Types Of Words

MUKHTIAR ALI · #1 Thursday, June 07, 2007

Types of Words

* Abbreviations and Acronyms
* Anagrams
* Eponyms
* Homophones
* Idioms
* Oxymorons
* Palindromes
* Slang

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Short And Shorter: Abbreviations And Acronyms

Abbreviations · Acronyms · Titles · Technical Talk
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Abbreviations

An abbreviation is a short form of a word or phrase used in order to save time or space. Here are some abbreviations.
A.M. / P.M.
"ante meridiem" (before noon) / "post meridiem" (afternoon)

ATM
automated teller machine

Ave.
Avenue

B.C. / A.D
before Christ / "anno Domini" (in the year of the Lord)

ESP
extra-sensory perception

etc.
et cetera (and so forth)

FYI
for your information

Inc.
Incorporated

IQ
intelligence quotient

mph
miles per hour

org.
Organization

oz.
ounce

PC
personal computer

pp.
pages

PS
post script

PTA
Parent-Teacher Association

rpm
revolutions per minute

SASE
self-addressed stamped envelope

St.
Street

TLC
Tender, loving care

TV
television

VCR
video cassette recorder

Acronyms
An acronym is a kind of abbreviation. It is a word you can pronounce, formed from the first letters, or other parts, of a group of words.

Every day, the CIA (an abbreviation for the Central Intelligence Agency) sends the president of the United States a PICKLE (an acronym for the President's Intelligence Check List).

These words you see every day are acronyms.

AWOL
Absent WithOut Leave

laser
Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation

Lego
LEs GOdt (Danish for "play well")

NASA
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NOW
National Organization for Women

World Almanac for Kids

Diver wearing scuba gear

PIN
Personal Identification Number

radar
RAdio Detecting And Ranging

scuba
Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus

sitcom
SITuation COMedy

UNICEF
United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund

Velcro
VELour + CROchet

yuppie
Young Urban Professional

ZIP
Zone Improvement Plan

Titles
We often use abbreviations before or after people's names. For example, a doctor might be called Dr. I. M. Well or I. M. Well, M.D. (M.D. stands for medical doctor.)

Technical Talk
Special fields have their own abbreviations.

Internet:
Abbreviations are a part of the everyday language of the Internet and e-mail (electronic mail). FYI (for your information), URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator, which is the official name for an Internet address. There's much more, but TTFN (ta-ta for now).

Computers:
To use your personal computer (PC), you start, or boot up, the system. The computer works by using a central processing unit (CPU) that reads and writes using random access memory (RAM). BTW (by the way), to find the answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs), check with your computer manufacturer's online services.

Sports:
Most college teams play in the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association). Men's professional football, basketball, and hockey teams all belong to national leagues (the NFL, NBA, and NHL). There is also a women's professional basketball league -- the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association). Baseball has two leagues, the National League (NL) and the American League (AL). The abbreviations NL and AL are used in giving baseball stats (statistics).

Navigation:
Navigators use N, S, E, and W to refer to compass directions.

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ANAGRAM

An anagram takes all the letters of a word or phrase and switches them around in a way that still make sense. The best ones are funny, or surprising in some way. For example, one anagram for "school day" is "shady cool."

Easy ones:

glare
LARGE

thicken
KITCHEN

Harder:

lunch break
A BENCH LURK

cheerleader
DECLARE HERE

elementary school
A MOST LONELY CHEER or ENROLL A TOY SCHEME

middle school
SOME OLD CHILD or CLODDISH MOLE

pokemon cards
PANCAKE DORMS or SPACEMAN DORK or PACKMAN DOERS

Harry Potter
TRY PART HERO

Nintendo Gameboy
DOMINANT BOY GENE

Lord of the Rings
GOLD FORTH RISEN

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All About...Eponyms

How would you like to have your name added as a word to the English language? A few people have been so lucky . . . or unlucky. An eponym is a word that comes from a person's name. Here are a few:

Bobbies
In 1850, Sir Robert Peel, a British politician, organized a police force in London.

Boycott
In 1880 a man in Ireland named Charles Boycott refused to lower rents. As a result, the public refused to have anything to do with him. The term boycott now means to avoid a person, organization, or company, or refuse to buy certain products, as a protest.

Braille
This system of writing for the blind was named after Louis Braille, a Frenchman who invented it to teach his blind students.

Cardigan
The 7th earl of Cardigan (in Wales) had the soldiers in his military regiment wear knitted sweaters or jackets that fastened up the front. People then began to call this type of sweater a cardigan.

Derby
This stiff felt hat with a dome shape was popularized by Edward Stanley, twelfth Earl of Derby. Now it's favored by many rap singers.

Diesel
The first diesel engine was built by Rudolf Diesel.

Gardenia
This flower was named after Alexander Garden, a botanist.

Guillotine
In 1789, Dr. Joseph Guillotin of France suggested beheading as a more humane way to execute people than hanging. The machine that resulted from his idea was designed by another doctor, who was actually guillotined during the French Revolution.

Jersey
This fine cloth was originally made on Jersey, one of the Channel Islands off the western coast of England.

Leotard
Julius Leotard was a French aerial gymnast who lived during the 19th century. His name became attached to the tight-fitting garment he wore when he performed.

Limousine
This luxury car is named after the Limousin region of France.

Maverick
This is someone who goes his or her own way. It may have come from Samuel A. Maverick, a rancher who wouldn't brand his calves.

Panic
Some ancient Greeks believed that this feeling was caused by the Greek god Pan.

Sandwich
John Montagu, the 4th earl of Sandwich (in England) wanted something he could eat without having to get up from the table where he played games. The tasty, easy-to-hold sandwich fit the bill.

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homophones

Words That Sound Alike Or Almost Alike

When words sound similar, sometimes their spellings and meanings are confusing. Words that sound alike are called homophones.BRAKE or BREAK
A brake is a device for slowing or stopping a vehicle.
A break is a brief rest period (a lunch break).

CAPITAL or CAPITOL
A capital is the city where a country or state government is located.
The capitol is the building where a legislative body meets.

CLOTHES or CLOSE
Clothes are what we wear.
To close means to shut something.

COMPLEMENT or COMPLIMENT
Complement is to make complete, or something that completes.
A compliment is praise for someone.

DESERT or DESSERT
A desert is a hot, sandy area where few plants can grow.
Dessert is fruit, ice cream, or something else eaten at the end of a meal.

DIE or DYE
To die means to stop living.
To dye means to change the color of an object.

EMIGRATE or IMMIGRATE
To emigrate means to move away from a country.
To immigrate means to move to another country.
(Ana emigrated from Brazil. She immigrated to the United States.)

FAIR or FARE
A fair is an exhibition or show.
Fair also means better than poor, but less than good.
Fare is the cost of a ride on a public vehicle like a bus, train, plane, or taxi.

FIND or FINED
To find means to come upon something you were looking for.
Fined means having to pay for doing something wrong.

FLOUR or FLOWER
Cakes and breads are made with flour.
A flower is a blossom.

HAIR or HARE
Hair is what grows on the top of your head if you are not bald.
A hare is a kind of rabbit.

HOARSE or HORSE
If your voice is hoarse, it's rough or harsh.
A horse is an animal that can gallop quickly.

ITS or IT'S
Its is the possessive form of "it" (the bird flapped its wings).
It's is a contraction of (short form for) "it is."

LOAN or LONE
Aloan is something that you lend or someone borrows.
Lone means single or alone.

PRINCIPAL or PRINCIPLE
A principal is the person in charge of a school.
Principal also means first in importance.
A principle is a basic belief that a person strongly holds.

ROLL or ROLE
A bun or muffin is a roll.
A role is a part or character in a play.

ROSE or ROWS
A rose is a sweet-smelling flower.
Rows are groups of objects lined up.

STATIONARY or STATIONERY
When something is stationary it does not move.
Stationery is special paper for writing letters.

STEAL or STEEL
Steal means to take what does not belong to you.
Steel is a very strong metal.

THEIR, THEY'RE, or THERE
Their is the possessive form of "they."
They're is short for "they are."
There means at or in that place.
(They're going to put their packages there on the table.)

VAIN, VANE OR VEIN
To be vain means to be stuck-up or conceited.
A vane shows what way the wind is blowing.
A vein is one of many tubes that carries blood to the heart.

WEEK or WEAK
The seven days from Sunday to Saturday are a week.
Weak means not strong.

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IDIOMS

Idioms are phrases that mean more than their words put together. If you take them word for word, they might not make much sense! Idioms are a little like puzzles: try imagining a picture or a situation that the phrase suggests, and guess at the meaning from there.

the buck stops here
"taking responsibility for something, instead of blaming someone else."
President Harry S. Truman invented this phrase and had a sign made for his desk with those words. Truman liked to play poker, a popular card game. In poker a marker called a "buck" was placed in front of the player who would be the next to deal the cards. A player who didn't want to deal could pass the buck to the next player.

buying a pig in a poke
"buying something without seeing it."
At country fairs in England years ago, dishonest men would put a cat in a burlap bag and try to sell it as a young pig. If a suspicious buyer wanted to see the pig, the seller would be forced to "let the cat out of the bag" (another idiom, meaning "to expose a secret"). Poke, meaning "bag or sack," is not heard much anymore, but it is the source of the word "pocket."

the fat's in the fire

"the damage is already done."
This phrase probably came from a kitchen centuries ago. Fat was, and still is, often used in cooking. If it spills in the fire, it burns up right away, and there is nothing to be done about it.

a flash in the pan
"something that looks like it will be a big success, but does not work out."
Flintlock muskets had a little pan to be filled with gunpowder. When the trigger was pulled, a spark from the flint would light that powder. It was supposed to burn through a hole in the barrel and light more powder behind the bullet. A "flash in the pan" made light and smoke for a second, but didn't fire the bullet.

footing the bill
"paying."
The person who signs his or her name at the bottom, or "foot," of a bill or check (as at a restaurant) is the one who pays. Signing the foot, or "footing it," has come to mean paying.

hat trick
"scoring three times in a game."
Used in hockey and soccer, this term came from the English game of cricket. In cricket, a bowler (sort of like a pitcher) tries to knock over three wooden stakes, or wickets, that are guarded by a player with a flat bat. Knocking down three wickets on three straight "pitches" was called a "hat trick." A long time ago, players who did it won a hat.

in a pickle
"in an awkward or embarrassing situation."
Meats and vegetables can be preserved by soaking them in barrels of a salty solution called pickle. The Dutch had a phrase meaning "sitting in the pickle," which was borrowed into English about 500 years ago.

the jig is up
"the game or trick is exposed."
In Shakespeare's time, "jig" was a slang for trick. When the "jig is up," the trick has been discovered.

the nick of time
"just before time is up."
Years ago, the scores of some games (like soccer) were kept by cutting notches or "nicks" in each end of a wooden "tally stick." A winning goal that came just before the clock ran out was said to be a "nick in time."

pull the wool over someone's eyes
"trick or deceive."
In the days when gentlemen wore powdered wigs, "wool" was a funny word for hair. Jokesters would knock a man's wig (his wool) down over his eyes so that he couldn't see what was happening.

bite off more than you can chew—"take on more than one can handle." Take a big bite out of a sandwich so that some of it is still sticking out past your lips. Now try chewing. Don't you wish you had bitten off less?

chew someone out—"to severely scold someone." The phrase supposedly came from the U.S. Army. It seems fitting that an angry, screaming general would make people feel as if they had just been chewed up and spit out.

chew the fat—"to have a long, friendly, and informal chat." Fat is tough to chew. The original phrasemakers probably had a fatty cut of meat and a whole lot of time to chew it. You'd probably want to chew the fat with your firends after school, but maybe not with your principal.

raining cats and dogs
"raining very heavily."
Centuries ago, people thought certain animals had magical powers. Sailors believed cats had something to do with rainstorms. Dogs and wolves were symbols of winds in Norse mythology.

skate on thin ice
be in a dangerous or risky situation

go bananas
to act silly or crazy

All About Clothes
cap in hand
in a humble or respectful manner

fill someone's shoes
take someone else's place, do another person's job

fit like a glove
fit or suit perfectly

get hot under the collar
become angry

in one's stocking feet
wearing stockings or socks, but not shoes

keep under one's hat
keep secret, keep to oneself

All Washed Up
all wet
no good

my cup runneth over
I have everything I could possibly want

shed crocodile tears
cry insincerely

Animal Life
cold fish
someone who is unfriendly or does not show feelings

cry wolf
to alarm others or whine about something when there is no real danger

dog-eat-dog
fierce competition

horse around
to have fun; play around

open a can of worms
to open up a lot of new problems

snake in the grass
a liar, cheat, or sneaky person

Batter Up!
ballpark figure
a rough estimate

cruisin' into homebase
returning to your house

get the ball rolling
get something started

let's touch base
let's talk to each other about something

out of left field
unexpected, from an unlikely source

off base
to be wrong

on the ball
to be alert or quick to catch on or understand

play games
to fool someone or keep the truth from someone

right off the bat
immediately, first thing

smash hit
a big success

strike someone funny
to seem funny to someone

the game is up
a lie or other secret act has been discovered

Body Language
all thumbs
clumsy

all ears
paying attention carefully

armed to the teeth
heavily armed

arm in arm
doing something with another person with arms connected; in agreement

flip your wig
to go crazy or get excited without warning

get out of my face
stop bothering me

knee-jerk reaction
an automatic response

off the top of your head
using the first idea that occurs to you

pull one's leg
fool or trick someone

talking head
a TV personality shown mostly from the shoulders up, just talking, not doing anything

Colorful Phrases

green thumb
very good at growing plants, vegetables, flowers

green with envy
to be extremely envious

in the black
making a profit, not in debt

in the red
not having enough money

out of the blue
seemingly from nowhere

see red
to become very angry

wave a white flag
to indicate, in battle, that you wish to surrender

white elephant
something of little or no value

Connections
get with the program
follow the rules

joined at the hip
always together

like two peas in a pod
very similar

on the same wavelength
thinking the same thing

Play On
in the groove
in top form

face the music
be realistic, face the facts

play by ear
do something without planning ahead

stay tuned
pay attention

Weather Or Not
blow hot and cold
first show one feeling, then show the opposite

a break in the clouds
a happy turn of events, a change for the better

chill out
relax, take it easy

once in a blue moon
rarely

Traveling On
caught the wave
followed the latest trend

flew the coop
left or departed, often secretly or guiltily

hit the ground running
start a project immediately

I got your back
I'm here for you

made a beeline
went somewhere fast

off da hook
really cool

on the right track
heading for the right conclusion

Some "horsy" idioms

don't look a gift horse in the mouth
"accept gifts graciously."
By checking how worn down a horse's teeth are you can get an idea of its age. Since the animal was a gift, checking its age is considered impolite. A more modern example might be looking for the label or the price tag on a gift.

closing the barn door after the horse has bolted
"doing something too late."
Once the horse is gone, closing the door won't do any good.

put the cart before the horse
"do something in reverse order."
If you brag to all your friends that you're going to the John Mayer concert before your parents have gotten tickets, you would be putting the cart before the horse.

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Bittersweet And Other Oxymorons

A time that is bitter is sad. A time that is sweet is usually happy. So how can an occasion be described as bittersweet? It's an oxymoron, a pair of words that seem to contradict each other, or just look silly together. Here are some oxymorons you may come across.
The oxymoron clearly confused may mean obviously mixed up.

The oxymoron definite maybe may mean the answer may be yes . . . or no.

The oxymoron genuine imitation may mean not the real thing, but a lot like it.

The oxymoron guest host may mean temporary star of a TV talk show or game show.

The oxymoron jumbo shrimp may mean large shrimp.

The oxymoron old news may mean it made headlines a while ago.

The oxymoron open enclosed garden may mean a fenced-in garden that is open to the public.

The oxymoron open secret may mean it's supposed to be a secret, but everyone knows it.

The oxymoron same difference may mean it's six of one, half a dozen of the other.

The oxymoron taped live may mean it happened hours ago, but it was taped as it happened.

The oxymoron war games may mean exercises by the armed forces preparing troops for battle.

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Palindromes

A palindrome is a word, verse, or sentence that reads the same backward and forward. If English were a very old language, the first words ever spoken could have been a palindrome "Madam, I'm Adam." Or maybe, "Madam in Eden, I'm Adam." The answer Adam got could have been "Eve." Here are some other palindromes to ponder.
A warning outside the veterinarian's office could read:
Step on no pets.

If your aging cats act confused or strange, you may be dealing with
senile felines.

Have you ever asked yourself:
Do geese see God?

After trying unsuccessfully to lift a heavy rock, you might shout:
O, stone, be not so!

You're making a drawing of your family, but you're not sure you have it right, so you could ask your brother:
Did I draw Della too tall, Edward? I did?

When your brother asks you what's for dinner, you could tell him
Ma has a ham.

When President Theodore Roosevelt wanted to shorten the route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean by creating the Panama Canal, this palindrome could have summed it up
A man, a plan, a canal: Panama!

On election day, you might say to your dad
Rise to vote, sir!

If your supermarket is running out of fruit, you might find
No lemons, no melon.

When you ride in a car on a foggy day, your eyes may play tricks on you. What was that?
Was it a car or a cat I saw?

Your doctor says the best way to start your diet is to stop eating, or fast. You disagree
Doc, note: I dissent. A fast never prevents a fatness. I diet on cod.

Can you think of some palindromes?

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All About...Slang
What is slang? Your parents and teachers might say slang is bad or improper English, but a friend might consider slang to be poetic. And it is true that the sentence "When that school bell rings, I'm gonna bounce" gives you a more vivid image than the sentence "When school is over, I'm going to leave." Slang may be fine to use at times, but it is informal. Like casual clothes, it may not be right for every occasion.

American slang dates back to colonial times. We get the slang words peepers (eyes), mug (face), and chops (mouth) from criminals who were brought from England to the colonies between 1619 and 1772. The Civil War gave us the word skedaddle, which means "to run away." And we get the word skivvies (men's underwear) from World War II soldiers.

Today, thanks to hip-hop music, television, video, radio, film, and the Internet, slang gets around more than ever. A popular word nowadays is phat, which means excellent or superb. It comes from the word emphatic, and it also plays on the word fat.
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MUKHTIAR ALI SHAR

Sureshlasi · #2 Thursday, June 07, 2007

It is absolutely creditable post. keep it up!!!

Please explore the following link for further related material.

http://www.answers.com/main/words.jsp

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