Know your English



``What was the name of the movie you saw yesterday?''

``It was one of those old movies. I think it was called 'White Men Can't Jump'. I really enjoyed it. It was a real entertainer. It ....''

``....White Men Can't Jump, eh? After seeing some of the decisions made by the umpires in Australia, I have decided to make a movie called ''White Men Can't Ump``.''

``That's an excellent idea! I am positive that the Indian team will finance your project. The umpiring was terrible, wasn't it? Some of the decisions made by Hair and Co. had me tearing my hair out.''

``Hair had you tearing your hair out! That sounds nice. Does 'tear one's hair out' mean to become angry?''

``Yes. 'To tear one's hair out' means to be anxious, frustrated or angry. It's an informal expression. Here's an example. An hour before the interview, Govinda sat in my office tearing his hair out.''

``When Sachin was given out LBW in the second innings of the first test, I was ready to tear my hair out. How does that sound?''

``Sounds great. Oh, look at the time! It's getting late. You had better go home. Your parents will be tearing their hair out.''

`No, they won't. They will....''

``...that was just an example!''

``I see. I don't think my parents would tear their hair out on my account.''

``Oh, I'm not so sure about that. Your mother told me the other day that you had the habit of getting in her hair.''

``I certainly do not get in my mother's hair! How could I....''

``...do you know what the expression 'to get in someone's hair' means?''

``I think I do! Doesn't it mean to irritate someone?''

``Excellent! When you get in someone's hair, you bother or irritate him/her. When I was young, I used to get in my physics teacher's hair.''

``I do that even now. I am sure Hair and Co. got in Tendulkar's hair.''

``The umpires must have given the Indian batsmen sleepless nights, especially Tendulkar. As my friend Ram Mohan put it, the umpires' policy seemed to be, 'When in doubt, give Tendulkar out'.''

``Yes, the umpires in Australia were very patriotic! How about this example? There are times when you get in my hair.''

``You're beginning to sound like my boss. He complains that I am in his hair all the time.''

``That's understandable. By the way, does the expression 'to curl someone's hair' mean the same thing as 'to get in someone's hair'?''

``No, it doesn't. When you make someone's hair curl, you frighten, alarm, or shock them. I thought that the movie 'The Haunting' would make my hair curl. It did nothing of the kind.''

``My friend, Lavanya, said that some of the special effects curled her hair.''

``Boris Becker, when he came to Chennai last year, said that the speed at which people in India drove made his hair curl.''

``Perhaps that's why he lost in the second round! He didn't want to take any more drives from the hotel to the stadium!''

``You may have a point there!''

``Some of the decisions given by the Australian umpires was enough to make my hair curl. By the way, do you remember the name of the umpire who made those terrible decisions in the first test? I've been trying to....''

``....let's forget the Australian umpires, shall we? You've been harping on about them....''

``....harping on about them? That's it! The umpire's name was Harper. He was .....''

``...please stop harping on ....''

``....what does 'harp on about' mean?''

``When you 'harp on about something', it means you keep talking about it again and again, although your listener may be sick and tired of it. Every time I meet Prabhakar, he keeps harping on about going to America.''

``Why doesn't he go, then?''

``How am I supposed to know?''

``Some of my cousins who are in 10th class keep harping on about how difficult it is get through the IIT entrance exam.''

``My friend in Bombay keeps harping on about what a great all rounder Ajit Agarkar is.''

``Poor, Agarkar. He has certainly given a new meaning to the term 'all rounder'.''

``He certainly has! An all rounder is someone next to whom you put a round figure as soon as he comes to bat!''

``I like men to behave like men - strong and childish.'' Francoise Sagan.

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Devil-may-care