can I say Ashwin has podgy fingers"?
"Yes, `pudgy' and `podgy' can be used interchangeably. `Pudgy' is mostly used in American English."
"Kavita's husband is a podgy little man, isn't he? Wonder why she married him."
"He may be podgy, but I am told that he is absolutely brilliant. His knowledge of nuclear physics is
supposed to be encyclopaedic."
"Is supposed to be what"?
"E..n..c..y..c..l..o..p..a..e..d..i..c. The first syllable `en' is pronounced like the word `in'. The `cy' is like
the `cy' in `cycle'. The following `o' is like the `a' in `china'. The `ae' in the fourth syllable is like the
`ee' in `bee', `see', and `knee'."
"I thought it was p..e..d..i..c."
"That's another way of spelling the word. The important thing to remember is that the main stress is
on the fourth syllable. Do you know what the word means"?
"I think I do. Someone who has a great deal of knowledge of a particular subject. Someone who
knows a lot about something. An expert."
"Well, I guess you could say that. When you say that someone's knowledge is encyclopaedic, what
you are implying is that the individual has knowledge of a wide variety of subjects. He is like an
encyclopaedia."
"I see. Can I say, in matters relating to cancer Suresh's knowledge is encyclopaedic."
"You certainly can. Sushmita has an encyclopaedic knowledge of Carnatic music."
"Really! I didn't know that! My cousin Anand has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the local
restaurants."
"Talking about restaurants. Shall we make a move? I am really famished."
"What"
"F..a..m..i..s..h..e..d. The `a' is like the `a' in `act', `pact', and `fact'."
"Famished. Does it mean extremely hungry or something"?
"That's right. When you say that you are famished it means you are very hungry. It's a word that is
generally used in informal contexts. Here's an example. Isn't lunch ready yet? We are all famished."
"When's dinner? I am famished."
"I am famished because I didn't have lunch this afternoon."
"So, shall we go then"?
"You bet."
*** *** ***
"I never married because there was no need. I have three pets at home which answer the same
purpose as a husband. I have a dog which growls every morning, a parrot which swears all afternoon,
and a cat that comes home late at night."— Marie Corelli
on all cylinders it means that he is making every possible effort to complete something. Here are a
few examples.
*Ever since Gopal became the captain, his club has been firing on all cylinders.
*Geetha is firing on all cylinders because she wants to finish the project tonight.
*By the end of the third month, the Chicago Bulls were firing on all cylinders.
What is the meaning of "high tea"?
(Deepak, Chennai)
Gossip. How we all love it. It's music to our ears! When someone gives us some juicy news and warns
us not to tell anyone, what is it that we normally do? We promptly pass on the information to
someone else and ask that individual to keep it under his hat. But he in turn informs someone else;
and on and on it goes. This is what we mean by the expression "hear something on/through the
grapevine". It's information you hear from someone who in turn has heard it from someone else! The
information therefore may or may not be totally reliable. Here are a few examples.
* Mahesh heard through the grapevine that he was being promoted.
* We heard through the grapevine that the students were unhappy with the course.
This is an expression, which has been a part of the English language for well over one hundred years.
According to one theory, the idiom came into existence when F. B. Morse came up with the idea of
the telegraph.
When Morse managed to send his message "What God hath wrought" over the wire between
Washington and Baltimore, many companies got interested in the telegraph. They put up telegraph
poles and lines from one place to another. During the early years, the workmanship was very poor; the
telegraph lines often crisscrossed. The wires reminded people of the crooked grapevine. Since
information was being received through these wires, people came up with the expression "through the
grapevine". As to why people began to believe that the information received through the grapevine
was unreliable, we have to go back to the American Civil War that took place between 1861 and
1865. During this period, military commanders began to send battlefield reports in the form of
telegrams. What the enemy used to do was to send false reports of the same battle and as a result
people were unsure which report to believe. Therefore anything heard through the grapevine was
considered unreliable.
Is it OK to say that a person is "squeaky clean"?
* When I got to know him, I realised that he wasn't so squeaky clean after all.
* Prakasham claims that he is squeaky clean, but we all know better.
The expression comes form the world of window washing. When you run your finger along a clean
pane of glass, you'll find that the glass squeaks!
What is the meaning of "ipso facto"?
off the boat" what you are implying is that the individual is new to the place. He is a newcomer and
therefore can be cheated easily. Very often the expression is reduced to F. O. B. The expression "just
off the boat" means the same thing as "fresh off the boat". Here are a few examples.
* I am not fresh off the boat, Rajeev. I know what you are trying to do.
* Vinay is just off the boat. Try and be nice to him.
How is the word "rapport" pronounced?
"I NEED to send a packet to the States. Do you know anyone who is going"
"Anuradha. She is going to Florida for her honeymoon."
"How do you know? Who told you"?
"The bush telegraph."
"The bush telegraph? Don't tell me that George Bush sent you a telegram."
"No, George Bush was keen that I should get this piece of news immediately. So, instead of sending
me a telegram, he rang me up."
"Ha! Ha! Very funny!"
"Nice try, don't you think? The `bush telegraph' refers to the manner in which information is passed
on from one individual to another through word of mouth."
"One person hears something. He in turn tells someone else and that person goes on....."
"....to tell someone else! It's something like ...."
"....it means the same thing as `heard on the grapevine'."
"I guess you could say that. The information passes quickly from one person to another. Here's an
example. The bush telegraph tells me that the Principal has quit."
"According to the bush telegraph, your company is in big trouble."
"I heard on the bush telegraph that Bush is going to bomb Iraq soon."
"When it comes to Iraq, George Bush doesn't beat around the bush, does he"?
"No, he doesn't. He, Tony Blair and Jack Straw are pretty clear about the changes they want."
"A regime change. That's what they are blaring for!"
"Yes, and they don't give a straw for other peoples opinions."
"Give a straw? What does it mean"?
"When you don't `give' or `care' a straw for something, you don't give it much importance. You think
that it's of little value."
"You think that it's insignificant."
"That's right!"
"Can I say, I don't give a straw for the American President's opinion"
"You can. Here's another example. I don't care a straw for my Chairman's new book. But everyone
else in the office seems to think that it's great."
"My cousin bought some property last year. He paid a huge amount for it. Right now, it isn't worth a
straw."
"That's a good example."
"What do you think will happen in Iraq"?
"I have no clue. But the latest straw in the wind suggests that change is ...."
WHAT IS the difference between "figure something out" and "figure something up"?
After a bad cold, the nose looks red and the skin starts peeling. Is there a word for this?
"unique", while the "e" sounds like the "e" in "set", "bet", and "pet". The final "do" rhymes with "so",
"go", and "though". The main stress is on the third syllable "en". Any idea what the word means? An
innuendo is a statement in which you indirectly say something uncomplimentary about someone. It is
often a statement which has a double meaning. The plural can be spelt either "innuendoes" or
"innuendos". Here are a few examples.
*The author instead of focussing on facts has resorted to innuendos.
*Both the candidates have resorted to innuendoes.
What is the meaning of "Rapunzel's tresses"?
* The students were upset because their carefully laid out plans went awry.
* Divyashree was furious when she learned that her plans had gone awry.
The word can also be used to indicate that something is not in its normal or proper position.
*The artist was upset when he found that his paintings had been hung awry.
"Awry", by the way, is a word that our bumblebee specialist, Navjot Singh Siddhu, uses quite a bit.
What is the meaning of "zero-sum game"?
"Razzes me? I haven't come across that expression before. What does it mean"
"This is an expression mostly used in informal contexts in American English. When you `razz
someone' you tease the individual, often in an unkind manner."
"I see. So the next time you tease me, can I say, `Stop razzing me'."
"Yes, you can. Don't know if I will stop razzing you, though. Here's another example. At the wedding
Sowmya as usual was razzing me about my rotten dress sense."
"The media will start razzing our players again."
"You think the players care? For them it's money first. Cricket, later."
"There you go again. Don't make fun of my heroes."
"OK. What are your plans for the evening"?
"I am going to my friend's house. He is having a New Year bash. What about you"
"Nobody has invited me. They all say that I am a party pooper."
"A party what"
"P..o..o..p..e..r. The `oo' sound like the `oo' in `cool', `fool', and `pool'."
"But what does the word mean"
"Do you know what `party animal' means"
"Of course, I do. A `party animal' is someone who loves attending parties. For example, I can say that
Sunil is a party animal."
"A party animal is someone who enjoys parties and makes sure that others enjoy it too. A party
pooper, on the other hand, is someone who ruins parties."
"How does he do that"?
"Either by leaving the party very early or by being extremely dull while he is there."
"I see. Can I say, don't invite Mukesh. He is such a party pooper."
"Sounds good to me. Please don't leave so early. Don't be a party pooper."
"Well, I have to go. Have to buy a couple of things for the party."
"Have a good time. By the way, Happy New Year!"
"Happy New Year!"
*** *** ***
"A bachelor is a selfish, undeserving guy who has cheated some woman out of a divorce." — Don
Quinn
"HELLO there!"
"Where have you been? I have been waiting here for eternity."
"For eternity, indeed! Stop using hyperbole and tell me exactly how long you have been waiting"
"Stop using what"
"H..y..p..e..r..b..o..l..e. The `y' sounds like the `y' in `my', `by', and `shy'. The following `e' is like the
`ir' in `first', `thirst', and `dirt'. The `o' is pronounced like..."
"...let me guess. It's probably pronounced like the `o' in `hole' and `pole'."
"No, it isn't. It's pronounced like the `a' in `china' and the final `e' is like the `i' in `sit', `bit', and `hit'.
The main stress is on the second syllable `per'. Any idea what the word means"
"No. Haven't a clue."
"It's an exaggerated statement. When someone uses `hyperbole', they usually say nice things about
something just to make it sound much more impressive than what it actually is."
"I see. It's something that our politicians do all the time. Can I say, our politicians use hyperbole all
the time"
"I suppose you could. Here's another example. Promod is well known for his use of hyperbole.
Whenever someone comes up with an idea, he says, "That is a truly brilliant idea. One day you are
going to win the Nobel Prize'."
"I guess a little hyperbole can make a speech effective."
"It certainly can. But too much of hyperbole is likely to bore the audience. So, tell me how have you
been? How was the New Year bash"?
"Oh, it was just great. Naresh must have invited over a thousand people. So,...."
"...there you go again. A thousand people!"
"It was probably closer to fifty."
"That sounds more like it. Anything interesting happen"
"Nothing much. Except that Rohini's cat disappeared for some time."
"Disappeared? What happened"
"Nobody knows. We all saw it on TV around 10: 30. And...."
"...you saw the cat on TV? Which channel"
"Which channel? What are you talking about"
"You said the cat came on TV. So, what I want...."
"...I didn't say it came on TV. I said it was on TV."
"Exactly! When you say that something was on TV, it means that it appeared on television."
"Really? So, can I say I saw Bush and Blair on TV last night"
"Yes, you can. Bush and Blair are a permanent fixture these days. When are you coming on TV"?
"Probably never. But suppose I want to say that the cat was standing on top ...you know..."
"....then you say the cat was on the TV. It means that it was standing on top of the television set."
"I see. Your glasses are on the TV."
"I never leave my glasses on the TV. I always leave them on the microwave."
"Okay, I think I have got the hang of it. Other than the missing cat, the party was a blast. After the
party, Naresh and his friends went out and painted the town red."
"I am sorry to hear that."
"What do you mean that you are sorry? Doesn't `paint the town red' mean to enjoy oneself
thoroughly"
"Yes, it does. But it also carries with it the suggestion that you were reckless. It also...."
"....tell me what is the origin of this expression?'
"There are several theories and...."
"....one theory will do."
"OK. Everyone agrees that the expression started in America. According to some, `to paint' was
originally a slang expression meaning `to drink'. And what happens when someone drinks a lot"?
"How am I supposed to know"
"When someone drinks a lot their nose and face become red!"
*** *** ***
"Politicians are like diapers. They both need changing regularly and for the same reason." —
Unknown
"Yes, I must say that they have done a bang-up job with..."
"....a bang-up job? What does it mean"?
"Well, when you say that someone has `done a bang-up job' what you are implying is that he/she has
done a very good job."
"Can it mean, an excellent job"?
"Yes. Here's an example. Have you seen your school's new homepage? Your Principal has done a
bang-up job with it."
"I don't think it was the Principal. He doesn't know anything about computers. How about this
example? Mahidhar did a bang-up job on his physics project. Even the Principal had nice things to say
about it."
"That's an excellent example. The captain did a bang-up job leading the team."
"Wonder when Ganguly will do a bang-up job...."
"....forget about the Indian cricket team."
"I would like to, but I can't. If our batsmen cannot cope up with the pace of...."
".... what"?
"If they cannot cope up with the pace of.... I am sorry. Although you have told me several times, I
keep forgetting. It is not `cope up with', but `cope with'."
"Exactly! Our batsmen are unable to cope with the bouncy tracks."
"How about this example? I am unable to cope with all this pressure."
"Sounds good to me. Let's hope that our cricket team learns to cope with pressure in South Africa."
*** *** ***
"All men make mistakes, but married men find out about them sooner." — Red Skelton
WHAT IS the meaning and origin of the idiom "show someone a clean pair of heels"?
"vertically challenged" (short person), "aesthetically challenged" (ugly person), "visually challenged"
(needs glasses), and "physically challenged" (has a physical disability). There are many more
politically correct terms. Here's another one for the road: "petroleum transfer engineer" (the man at the
petrol station who fills petrol in your car)!
When do you say "good morning"?
The vowel in the first syllable sounds like the "a" in "rat", "bat", and "sat". The "o" in the second
syllable and the final "e" are pronounced like the "o" in "hot", "pot", and "got. Some people
pronounce the "o" like the "o" in "pole", "sole", and "hole". The "ch" is like the "sh" in "ship",
"sheet", and "shoot". The following "e" is silent, while the final "nt" sounds like the "ng" in "sing",
"bring", and "ring". The main stress is on the second syllable "pro".
Any idea what the word means? Rapprochement is a word that is normally used in formal contexts. It
is used to indicate the establishment of a good relationship between two countries after they have been
hostile towards each other for some time. The word can be used with groups of people as well. Here
are a few examples.
*The article argues that there are signs of rapprochement between the two parties.
*There are no signs of rapprochement between the United States and Iraq.
*** *** ***
"The reason grandparents and grandchildren get along so well is that they have a common enemy."
— Sam Levenson
(Dilip, Chennai)
Depends on which side of the Atlantic you are from. An Englishman would pronounce the "ou" in the
first syllable like "a" in "china". The following "a" sounds like the "a" in "path", "bath", and "pass",
while the final "che" is like the "sh" in "sheet", "sheep", and "shoot". The main stress, as you have
probably guessed, is on the second syllable. As for the Americans, well, they always do things
differently. First of all, they spell the word differently. It's spelt "mustache". The "u" is like the "u" in
"cut", "but", and "gut". The "a" in the second syllable is like the "a" in "act", "pact", and "fact". The
main stress is on the first syllable.
(Kavitha, Chennai)
It means to win very easily, to win without any real effort. Here are a few examples.
* The local team won the tournament hands down.
* I am sure that Sarita will win the nomination hands down.
* I wouldn't worry if I were you. You will win hands down.
It's interesting to note that many English idioms come from the world of horse racing and boxing.
Tells you something about the English, doesn't it? To "win something hands down" comes from the
world of horse racing and it has been part of the English language since the mid 19th century. I
understand as the jockey approaches the finish line, he sometimes loosens his hold on the reins. He
does this when he is very confident of winning the race; when he thinks that he will win it easily.
When the jockey loosens his hold on the reins, he drops his hands. Hence, the expression, "to win
hands down".
What is the meaning of "sell someone short"?
frequently in their daily speech — both in formal and informal contexts. Careful users of the language
however frown when someone says "each and every". They contend that "each" or "every" is
sufficient on its own. People who are fond of this expression argue that it can be used when you wish
to make something doubly clear; when you wish to lay extra emphasis on something. For example, I
want each and every teacher to be here by 9:00 tomorrow.
Why do we say "movie buff" and "computer buff"?
Rodney Dangerfield
(Vasudevan, Chennai)
It is always a "description of" something and never "description about" something. Description about
is wrong. Here are a few examples.
*Vinita gave the police a description of the man.
*Vijay's description of the cave was truly amazing.
*Alok's description of the camel had everyone in splits.
What do you call a female watchman?
(G.Suhakar, Mysore)
Since this is the age of being politically correct, I guess one shouldn't call her a "watchman". "Guard",
"Security", "Security Guard" are all possibilities. There's nothing sexist about these terms.
*** *** ***
"Life is a waste of time, time is a waste of life, so get wasted all of the time and have the time of your
life." — Tom Waits
(Sandeep, Warrangal)
When you pull out all stops to do something, you put all your energy into doing it. You make a
tremendous effort to achieve something. Here are a few examples.
* The team needs to pull out all the stops to win the World Cup.
*Siddhesh will have to pull out all the stops to get through the exam.
*The Government pulled out all the stops for this year's Republic Day parade.
The expression comes from the world of music. The "stops" refer to the "stops" in a pipe organ — a
musical instrument, which is normally played in church. Sound is produced in an organ when air
passes through its pipes. The "stops" control the flow of air through the pipes. I understand that in
order to increase the volume of the organ, you pull the stops out. The more "stops" you pull out, the
louder the organ gets.
What does "turn on the waterworks mean"?
talking about a sequence of bad events. Suppose a person has had the worst day of his life. How will
he go about telling you this? Well, he will probably begin by saying that first this happened and then
that happened. He will continue with the list of things that went wrong. And when he comes to the
end of the list he will say "finally". Instead of saying "finally" or "believe it or not" the person can say
"to cap it all". Here are a few examples.
* To cap it all, the train was running was twenty hours late.
* To cap it all, she found that she had left her credit card at home.
Which of the following is correct? "Write someone" or "write to someone"?
"No. Don't want to meet her either. Understand she is on the warpath again."
"On the warpath! Don't tell me she is going to Iraq"
"No, no! Not even Sujatha is that crazy. When you say that someone is on the warpath, it means that
he/she is angry at someone. For example, I can say, Neha, Jyotsna, and Ashwini have been on the
warpath ever since their boss told them that they will have to work during the weekends for the next
two months."
"Can I ask Sujatha, `Why are you always on the warpath? Are you crazy or something?"
"I suppose you could. But she would probably hit you on the head with something hard."
"Guess so. Why is she on the warpath again"?
"I think her parents want her to get married. She told them to get off her case."
"Get off her case? What does that mean"?
"When you tell someone to get off your case, you are asking the individual to leave you alone. To stop
criticizing you or picking on you."
"In other words, `get off my case' means the same thing as `get off my back'!"
"You're right! Here's an example. After listening to her father's criticism for 10 minutes, Achala told
him to get off her case."
"So when Sujatha says something the next time, can I say, `Get off my case, Sujatha"'
"I suppose you could."
"How about this example? The students feel that the teacher is picking on Suresh too much. They
want her to get off his case."
"Sounds good to me. You can also say, `Get off one's tail'. It means the same thing."
"Narender, why do you always run me down? Get off my tail, will you"
"I wish I could tell my boss to get off my tail."
"I thought you had a really nice boss."
"The one I liked retired a month ago. This new one...well, let me just say that he doesn't have all his
ducks in a row as yet."
"His ducks in a row! Your new boss has ducks"
"No. When you say that someone has his ducks in a row, what you are implying is that he has
everything in place."
"In other words, he is very organised."
"That's right. He has things under control."
"How about this example? Amrit is pretty well organised. She really has all her ducks in a row."
"Good example. The Vice Chancellor made the mistake of holding a press conference without getting
all his ducks in a row."
"The leader told his group that they would start as soon as everyone had got their ducks in a row."
"So, what..."
"...but tell me, what is the connection between the expression and being organised"?
"I understand when a mother duck leads her ducklings to the water, they follow her in an orderly
fashion. They line up one behind the other."
"It's as if the duck has everything neatly arranged!"
"I guess so."
"You want to have some ice cream? My treat."
"No, I have too many things to do. I will take a rain check on that one."
"A rain check in the summer? Wish it would rain though."
"When you invite me somewhere and I say `I'll take a rain check', what it means is that I accept your
invitation. But I'll come with you some other day, not immediately."
"In other words, you will have ice cream with me some other day, but not today. You are postponing
the treat."
"Exactly! For example, when Rohini invited Sandhya for a cup of coffee, she said she would take a
rain check."
"So when somebody invites me somewhere, can I say, "I'd love to go. But I can't today. Can I take a
rain check on that one"
"Yes, you can. So can I take a rain check on the ice cream"?
"Sorry. I'll go and have the ice cream by myself. In the meanwhile, you can get all your ducks in a
row. Have fun doing it."
*** *** ***
"If your wife wants to learn to drive, don't stand in her way." — Sam Levinson
Bruce Springsteen
"Middle age is when your narrow waist and broad mind exchange places!" — Unknown
was the Prime Minister of India before Mr. Vajpayee? It was Mr. Gujral. So, he is the ex-Prime
Minister of India. And all the others who preceded him — Mr. Nehru, Smt. Indira Gandhi, and Mr.
Rajeev Gandhi — are the "former" Prime Ministers. A man may have several former wives, but only
one ex-wife.
What is the meaning of "lookism"?
*This time the Minister has really put his foot in it.
What is the difference between "word by word" and "word for word"?
Informal expressions
unresponsive or immobile. Here is an example. I don't know whether the student understood what I
was saying. He just sat there like a bump on a log."
"While I was helping my father rearrange the furniture, my sister just stood there like a bump on a
log."
"I remember Sandhya's first presentation. She was so nervous that for the first 15 seconds she just
stood there like a bump on a log."
"I was there too. She should have kept quiet. Once she opened her mouth she was terrible. You
know..."
".... is it the open season on Sandhya? Why is...."
".... open season on Sandhya"?
"When you say it's the open season on someone it means it's a time when everyone is criticizing the
individual."
"Politicians all over the world get criticized all the time. So can I say it is always open season on
politicians."
"Yes, you can. And I am sure that our politicians would agree."
"How about this example? In some Arab countries, it is the open season on George Bush."
"Yes, some countries are really angry, aren't they"?
"You bet they are."
"If we had failed to make the Super Six in the World Cup then it would have been an open season on
our cricketers."
"I guess so."
"Well, don't just sit there like a bump on a log, help me move this table."
*** *** ***
"People who drink to drown their sorrow should be told that sorrow knows how to swim." —
Ann Landers
WHAT DO you call a person who clears the dishes from the table in a restaurant?
(Ranjeet, Patna)
This Latin expression means, "not further beyond". Nowadays it is used to mean the highest level of
excellence, something that is close to perfection. The "e" in "ne" is pronounced like the "ay" in "day",
"pay", and "say", while the "u" in "ultra" sounds like the "u" in "cut", "hut", and "but".
Here are a few examples.
* Rani's career at the university reached its ne plus ultra when she was made Vice Chancellor.
* Since imports have been banned these local cigars are regarded as the ne plus ultra.
The ancient Greeks believed that the expression "ne plus ultra" was inscribed on the Pillars of
Hercules (Strait of Gibraltar) as a warning to ships not to sail any further westward. These Pillars then
were the furthest attainable point; if they ventured any further they would sail into the uncharted
waters of the Atlantic.
What is the meaning and origin of the expression "to leave someone holding the bag"?
(Giri, Vellore)
Demosthenes was a Greek orator and according to many scholars he was the greatest orator of all
times. When he was a young boy he used to stammer a lot; he had a problem producing the sound "p".
The story goes that he overcame his stammering by practicing to speak with pebbles in his mouth.
During his lifetime he became famous for his eloquent speeches which were often patriotic in nature.
Therefore when you say that someone's speech is "Demosthenic" what you are implying is that it is
eloquent and patriotic. This is one of the meanings of the word.
What is the difference between "cotton onto someone" and "cotton up to someone"?
(Ekambaram, Trichur)
A "swallow" is a bird, which makes its appearance during spring. The expression "one swallow does
not make a summer" is usually used as a sort of warning. You are telling an individual not to become
too happy about something; you are advising him to err on the side of caution. You are asking the
individual not to get too excited just because a couple of good things have happened; there is still a
long way to go yet. One good omen does not necessarily mean a happy ending. Here are a few
examples.
*As soon as we launched the product we got a huge order from Russia. We were all pretty excited.
But our boss told us to remember that one swallow does not make a summer.
*The first experiment is a success, but we should remember that one swallow does not make a
summer.
This is another one of those expressions which became popular thanks to Aesop's fables. According to
the story, a young man sees a swallow on a warm winter day. Since swallows are usually seen only
during spring, the young man thinks that spring has arrived. As a result he sells his winter coat and
then proceeds to drink with the money he has made. A few days later, it becomes extremely cold
again and the young man shivering in the cold realises that one swallow does not necessarily imply
that summer has arrived. Other expressions which have more or less the same meaning are "one grain
does not fill a sack" and "one actor cannot make a play".
*** *** ***
"My wife made me join a bridge club. I jump off next Tuesday." — Rodney Dangerfield
telling her..."
"...but isn't that what husbands are supposed to do? I mean..."
"...no comment."
"Looks like your favourite actress is in the news again."
"Yes. She tried the Dutch act again."
"Another expression with Dutch! Have you been eating a lot of Dutch chocolates or something"
"You know I don't like chocolates."
"That's true. Anyway, what does `Dutch act' mean"
"It means to commit suicide."
"Good lord!"
"When someone takes the `Dutch cure' or 'tries the Dutch act' he/she commits suicide. Or at least tries
to.."
"..in our country many children take the Dutch cure when they fail in a Board exam."
"That's true. Young brides also try the Dutch act when their in laws begin to pester them for more
dowry."
"There are many people who try the Dutch act repeatedly. They are not always successful."
"If you try the Dutch act and fail, then you are in Dutch with the police."
"That's a good sentence."
"So are we going to the movie or not"?
"Not today. Maybe on Sunday."
"Well in that case, we won't be going Dutch. You are going to pay."
"It's a deal!"
*** *** ***
"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-
proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is
winning."
— Rich Cook
"WHAT'S THAT smell? Have you started cooking again?" "It's the aroma of fresh... ." "... .aroma!
That's a fancy word. What's the difference between `aroma' and `smell'?"
"WHAT'S THAT smell? Have you started cooking again?"
"It's the aroma of fresh... ."
"... .aroma! That's a fancy word. What's the difference between `aroma' and `smell'?"
"Well, a `smell' can be pleasant or unpleasant. For example you can always complain about the smell
of someone's dirty socks."
"And I can comment on the smell of your breath!"
"I guess you could. But `smell' need not always be associated with something bad. You can talk about
the smell of freshly brewed coffee."
"Or the smell of rain!"
"Yes, that's right. `Aroma', on the other hand, is usually associated with something pleasant and
stimulating."
"So one doesn't normally use the word to talk about someone's armpit?"
"Not unless you find the smell that comes from one's armpit very pleasant."
"I certainly don't. But I can talk about the aroma of early morning coffee, right?"
"Yes, you can. The word `aroma' is normally associated with food. For example, I can talk about the
aroma of ... ."
"... .I think I understand. Tell me have you applied for that job in Devi and Company?"
"No, I decided against it."
"But why? Last week you kept saying that you needed a change and... ."
"... yeah, I know. But the problem is, one of the guys from Devi and Company has applied for the
same position. I am told that he has the inside track."
"The inside track? What does it mean?"
"When someone has the inside track, he has an advantage over someone because... "
"... because he knows someone. He has connections... ."
"... yes, that's right."
"That's how many people in our country get jobs."
"You have a point there. Here's an example. My boss has the inside track, so the chances are our
company will get the contract."
"How about this example? Ganesh's boss has a really good opinion of him. Since he's got the inside
track, chances are he will be promoted to Assistant Manager."
"In our country you need to have the inside track to admit your child in a decent school."
"But that's not always possible."
"I know. Which is why some people add a little sweetener every now and then."
A word on prefaces
WHAT IS the difference between "preface" and "foreword"?
(Janaki, Madurai)
These are usually sections found at the beginning of a book. A "preface" is usually written by the
author and in it he explains why he has written the book. Apart from giving the purpose, he may talk
about how the book has been arranged and how he went about writing it. A "preface" is seldom signed
by the author. Most students of English literature will be familiar with the preface written by the poet
William Wordsworth - "Preface to the Lyrical Ballads". By the way, the "e" in "pre" sounds like the
"e" in "pet", "bet" and "set", while the following "a" is like the "i" in "it", "sit", and "hit". The main
stress is on the first syllable.
A "foreword", on the other hand, is not written by the author. It is usually written by some well-
known individual commending the piece of work. The individual talks directly to the reader telling
him/her how much he enjoyed the work. Unlike a "preface", a "foreword" is signed by the individual
writing it. If the person is really famous, then his name appears on the cover of the book. There are
people, however, who maintain there is no difference between the two words. They argue that
"preface" is the Latinate term, while "foreword" is the English.
I am told that it is wrong to say "level best". Is it true?
This Latin expression was used several times in the movie "Silence of the Lambs". It means giving
something to someone in return or exchange for something else.
* The Government has promised food aid as a quid pro quo if the looting is stopped.
* The corrupt minister insists on quid pro quo when doing business with multinationals.
"Quid" rhymes with "skid" and the "o" in "pro" and "quo" sound like the "o" in "go", "so", and "no".
How is the word "vicissitudes" pronounced?
— Andy Warhol
(Ramani, Vellore)
We may not own horses, but all of us get on our high horse once in a while! Some, more often than
others. When someone "gets on his high horse" he behaves in a proud and arrogant manner. He thinks
that he is morally superior to you; hence he treats you with utter contempt. Here are a few examples.
*A lot of people think it's about time that President Bush got off his high horse.
*Whatever you do, don't get on your high horse and refuse to answer questions.
*If I were you Desai, I would get off your high horse and mend your ways.
In England, in the old days, a person's rank was determined by the size of the horse he rode. If you
were a noble or a person of some importance, you invariably rode a "high horse". These horses were
usually much taller than the horses ridden by the common man. Riding such high horses began to be
equated with superiority.
What is the difference between "amuse" and "bemuse"?
Careful users of the language however object to such sentences. If you want to refer to just radio or
television, then use the word "medium". For example,
* Television has become a very powerful medium.
* According to Bala, the Internet is the most exciting medium since television.
How do you pronounce the word "hymn"?
When you say that something is "up to scratch" or "comes up to scratch" what you are implying is that
it meets the standards required. In other words, it meets with the minimum requirements. Here are a
few examples.
* I have to get this project up to scratch before I can ask for a raise.
*Sorry Sadhana, your performance isn't up to scratch
* Naresh's paper wasn't up to scratch, so I failed him.
As kids whenever we raced our friends, the first thing we did was to draw a line on the ground to
indicate that it was the starting point. Such lines are used in various sporting events. It is this line that
is referred to as "scratch" in the expression "up to scratch". According to some scholars such a line
was drawn in boxing rings as well. In the old days, a "scratch" was drawn in the middle of the ring.
Whenever a boxer was knocked down by an opponent, he had to get up and walk to the "scratch" in
the middle of the ring. He had to do this within a specified time in order to show that he was still in
control of his faculties. By coming up to the mark, the boxer was showing the referee and his
opponent that he was ready to continue the fight. Other expressions which have more or less the same
meaning are "up to snuff" and "up to par". Here are a few examples.
*Harish, your performance hasn't been up to snuff.
*The boss said that the report wasn't up to par.
***** ***** *****
"Support bacteria. They're the only culture some people have." — Unknown
"sweet"), which mean exactly the opposite. An oxymoron is usually defined as a phrase in which two
words of contradictory meaning are brought together. This is usually done to create an effect. A "wise
fool" and "make haste slowly" are other examples. If the Americans don't find the weapons of mass
destruction soon, it is very likely "American intelligence" will become an example of an oxymoron as
well!
Do you use a singular or a plural verb after the word "couple"?
(Chandrasekhar, Hyderabad)
I understand that "brownish yellow" is often referred to as "isabel". There is an interesting story
behind this and in order to tell it, I have to let some dirty linen remain unwashed! According to the
story, Isabella was the daughter of King Philip II of Spain. In 1598, she was married off to Prince
Albert of Austria, and as dowry the young couple was given the whole of the Netherlands.
Unfortunately, one of the cities, Ostend was in the hands of the Flemish. Isabella apparently told her
husband that until he captured this city, she would not remove her underwear even to wash it! The
husband of course panicked and set off to Ostend to capture it. Fortunately, or unfortunately, it took
nearly three years for the city to fall! So if the story is to be believed, poor Isabella was wearing the
same unwashed underwear for three years! Now do you understand why "isabel" means "brownish
yellow"? I guess the story explains two things. One, why Isabella and Albert never had children, and
two, why Hamlet kept saying that something was rotten in the state of Denmark! The smell probably
carried all the way from the Netherlands! Just kidding!
What is the meaning of "categorical inaccuracy"?
When you tell someone to "put a sock in it", what you are telling him/her to do is to stop talking. In
other words, you are telling the person to shut up. The expression is mostly used in British English in
informal contexts. The Americans tend to say "put a cork in it". Here are a few examples.
*Hey Varsha, put a sock in it, will you?
*Vishnu has gone on long enough. It's about time he put a cork in it.
*Put a sock in it you two. The baby is sleeping.
According to some scholars this expression began to be used after the first gramophone was invented.
Do you remember those old gramophones? Those funny looking things fitted with huge horns that
served as speakers? Maybe you have seen one in the movies — especially movies set in the 1940s and
1950s. In order to play the old gramophone, you had to do two things — you had to wind it up, and
you had to attach the huge horn so that the sound could be heard. But the problem with the early
gramophone was that you couldn't control the volume; there was no volume control. So how did
people reduce the volume? Simple, they put a sock in the horn to muffle the sound! Pretty smart,
wouldn't you say?
What is the difference between an "acronym" and an "abbreviation"?
(R.Kalyanasundaram, Tambaram)
First, let's deal with the pronunciation. The "a" is like the "a" in "china", while the following "ch" is
like the "k" in "kiss" and "kite". The "i" in the third syllable sounds like the "i" in "it" and "kit"; while
the final "e" is like the "ee" in "peel", "feel", and "kneel". The "s" sounds like the "z" in "zip".
When you talk about someone's Achilles' heel, you are talking about a weakness or a flaw in his
character. It is the individual's weak spot; something that other people can attack or take advantage of.
Here are a few examples.
* Rohini's Achilles' heel is pressure. She just can't handle it.
* Udita's vanity is her Achilles' heel.
Achilles was a famous warrior. As soon as he was born, his mother Thetis took him to the river Styx
and dipped him in it. She did this in order to make him invincible. Legend has it that once someone
was dipped in the river, nothing could harm him.
Unfortunately for Achilles, when his mother dipped him in the river, she held him by the heel. As a
result, the water never touched that portion of his foot. The only way of killing him was to injure his
heel; the heel became Achilles' weak spot. Ultimately that's how he died in the Trojan War; an arrow
pierced his heel.
***
"All men are not homeless, but some men are home less than others." — Henry Youngman
(Ananya, Secunderabad)
The slang expression "conk out" has several different meanings. One of the meanings is "to collapse".
Here are a few examples.
*After the ten-mile jog, I just conked out.
*Harini was afraid that she would conk out in front of everyone.
The expression can be used with objects as well. When you say that something has conked out, what
you mean is that it has broken down or "quit running".
*The old fan finally conked out during the summer.
*Arun's scooter conked out on his way to the office.
(Sita, Chennai)
"Interfere" has a negative connotation. When you interfere in something, you are poking your nose
into other people's business. You are meddling. The word carries with it the sense of obstruction or
getting in the way of something. Here are a few examples.
*The slashing of funding interfered with the work on the project.
*The politician tried to interfere in the police investigation.
*I don't want you to interfere in my life.
"Intervene", on the other hand, has a much more positive connotation. When you intervene in
something, you are playing a much more constructive role. This probably explains why the Americans
talk about their intervention in Iraq, rather than interference. Here are a few examples.
*The lawyer intervened in the dispute and resolved the problem.
*I don't want to intervene in a dispute between a husband and a wife.
*The police intervened when the students started throwing stones at buses.
***** ***** *****
"Britain has invented a new missile. It's called the civil servant - it doesn't work and it can't be fired." —
Walter Walker
examples.
*The taxi driver who drove me to the airport was a real cowboy.
*I wouldn't buy anything from those builders. They are a bunch of cowboys.
*Jai's first job was with a bunch of cowboy solicitors.
How is the word "poignant" pronounced?
— Slappy White
(C.Visvanathan, Coimbatore)
No, it doesn't. When you say that a commodity is "in short supply" what you mean is that it is scarce.
The item is very difficult to get hold of because there is very little of it available. The demand for it is
far greater than the supply. Here are a few examples.
*Thanks to the transport strike, fresh vegetables are in short supply.
*I am told that during World War II chocolate was in short supply.
"In short order", on the other hand, has nothing to do with demand and supply. When you say that
something was done in short order, what you mean is that it was done very quickly. The expression is
mostly used in informal contexts. *The Minister's assistant straightened out the mess in short order.
*I don't want any excuses. I want this work done in short order.
Can I say, "Harsha is a flibbertigibbet?"
(Kamlesh, Hyderabad)
Both words refer to a verbal expression of disagreement, but usually a dispute tends to be much more
serious. The two warring parties can be two countries or different groups of people and they usually
have heated clashes over something serious. A dispute is something, which usually lasts for a long
time as well. For example, India and Pakistan have been disputing over Kashmir since 1947.
*We have had a border dispute with Pakistan ever since we got our independence.
*There was a territorial dispute between the two rival gangs.
*The dispute is unlikely to be settled soon.
A quarrel can range from a mild to a violent argument; in general it tends to be far less serious than a
dispute. When people quarrel, they are usually having an argument about something unimportant.
Kids, for example, usually quarrel, they do not have disputes.
*The kids were constantly quarreling about something or the other.
*I don't want to start a quarrel, if you don't mind.
*The quarrel between the husband and the wife turned nasty.
***** ***** *****
"There is only one cure for grey hair. It was invented by a Frenchman. It is called the guillotine."
— P. G. Wodehouse
— George W. Bush
(S.Bakthavathsalan, Chennai)
When T-shirts first came out, they were made out of cotton and were used as "banyans" (as we call
them in India). Nowadays, a T-shirt can be made of any material and you can buy them in different
shapes and sizes - with or without collars and with or without pockets. The first cotton T-shirt came
without a collar. When a T-shirt without a collar is spread out on the table or bed it resembles the
capital letter "T", doesn't it? That's why it was called a "T-shirt"; because it was shaped like the letter
"T". In the 1950s, when T-shirts became extremely popular both in Europe and America, advertisers
realised that they were a great way of promoting products. Soon we had T-shirts with slogans written
on them. The title of a well-known book on communication published in the 1990s is called "Can you
put it on a T-shirt?"
Which of the following is correct? "At weekends/ on weekends"?
"loathe" someone, you hate or despise the individual. You have absolute contempt for him. It is also
possible to loathe something. Here are a few examples.
* Most people in my class loathe politicians.
* Unlike most of my cousins, Mala doesn't loathe me.
* Bala loathes meeting people.
"Loath", on the other hand, means you are unwilling or reluctant to do something. It is also possible to
spell the word "loth". Here are a few examples.
* My friend Gowri is loath to lend her books to anyone.
* The politicians were loath to admit that they had embezzled the money.
* Mythreye is loath to tell her parents all that happened.
In terms of pronunciation, the difference between the two words lies in the way the final "th" is
pronounced. The "th" in "loathe" is pronounced like the "th", in "this", "that", and "those". In fact, the
word "loathe" rhymes with "clothe". In the case of "loath", the final "th" is pronounced like the "th" in
"thank", "thin", and "three". We Indians generally don't make a distinction between these two sounds.
So, don't worry, be happy! Remember the song?
***
"I was so ugly when I was born, the doctor slapped my mother." —
Henry Youngman
WHAT IS the meaning and origin of the expression "to go hammer and tongs at someone"?
(Raju, Vizag)
Printing paper measuring 13.5 inches by 17 inches is usually called "foolscap" paper and not "full
scape" paper. The first syllable is pronounced like the word "fools" and the second like the word
"cap". The main stress is on the first syllable. The paper is called "foolscap" because there was a time
when paper was watermarked with a fool's cap — i.e. a cap worn by a court jester. According to some
people, it was Oliver Cromwell who decided to put this design on paper. It was to replace symbol of
the royal crown which had appeared earlier. Many people however dismiss this idea.
Dennis Wholey
WHAT IS the meaning and origin of the expression "read between the lines"?
(Madhavi, Bangalore)
As for the first question, both are correct. When you say that someone is "ill" what you mean is that
he is unwell. When you say he is sick, what you are implying is that the individual feels like throwing
up or vomiting.
Careful users of the language would argue that it is wrong to say, "He is an ill person" — although it
is heard quite often in speech. "Sick" is normally used before a noun. For example,
* Could you please keep quiet? We have a sick man in here.
* Radha is being trained to look after sick children.
* The sick student finally went to the doctor.
The word "ill", on the other hand, is normally used after a verb.
* The boy was ill and couldn't attend the meeting.
* He was too ill to go to school.
* I told my wife that I felt ill.
***
Women now have choices. They can be married, not married, have a job, not have a job, be married
with children, unmarried with children. Men have the same choice we've always had: work or prison.
—
Tim Allen
"When you say that someone makes the fur fly, what you mean is that the person causes many fights
or arguments. For example, I can say, my neighbours hate each other. Whenever they run into each
other, they make the fur fly."
"How about this example? When I was a kid, I spilled ink all over my father's office papers. When he
saw that, he made the fur fly."
"It is also possible to say, `to make the feathers fly'. For example, when some of my friends get
together, they really make the feathers fly."
"So what do you do when the fur flies?"
"Me? I just make sure that I don't get caught in the crossfire."
"In the crossfire? What does it mean?"
"It means the same thing as `get caught in the middle'. When two people are arguing and you get
caught in the middle, what kind of a situation are you in?"
"A pretty difficult one, I suppose. Probably makes it very difficult for you to remain neutral."
"Excellent. My uncle and aunt were having an argument and unfortunately my sister got caught in the
crossfire."
"When my sister and her friend have an argument, they try to draw me into it. But I always make sure
that I don't get caught in the middle."
"Whenever I sense that people are going to have an argument, I try to get out of the room. I just hate
getting caught in the crossfire."
"I sense that you want me leave. I'll see you later."
"Take care."
***** ***** *****
The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90%
probability you'll get it wrong. —
Andy Rooney
"Well, if it is raining outside, and the individual doesn't know that he has to come in, what would you
think of the person?"
"Well, I would say that he is pretty stupid."
"And that's what the expression means."
"I see. Can I say Harish is so stupid that he doesn't know enough to come in out of the rain?"
"Yes, you can. Here's another example. Everyone told me that Naresh was smart. After talking to him
for five minutes I realised that he didn't know enough to come in out of the rain."
"According to you most people are dumb."
"That's true."
"I don't think Ramesh is stupid. He forgets. He is also accident prone."
"What do you mean?"
"Like yesterday, he was sitting in a chair in class. And he just fell down from the chair."
"Well, you don't usually fall down from a chair. Careful users of the language would say `fall off the
chair'."
"Why are you being so picky today?"
"Sorry."
"I used to fall off my bicycle very often."
"The rider fell off the horse and broke his foot."
"Before I fall off this wobbly chair, I'd better get home. I am expecting a phone call."
"Are you awaiting for a phone call?"
"Ha! Ha! Very funny."
***** ***** *****
"Each night I lie awake and stare up at the stars and wonder...what the hell happened to my ceiling?"
— Robert Paul
"Why not?"
"You are too lowbrow for her."
"Lowbrow? What does it mean?"
"Well, what kind of a person is Sujatha?"
"She is very intelligent. I guess you could call her an intellectual. She...."
".... at least, she thinks she is an intellectual. Pretends to be one anyway. What sort of person are
you?"
"Well, I am not very bright. I am not very fond of intellectuals. I guess you could say that I am not
very refined. Furthermore, I,....."
"...all those things make you a lowbrow."
"O.K, I think I understand. I feel ill at ease in the company of highbrows. You could say that I am
allergic to them."
"Geetha used to be a highbrow, but she has given up some of her fancy ways."
"Some of the highbrows in my class meet every Sunday to discuss poststructuralism and ....."
".....don't want to know."
"O.K. Tell me, is there a middlebrow?"
"Yes, there is. Someone who is a middlebrow is average."
"In other words, mediocre?"
"That's right. People like you and me are middlebrows."
"I thought you said that I was a lowbrow."
"According to Sujatha you are. But in my opinion...."
".... forget it. I have to go. You take care."
"You too."
***
"Doing nothing is very hard to do...you never know when you're finished." — Leslie Nielsen
http://www.hindu.com/edu/2003/11/11/stories/2003111100120300.htm
WHAT IS the meaning and origin of the expression "the whole nine yards"?
(Uma, Chennai)
This is a word that is mostly used in informal contexts. When you have oodles of something, you have
lots of it. By the way, the word rhymes with "noodles". Here are a few examples.
*I wish I had oodles and oodles of money.
*Whenever he gets tense, he drinks oodles of coffee.
*I love to have oodles of sauce on my noodles.
How is the word "debut" pronounced?
"In other words, you have been there from day one."
"That's right. Here's an example. I don't understand how she got the promotion. The job should have
gone to Laxman. He has been with the company since the get-go."
"Listen, you must show them who the boss is from the get-go. How does it sound?"
"Pretty good. The students had all the answers figured out from the get-go."
"I have been part of the team from the get-go. So I should be made the captain."
"You are cuckoo, you know that."
"I am not!"
"Do you even know what cuckoo means?"
"No, but I am sure I am not one."
"It means crazy."
"And I am not crazy. How do you spell the word?"
"C..u.c..k..o..o. The first syllable is pronounced like the word `cook' and the `oo' in the second is like
the `oo' in `fool', `cool', and `pool'."
"And the stress is on the first syllable. You are the one who is cuckoo."
"How did I ever become friends with a cuckoo like you?"
"That's because you are a cuckoo yourself."
"Our company has come up with a new scheme to increase sales. If you ask me, it's plain cuckoo."
"According to you ...."
"....talking about cuckoo, how is that cousin of yours doing? Is he still busy moving bones from
graveyard to another?"
"Moving bones? What are you talking about?"
"That's how someone described doing a Ph.D. "
"You'll be happy to know that Suresh has got his Ph. D."
"Good for him."
***** ***** *****
"Bad spellers of the world — Untie!" — Graffiti
(Gauri, Bangalore)
These are two words that are often confused by people. When used as two words, it means daily. Here
are a few examples.
* Why should I have a bath every day?
* There's no need for you to call him every day.
* The children play tennis every day.
"Everyday", on the other hand, is normally used as an adjective. It is used to mean common or
ordinary. Here are a few examples.
* Traffic is an everyday problem in our city.
* These are my everyday clothes.
* Sweeping, dusting, and mopping are part of her everyday routine.
Use "everyday" before a noun.
Is it OK to say "consensus of opinion"?
(Indumathi, Hyderabad)
We hear the expression all the time, don't we? The consensus of opinion is this is the best movie in
town. The consensus of opinion is that the law should be passed without any changes. We find such
sentences in newspapers all the time. So, if you object to them, then you are likely to be in the
minority. Careful users of the language however object to this expression. They argue that
"consensus" means general agreement, therefore there is no need to add "of opinion". You can simply
say, "The consensus is this is the best movie in town".
What is the meaning of the word "couple" in the following sentence? "I'll be gone a couple of
days".
And God said, 'Let there be light' and there was light, but the Electricity Board said he would have to
wait until Thursday to be connected. . — Spike Milligan
(O.V.Subbaiah, Vishakhapatnam)
The idiom is "hand in glove". When you are hand in glove with someone you are closely involved
with that individual — usually in an illegal activity. The two of you are up to no good. In British
English, this expression has a very negative meaning. Here are a few examples.
*Some of the politicians were hand in glove with the militants.
*I wouldn't trust anything he says. He's hand in glove with the Management.
*He realised much later that his own partner was hand in glove with his competitors.
In American English, however, the expression does not always carry this negative meaning with it.
When you are hand in glove with someone, you are very close to him/her. Here are a few examples.
*I am told that Hamsa is really hand in glove with Mohan.
*The teacher and the students worked hand in glove.
*The two sisters were hand in glove.
Now coming back to your question, this expression began to be used in the late 17th Century. The
interesting thing is that when it was first used, it was "hand and glove", but later changed to "hand in
glove".
What is the difference between "muddle along" and "muddle around"?
*I am sorry that I was so glum. But this has been a bad hair day.
*Poor Rahul, he's been having an awful time. It's been one bad hair day after another.
*What's wrong with you? Having a bad hair day?
The expression is mostly used in American English.
How is the word " environment" pronounced?
(Agatheesh, Chennai)
What do you normally find outside a girl's college? Boys, of course! A whole bunch of boys making
fun of the girls, and trying to get their attention. That's what eve teasing is; members of the male
species making fun of the opposite sex. The fun that these roadside Romeos (or Adams?) indulge in
isn't always innocent either. The expression "eve teasing" is Indian in origin; you won't find it in most
dictionaries. Native speakers of English don't use it. Since it is Indian, should we change the name
"Eve" to something else?
***** ***** *****
"The trouble with America is that there are far too many wide-open spaces surrounded by teeth."
— Charles Luckman
"HEY, DID you get the buttons that I had asked for?"
"Not yet. I am on my way. Tell me, did you like the movie you saw yesterday?"
"Didn't particularly care for it. Too many fish fights."
"Fish fights? What are you talking about? Which movie did you go to?"
"The one that you wanted me to see."
"There are no fish fights in the movie."
"A fight between two women is usually referred to as `fish fight'. The expression is considered slang."
"I see. Have you ever seen a fish fight?"
"In movies, yes. But not in real life."
"Same here. Can the word `fish' be used with men as well?"
"Yes, you can call a man a fish."
"But what does it mean?"
"When you refer to a person as a `fish' what you mean is that he/she is stupid or very clumsy."
"Sounds very insulting."
"It is. So don't use it unless you are pretty sure that you can get away with it. Here is an example. My
new assistant is a fish. He just can't do anything right."
"How about this example? Don't be such a fish Jai. Anyone can learn to ride a bicycle."
"Sounds good."
"Talking about learning to ride bicycles. You know that your friend Sujatha doesn't know how to ride
one, right?"
"I know that."
"Here's something you probably don't know. She is taking up a new job!"
"Yes, she told me yesterday."
"Did she tell you why?"
"No. But I have a feeling that she is tired of being a big fish in a small pond."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Well, when you say that someone is a big fish in a small pond, it means that the individual is an
important person in a very small place."
"I see. So what you mean is that in the small company that she is working for, Sujatha is an important
person. But outside it, she is a nobody."
"I guess you could say that."
"So, are you a big fish in a small pond?"
"Even in the small pond that I am in, I am not a big fish. My friend Vinay is a big fish in a little pond,
though."
"I don't think I'd ever want to be a big fish in a small pond. I think I have too much ambition for that."
"Good for you."
"Did Sujatha tell you anything about her new company?"
"All she told me was that her new boss is a cold fish."
"A cold fish? Well, I....."
".... when you say that someone is a cold fish, what you mean...."
".... I know what `cold fish' means. It means someone who is very unfriendly."
"That's right. But a cold fish could also be someone who doesn't show his emotions. For example,
many people believe that Anand is a cold fish."
"There are lots of people who think that you are a cold fish."
"I know that many of my cousins think I am a cold fish."
"Well, I guess there is a cold fish in every family."
"Have you finished the project that you have been working on?"
"No, but you know what...."
".... but you have been talking about it all the time."
"I know. But yesterday, I had another idea. You know...."
".... listen to me. I am sick and tired of listening to you talking about your project. There's no point in
just talking about it. Fish or cut bait."
"What?"
"When you tell someone to fish or cut bait, you are telling him to either do the job that he is supposed
to be doing or quit so that someone else can take over."
"In other words, you are telling me to shut up and get on with my project."
"Exactly! Here's an example. Ever since my boss told him to fish or cut bait, Mahesh has been doing
much better on the job."
"So if someone is just wasting his time, can I say, `Fish or cut bait'?"
"You certainly can. You had better decide if you want to do your project or just keep talking about it.
Fish or cut bait."
"You are a cold fish, you know that."
***
"Men are liars. We'll lie about lying if we have to. I'm an algebra liar. I figure two good lies make a
positive." — Tim Allen
(Lakshmi, Hyderabad)
A "sow", as you probably know, is a female pig. The word rhymes with "how", "now" and "cow". Is it
possible to make a silk purse out of a pig's ear? What do you think? The expression "make a silk purse
out of sow's ear" is normally used to mean that it is impossible to make something fine out of inferior
or substandard material. The idiom is normally used in the negative. It is also possible to say, "turn a
sow's ear into a silk purse".
* No matter how hard you try, I am afraid you will not succeed in helping him get through his Board
exams. You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
* I wouldn't spend too much time and money trying to repair that old car. You can't turn a sow's ear
into a silk purse.
* The Municipal authorities are planning to convert the old garbage dump into a park. I guess that it's
a case of making a sow's ear into a silk purse.
What does the expression "rain on someone's parade" mean?
"One disadvantage of being a hog is that at any moment some blundering fool may try to make a silk
purse out of your wife's ear."
— J.B. Morton
Uncommon phrases
"That's a sensible thing to do. Anyway, what are your plans for tomorrow? Planning to party with
your friends?"
"Yeah, a couple of us are going to Surendran's house. He said...."
".... Surendran's house! In that case...."
".... irregardless of what you may think of Surendran...."
".... good grief. Irregardless! How I hate that word!"
"The word exists, you know."
"I know. The Americans use it. But even they consider it to be non standard. So don't use the word."
"So what should I use then?"
"Stick to regardless."
"Regardless of what you may think of my friend..."
".... I have nothing against your friend. All that I wanted to say was if you are going to Surendran's
party, you had better bone up on your GK."
"Bone up on my GK! What does that mean?"
"When you ask someone to bone up on something, what you are telling him to do is to review
something thoroughly in a very short period of time. Sujatha told me that she may be going to Paris
next month. I told her to bone up on her French."
"That's a good idea. My aunt is planning to visit her grandchildren in England this summer. I have
told her to bone up on her English."
"That's a very good example."
"But tell me, why do I need to bone up on my general knowledge before going to Surendran's house?"
"Because that's one of the games he plays."
"Oh brother, that doesn't sound like much fun."
"Oh, you never know. You might just end up winning."
"Fat chance of that happening! I guess I could always hide in the bathroom while they are...."
"...hide in the bathroom! What a wonderful way to welcome the New Year!"
***** ***** ******
*Sanjana tends to be brusque at times. But don't let that put you off.
What is the meaning and origin of the expression "to throw in the towel"?
"All men are not homeless, but some are home less than others." — Bessie & Beulah
(T.M.Krishnan, Chennai)
Yes, it does. Stepney is actually the name of a street in Llanelli, Wales where the spare wheels for the
motorcar were originally made. Since the tyres were made in Stepney, spare wheels began to be called
"stepney wheel". Later, it was shortened to "Stepney". These wheels consisted of ready inflated tyres
which could temporarily be clamped over a punctured wheel. Nowadays, of course, the word
"Stepney" is mostly heard in countries like India, Bangladesh, etc, which were once part of the British
Empire. These days, native speakers of English use the word "spare" instead of "Stepney". The word
"Stepney" is unheard of in America.
What is the meaning of the expression "whistle in the dark"?
It depends on which side of the Atlantic you are from, I guess. People from Britain usually respond by
saying "How do you do?". For them, "How do you do?" is an expression which is normally used when
you are introduced to someone for the first time. "How do you do?" is not the same as "How are you?"
For the English, the response to "How do you do?" is "How do you do?" It's like our "namaste". When
somebody says "namaste", we respond by saying "namaste". Americans, on the other hand, think
differently. You will find that many Americans do not always make a distinction between "How do
you do?" and "How are you?" So don't be surprised if an American responds to a "How do you do?"
with a "Fine, thank you", or "Doing good".
How is the word "tortoise" pronounced?
"Happiness: An agreeable sensation arising from contemplating the misery of another." — Ambrose
Bierce
The "o" in the first syllable is like the "o" in "cot", "hot", and "got"; the following "e" is silent. The
"y" is pronounced like the "i" in "it", "pit", and "sit", and the final "oo" sound like the "oo" in "pool",
"cool", and "tool". The main stress is on the first syllable. When you describe a piece of writing as
being "gobbledygook" what you mean is that it is very complicated. The writer has used extremely
long sentences with big words — the kind of language that bureaucrats normally use to confuse the
public. As a result, when you read such a piece of writing you can't usually make any sense of it. As
far as you are concerned it is "gobbledygook"; it is nonsense. This word, which is mostly used in
informal contexts, can be used to refer to someone's speech as well. Here are a few examples.
*Whenever we asked a question, the answers came back in legal gobbledygook.
*Don't bother reading the article. It is nothing more than gobbledygook.
*Talk to me in a language that I understand. I don't want any of your gobbledygook.
According to some scholars "gobbledygook" is a word that was invented by a Congressman by the
name of Maury Maverick. Apparently he became so disgusted with the language used by officials that
he issued the following memo: "Be short and say what you are talking about. Stop "pointing up"
programmes. No more "finalising", "effectuating", or "dynamics". Anyone using the words
"activation" or "implementation" will be shot." If only some Minister would write such a note to our
bureaucrats. Oh by the way, "gobble" is the sound that a turkey makes.
**** **** ****
"Inflation: when half your money goes up in smoke, and you need the other half to put out the fire." —
Leopold Fechtner
"Luckily, I am at an age when I don't have to worry about these things. That's true. Pretty soon you
will learn that life is not all moonlight and roses."
"Don't think I have heard that expression before."
"When you say that something is not all moonlight and roses, what you mean is that it is not always
pleasant."
"I see. My cousin tells me that living in America isn't all moonlight and roses."
"I am sure things will change by the time I get there. Anyway, I hope when I get a job, I make seventy
five thousand a month."
"Seventy five thousand a month! You are asking for the moon. Do you know what the expression
means?"
"Of course, I do. It means to ask for the impossible."
"Excellent. President Bush wants democracy to spread all over the Middle East. Frankly, I think he's
asking for the moon."
"He probably knows it too. We keep asking our politicians for a clean administration. Do you think
we are asking for the moon?"
"Of course, we are. In our country, people become politicians to make money, not to save money. My
neighbour's wife wants her husband to go on a diet and lose about twenty pounds. I think she is asking
for the moon."
"President Bush has taken a sudden interest in the moon. He wants the Americans to set up a space
station on the moon."
"Oh there is probably a reason for that."
"You think so? What do you think the reason is?"
"Some not so intelligent guy from the intelligence agency must have told Bush that his pal Saddam
has hidden the weapons of mass destruction on the moon!"
"Maybe he told him that it's on Mars! That's probably why NASA has sent Spirit over there!"
"Quite possible."
**** **** ****
"After marriage, husband and wife become two sides of a coin; they just can't face each other, but still
they stay together." — Hemant Joshi
(Reshmi, Secunderabad)
This word comes from "bolognia" which is a smoked sausage made from several different meats. In
American English it is spelt "baloney", and the word is frequently used in informal contexts to mean
"nonsense". Here is an example.
*The reason that he gave for going to war was pure baloney.
What is the meaning of the idiom "bone of contention"?
(Ravinarayan, Mangalore)
When you "search for" something you are looking for it. In this case, you are trying to find the room.
Perhaps you are staying in a hotel. You have lost your way and are unable to locate your room.
Happens to all of us some time or the other. Here are a few more examples.
*Ganesh and Sarita spent nearly an hour searching for the necklace.
*The police have been searching the woods for the missing man.
When you "search the room", you are already in the room and trying to find something. In other
words, you are looking for something inside the room. When Income Tax officials raid someone's
house, they go through all the rooms; they search the rooms hoping to find something incriminating
— documents, black money, etc. *The detective searched the room and found incriminating
documents.
*Reema prevented the police from searching her suitcase.
Is it OK to say, "Long time no see"?
(Mahesh, Chennai)
Yes, it is. This is an informal way of greeting someone you haven't met or seen in a long time. It's an
expression that is mostly used in American English. It's another way of saying "I haven't seen you in a
long time."
*Hey, how are you? Long time no see.
*Long time no see. What have you been up to?
How is the word "voyeur" pronounced?
Bobcat Goldthwaite
WHAT IS the meaning of the idiom "give a dog a bad name and hang him"?
Vajpayee, the premier of India, will be visiting Japan next week." The word can also be used to mean
the best or the most important.
*Ten years ago, this was one of the premier colleges in the state.
*We have invited the country's premier drama company to entertain the foreign delegates.
*As the nation's premier scientist, funding is no problem for him.
The first public performance of a new play or a film is usually called a "premiere". In other words, the
play or film is shown to the public for the first time.
*The film had its premiere last week.
*The film's director wants the premiere to be postponed to December.
*Mohan's documentary was premiered at the Mumbai Film Festival.
How is the word "psyche" pronounced?
WHICH OF the following sentences is correct? "I wish I was a minister", or, "I wish I were a
minister".
*Kamala sashayed past her former boyfriend without bothering to look at him.
*People gaped as Latha and Hamsa sashayed down the stairs.
What is the story behind "Narcissus"?
"She's a lovely person. She deserves a good husband. Marry her before she finds one."
March8, 2004
"When women hold off from marrying men, we call it independence. When men hold off from marrying
women, we call it fear of commitment."— Warren Farrell
*Karthick lost the franchise when he was unable to meet the required standards of service.
*Tara is unwilling to start a franchise.
What is the meaning of "shot in the arm"?
WHAT IS the meaning of the idiom "To set the Thames on fire"?
"I hate people like that! How about this example? After a two hour nap, the baby woke up bright-eyed
and bushy-tailed."
"Sounds good to me. But I hate it when that happens. Babies have the habit of waking up in the
middle of the night bright-eyed and bushy-tailed."
"I believe I used to wake up in the middle of the night."
"I am sure your parents just loved you for it. Here's another example. Could someone please tell that
bright-eyed and bushy-tailed young man to stop making such a racket."?
"My class is full of bright-eyed and bushy-tailed individuals. And boy do they give the teachers a
tough time."
"Teachers can't afford to be asleep at the switch, I guess."
"Asleep at the switch? Haven't heard that expression before."
"When you accuse someone of being asleep at the switch, what you are implying is that he is not
doing his job. Here's an example. The dacoits managed to break into the house because the watchman
was asleep at the switch."
"Hari is a professor in a university. He can afford to be asleep at the switch."
"Why pick on poor teachers? What about our politicians and government officials?"
"You don't seriously expect those people to work, do you? If you ask me, most people in our country
are asleep at the switch."
"According to Richard Clark, 9/11 happened because President Bush and his team were asleep at the
switch."
"Yes, I read about that. Tell me about the gabfest."
"Oh, we were talking about the first test match."
"We played as a team for a change. Looks like the players will be making a lot of money."
"Then you and I should be getting some money too!"
"What do you mean?"
"Akhir hum bhi tho hain team mein."
"John Milton wrote Paradise Lost. Then his wife died, he wrote Paradise Regained." — A student
(Sukanya, Secunderabad)
I guess within India there is nothing wrong in writing "Mrs. & Mr." on an envelope. Most invitations
are addressed to "Smt. & Sri". In our country, it is always ladies first - at least when ☺ it comes to
invitations. Some women would argue that it's about the only time when ladies get preference over
men. But then, that's neither here nor there. Native speakers of English however would find "Mrs. &
Mr." pretty odd. At the University of Georgia, a professor received a threatening letter from a student.
The police were asked to investigate the matter; after reading the letter a couple of times they realized
that it must have been written by an Indian. Why? The letter was addressed to "Mrs. & Mr." So if you
go abroad and decide to write a threatening letter to your professor, make sure that you don't make
such a silly mistake!
What is the meaning of "call upon"?
carrying a heavy responsibility. This responsibility or problem becomes the focus of your life and it
prevents you from doing what you really want to do. Here is an example.
*The numerous assignments were like a millstone around Radha's neck.
What is the meaning of "goody two-shoes"?
(Lobsang, Bylakuppe)
Someone who tries to behave better than others is usually referred to as "goody two shoes". The
individual, a hypocrite, tries to put on a great show of goodness. The expression is usually used with
woman and has a negative connotation.
*Devi is no goody two-shoes. She just wants to stay out of trouble.
The name comes from the title character in the 1776 book "The History of Little Goody Two Shoes".
Goody is actually the short form of "Goodwife", a 16th Century equivalent of "Mrs.".
***** ***** *****
"My mother had morning sickness after I was born." —
Rodney Dangerfield
(Madhumala, Trichy)
This is an expression used mostly in informal contexts. When someone in a difficult situation decides
to cut and run, what he does is to quickly run away from his problems. Instead of dealing with them in
a responsible way, he attempts to escape from them by leaving suddenly. This is something that all of
"One word sums up probably the responsibility of any Governor, and that one word is `to be
prepared'." — George W. Bush
Stephen Fry
(Sethi, Chandigargh)
This is an offensive term used to describe people who have been declared brain dead by doctors.
Sometimes after a serious accident, the only thing that a victim can do on his own is breathe. The
person cannot think, speak or move. A person who slips into a coma is said to be a vegetable. Other
than the breathing, there are no indications that the individual is alive. Here is an example.
*The young boy has been a vegetable for the past six months.
An individual who leads a very boring, monotonous existence can also be said to lead the life of a
vegetable.
****** ***** *****
Ruth Weekley
What is the difference between "gourmet" and "gourmand"? How are the two words
pronounced?
"HI! COME on in. Are you interested in watching a movie with me?"
"A movie! Didn't you say you were going to be busy this week?"
"I most certainly did. Luckily for us, our boss decided to farm out some of the work."
"How can anyone farm work? I don't understand."
"When you `farm out' work to someone, what you are doing is getting the person to do it."
"So if I have too much work, I can farm some of it out to a colleague!"
"Or to an outsider. "
"The new company that my dad works for farms out a lot of work to consultants."
"It is also possible to farm out people."
"When you do this, you are sending someone to work for somebody else. Is that it?"
"Exactly! "
"When I become the boss, I am going to farm out all my work."
"I don't think you can get away with that."
"You are probably right. So did you watch Ronald Dumsfeld apologising to the people of... "
"... .it's not Ronald Dumsfeld, but Donald Rumsfeld."
"I know that. But why should I say his name correctly? After all, he doesn't take the trouble of
pronouncing any of the Iraqi names properly. In fact, none of the American politicians do."
"You have a point there.The photographs of the Iraqis being tortured raised my hackles."
"Raised your hackles? What does it mean? What are hackles, anyway?"
"Hairs on the neck of a dog are called hackles. Similarly, the feathers on the neck of a domestic cock
are called hackles."
"But how can the feathers or hair on the neck be raised?"
"I believe when a dog becomes angry or agitated, the hair on its neck stands up. And... ."
"... .when a cock gets agitated, the feathers on the back of its neck stand up."
"Exactly! So when you say that someone's hackles are raised, what you mean is that the person is very
angry. "
"I could see my chemistry teacher's hackles rising as she heard the principal outline his plan."
"The kids expected the article to raise a few hackles. But nothing happened."
"Now that you have farmed out your work, what have you been doing with yourself?"
"Oh, nothing much. I jogged two miles this morning. Then I guzzled two bottles of water."
"You what?"
"G... u... z... z... l... e... d. It rhymes with `"puzzled'". Do you know what guzzled means?"
"No, I don't. Why don't you tell me?"
"When you guzzle something what you are doing is eating or drinking it very quickly. You greedily
gulp it down. Mehta guzzled gin and tonic all evening."
"Yes, I can believe that. Mehta drinks like a fish. Anyway, how about this example? The kids guzzled
down all the gulab jamuns in about five minutes."
"Sounds good. Sujatha guzzled coffee all night long in order to complete the project."
"That's the way Sujatha works. She puts in an all-nighter, and then the next day she slouches about
doing absolutely nothing."
"Slouch about? Doesn't `slouch' mean to walk about with one's shoulders and head bent?"
"Yes, that's right. Slouch refers to one's posture."
"The young programmer was slouched over the computer."
"That's a good example. Last night Sujatha slouched past me with her hands in her kurta."
"That's the thing about Sujatha. She slouches even when she is sitting down."
"That's true. But she is no slouch at tennis, I can tell you that."
"No slouch at tennis? Don't think I have heard that expression before."
"When you say that someone is `no slouch' at something, what you mean is that the individual is very
good at it. It's an expression mostly used in informal contexts. "
"My neighbour is no slouch at painting."
"My tennis partner is a pretty huge guy. But he is no slouch at the net."
"But some of your shots I am sure raise his hackles."
"I don't know about that. But your comments are sure raising mine. Take your slouching figure out of
here before I decide to farm you out to someone."
***** ***** *****
"Love is a perky elf dancing a merry little jig and then suddenly he turns on you with a
miniature machine gun." — Matt Groening
may still continue. You are saying that you have had a bad day "so far" and chances are the rest of the
day will be bad as well. The bad day isn't over as yet! The events that have made it a bad day began in
the past and are continuing up to the present moment and with the kind of luck you have been having,
they may even continue into the future!
Here are a couple of more examples. "I had the car for twenty years" and "I have had the car for
twenty years". The first sentence implies that you had the car with you for twenty years. But now you
no longer own the car, perhaps you have sold it. The second sentence, "I have had the car for twenty
years" suggests that you bought the car twenty years ago and you still have it. You still continue to be
the owner of the car. The "action" (as our grammar books would put it!) of owning the car began
twenty years ago and it still continues.
*Janani had a headache (yesterday/this morning). (She no longer has one now)
*I have had a girlfriend for two years. (I still have a girlfriend)
***** ***** *****
"Memory is what tells a man that his wife's birthday was yesterday." — Mario Rocco
(Lobsang, Bylakuppe)
Someone who is "unemployed" doesn't have a job; he is someone who is in search of one. There are
millions of unemployed people in our country. If an individual is "underemployed" it implies that he
has a job, but he doesn't really have much work to do. The job isn't very demanding, and it doesn't
really make use of the skills or abilities of the individual. *Vignesh prefers to be unemployed rather
than underemployed.
*Anuradha was underemployed and was very unhappy with her job.
How is the word "cavalcade" pronounced?
and the other to size (small). In the second case, the word sounds like "my newt". Both words are
derived from the Latin "minutus". I understand the original "minutes" of a meeting referred to size
rather than time. In the old days, when the minutes were recorded, they were done so in very small
handwriting; later a carefully edited and complete version of the content was written in larger
handwriting - this process was called "engrossing". The term is used to describe the large writing
sometimes used in legal documents.
Is it ok to use "prepone"?
(Ramachandran, Chennai)
Within India there is nothing wrong in using this word; we all understand what it means. The fact that
native speakers don't use it is not our problem. After all, when you have `postpone', then why not
prepone? Dictionaries which contain a section on Indian English always include "prepone". Native
speakers of English, as I have mentioned several times before, use the word "advance" instead of
"prepone".
*I want to prepone/advance my date of journey.
*Ganesh preponed/advanced his trip to Australia.
***
"Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?"
— George W. Bush
(G Shastri, Chennai)
The first syllable is pronounced like the word "con", and the following "i" is like the "i" in "bit", "pit",
and "kit". The "e" sounds like the "e" in "pet", "bet", and "get". The "sc" and the "t" sound like the
"sh" in "should", "sheep" and "shall". The three vowels in the final syllable are pronounced like the
"a" in "china"; the main stress is on the third syllable "en".. A conscientious person is someone who
takes great care to do his work properly. What is interesting is that many of our MPs who took their
oath of office last month mispronounced this word. It's understandable, I guess. "Honesty" and
"conscientiousness" are two qualities that you normally don't associate with politicians. Here are a
few examples.
*The conscientious mother sterilised the bottle before giving it to the baby.
*The young scholar studied conscientiously and enthusiastically.
Which is correct? "I have got a headache" or "I have got headache"?
*Be careful with Ajit. He doesn't think twice about hitting someone below the belt.
The expression comes from the world of boxing. In this sport, it is illegal to hit the opponent below
the belt (waist). If you do throw a punch below his belt, you may either be disqualified or points may
be deducted from you.
Is it OK to say, "When he arrived at home, he looked for the files that he had left behind."?
"He is as good as his word - and his word is no good." — Seumas MacManus
the second syllable "pi". When you refer to an individual or a thing as the "epitome" of something,
what you are implying is that they are the "typical or ideal example" of something. The word can be
used with both good as well as bad things. Here are a few examples.
*I consider him to be the epitome of the crooked politician.
*Rama thinks that travelling by AC two tier is the epitome of extravagance.
*Natraj's new driver is the epitome of laziness.
What is the origin of "Hi"?
(Logesvaren, Rajapalayam)
There are several theories which account for the origin of this word. According to one theory, in the
old days when people bumped into each other, the first question they asked was "How are you?" This
was the standard practice. Since everyone knew what the first question was going to be, they asked it
very quickly.
When "How are you?" is said quickly, it sounds like "hiya". Soon "hiya" began to replace the much
more formal "How are you?" Some people thought that "hiya" was too long and reduced it to "hi".
Therefore when you greet someone, "Hi, how are you?" what you are actually doing is merely
repeating yourself. You are saying, "How are you? How are you?"
***** ***** *****
"Guidelines for bureaucrats: (1) When in charge, ponder; (2) When in trouble, delegate; (3) When in
doubt, mumble." — James H. Boren
"Hey, long time, no see! How are your driving lessons coming along?"
"Not too good, I am afraid. Having all kinds of problems."
"Are you driving the instructor up the wall? Or is he... ."
"...for your kind information I haven't driven into a wall as yet."
"Which probably means you have driven into a tree and a few other things."
"I certainly have not! What do you..."
"... take it easy, will you? When you say that someone is driving you up the wall, what you mean is
that he is driving you crazy. He is irritating or frustrating you."
"Irritating and frustrating people, eh? That's your speciality, isn't it? How about this example? All
those questions you ask me drive me up the wall."
"That's good because they are meant to drive you up the wall. Whenever I play tennis with Ramdas, I
always lob a lot. It drives him up the wall."
"I don't like visiting Kirthi's house. The mess inside drives me up the wall."
"It's also possible to say, the mess inside drives me bonkers."
"I see. Can I say, all that noise is driving me bonkers?"
"You can. All this talk about cricket on TV drives me bonkers."
"My neighbour's new puppy is driving me bonkers."
"How can a little puppy drive you bonkers?"
"The creature keeps howling all night long."
"I guess that's enough to drive you to distraction."
"Drive me to distraction? Does it mean angry?"
"That's right. When something drives you to distraction, it makes you so angry or upset that you are
unable to think clearly."
"How about this example? My neighbour is renovating her apartment. All the noise is driving me to
distraction."
"My cousin talks a lot. Her non stop chatter drives my mother to distraction."
"My cousin is teaching kindergarten. She told me the other day that looking after twenty kids every
day is driving her to distraction."
"Is it Revathi that you are talking about?"
"That's right!"
"How is she doing?"
"Pretty good. Have you two started talking to each other?"
"Not really. Ever since you drove the wedge between the two of us, we haven't spoken to each other."
"Drove a wedge between the two of you. Another expression with `drive'."
(E.Raju, Chennai)
The first syllable rhymes with "fill", "pill", and "bill", the following "o" is like the "oo" in "pool",
"fool", and "cool". The final "ette" is like the "et" in "pet", "bet", and "set". The main stress is on the
final syllable. This is one way of pronouncing the word. When you look at someone who has the sun
behind him, what is it that you normally see? Usually you can't see anything; all you see is a dark
shape. Its very difficult to make out who the person is. This dark outline that you see of an object or
person against a bright background is referred to as a silhouette.
*As the sun began to slowly rise, one could see the dark silhouette of the fort.
*Silhouetted against the bright lights was a figure of an old woman.
Etienne de Silhouette was a French author and politician who lived in the 18th Century. During this
period, in the world of art, the silhouette portrait had become a rage. While the common man fell in
love with the silhouette, art critics took great delight in rubbishing it. When de Silhouette became the
finance minister, he reduced the budget for the nobility, tripled the taxes on bachelors, and did many
other things, which made him very unpopular with the powers that be. In order to ridicule the man, the
aristocrats began to apply his name to what they believed was meaningless art. Also, men's clothing
without pockets began to be called "a la silhouette" — meaning "on the cheap". The man became so
unpopular that he was forced to resign. This is one theory. Some other scholars believe that
Silhouette's hobby was to cut profile portraits of individuals out of black paper — hence the name
silhouette.
What is the origin of the word "villain"?
The important thing to remember is that the word "etc" cannot be preceded by "and" because "et" in
"et cetera" means "and". It is therefore incorrect to say, "Rowdy Raji likes idli, wada, dosa, and etc."
Some people argue that the word should be used with things, and not with people. They maintain that
sentences like the following should be avoided: "Sarita, Ganesh, Sameer, Nisha, etc had dinner with
us." They find such usage offensive.
What is the difference between "center" and "centre"?
What is the difference between "I go to school" and "I go to the school"?
(Eshwar, Nellore)
I saw this sign at one of the airports. When you wish someone "bon voyage", you are wishing the
individual a good journey. There is no need to say, "Happy bon voyage". If you want to use the word
"happy", then simply say, "Happy journey".
What is the meaning of "skulduggery" and how is the word pronounced?
Both words refer to a longing for something. Of the two, "desire" is stronger and more formal. Desire
indicates an individual's strong intention to do something. We usually desire things which are close to
us, or within our view. Wish, on the other hand, is not as strong as desire, and it carries with it the
sense that what we want is unattainable. When you say, "I wish you were here", the chances of it
happening are remote. We usually wish for things that are out of our reach.
Which is correct? "I work for NATO" or "I work for the NATO"?
Icy phrases
"What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to leave for Goa yesterday?"
"That particular plan had to be put on ice."
"How can a plan be put on ice? I mean, how can you do something like... ?"
"... when you put something on ice, you are postponing doing it."
"In other words, you are putting the plan on hold."
"Exactly! Here's an example. I am afraid we'll have to put your project on ice for a while."
By the way, to put something on ice has the same meaning as to put something on the backburner."
"I think we should put cricket on the backburner for some time. I am sick and tired of the game. Tell
me, why did you have to postpone your trip?"
"Well, we had our annual meeting yesterday and things got pretty ugly."
"Why? What happened?"
"Some of the shareholders became angry and shouted. They started throwing the chairs and... ."
"... sounds terrible. What did your boss do?"
"Nothing really. He remained ice cool."
"Ice cool, eh? He must be like my principal. He too remains ice cold no matter what."
"I didn't say my boss was ice cold, I said he was ice cool."
"But they mean the same thing, don't they?"
"No, they don't. When someone remains ice cool in a difficult situation, he remains very calm. You
admire him because he remains unruffled."
"In movies, the hero always remains ice cool."
"Exactly! Here's another example. During the penalty shootout, the goalkeeper remained ice cool and
managed to bring off two brilliant saves."
Now tell me what ice cold means. How is it different from ice cool?"
"When you say that someone is ice cold, what you are implying is that the individual shows no
emotion. He shows no feelings at all. He is not at all friendly." "In other words, there is no warmth in
a person who is ice cold. There is a total lack of feeling."
"Yes, that's right. This expression `ice cold' has a negative meaning. For example, the killer's eyes
were ice cold."
"I asked Jeevan several questions and all I got in response was an ice cold stare."
"That sounds like him all right. A cold and unemotional person can also be called an `iceberg'."
"I have several of those in my family. My cousin Venu is an insensitive iceberg."
"My cousin Hema is an iceberg."
"I know. I met her last year. If you ask me, she is more of an ice queen."
"What's the difference?"
"An ice queen is not only cold, but also haughty. You usually use the term with women."
"My boss' wife is an ice queen."
"Have you ever told your boss that?"
"You must be joking. I'd lose my job. Tell me, have you handed in your assignments?"
"I tried to, but the teacher refused to accept them."
"But why?"
"I was late. The assignments were due last week. I tried telling the teacher how ill I was... ."
"... the excuses you gave cut no ice with the new teacher, eh?"
"Cut no ice with the teacher? Don't know what you are talking about."
"When you tell an individual something and it cuts no ice with him, it means it has no effect on him.
He doesn't change his mind."
"In other words, the excuses that I offered didn't influence my new teacher."
"That's right! The teacher was not influenced or impressed by what she heard."
"How about this example? The romantic sob story cut no ice with the audience."
"Good example. Do me a favour. From now on, don't put your assignments on the back burner."
"Aye, aye, captain!"
***** ***** *****
"What do you call people who are afraid of Santa Claus? Claustrophobic." — Unknown
Well, the word is included in many dictionaries. Most of them state that it is a word of Anglo Indian
origin. Native speakers of English, however do not use this word to refer to a light meal. They prefer
to use the word "snack" instead of "tiffin". According to some scholars, "tiffin" comes from "tiff".
One of the meanings of "tiff" in British English is "to sip or drink". Did you know that Tiffin is also
the name of a place?
How should you greet a couple after they have been married for a month?
(Bhanumathy, Guntur)
As far as the pronunciation is concerned there is no difference. Both words are pronounced like the
word "not". Careful users of the language use "nought" to refer to the number "zero". The word is
used mostly in British English; Americans do not employ it at all.
*Our star batsman scored a nought in the first innings.
*How many noughts are there in one million?
Both "naught" and "nought" can be used to mean "nothing". One way to remember the difference
between the two words is that the word meaning zero is spelt with an "o" — which looks like zero!
When you make an effort to do something and it doesn't succeed, you can say that your efforts have
come to naught/nought.
*His attempts to overthrow the President came to naught.
*All her efforts came to naught.
Some people think that "naught" and "nought" are old fashioned. Did you know that "naughty" and
"naught" are related? The original meaning of a "naughty child" was a "good for nothing child".
How is the word "rendezvous" pronounced?
*The argument got pretty serious. I could hear the Manager shouting.
A dispute, unlike an argument, is something which can last for a very long time and is frequently
marked by heated exchanges. It is something serious, and takes place between two parties — they can
be two organisations, countries and individuals. The word can be used as a noun and a verb.
*The dispute between the two countries has been going on for several decades.
When you dispute something, you are raising serious objections. You are stating very strongly that
you are objecting to it.
*I dispute the claim that we have the best cricket team in the world.
***** ***** *****
"She has as much originality as a Xerox machine."
— Laurence J. Peter
someone as being a political or religious fanatic you are showing your disapproval of him; you think
his opinions and behaviour are rather extreme.
*Some of his closest friends include some well-known religious fanatics.
Unlike the word "bigot" which is limited in its use, the word fanatic can be used with other activities
as well. If you say that someone is a fanatic about jogging, what you are implying is that in your
opinion, the individual is obsessively enthusiastic about jogging. When used in this manner, the word
carries with it a hint of irrationality or madness. It is from the word "fanatic" that we get the word
"fan" — meaning enthusiast.
***** ***** *****
"Smoking kills. If you are killed, you've lost a very important part of your life." — Brooke Shields
someone who stares at someone or something. A tourist, since he is always staring at something, is
often called a "rubberneck". The word is mostly used in American English and is considered slang.
*The rubberneck in front of me moved at a very slow pace.
The word can also be used as a verb. When you "rubberneck" at something, you are staring at it.
*Stop rubbernecking at the screen. Switch off the TV and finish your homework.
What is the meaning of "day scholar"?
If someone wishes to join your club and you blackball him, what you are doing is voting against him.
You are informing the members of your club that you do not wish this particular individual to become
a member of your club. The expression goes back to a practice that was followed in ancient Greece.
Admission to a club/society was determined by all members of the club/society. All members had to
vote; they had to indicate whether the new individual should be let in or not. The voting was done in
secret. Each member had to drop a pebble in the shape of a ball into a box. The pebbles were usually
of three colours — red, white and black. If all the pebbles that were put in the box were either white
or red, then the candidate was admitted. But if there was even one black pebble, then the candidate
was not let in.
***** ***** *****
"There are only two things a child will share willingly — communicable diseases and his mother's
age." — Benjamin Spock
(Sainath, Bangalore)
When you get cake to eat, it is a pretty good deal. If the cake has frosting or icing on it, then the deal
is that much sweeter. When you say that something is icing or frosting on the cake, what you are
implying is that the addition or inclusion of something makes a really good situation even better. A
great deal, becomes a wonderful deal. When used approvingly, "icing on the cake" is used to refer to
an unexpected extra good thing to have happened when you have already had some luck.
I was thrilled to get a big bonus. When my boss told me that I had also been promoted, it was really
icing on the cake.
*Geetha was pretty excited when her book was published — winning the Pulitzer prize was icing on
the cake.
The expression can also be used to show disapproval. There is no point in adding anything to
something that is already good. The thing that you have added is unnecessary — icing on the cake.
*Having a glossy cover for our new magazine is both unnecessary and expensive — icing on the cake.
How is the word "bonhomie” pronounced? What does it mean?
"Let me tell you something that we Israelis have against Moses. He took us 40 years through the
desert in order to bring us to the one spot in the Middle East that has no oil!" — Golda Meir
What is the meaning and origin of the expression "running from pillar to post"?
The word is considered to be literary and is mostly used in formal contexts. "Imbroglio" means a very
confusing, embarrassing or complicated situation.
*The imbroglio was the result of the new tax laws.
What do you call a person who remembers everything after looking at it just once?
Ananya, Secunderabad
It is something that some of our expert commentators had to do on the fourth day of the second test
match between India and Australia. Remember what one of them said at the end of the third day when
Australia had lost four wickets for 140 odd runs?
He predicted that the match would be over by lunchtime the following day! As luck would have it, not
one wicket fell during the morning session. The poor man was humiliated; he had to eat humble pie.
That's what "to eat crow" means; to be humiliated. You are forced to admit that you are in the wrong
and are compelled to withdraw whatever it is that you said.
*After my team lost the game, I was made to eat crow.
*If your plan does not click, you will be made to eat crow.
The expression is considered slang and is mostly used in American English. Not many people eat
crows; they are not considered suitable for eating. The joke among hunters is that if you get lost in the
jungle and the only food that you find is a crow, then you should put the bird in a pot along with one
of your boots. After boiling these for a week, you should then eat the boot, not the crow! Most
scholars believe that the expression "to eat crow" is based on a true incident which occurred in 1812.
According to the story a British officer captured an American hunter who had just shot a crow. In
order to humiliate him, the officer made the poor man eat a small portion of the bird. The officer then
returned the hunter's gun and asked him to be on his way. The hunter turned the gun on the
Englishman, and then made him eat what was left of the crow!
What is the difference between "similar" and "identical"?
T. Narender, Secunderabad
Grammarians would frown at such a sentence. When somebody says, "I don't want to get married"
and you agree with him/her, you are expected to reply, "Neither do I." It is also possible for you to
say, "I don't either." "Me neither" would be considered ungrammatical. Native speakers of English,
however, do use "Me neither" in informal contexts. You can probably get away with it in speech, but
not in writing.
How is the word "minutiae" pronounced
S. Rajan, Saligramam
The first syllable is pronounced like the word "my", the following "nu" is like the word "new". The "t"
sounds like the "sh" in "ship", "she", and "shape". The second "i" is pronounced like the "i" in "bit",
"pit", and "sit", and the "ae" in the final syllable sounds like the "ee" in "bee", "see", and "knee". The
main stress is on the second syllable. This is how the British pronounce the word; the Americans, on
the other hand, pronounce the first "i" like the "i" in "pit", "bit", and "sit". "Minutiae" is a word that is
mostly used in formal contexts.
When you talk about the minutiae of someone's daily life, you are talking about the minute details; the
very small and unimportant details of the individual's daily life. The singular of "minutiae" is
"minutia".
*Rangan's latest novel focusses on the minutiae of village life in India.
***** ***** *****
Coolidge's Law, "Anytime you don't want anything, you get it." — Calvin Coolidge
(Anuradha, Mysore)
The first syllable is pronounced like the word "light". "Mot" rhymes with "boat", "note", and "coat";
the final "i" is like the "ee" in "feet", "beet", and "meet". The main stress is on the first syllable. The
word was originally used in music. A "leitmotif" is a short tune which is often repeated and is
connected with a particular person or idea. In some Indian films, for example, whenever the villain
appears on the screen, the same piece of music is played. When you talk about a leitmotif in a work of
fiction, you are talking about the dominant or recurring theme in the novel.
*Violence is the leitmotif running through the novel.
How is the word "finance" pronounced?
You cannot say "I am living in this city for 20 years." "I am living," implies that you are talking only
about the present, but the fact is you started living in the city 20 years ago and you still continue to
live there. For actions that started in the past and continue up to the present, you have to say, "have
been living." "I am working," tells someone what you are doing now — it has no connection with the
past. Similarly, "I am eating," and "I am reading," tell someone what you are doing at the moment. If
you want to tell them that this is something that you have been doing for some time, then you say,
"have been doing." "I have been reading," suggests that you started reading some time ago and are
still reading.
*I have been playing football for two hours. (I started playing two hours ago and am still playing.)
*I am playing football. (I am playing now.)
***** ***** *****
"Saddam Hussein also challenged President Bush to a debate. The Butcher of Baghdad vs. the
Butcher of the English language." — Jay Leno
"The man who says his wife can't take a joke forgets that she took him." — Unknown
It rhymes with the words "beard", "feared", and "neared". This is an informal word which means,
"strange", "unusual", or "bizarre".
*Velu is the tall, skinny guy sporting a weird hairdo.
Is the following sentence correct? "They spent 45 minutes with Chief Minister."
(Francis, Madurai)
No, it is not. You need to say, "They spent 45 minutes with the Chief Minister." When there are no
names following titles like "President", "Chief Minister" and "Pope", the definite article "the" is used.
For example, we say, "The Chief Minister was in hospital," and "The President was late for the
meeting." If the name of the individual is included after the title, then the article is dropped. "The
delegation met Chief Minister Jayalalithaa," and "President Bush was proud of his victory."
***** ****** *****
"He's an old bore; even the grave yawns for him." — Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree
What is the difference between "hoodwink into" and "hoodwink out of"?
The two words have totally different meanings. We all know what "opposite" means. When you say
that your brother is the opposite of you, what you mean is that he is very different from you.
"Apposite", on the other hand, means "appropriate" or "relevant". When you say that something is
apposite, what you are implying is that it is suitable to what is happening or being discussed. The "a"
in the first syllable is like the "a" in "apple". The word is considered to be formal. Both "opposite" and
"apposite" have the stress on the first syllable.
*The argument that the student came up with was apposite to the case.
*It was Amrit who came up with an apposite title for the book.
***** ***** *****
"There are two things in life for which we are never truly prepared - twins!" — J. L. Billings
sister/brother/grandson", etc, but you cannot say that someone is your "elder colleague" or "elder
neighbour".
The word, "older", on the other hand, can be used with objects as well. You can talk about an "older
car" or an "older racquet"; you cannot use "elder" with objects like "car", "racquet", and "chair". With
people who are not related to you, you have to use "older" and not "elder". You can talk about an
"older colleague" or an "older neighbour".
In both these cases, the word "elder" cannot be used. "Older" can also be used in ways that "elder"
cannot be. For example, you can say, "You can get married when you are a little older". It is not
possible to use "elder" in such contexts.
***** ***** *****
"My mother's menu consisted of two choices: Take it or leave it." — Buddy Hackett
Needless to say, justice wasn't always served. The expression "kangaroo court" tells you what the
Americans thought of the justice system in Australia. Remember, the first people to be sent to the land
of the kangaroo were mostly prisoners from England.
*Some of our news channels have become kangaroo courts.
***** ***** *****
"Government is like a baby - an alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of
responsibility at the other." — Ronald Reagan
No one is really sure about the origin of this expression. According to some people, the numbers refer
to the words spoken. Before you manage to open your mouth, the person talking to you gets in 19
words.
***** ***** *****
"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." — Clarence Darrow
"Thanks for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it." — Moses Hadas
"If you are coming to the party on Friday, you had better wear something nice. I don't want you
walking in wearing an old pair of jeans and a torn T-shirt. Another thing, be on time."
"Love me, love my dog."
"What are you talking about? You don't have a dog!"
"True, but I may get one. But that's not the point here. When you say, "Love me, love my dog" what
you mean is that you want the person to accept you the way you are."
"In other words, you are telling him to like you for what you are! Though he knows your faults."
"That's right. You want the person to like you despite your faults."
"So if my aunt cribs about how lazy I am, can I say, `Love me, love my dog'?"
"You certainly can. But do you think that your aunt really likes you?"
"Of course, she does! Why just the other day she was telling my mother what a great guy...."
"....that could have been just window dressing, you know."
"Window dressing? Does it mean insincere talk?"
"Not exactly! When you refer to someone's talk as being `window dressing', what you mean is that the
individual is trying to create a good impression in order to cover up the unpleasant things that have
happened."
"In other words, you present the facts in such a way that you highlight only the good."
"Exactly! You cover up the bad. You don't actually present a true picture of what is happening.
"The Finance Minister's article on the state of the economy is little more than window dressing."
"Good example. Are you inviting that chinless wonder Vivek to the party?"
"Chinless wonder? Don't think I have heard that expression before. What does it mean?"
"It's an expression mostly used in British English. It is used to refer to someone who is weak."
"Someone who can be easily pushed around by others. Is that what you are saying?"
"Right! Many people think that Vasu is a chinless wonder. What do you think?"
"Haven't met him. But if he is anything like Vivek, then I would say that he is a chinless wonder. But
tell me, are you coming to the party or not?"
"You know me, I am strictly a day person."
"A day person? In other words, you are saying that you remain active during the day and not...."
"....in the evening. I am not a night person. My friend Sunil, on the other hand, is strictly a night
person. He parties till the wee hours of the morning. And like your friend Vivek, he has deep
pockets."
"Deep pockets? I have heard that expression before. Doesn't it refer to a rich person?"
"Exactly! Some of our MPs have very deep pockets I am told."
"They become politicians to make the pockets deeper! Anyway, how about this example? I want to
meet the deep pockets who sponsored last night's programme."
"Good example. If the school is keen on improving its facilities, then the management must find some
deep pockets to finance the project.
***** ***** *****
"Intellectuals are people who believe that ideas are of more importance than values. That is to say,
their own ideas and other people's values."
— Gerald Brenan
Some people when they walk, shake their hips and shoulders side to side. This is what we mean by
"shimmy"; it is a word that is normally associated with dancing.
*As the singer shimmied across the stage, the audience went wild. In American English, the word is
also used in informal contexts to mean, "vibrate or shake".
*The front wheel of Velu's scooter shimmied.
*****
"Law of Telephone: When you dial a wrong number, you will never get an engaged tone." —
Unknown
gambling". In this context, it is incorrect to use "quitted". The word "quitted" is going out of fashion;
it is mostly used in formal contexts.
***** ***** *****
"I grew up with six brothers. That's how I learned to dance — waiting for the bathroom." — Bob Hope
(Anne, Vishakapatnam)
If someone were to shine a bright light on your face, you would automatically close or shield your
eyes. You would do these things without even thinking. They are responses you are born with; they
are "innate". This is what we mean by "instinctively". We respond to things without really
understanding why we react that way. Our responses are automatic; whatever happens, happens
unconsciously. Both animals and human beings are born with instincts.
*When Raju heard gunfire, he instinctively dived/dove for cover.
When you do something intuitively, you do react automatically, but in this case there is a suggestion
that you understand what it is you are doing. You are able to figure out a solution to your problem in a
fraction of a second without really thinking about it. The story goes that the structure of Benzene
came to the chemist Kekule in a sudden moment of insight. This is a case of intuition, not instinct.
The word "intuition" is mostly used with human beings, and not with animals.
*Hari intuitively began to attack his opponent's backhand.
What is the meaning of "modus vivendi"?
(Padmavathi, Nellore)
A "blue collar worker" works in an industry and is always involved in manual labour. You will find
this individual in factories sweating it out on the shop floor. You won't find him sitting behind a huge
desk in an office. Nowadays, the term can be applied to both men and women. "Pink collar workers",
on the other hand, are always women. Low paid jobs available in offices and restaurants are usually
referred to "pink collar jobs".
***** ***** *****
"I wasn't kissing her, I was whispering in her mouth." — Chico Marx
"Did you read the review of your favourite author's latest book in today's paper?"
"Not yet. But I heard that whoever wrote it did a hatchet job on the... ."
"... a hatchet job? Don't think I have heard that expression before."
"Americans usually refer to an axe as a hatchet. When you say that some reporter did a hatchet job on
you, what you mean is that he criticisd you severely in the media."
"Is it fair or unfair criticism?"
"Usually, unfair. It's criticism that ruins your reputation. For example, the reporter did a hatchet job on
the new school. The editor called it investigative journalism."
"How about this example? The news channels did a hatchet job on the Chief Minister's visit to the
drought hit areas."
"Sounds good."
"How would you react if someone were to do a hatchet job on something you had written?"
"I would be surprised if they didn't! Any news about your father's transfer?"
"Nothing so far. By the way, did Sujatha ask your boss for a transfer?"
"Yes, she did. Believe it or not, he sailed into her for making such a request."
"How did he manage to do that sitting in his office? Don't tell me his office is on a boat!"
"Don't be silly. One of the meanings of `sail into someone' is to attack or scold someone. It's an
expression usually used in informal contexts."
"I see. So can I say, when the team failed to enter the final, the coach sailed into the players?"
"You certainly can. Here's another example. The young bride sailed into her husband for bringing
guests unannounced." "Over the years, a lot of teachers have sailed into me for not doing my
homework. Anyway, does this mean that you are not going to ask your boss for a raise?"
"In the mood that he is in right now, most definitely not. I suspect that he would think twice about
giving a raise. If he does, he will be opening a new can of worms."
"Your boss sounds pretty strange. He `sails into' people and he keeps opening cans of worms. Tell me,
does he sail into people with his can of worms?"
"Very funny. When someone says that he is going to do something, and you tell him not to open a can
of worms, you are warning him not to do anything. You are suggesting that the situation is so
complicated that if he starts dealing with the problem, he will only succeed in creating more problems
for himself."
"In other words, by trying to solve the problem he will be creating more problems?"
"Exactly! Here's an example. Introducing my best friend's sister to my parents has opened up one big
can of worms."
"I bet it did. By appointing someone who doesn't have the basic qualifications for the job, the Minister
has opened a new can of worms for himself and the ruling party. Does that sound OK?"
"Sounds fine. I don't think you should write about corruption in the police force. You will be opening
a can of worms."
"Don't worry about me, I am a vegetarian. I won't go anywhere near the worms."
"Aren't worms vegetarian?"
***** ***** *****
"Middle age: when a man is warned to slow down by a doctor instead of a policeman." — Sidney
Brody
(Vijaya, Chennai)
In North America, people born between the mid-1940s and the mid-1960s are referred to as being part
of the "Baby Boomer" generation. Their children belong to "Generation X". The term is normally
used to refer to people born between the mid-1960s and the early 1980s. There is no agreement
among scholars about the exact years. Generation X has certain negative connotations associated with
it. The people belonging to this generation are supposed to be "materialistic", "apathetic", and
"irresponsible". They lack a sense of direction. All this is reflected in the other terms used to refer to
this generation, "Baby Busters", "Slackers", and "Grunge Kids." The term, "Generation X" was first
used by Paul Fussel in one of his articles. But it wasn't until 1991 when Douglas Coupland used
"Generation X" as the title of his novel that the term caught on. It became a household word thanks to
advertisers. By the way, any idea what the generation following X is called? Generation Y! Pretty
logical, wouldn't you say?
How is the word "leisure" pronounced?
When you say that you are "in someone's good books" what you mean is that the person likes you; he
approves of you. Here are a few examples.
*I have been in Ashwin's good books ever since I helped him change his flat tyre.
***** ***** *****
"Most of the time he sounds like he has a mouth full of toilet paper." — Rex Reed on Marlon Brando
"Other", on the other hand, suggests that you have only two choices available. For example, if you
were to say, "I am not interested in this car, but am interested in the other", what you mean is that you
like the second car. A car that you have already seen. The choice here is between two cars.
***** ***** *****
"Before a man speaks, it is always safe to assume that he is a fool. After he speaks, it is seldom
necessary to assume." — H. L. Mencken
(Ananya, Secunderabad)
If you say that you are writing an entrance exam "on a wing and a prayer", what you mean is that you
are not confident that you will pass. You are hopeful, but chances are you are unlikely to succeed.
You are relying more on luck, rather than your ability.
*Anju was playing the game on a wing and a prayer. She had no idea what she should do to win.
*Raju is taking the interview on a wing and a prayer.
The expression became popular during World War I. The story goes that a pilot managed to land his
plane successfully even though one of his wings had been badly damaged. When his friends asked
him how he had managed to land his crippled plane, the pilot replied that it was his prayers that kept
the aircraft aloft. To which one of his fellow pilots quipped, "A wing and a prayer brought you back!"
What does "Rx" stand for in a doctor's prescription?
then everyone is exonerated. The official report that the person in authority writes exonerates
everyone.
*The long awaited report exonerated the teachers.
***** ***** *****
"Common sense is in spite of, not the result of, education." — Victor Hugo
"Looks like our team snatched another draw from the jaws of victory."
"Yes, Ganguly and his men seem to specialise in that. I am sure your cousin, Prasad, the dyed-in-
the-wool cricket fan had a lot to say about the first test."
"My cousin is very much alive. He did not die in any wool. What are... ."
"I did not mean d..i..e..d, but d..y..e..d. When you refer to someone as being "dyed-in-the-wool" what
you mean is that he or she has very strong opinions about something. Opinions that are not easily
changed."
"In other words, the person is very stubborn. His beliefs cannot be changed."
"My cousin Vindya is a dyed-in-the-wool traditionalist. She believes that a woman's place is in the
kitchen."
"Good grief! Where did she get such an old fashioned idea? I understand that my grandfather was a
dyed-in-the-wool conservative."
"My neighbour claims to be a dyed-in-the-wool communist. But he lives in a huge house and drives a
Benz."
"Some communists in our country do that! Tell me, what is the origin of `dyed-in-the-wool'?"
"I understand that wool that is dyed before it is spun into yarn retains its colour. The colour becomes
permanently fixed. Anyway, tell me what did Prasad have to say about the match?"
"He said that someone should have told Tendulkar to score quickly."
"No one could get in touch with Sachin. Since he was performing at the crease, he had his cell
switched off!"
"Well, after the first drinks interval, I kind of sensed that our overpaid underachievers weren't going to
win. So I started channel hopping."
"Yes, that's right! When you channel surf or hop, you keep switching from one channel to another
using the remote control."
"Mohan constantly channel surfs. You can't watch any programme with him."
"I can imagine. Your mother wants everything just right. She... ."
"You are calling your mother a freak? How can you do that?"
"All I am saying is that she is a control freak. In other words, she likes to be in total command of a
situation. She feels this... .."
"... she has an obsessive need to have control over herself and others around her?"
"Exactly! Control freaks need to feel they have control over everything around them. Including the
people. They must be in total command of the situation. I am told that Anand's wife Sonia is a control
freak."
"Oh that she is. How about this example? My father's new boss is a control freak and he has made life
miserable for everyone."
"Sounds good. I don't think I would like to work for a control freak."
"I don't think I would either. To tell you the truth, I just don't want to work!"
"I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of
your life." — Rita Rudner
"There are three kinds of men who don't understand women — young, old and middle aged." —
Unknown
"Everyone was shocked when Saurabh went ballistic during the meeting."
"Saurabh went ballistic! That must have been a sight to behold. But tell me, why would your uncle go
ballistic if I said that we must replace the dead wood with go-getters?"
"It's simple. According to him, it was the go-getters who ran the company to seed."
"I see. So, are you going to give your uncle seed money?"
"I don't think so. If I did, my parents would go ballistic!"
***** ***** *****
"She tells enough white lies to ice a wedding cake." — Margot Asquith
"As soon as I return home from school, I hit the books. How does it sound?"
"You hitting the books soon after your return home! Please stop, it's cracking me up."
"Cracking you up? What does it mean? Are you going mad?"
"When something cracks you up, it makes you laugh. When I saw the kitten slip on a banana peel, it
just cracked me up."
"The principal's new wig cracked me up."
"Did you tell him he looked ridiculous?"
"No, we told him he looked great in it. We really laid it on thick."
"Americans always do the right thing — after they have tried everything else." —
Winston Churchill
When the word "telephone" is used as a verb, it is not followed by "to". You telephone someone and
not "telephone to" someone. It is like the word "call". Remember, when you ring someone up, you
"call him", you do not "call to him". Here are a few examples.
*Ananya telephoned her friend and told her she wouldn't be coming.
"The main problem with the French is that they have no word for `entrepreneur'."
— George. W. Bush
for India. When you say that the handwriting or writing is on the wall, what you mean is that
something disastrous or bad is going to happen.
* When the team lost in the first round of the playoffs, the writing was on the wall for the coach.
* Prabhakar saw the handwriting on the wall when the company fired two more people.
The expression "handwriting on the wall" comes from the Bible. The King of Babylon, Belshazzar,
sees a hand mysteriously appear and write a message on a wall. Being unable to decipher the message,
he summons Daniel. The wise man tells Belshazzar that the message is a warning from God that he
will soon be overthrown and his kingdom destroyed.
"A diplomat is a man who remembers a woman's birthday, but never remembers her age."
The next time you look at yourself in the mirror, take a good look at the eyebrows. If the two join just
above your nose, then you can say that you have a "monobrow". The word is mostly used in informal
contexts, and is not found in many dictionaries.
"Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."
— Satchel Paige
"Nice to see someone smiling in this weather. What are you so happy about?"
"Oh, I'm just returning from Madhavan's factory. He was telling me that if we were to invest in his
company, we'd become millionaires real soon. Apparently, he has a new product which ..."
"... .yes, he told me about the product too. He's very gung-ho about it."
"Gung-ho! I have come across that word before. It means enthusiastic, doesn't it?"
"That's right, it's an expression mostly used in informal contexts. Some of the people I know are gung-
ho about everything."
"I find such people very irritating. Indians are gung-ho about cricket."
"That's the only thing we are gung-ho about, unfortunately."
"Hey, I almost forgot. Your first play was staged yesterday, wasn't it? How did the audience react?
Were they gung-ho about it?"
"The response was underwhelming."
"Underwhelming? I don't think there is such a word."
"Yes, there is. When you say that the response to something was underwhelming, what you mean is
that the people were not impressed by it."
"In other words, `underwhelming' is the opposite of `overwhelming'."
"I wouldn't really... ."
"... how about this example? The actor's new movie met with an underwhelming response."
"Sounds good. The response to the minister's speech was distinctly underwhelming."
"It usually is. Anyway, what did the press have to say about your play?"
"That my talent as a writer simply underwhelmed them."
"I am sorry to hear that. Why do you think the people didn't appreciate the play?"
"That's simple. Those who came were mostly fuddy-duddies. You see, ... ."
"... .they were what?"
"F... u... d... d... y and d... u... d... d... y. The `u' in both syllables is like the `u' in `hut', `but', and `cut'.
When you call someone a "fuddy-duddy", what you mean is that he is old fashioned — not only in his
attitude, but also in his appearance."
"I've stopped going to my father's office parties because I don't like being surrounded by fuddy-
duddies."
"That's a good example. My next door neighbour is a fuddy-duddy."
"Tell me, what was your hero's reaction to the underwhelming response of the press? Did ... ."
"... .the hero had a conniption fit. He almost... ."
"... .a conniption? Does it mean... ."
"... .conniption is a word that is mostly used in informal contexts. It means... ."
"... .I can guess what it means. When you have a conniption, you probably throw a fit. In other words,
you burst into anger."
"Very good. That's exactly what it means. The word is sometimes followed by `fit'. Here is an
example. When Shalini told her father that she was marrying Teja, he had a conniption fit."
"So the next time someone gets angry about something, can I say, `Take it easy. Don't have a
conniption?"
"I guess you could say that. Every time I try to sport a beard my mother has conniptions... ."
"... most mothers aren't very gung-ho about their son growing a beard. I wonder why."
"Haven't a clue myself. Do you think I am a gung-ho sort of guy?"
"Only your mother would think so!"
"My play was a complete success. The audience was a failure." — Ashleigh Brilliant
When you say that the meeting took place "as scheduled", what you mean is that the meeting took
place as planned. Arrangements had been made, in advance, for the meeting to be held and things
went according to plan.
*The Opposition called for a bandh, but we managed to meet the minister as scheduled.
The expression "on schedule" is normally used to refer to time. When a project is completed on
schedule, it is completed on time.
*For a change all flights left on schedule.
"One man in a thousand is a leader of men - the other 999 follow women." —
Groucho Marx
"Hi, come on in. Would you like something to drink? You look bushed."
"What are you talking about? I don't look anything like Bush."
"That's funny. I didn't say you looked like Bush. I said that you are looking bushed. In other words,
you are looking exhausted."
"Exhausted! Is that what 'bushed' means? I thought you were making fun of my looks."
"Why would I do that? I've got better things to do. Sujatha was bushed after jogging a mile."
"That's understandable. Sujatha is out of shape. After playing two sets of tennis, I felt bushed."
"Good example. Is that the reason you look so tired now?"
"The reason I feel bushed right now is because thanks to the bus strike, I had to walk back from
school."
"In this terrible weather! Have a glass of cold water, then. By the way, I understand congratulations
are in order."
"Thank you. I didn't expect to do so well in the exam."
"My next door neighbour was crowing over how well his daughter had done, but...."
"....crowing over? What does it mean?"
"....when someone 'crows over' his achievements, he brags about them. Here's an example. I hate
talking to Jai. The only thing he does is crow over his achievements."
"The members of the opposition were crowing over their victory."
"That's a good example. It is also possible to say, `crow about'. It means the same thing as `crow over'.
The producer was crowing about the success of his new film."
"Sheetal was crowing about how well her daughter had performed in the interview."
"In India a lot of people crow about Sachin's achievements."
"I can tell you that I haven't been bragging about my marks. In fact, I haven't told anyone."
"It's good to know that you are grounded."
"Grounded? What are you talking about?"
"Well, when you say that someone is 'grounded' what you mean is that he is very sensible. Though the
individual has everything, and has achieved many things, he behaves in a sensible fashion. This is one
of the meanings of the word."
"In other words, you are saying that the individual has his feet on the ground."
"I guess you could say that. The kid's father is a business tycoon and his mother is a famous actress.
You certainly can't expect him to be grounded."
"Suresh has everything that one can ask for, but he seems fairly grounded."
"The billionaire's wife makes sure that her children stay grounded. But tell me, if Suresh is grounded,
then why do the others hate him so much?"
"I guess it's because they are jealous about his achievements"
"You are not 'jealous about' something, you are usually 'jealous of' something. For example, everyone
is jealous of Hema's achievements."
"There are many people who are jealous of Dravid's wealth."
"That's understandable, I guess. Some of our players are..."
".... similarly, you are 'jealous of' someone and not 'jealous about' someone, I suppose?"
"Exactly! The two year old boy is jealous of his baby brother."
"Many of the tenants are jealous of the landlord."
"I believe he has written a book which is selling really well. Have you read it?"
"Just the first couple of pages. It was full of jargons, so I ...."
"....jargons! How many times have I told you...."
"....sorry, sorry. The word 'jargons' doesn't exist. The plural of jargon is jargon. See, I remember."
"You don't need to crow over something like that. Go home. You look bushed."
"Older people shouldn't eat health food; they need all the preservatives they can get." —
Robert Orben
You have many friends, but right now you are talking about only one of them. If you had only one
friend, then you would have said, "My friend is going to America." Similarly, the second example
suggests that you are planning to read many books and one of them happens to be "Very Good
Jeeves". It is important to remember that the noun cannot immediately follow "one of".
"Death and taxes are both certain. But death isn't annual." — Anonymous
(Priyatharsini, Kallakurichi)
Many people when they go shopping for a computer look for a model that contains the essential
features. There are others, however, who are interested in the little extras. They want to have a model
which contains many fancy features; add-ons which are good to look at, but which serve very little
purpose. These rather attractive but inessential features that you buy along with a gadget are called
"bells and whistles".
*You don't need the bells and whistles. They will double the cost.
*Ramesh likes to buy gadgets with all the bells and whistles.
How is the word "idyll" pronounced?
The word can be pronounced in two different ways. The British tend to pronounce the "i" and the "y"
like the "i" in "sit", "chit", and "hit". The Americans, on the other hand, tend to pronounce the "i" like
the "y" in "by" and "my". In both cases, the main stress is on the first syllable. A short piece of prose
which describes a happy scene in the countryside is usually referred to as an idyll. Nowadays the
word is being used to refer to any pleasant scene or event. When you say that something is "idyllic"
what you mean is that it is like an "idyll". In other words, it is very pleasant and peaceful.
*This would be an idyllic setting for our school.
*He was hoping that he would have an idyllic marriage.
What is the meaning of "keypal"?
(Ashwin, Vizag)
This is a slang expression meaning "nothing". When you say that someone knows diddly-squat about
chemistry, what you mean is that the individual doesn't know anything about the subject.
*After all the work I did, I got paid diddly-squat.
*The property that we bought ten years ago is now worth diddly-squat.
Why are people who are left-handed called "southpaws"?
(Purushotham, Bangalore)
Yes, it does. When you get married you usually get a lot of gifts. Sometimes two or three people end
up giving you the same thing. For example, you may end up getting three or four clocks. What are
you going to do with so many clocks? If you are sensible, then what you would do is to wait for one
of your friends to get married. When he/she does, you give one of the extra clocks as a gift. This is
what we mean by "regifting".
*Geetha is planning to regift the ugly vase that she got from Bala.
How is the word "ensemble" pronounced?
There are plenty of people in our country who have never played cricket in their life, but who are
capable of giving a lengthy lecture on the subject. They can tell you why Sachin should start using a
lighter bat, and what was wrong with Ganguly's field placement during a particular match. They seem
to be very knowledgeable about the subject of cricket; but what they know is based on one of two
things — they have either gathered the information from books or by listening to people who know
about the subject. In other words, armchair critics are people who have little or no practical
experience. They have become knowledgeable by sitting in their favourite armchair and reading.
*If you want words of wisdom from an armchair critic, you can go to Laxman.
*I want someone who has dealt with this problem, not some armchair critic.
People who learn a lot about places by reading about them are called "armchair travellers".
"A fine is a tax for doing something wrong. A tax is a fine for doing something right." — Unknown
tells you who is going out with whom and who is throwing the next big party. It provides the local
gossip.
Which is correct? "Grandson of the late" or "grandson of late"?
*Ayesha wanted to know whether she had been admitted to the programme.
What is the meaning of "blogging"?
"I keep telling Anand that he shouldn't be doing those things, but he just won't listen... ."
"Given his circumstances, it's understandable. Ever since he lost his job, the poor guy hasn't been
playing with a full deck."
"Playing with a full deck? I don't believe this. Here I am trying to tell you that Anand is going slightly
crazy, and you are talking about playing cards!"
"Relax, we are talking about the same thing! When you say that someone is not playing with a full
deck, what you mean is that he is not mentally sound."
"Really? I haven't come across the expression before."
"It's considered slang, and is mostly used in informal contexts. Here's an example. After talking to
Kunthala, I was fairly convinced that she wasn't playing with a full deck."
"Are you playing with a full deck? Sometimes, I wonder."
"I do too! Anyway, what makes you think Anand is going crazy?"
"He is constantly creating problems wherever he goes. He gets people fighting. He tells one person
one thing and the exact opposite to someone else."
"He is playing both ends against the middle, is he?"
"What are you talking about?"
"When you play both ends against the middle, you do or say something which causes two individuals
or parties to quarrel. In other words, you are doing the same thing that Anand is. Atul is the
consummate politician. He will tell you one thing and the exact opposite to someone else. He plays
both ends against the middle."
"If Anand continues to play both ends against the middle the way he has, he is not going to have any
friends left."
"He doesn't have too many friends, does he?"
"No, he doesn't. I think people feel sorry for him and... ."
"That's the problem. People feel sorry for him. Instead of playing hardball with him, we... ."
"Play hardball? I have come across that expression before, but I don't know what it means."
"When you play hardball with an individual, you get tough with him. You become aggressive and no
longer handle him with kid gloves."
"I see. How about this example? When things became a little tough, the Prime Minister decided to
play hardball with the Opposition."
"That's a wonderful example. Bush tried to play hardball with Sadaam and got himself into a terrible
mess in Iraq. You have to remember though that this expression is mostly used in informal contexts."
"I think you should think twice before playing hardball with Anand. He might decide to play hardball
himself."
"Then he will be playing right into my hands, won't he?"
"Oh, I know what that means. When you `play into someone's hands' you do what the person has
planned for you to do. In other words, you react the way he expects you to. By sneaking the
information to her colleagues, Maya played right into the principal's hands."
"Excellent example! By playing defensive on the last day of the test match, India played into the
opposition's hands."
"That's what happened in the test against Pakistan, didn't it? Tell me, what is the difference between
`play hardball' and `play ball'?"
"When you play ball with someone you are cooperating with the individual. The members of the
Opposition decided to play ball with the Prime Minister on the issue."
"The students decided not to play ball with the Principal."
"If you want to get your promotion, you'd better play ball with me."
"Why would I play ball with someone who doesn't play with a full deck!"
"Don't steal! The government hates competition." — Bumper sticker
"That's a good example. Why are you in a blue funk now? Is it because the Sri Lankans tanked us
again? Or is it... ."
"Tanked us again? Does `tanked' mean `defeated'?"
"Yes, that's right. In informal contexts `tanked' is used to mean `defeated'. It's one of the meanings of
the word. When a team tanks you, they score more than you. For example, the moment I walked onto
the field, I knew that our team would get tanked today."
"Did you think that Sri Lanka would tank India in the final?"
"Listen, the West Indies, without their star players, almost tanked us. So, it didn't really surprise me
that ... ."
"That we lost to Sri Lanka in the final. I thought under a new coach, we would do much better."
"You were nuts to think that. But hey, cheer up. We play Zimbabwe next. I am sure our overpaid
underachievers will tank them."
"If they don't, the entire nation will be in a blue funk."
"I haven't committed a crime. What I did was fail to comply with the law." — David Dinkins
What is the difference between "I just love that movie" and "I love that movie"?
If you are using the word to refer to people who work in the same organisation, then, you generally
use "staff" and not "staffs". The word "staff" can be followed by a singular or a plural verb.
*The staff have decided not to accept the offer made by the government.
*I understand that the staff is terribly worried about the on-going strike.
An individual who works for an organisation is referred to as "member of staff".
*Atul expects every member of staff to be present at the meeting.
The word "staffs" is being used both in British and American English to refer to more than one group
of people — individuals working for different organisations.
*The minister and his staff were present at the meeting.
*The two ministers and their staffs were present at the meeting.
"The pistol of a flower is its only protection against insects." — A student
remaining staff finds it difficult to carry out the work, it is called "dumbsizing". In other words, the
management was "dumb" to get rid of too many people!
What is the meaning of the expression "to see which way the cat jumps"?
(Anirudh, Aswapuram)
The "g" is like the "j" in "jam", "juice" and "jeep", and the following "eo" is like the "i" in "sit", "pit",
and "hit". The main stress is on the first syllable.
"Raising kids is part joy and part guerrilla warfare." — Ed Asner
wrote, "The Big Apple. The dream of every lad that ever threw a leg over a thoroughbred and the goal
of all horsemen. There's only one Big Apple. That's New York."
Is it okay to say, "Sandhya always prefers to pay by cash"?
looking guy who has little or nothing upstairs. Other than his looks, this individual has no quality
worth mentioning. By the way, did you know that the word "bimbo" was originally used to refer to
men?
*How could Savitri leave Bala for a himbo like Kapil?
*They are the ideal couple. He's a himbo and she's a bimbo.
Is it okay to say, "The words she uses are unintelligible for me?"
`Exactly! When you say that someone is `crackerjack' what you mean is that he is very industrious
and very good at what he does. The word is considered slang. Here's an example. His students say that
Sanjay is a crackerjack teacher. But I heard that he is looking for a job that will pay him a better
salary.'
`I understand that Medini is a crackerjack batswoman. Her parents, however, don't want her to take up
cricket as a profession.'
`I think Prem will make a crackerjack accountant.'
`He'll probably do a better job than the guy you have right now. Your present accountant is not only
rude, but an eye sore. Prem, on the other hand, is eye candy.'
`And unlike the present one, he wont be spinning his wheels.'
`I am not so sure about that.'
`I have trouble reconciling my net income with my gross habits.' - Errol Flynn
What is the difference between "He died" and "He was killed"?
(Swathi, Bangalore)
First, let's deal with the pronunciation. The `sch' is like the `sh' in `she', `sheep' and `ship', and the
`muck' rhymes with `luck', `duck', and `suck'. This slang word is of Yiddish rigin and is used to refer
to a man who arouses disgust in you; you find this individual repulsive. This is just one of the
meanings of the word. It's a rude term of address, and therefore you should use this word with caution.
*I can't believe that she is going to marry a schmuck like him.
*Who is the schmuck standing there in pink pants?
How does one address a divorced woman?
`ie' in `tie', `pie', and `die'. The `e' is like `ea' in `fear', `dear' and `ear'; the final `a' is like the `a' in
`china'. The main stress is on the second syllable. This is one of the ways of pronouncing the word.
*The idea that cricket is a gentleman's game is just a chimera.
*Expecting honesty from our politicians continues to be as much a chimera as ever.
The original `chimera' was a fire-breathing monster with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a snake's
tail. Now do you understand why the word means a fanciful or crazy idea?
Is it okay to say, `You can contact him in 25435439 (telephone no)'?
"Very good! That's exactly what it means. When you refer to someone as being a queer fish, what you
mean is that he/she is strange. The person tends to be aloof."
"In other words, a queer fish is a bit of a loner?"
"That's right. If I were you, I would stay away from Prema. She is a queer fish."
"A lot of people say that your friend Jai is a queer fish. What do you think?"
"No way! Jai is not a queer fish. He is shy, that's all."
"Remember the speech he made on Independence Day? It was ... ."
"Who can forget that? The poor guy was laughed down by everyone in the audience."
"Laughed down? What does it mean?"
"When you laugh someone down, you cause someone to quit something he is doing. You force him to
give up ... ."
"You do it by laughing at the individual. In other words, you ridicule the poor guy."
"Yes, that's right. Hari gave up the idea of becoming a singer after his audience laughed him down."
"How about this example? The little children laughed down the magician's act."
"The performance was that bad, eh? Teja gave up the idea of becoming an actor when her
performance was laughed down by her own family members."
"Ouch! That must have hurt."
"My husband was so ugly, he used to stand outside the doctor's office and make people sick." —
Jackie Mabley
(Khushboo, Kanpur)
A woman who is young and still single is called a `bachelorette'. In fact, there was a reality show in
the United States by that name. You will not find this word in most dictionaries. The word `spinster' is
used to refer to a middle aged or an old woman who has never married. Unlike `spinster',
`bachelorette' does not have a negative connotation.
How is the word `pizza' pronounced?
(Nimbalker, Chennai)
The word consists of only one syllable and it rhymes with `pitch', `ditch', and `stitch'. This is how
some people pronounce the word. Others, however, pronounce the `i' like the `ee' in `see', `bee', and
`fee', and the following `che' like the `sh' in `sheep', `she' and `sheet'. The word has many different
meanings, and one of them is finding a job or activity that is perfect for you.
*Ganeshan is extremely unhappy because he has been unable to find a niche for himself.
What is the meaning of `heartsink patient'?
*You'd better decide whether you want to make golf your vocation or avocation.
What is the meaning of `pink press'?
something questionable. In the late 19th Century, the word began to be used to refer to someone who
was really bad at golf!
How is the word `soliloquy' pronounced?
This is an expression which is used in management. When a company `eats the lunch' of another
company, it aggressively markets its products and succeeds in making inroads into the other
company's market share.
What is the meaning and origin of `taking the wind out of one's sails'?
(Sarvanan, Chennai)
Though this expression has been around for some time, it became popular when Dr. Kelly accused the
Blair Government of having "sexed up" its report on Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction. When you
`sex up' a document you make changes in it so that the content is much more interesting or exciting to
read. In other words, things are hyped up or spiced up. The expression has a negative connotation.
* My boss wants me to sex up the document for the media.
How is the word `disparage' pronounced?
doing all along. No matter how difficult or time consuming the task may be, you keep at it till you
complete it. You stand firm in pursuing your goal. So what the American President is saying that the
U.S. must stay in Iraq till there is some semblance of peace in the country.
*Listen Rajesh! Giving up smoking is not going to be easy. You must stay the course.
*The diet my wife has put me on is killing me. But I need to lose weight. So I have decided to stay the
course.
According to some scholars, the `course' refers to the racetrack. In this case, it's the horse that stands
firm to reach the finish line — hopefully in a winning position!
"How can he already have a headache? I just got here!" — Dennis the Menace
(Uthra, Chennai)
This is an idiom that has been around for several centuries. When you wear your heart on your sleeve,
you make your feelings clear to everyone; in other words, you don't hide your emotions. If you are in
love with someone, you make it known to everyone that you are crazy about this person.
*It's difficult to know what Asha is thinking. She doesn't wear her heart on her sleeve.
During the Middle Ages, when knights fought each other, they would dedicate their performance to a
woman of the court — usually someone they were in love with or cared for. To let everyone know
who they were in love with, the knights used to pin onto their sleeves a hanky or a scarf belonging to
the woman.
What is the difference between `speak English' and `speak in English'?
When you say that two things are `pari passu', you mean that they are travelling at the same pace, and
hence are side by side. The expression is also used to mean, `without partiality'.
*According to this report, inflation and interest rates increased pari passu last year.
Which is correct? `He's a teacher of English' or `He's an English teacher'?
(Laxman, Mysore)
It's pronounced like the word `bow' — the weapon you use to shoot arrows with. When a woman
refers to a man as her `beau', what she means is that the man is her boyfriend or her lover. The word is
considered old fashioned.
*The fashion model made a grand entrance hand-in-hand with her latest beau.
`Weather forecast for tonight: dark.' — George Cavlin
with lice, what is it that our mothers do? They run a special comb through our hair and then peer
intently at the comb. Whenever they spot a louse, they proceed to squash the insect; they pick them
off one by one. Getting rid of these small, but irritating insects from one's head can be an
overwhelming task. Every inch of the head has to be carefully examined and you spend a lot of time
looking for them. The original meaning of nitpicking was therefore looking for lice and their eggs.
With the passage of time, however, the expression acquired another meaning. It began to be used to
refer to someone who looks at the trivial details and finds faults with them.
*There was a lot of nitpicking going on as to what type of bouquet should be given to the chief guest.
*Let's stop with the nitpicking. Tell me what you think of the plan.
`There's a way of transferring funds that is even faster than electronic banking. It's called marriage.' —
James Holt McGavran
What is the meaning and origin of `to eat out of one's hand'?
practise. In the two examples, the noun form of the word is spelt with a `c' and the verb form is spelt
with an `s'.
I don't find `bitter gourd' in the dictionary. Does the vegetable have another name?
(Jai, Mumbai)
I understand that the vegetable is also called `balsam apple' and `balsam pear'.
What is the meaning of `da bomb'?
(Balu, Tiruchirapalli)
If you want to include an individual's name with titles like `Queen', `King', `Prime Minister' and
`President', then you normally don't use the definite article `the'. For example, we do not say, `The
Queen Elizabeth drank coffee'. We can either say, `The Queen drank coffee' or `Queen Elizabeth
drank coffee'. Your sentence is therefore wrong. You can either say, `The President visited Chennai
last week' or `President Abdul Kalam visited Chennai last week.'
Why do we call the place where the police work a `station'?
(Venkatakrishnan, Chennai)
Sometimes in order to achieve something or complete a task, you resort to any method available to
you. You are not too worried about whether what you are doing is ethical or not; you are intent on
achieving your goal. As a result, you end up doing things in an unplanned and an unsystematic
manner. This is what `catch as catch can' means. The idiom has more or less the same meaning as `no
holds barred'.
*When his former partner complained that he was taking away his clients, Rahul told him that in
business it was a case of catch as catch can.
Are you a fan of WWF wrestling? If you are, then you will understand what the word `catch' refers to.
In freestyle wrestling, there are no restrictions on how you can hold your opponent. You can `catch' or
hold him/her in any way you can.
Why is 26 December called `Boxing Day'?
more than two pages). According to some people, the term CV should be used only in the context of
academics; in all other cases, resume should be used. This distinction is seldom maintained, and there
is a tendency to use the two words interchangeably nowadays. The main aim of writing a CV or a
resume is to get the person reading it to call you for an interview.
Outside marriage halls, we see signs that say, `Bride marries Bridegroom'. Some read,
`Bridegroom marries Bride'. Which is correct?
— George Carlin
(Rishab, Vijaywada)
When you get someone's goat, you succeed in annoying the individual or in making him rather angry.
*Sometimes, Raja comes to work in jeans and a T-shirt. That really gets my goat.
*Mohan's constant whining gets my goat.
This idiom comes from the world of horse racing. I understand that horses are highly temperamental
creatures. In order to keep their prized possession calm and relaxed, trainers often kept a goat as a
stable companion for the horse. Goats do not get flustered very easily, and their presence in the stable
had a calming influence on the horse. Since the goat was a constant companion, the horse became
rather attached to the animal. In order to ensure that a particular horse didn't perform well in a big
race, stable boys working for rival owners sometimes stole the goat the night before the big event. The
absence of the goat made the horse moody, and as a result it didn't perform well in the race. So when
you say that someone has got your goat, you are comparing yourself to the horse, and not the goat.
What is the origin of `quiz'?
We find a lot of Indians saying, `I met him yesterday night.' Native speakers of English would
probably frown upon this. It's okay to say, `yesterday morning/afternoon', but not `yesterday night'.
You normally say, `last night'. For example, I met Dravid at the party last night.
What is the difference between `sell' and `sell out'?
"Why did you have to go? Your boss wasn't ordering you to."
"What you don't understand is that sometimes my boss' request is tantamount to a command."
"Tantamount? Don't think I have heard that word before. What does it mean?"
"When you say that one thing is `tantamount' to another, you mean that the two are equivalent. They
are ... "
"So what you are saying is that your boss' request is equivalent to a command!"
"Yes, that's right! There is no difference between the two."
"How about this example? The superstar's statement was tantamount to saying that actors and
politicians are above the law."
"In India they are, aren't they?"
"Yes, they are. Met Sujatha on my way here, and as usual we had a fight."
"What was it about?"
"It was about the word `timings'. She said that it doesn't exist. I told her she was crazy."
"She may be crazy, but she is right. You see... ."
"What are you talking about? We talk about `Office timings' all the time."
"True. But it's an Indianism. Native speakers would say, `working hours' or `office hours'. Anyway,
what else did you and Sujatha talk about?"
"About how dangerous train travel has become these days."
"I guess the Railway Minister wants to make train travel as exciting as living in Bihar. You never
know what is going to happen next."
"That's exactly what Sujatha and I were discussing about. You see, when ... ."
"You cannot say `discuss about'. You can `talk about something', but you `discuss something'. You do
not `discuss about something'."
"I see. Can we discuss this matter tomorrow? How does it sound?"
"Sounds great! Here's another example. I am afraid you are all too tired to discuss the matter now.
Let's wait till tomorrow. Tell me, why were the two of you talking about travelling by train?"
"Because Sujatha is going to Patna next week. Official work, she said."
"Take a train to Patna! She should sleep on it. You see, it ... ."
"Sleep on it? Sleep on what? What are you talking about?"
"When you tell someone to sleep on something, what you want him to do is to give the matter some
thought before taking a decision."
"I see. How about this example? I don't want you to give an answer right now. Sleep on it, and let me
know tomorrow."
"Good example. Chandu proposed to Malathi. She didn't give an answer immediately. She said that
she would like to sleep on it."
"I think I understand how the expression `sleep on' is used. Tell me, we have `sleep on'. Do we have
the expression `sleep in' as well?"
"Yes, we do! The expression has several different meanings. When you `sleep in' you oversleep. For
example, we have all slept in one time or the other."
"My father missed the early morning flight because he slept in."
"We were late for the appointment because the CEO slept in."
"Well, if the CEO slept in, then I guess he can't blame anybody else. Anyway, what is the other
meaning of `sleep in'?"
"The expression can also be used to mean to get up late on purpose. For example, we completed our
project at 3: 00 a.m on Friday. The members of the team decided to sleep in on Saturday."
"Meaning that they will be getting up very late on Saturday?"
"That's right! They may decide to spend most of the day sleeping."
"That's what I would like to do. I would like to sleep in all weekend. Unfortunately, my parents think I
should study."
"A hair in the head is worth two in the brush." — Don Herold
"What's the matter with you? You don't look too happy."
"It's our friend Sujatha again. I said `Hi' and she didn't even bother to respond."
"She looked right through you, eh?"
"Looked through me? How can she do that? She's not Superman, you know!"
"In her case, Superwoman! When you look through someone, you ignore the person completely. You
pretend as if he or she doesn't exist. It could be that you are thinking about something else and fail to
notice the person in front of you."
"I see. The last time I saw my cable operator, he looked right through me."
"That's because you constantly complain about how poor the transmission is. When I attend weddings,
some of my cousins look through me."
"I can understand that. Who would want a cousin like you? But why should Sujatha look through
me?"
"Oh, don't worry about it. Ever since she won the first prize for her short story, she's been acting a bit
strange. Someone must tell her to get off her high horse."
"Get off her high horse? Does it mean to stop acting proud?"
"Something like that. When you tell someone to get off his high horse, you are asking him to stop
behaving or talking as if he were better than other people."
"I see. So can I tell Sujatha, `Listen, we've been friends for a long time. Get off your high horse and
talk to me'?"
"You certainly can. But I seriously doubt... ."
"Tell me, what is the connection between a horse and being proud?"
"In the old days a person's status was determined by the size of the horse he rode. Tall horses were
ridden by royalty and noblemen. So are you going to tell Sujatha to get off her high horse?"
"No, I am very scared of her. Aren't you?"
"No, I am not! And frankly, I don't give a hoot whether she talks to me or not."
"Not give a hoot! I think I've heard that expression before. Doesn't it mean not care one bit or
something like that?"
"Wow, you're in excellent form today! When you don't give a hoot about something, you don't care
about it at all. I don't give a hoot whether the star is sent to jail or not."
"The teacher doesn't give a hoot whether we come to class or not."
"That's not being a very responsible teacher! Here's another example. My friend Ganpat gives a hoot
whether our team does well or not in the tournament."
"Your friend Ganpat is pretty strange. How is his new business doing?"
"Not very well, I am afraid. Straight arrows like Ganpat never make good businessmen."
"A straight arrow? What does it mean?"
"When you refer to someone as being a straight arrow what you mean is that he is an honest person.
Someone who follows all the laws."
"If you want to run a business, you can't be a straight arrow."
"Exactly! Your friend Raja is not a straight arrow. I just don't trust him."
"What are you talking about? He is... ."
"Relax, I was just giving an example. The expression `straight shooter' has the same meaning as
`straight arrow'. Both are normally used in informal contexts."
"I see. How about this example? We need to elect a straight shooter to office this time. This person
needs to help us and not himself."
"Straight shooters don't make good politicians."
"Sad, but true. Most political parties avoid straight arrows."
"Most politicians look right through them."
"I'd much rather be a woman than a man. Women can cry, they can wear cute clothes, and they are
the first to be rescued off sinking ships." — Gilda Radner
S. UPENDRAN
Upendrankye@gmail.com
What's the difference between `see through someone' and `look through someone'?
"That's true. If we had those kind of people in our office, my boss would ask them to either shape up
or ship out."
"Shape up or ship out? Does it mean behave yourself or just leave?"
"That's right. When you tell someone to shape up or ship out, you are warning them that if they don't
behave themselves, you will ask them to leave. In other words, you want them to meet your
expectations. Here's an example. Nandini, you're constantly handing in your assignments late. Shape
up or ship out."
"This is the third time this month that our new driver has been involved in an accident. Tell him that
he either shapes up or ships out."
"I am sorry to say that your performance hasn't been up to the mark. Either you shape up or ship out."
"You sound like my principal. He is such a... "
"Stop griping to me about your principal."
"Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing,
but no one else does." — Stewart Henderson Britt
""But by making people wait, you only succeed in increasing their anger. While he was having dinner,
he made his clients cool their heels in the lobby of the hotel."
"That's not a nice thing to do. Whenever my secretary gets angry about something, I never ask her to
come and see me immediately. I let her cool her heels for a while before talking to her about it."
"Government officials make it a habit of making people cool their heels."
"That's probably because many of the people who work in government offices think they are the cat's
whiskers."
"Cat's whiskers? What does it mean?"
"When you say that you are the cat's whiskers, what you are suggesting is that you are better than
those around you. You are the most outstanding."
"In other words, the others are beneath you."
"I guess you could say that. For example..."
"Let me try. Cinderella probably thought that she was the cat's whiskers in her new dress."
"Many of our film stars think that they are the cat's whiskers."
"That's probably because everyone keeps running after them. Not even in government offices are they
made to cool their heels."
"Sad, but true."
"However far your travels take you, you will never find the girl who smiles out at you from the travel
brochure." — Unknown
"You have a point there! He gets upset about everything doesn't he? But who is going to tell him to
lighten up? Everyone is scared of him."
"Well, that's true. What was it that stymied the Minister? Has someone found evidence that his
colleagues have been lining their pockets?"
"Lining their pockets? Hey, I have come across that expression before. Doesn't it mean to make
money in an illegal manner or something like that?"
"Exactly!"
"Politicians taking money is not considered news in India. We expect them to. The problem is many
of our politicians are more interested in lining their pockets than in serving the people."
"You can't really blame them for wanting to line their pockets. After all, they spend lots of money
trying to become a minister."
"That's true. And as soon as they become public servants, they begin to treat the public like servants!"
"You have a point there! I just read somewhere that some of the top executives in a well known
company were more interested in lining their pockets than in looking after the welfare of their
employees."
"Nothing new in that. Happens all the time."
"You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance." —
Franklin P. Jones
- Henry Youngman
Greek argue that we shouldn't say `the hoi polloi'. But `the hoi polloi' has become firmly established
in English.
*The entry fee was kept very high to keep the hoi polloi out.
Is it okay to say, "Every day they have wada and dosa during the midday?"
"No way! Haven't you heard? Our teachers are on strike. Isn't that great?"
"For you, maybe. But why are they on strike?"
"I think they want more money. The good news is that all the faculties are on strike. And they will be
on strike for at least a week."
"You mean the faculty is on strike, don't you?"
"I am talking about all the teachers from our college. So shouldn't it be faculties?"
"No, the entire teaching staff is usually referred to as `faculty'. Not faculties."
"I see. The faculty agreed to work on a Sunday. How does that sound?"
"Sounds good. Here's another example. Our faculty will be on strike all of next week."
"Let's forget about `faculty' for the time being. Tell me, what does `faculties' mean? The word exists,
doesn't it?"
"Of course, it does. The word `faculties' is used to refer to the power of the mind or body."
"In other words, you are talking about an individual's physical and mental abilities."
"That's right. Here's an example. The man is nearly 95 years old. You can't possibly expect him to be
in possession of all of his faculties."
"The man was drunk. He definitely wasn't in control of his faculties."
"Are you in control of your faculties?"
"We're going to have the best educated American people in the world." — George W. Bush
Which is correct "My house is opposite to the railway station" or "My house is opposite the
railway station"?
(Rajesh, Delhi)
This is an expression that is mostly used in the context of sports. In the first test match, for example,
England had the rub of the green on the fourth day. The Indians fielded poorly and dropped a few
catches. Even some of the umpiring decisions went England's way. The visitor's seemed to have all
the luck. When you say that someone has the rub of the green, what you are implying is that
everything is going their way — they have dame luck on their side.
*Ananya hasn't had the rub of the green in the last few tournaments.
What is the difference between `ample' and `enough'?
The war in Iraq has given rise to a new sort of journalism — mouse journalism. This is a term coined
by Robert Fisk, a correspondent of the Independent. He said that the situation in Iraq is so dangerous
for journalists, that mouse journalism is the best way for correspondents to stay alive. In this sort of
journalism, the reporter goes to the scene of the event, gathers news as quickly as possible (usually
about ten minutes), and leaves before "men with guns arrive."
`Dear God, Thank you for the baby brother, but what I prayed for was a puppy.' — A child.
(Jayaram, Kakinada)
If you say that you have the wherewithal to buy a house, what you are saying is that you have the
means to do it. In other words, you have the money to buy one. In most cases, the word is used to
refer to funds. The stress is on the first syllable.
*The wherewithal was sent to our factory in Hyderabad to produce spurious drugs.
Why is South America called `Latin America'?
(Hemanth, Meerut)
`Nous' rhymes with `house', `mouse', and `louse'. The word is used in British English to mean
`intelligence' or `common sense'. It is usually used to show approval.
*The children had the nous not to turn on the lights when they smelt gas.
What is the difference between `afflict' and `inflict'?
Very often people deliberately go out of their way to cause pain or problems to others. When they do
this, they are inflicting pain on them; they are doing things that they hope will make others experience
something unpleasant.
*The General wanted his troops to inflict pain on the prisoners.
When you are afflicted with pain or illness, you suffer; the pain affects you badly, and it causes severe
problems. You may suffer either physically or mentally.
*Many countries in Africa are afflicted by civil war.
What is the difference between `dispatch' and `despatch'?
— Milton Berle
(Jai, Coimbatore)
I understand that in British English both are acceptable. If you wish to think of the team as a single
unit, then you use the singular `is'. On the other hand, if you think of the team as consisting of distinct
individuals, then you use the plural verb `are'. There are many nouns in English which can be
followed by either the singular verb or the plural verb: government, family, team, firm, and people.
These are just a few.
*The family is/are of the opinion that you should stop teaching.
text ignored
*The Government wants/want to sell off some of the public sector units.
What is the meaning of `demonology'?
What is the difference between `slap on the back' and `slap on the wrist'?
(Indira, Bangalore)
When you make waves, you are bringing about changes in a situation; changes that not all people are
happy with. The changes usually cause problems, and leave many people rather unhappy.
*Anand is a good choice. He is diffident and is unlikely to make waves.
Why do we say, `the U.N', but not `the UNESCO'?
The second sentence is grammatically correct. `Majority of' is invariably followed by a plural noun.
For example, we say, `majority of students', `majority of young mothers' and `majority of cases'. Since
the noun in all the examples is plural, the verb that follows must also be plural.
*The majority of students are unwilling to take part in the strike.
When `the majority' is not followed by `of', then the verb that follows can be either singular or plural.
For example,
*The majority is of the opinion that we must go on strike.
*The majority feel threatened by the possible changes.
"The phrase `working mother' is redundant." — Jane Sellman
What is the meaning of `what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander'?
What's the difference between `I am giving an exam' and `I'm taking an exam'?
When you become angry with someone, you sometimes end up `shouting at' them. You say whatever
it is you want to say in a loud and angry voice. In this case, you are being aggressive.
*The coach shouted at the players when they turned up late for practice.
When you `shout to' someone, you are calling out to the person. The person is probably far away and
therefore you use a loud voice to get his attention.
*Jai shouted to us to come and join him on the boat.
"You know your children are growing up when they stop asking you where they came from and refuse
to tell you where they're going." —
P.J. O'Rourke
"The `s' sounds like the `sh' in `shoot', `should', and `ship', and the following `piel' is pronounced like
the word `peel'."
"I see. Is it OK to pronounce the `sp' like the `sp' in `spool', `spill', and `sport'?"
"Yes, that's another way of pronouncing the word."
"Tell me, what does `spiel' mean?"
"A spiel is a well rehearsed speech that a person gives very often... ."
"You mean it's something like what salespersons do? They have a well prepared speech, and they give
it whenever a customer asks them a question or... ."
"It's not just salesmen who give spiels. Lots of other people do too."
"Politicians do it all the time!"'
"Exactly! Spiels are usually given in order to persuade people. Prabhakar gave us a spiel on why we
should invest in his company."
"When my boss started his spiel on how difficult things were when he started the company, most of us
groaned."
"He gives that spiel whenever someone asks for a raise, doesn't he?"
"You're bang on! You see... ."
"Bang on? Does it mean `exactly right' or something like that?"
"Very good. That's exactly what it means. Achala's criticism of her friend's essay was bang on."
"For a change, many of your boss' predictions about the stock market were bang on. Did your
company make a lot of money?"
"Financially, our company is in fantabulous shape. Yet,... "
"Fantabulous! Never heard that word before."
"It's a combination of `fantastic' and `fabulous'. The word means `great' or `excellent'. For example,
our captain scored a fantabulous century in the last match."
"How about this example? The movie was fantabulous."
"Sounds good. The word is normally used in informal contexts."
"If the company is doing really well, why is your boss unwilling to give you a raise?"
"Why don't you go ask the worrywart?"
"The who?"
"The worrywart. A worrywart is someone who worries excessively. He worries even when there is no
reason to. When I went to the library, I ran into that worrywart, Harish."
"I hate meeting worrywarts. Ten minutes after being with one, you end up feeling depressed."
"That's true. Just imagine how I feel after spending half an hour with you."
"I may make you feel depressed every now and then, but I am certainly not a worrywart."
"When you meet someone at eleven o'clock in the night, how do you greet him? Do you say, `Good
evening' or `Good night'?"
"You normally say...."
"Sujatha says it's `Good evening' and I say ...."
"She is right. You say, `Good evening'. You see...."
"But I'm seeing this person late in the night."
"That's true. But what you should remember is that `Good evening' is another way of saying, `hello'.
Good night is not used to greet people. When you say `Good night' to someone..."
"You are saying `Good bye'. Is that the point you're making?"
"Exactly! Which is why when you walk into a restaurant late in the evening, the waiter wishes you
`Good evening', and when you leave, he says, `Good night'."
"I lose to Sujatha again! Hey, did you ask your boss for a raise?"
"Yes, I did. The Scrooge said, `No way'."
"What did you call him?"
"S..c..r..o..o..g..e. The `scroo' is pronounced like the word `screw', and the final `ge' sounds like the `j'
in `jam', `jump', and ...."
"Job!"
"You're bang on! Do you know what the word means?"
"Well, whenever we talk about your boss, you usually say how tight fisted he is. So a Scrooge must be
someone who hates spending money. He must be a miser. Just like Uncle Scrooge in the Donald Duck
comics!"
"Excellent. Scrooge is actually a character in Charles Dickens's `A Christmas Carol'. When I was
growing up, I thought my uncle was a bit of a Scrooge. But he was very generous compared to my
boss."
"If you ask me, Sujatha is a real Scrooge. But tell me, why is your boss refusing to give you a raise?
It's long overdue, isn't it?"
"I don't know. Maybe he just wants me to jump through hoops for him."
"Jump through what?"
"Hoops. When you jump through hoops, you do everything that the other person wants you to."
"In other words, you bend over backwards to please the individual."
"Exactly! Here's an example. I don't get along with Radha. She wants all her friends to jump through
hoops for her. Something that I am not willing to do."
" You can also say, `jump through a hoop'. For example, I am not willing to jump through a hoop for
you."
"I don't expect a Scrooge like you to...."
"Me? A Scrooge! I've lent you more than 500 rupees. Fork it over."
of a lot of people, but they still feel very lonely. On the other hand, people may be all alone, but they
may not feel lonely.
*Thinking of his life back home made him feel extremely lonely.
"There are a few things more satisfying than seeing your children have teenagers of their own." —
Doug Larson
(Pradeep, Shimoga)
The first sentence means that no person other than Ram can play tennis. You may have many friends
who play games, but none of them, except Ram, can play tennis. They may play other games, but not
tennis. The second sentence, on the other hand, means that tennis is the only game that Ram can play.
He cannot play any other game. Your other friends may play cricket, table tennis, badminton, etc, but
Ram cannot play any of these. Here are a few more examples.
*Only Geetha likes the Physics teacher. (No other student likes the teacher.)
*Geetha likes only the Physics teacher. (She doesn't like any other teacher.)
What is the difference between `psych out' and `psych someone out'?
*When my brother saw the new car I had bought, he psyched out.
When you `psyche someone out' you get them very excited and make them lose control of their
mental ability.
*Watching their children spending money recklessly psyched out the parents.
The expression can also be used to mean `to figure someone out'. When you `psyche someone out'
you begin to understand how his mind works.
*After having been married for twenty years, I still haven't psyched out my wife.
"The trouble with children is that they are not returnable." — Quentin Crisp
"Well done! The word `drab' was used in the early 1800s to refer to a small sum of money."
"A small amount of money trickling down at irregular intervals. Hence, dribs and drabs."
"It can be a small amount of something or a small number of something."
"Tell me, how do you pronounce l..a..t..i..n..o?"
"Well, the `a' in the first syllable is like the `a' in `cat', `bat' and `hat', and the following `i' is like the
`ee' in `fees', `bees', and `knees'."
"And I guess the final `no' is pronounced like the word `no'."
"Exactly! The main stress is on the ... ."
"It must be on the first syllable."
"Sorry, no. It's on the second syllable `ti'. Do you know what `Latino' means?"
"I have no idea."
"A `Latino' is someone from Latin America who has settled down in the U.S. It's a term mostly used
in American English."
"My wife is suffering from sickness and as I am her only husband at home, I may be granted leave."
— Unknown
(Sooriamoorthy, Chennai)
If you get a day off and you end up spending it doing what you normally do on any working day, then
you call it a `busman's holiday'. Instead of going out and enjoying yourself, you spend the day as if it
were any other working day — doing office work. By the way, the `a' in `man' is pronounced like the
`a' in `china'.
The expression comes from the time when buses in London were pulled by horses. Every driver was
given his own team of horses, and man and animal worked together every day. As it usually happens
in such circumstances, a close relationship developed between the driver and his team. Whenever the
driver went on leave, a substitute was hired to `drive' the bus. Very often the regular driver would sit
in his bus all day as a passenger just to make sure that his horses were being properly treated by the
substitute. Since the driver ended up doing what he normally did on any working day, these rides
began to be called `busman's holiday'.
*I thought I would make it a busman's holiday and finish writing the report.
How is the word `leitmotiv' pronounced?
Yes, there is. The inclusion of the hyphen brings about a change in the meaning of the word. The
word `re-count' means `to count again' or `a further count'. Here are a few examples.
*Both candidates demanded a re-count.
It must be mentioned here that not everyone uses the hyphen nowadays. The `e' in the first syllable is
pronounced like the `ee' in `seed', `feed', and `need'.
The word `recount', on the other hand, means to narrate. In this case, the `e' is like the `i' in `sit', `bit',
and `hit', and the stress is on `count'.
*The students recounted their adventures in the Himalayas.
"Childhood is that wonderful time of life when all you need to do to lose weight is take a bath." —
Richard Zena
result, the ordinary public becomes familiar with it as well. In recent years, `biotechnology' has been
the buzzword in medicine. `Empowerment', `paradigm shift' and `synergy' are the other examples of
buzzwords.
A `password', on the other hand, is usually a secret word or phrase that you are expected to know in
order to enter restricted places. It tells the other person who you are. For example, if you want to
check your email, you have to type in your user mail id and your password. If you forget the
password, you will be denied access. Unlike buzzwords, passwords are not usually new, and are not
used frequently by one and all. They are usually kept a secret.
"Originality is the art of concealing your source." — Franklin P. Jones
"Hi! Haven't seen you for ten days. Where have you been?"
"Like everybody else, I've been busy watching the World Cup matches. Since I stay up all night and
watch the games, I have a long nap after I return back from school."
"You don't have to say `return back'. Just `return' will do. For example, the Vice Chancellor will
return from Nagpur on Thursday."
"That's a good one. Tell me, how do you manage to stay awake in school? Don't you... ."
"I fall asleep every now and then. So do my classmates. And yesterday, one of my teachers fell asleep
too! That was pretty funny!"
"The same thing is happening in my office. You should just see the place. Things are in limbo."
"In limbo? What does it mean?"
"It means that things are in an uncertain state. It can also mean that things are in a state of neglect. For
example, unless the Supreme Court gives its verdict, the various projects will continue to be in
limbo."
" How about this example? The Manager kept Lavanya's promotion in limbo for months."
"Sounds good. Listen, have you bought the MP3 player that you were saving up for?"
"Not yet. Devi was saying that the price might go down even further next week."
"Don't wait too long. Bottom fishing may get you into trouble."
"Bottom fishing? Haven't heard that expression before."
"It's a term used in the stock market. When you go bottom fishing, you look for shares whose prices
have dropped very low because of a crash in the market."
" The term has acquired a broader meaning. When you go bottom fishing, you try to buy something at
the cheapest possible price. And in the process are willing to settle for products of poor quality."
"I have a cousin who thinks that bottom fishing will always get you something of value."
"Not always, I am afraid. Personally, I don't think bottom fishing is always wise. There is a reason
why the seller is willing to sell something at such a low price."
"You have a point there."
"Of course, I do! My cousin who plays the stock market does a lot of bottom fishing."
"Your cousin? Which one? The one who lost a lot of money recently?"
"Yes, that's right! It seems to make no difference to him. Whenever he loses money, he sponges from
his parents."
"Sponges from his parents? What does it mean?"
"When you sponge something from someone, you beg or borrow something from them. For example,
my cousin sponged a thousand rupees from my parents."
"My cousin has been sponging food from her relatives for a year now."
"That's a good example."
"Why don't you tell your cousin's parents not to let their son sponge off them?"
"Unfortunately, my uncle doesn't trust people. He feels that the person advising him is trying to lead
him down the garden path."
"Which garden are you talking about?"
"When you lead someone down the garden path, you are cheating or deceiving the individual. This is
an informal expression commonly used in American English."
"Latha told Pradeep that she loved him. What the fool didn't realise was that she was leading him
down the garden path. She needed help with her project. How does that sound?"
"Good. It is also possible to say, `up the garden path'. The mechanic led us up the garden path about
the cost — the repairs turned out to be really expensive."
"This is either a forgery or a damn clever original!" — Frank Sullivan
When you `shovel something down', you take a huge bite of something and gulp it down very quickly.
It is an expression that is mostly used in informal contexts.
Listen, you don't have to shovel your sandwich down. We have plenty of time.
When you `shovel something into something', you make use of a shovel to put something into
something else.
The old gardener spent a lot of time shovelling gravel into the wheelbarrow.
"When you steal from one author, it's plagiarism; when you steal from many, it's research." — Wilson
Mizner
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/edu/2002/03/26/index.htm
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/edu/2001/10/30/index.htm
Education
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Jan: 31 30 24 23 17 16 10 09 03 02 Aug: 26 19 12 05
2005: Jul: 29 22 15 08 01
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2004:
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Oct: 26 25 19 18 12 11 05 04 Apr: 30 23 16 09 02
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