1. What is the meaning and origin of ‘whale of a time’?
(Kamal Sani, Hyderabad)

When you say that you had a ‘whale of a time’ somewhere, what you mean is that you had a wonderful or a great time. It is an informal way of saying that you had a blast.

*The children had a whale of a time at the party on Friday.

The whale, as everyone knows, is the largest mammal on this planet. The blue whale can sometimes grow to over a hundred feet long. Therefore when you say ‘a whale of something’, what you mean is ‘a large or big amount of something’.

*If we put in another Rs. 20000, it will make a whale of a difference.

In this context, what you are trying to say is that the money will make a big difference.


2. How is ‘nouveau riche’ pronounced?
(R. Radhika, Mysore)

The ‘ou’ sounds like the ‘oo’ in ‘pool’, ‘fool’, and ‘cool’, and the following ‘eau’ is like the ‘o’ in ‘so’, ‘no’, and ‘go’. The ‘i’ in ‘riche’ is like the ‘ee’ in ‘need’, ‘seed’, and ‘feed’; the final ‘che’ is pronounced like the ‘sh’ in ‘ship’, ‘sheet’, and ‘sheep’. The word is pronounced ‘nuu-voe RIISH’ with the stress on the second word. ‘Nouveau riche’ is of French origin, and it literally means ‘new rich’. The expression is mostly used to refer to people who have come into money recently, and who like to display their new-found wealth in a crass manner. They lack the sophistication of those who were born wealthy and have been wealthy over generations. The expression is mostly used to show disapproval.

*According to my wife, the new club is extremely popular with the city’s nouveau riche.


3. When ‘leave’ is used to mean vacation, is it okay to say ‘number of leave/leaves taken’?
(K. Rasheed, Jeddah)

No, it isn’t. When ‘leave’ is used to mean ‘vacation’, it is used as an uncountable noun; you cannot say ‘leaves’. The expression ‘a number of’ is always followed by a countable noun. For example, “A number of students were present at the meeting”, and “A number of children took ill after eating the ice cream.” You cannot say, “a number of leaves/leave”. If you wish to use “number of” with “leave”, then you’ll have to say, “Number of days taken as leave”.

*I plan to be on leave all of next week.


4. Why is money referred to as ‘bucks’?
(S. Sriharsha, Chennai)

There was a time when the term bucks was only used to refer to the American dollar. Nowadays, the word is used to refer to money in general. Even the Indian rupee, in informal contexts, is being called a buck.

*Who is making the big bucks in your family?

The invention of paper money is a recent phenomenon. In the old days, when people wanted to buy something, they usually traded or bartered what they had. When a hunter wanted grain from a farmer, he usually traded animal skin or dried meat for it. The term ‘buck’ is actually the short form of ‘buckskin’. A buck, as you know is a male deer; ‘buckskin’, therefore, is the skin of this deer. Hunters, when they did business made use of ‘buckskins’. Later on, with the passage of time, the word ‘buckskin’ in everyday conversation was shortened to ‘buck’. When paper money was introduced much later, people began to call it ‘buck’.

* * *

“Always end the name of your child with a vowel, so that when you yell, the name will carry.” — Bill Cosby



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1. When do we say ‘Yours faithfully’ and ‘Yours sincerely’ in a letter?
(V. M. Sangeetha, Hyderabad)

What do you normally do when you are writing a letter of complaint to a company and don’t know the name of the person to whom the letter should be addressed? You invariably begin the correspondence with the salutation ‘Dear Sir’. If you are not sure whether you are writing to a man or a woman, you cover your bases by writing ‘Dear Sir/Madam’. When you begin a letter in this fashion, the standard complimentary ending is ‘Yours faithfully’.

‘Yours sincerely’, like ‘Yours faithfully’, is mostly used in formal letters. If you know the name of the person you are writing to, then the standard ending is ‘Yours sincerely’. If you begin a letter in the following manner, ‘Dear Dr. Raman’ or ‘Dear Mr. Gupta’, the usual formal ending is ‘Yours sincerely’. The standard ending in American English is ‘Sincerely yours’. Sometimes, they shorten it to ‘Sincerely’.


2. How is the word ‘rotund’ pronounced?
(L. Jambunathan, Chennai)

The ‘ro’ rhymes with ‘so’, ‘no’, and ‘go’, and the following syllable sounds like the words ‘fund’ and ‘stunned’. The word is pronounced ‘row-TUND’ with the stress on the second syllable. This is just one of the ways of pronouncing the word. The word can be used to describe both people and objects. When you describe someone as being rotund, you mean the person is….you guessed it….round in shape. In other words, he is rather plump.

*They made an odd couple. She was tall and slim, and he was short and rotund.


3. Is it okay to say, ‘happen upon someone’?
(B. Devaki, Bangalore)

Yes, it is. When you ‘happen upon/on someone’, you run into the person. You meet the person accidentally; there is no planning involved in this case. It is also possible to say ‘happen on something’.

*The millionaire happened on a house he liked. So he bought it.


4. What’s the difference between ‘gawk at’ and ‘gaze at’?
(P. Satish, Madurai)

Both expressions mean to look at someone or something; the difference lies in the way you look at the object. When you gaze at someone, you look at the person for a long time with an intense expression on your face: the expression can be one of admiration or surprise. One can also gaze at someone or something in an absent minded sort of way.

*The students gazed at the ageing actor with admiration.

A ‘gawk’ is a lout. He is someone who is rather stupid and clumsy; he often behaves rather rudely. When you gawk at someone, you look at the person with a stupid or rude expression on your face.

*Don’t just stand there gawking. Lend me a hand, will you?


5. What is the meaning of the expression ‘catch a few rays’?
(C. Suchitra, Kurnool)

The expression is mostly used in informal contexts. The word ‘rays’ refers to sun rays; so when you say that you would like to catch a few rays, you are saying that you wish lie down or sit outside in the sun. It is also possible to say ‘catch some rays’. People who live in cold places like to catch some rays every now and then.

*He spent the early morning on the beach catching some rays.

*I think I’ll read the paper outside and catch a few rays.


ÜEuphemisms are unpleasant truths wearing diplomatic cologne.” — Quentin Crisp



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1. What is the meaning of ‘redress’?
(M. Seshu, New Delhi)

The ‘e’ in the first syllable sounds like the ‘i’ in ‘it’, ‘bit’, and ‘hit’, and the second syllable is pronounced like the word ‘dress’. This formal word can be used as a noun and a verb, and in both cases, the stress can be put on the second syllable. This is just one of the ways of pronouncing the word. Sometimes, when we injure someone or treat someone badly, we are forced to pay them some form of compensation. This money that we pay the individual is called ‘redress’. When used as a verb, the word means to ‘to make up for or compensate’. The word comes from ‘re’ meaning ‘again’ and ‘drecier’ meaning ‘straighten’.

*The Chief Minister, as expected, refused to redress the grievances of teachers.

‘Redressal’, a word which is frequently employed in Indian English, does exist. It is not, however, listed in all dictionaries.


2. What is the meaning of ‘webinar’?
(T.Janakiraman, Bangalore)

The word is a combination of ‘web’ and ‘seminar’. A ‘webinar’ is a seminar that is transmitted over the web; it involves a lot of interaction between the participants. The term can be used to refer to a presentation, lecture or workshop that is broadcast over the web.

I’m afraid I won’t be able to come. I’m taking part in a webinar.


3. How is the word ‘oust’ pronounced?
(P. R. M. Rao, Chennai)

The ‘ou’ is like the ‘ou’ in ‘out’, ‘shout’, and ‘bout’; the final ‘st’ is like the ‘st’ in ‘sting’, ‘step’, and ‘stump’. When you oust someone, you force the individual to leave a position of power; you remove the person from the position he/she has occupied.

There’s no way we can oust him now. We must bid our time.


4. What is the difference between ‘breeze away’ and ‘breeze through’?
(C. Shandilya, Hosur)

When you breeze through an assignment, you manage to do it quickly without too much difficulty. You find the task rather easy.

I thought I’d be able to breeze through the test. I was sadly mistaken.

After breezing through her chores, my mother went out for a walk.

The expression can also be used to mean ‘to travel through a place rapidly’. In this case, you don’t make a stop.

It was getting late. The candidate just breezed through several small towns

When you ‘breeze away’ from some place, you leave it quickly or abruptly. It has) more or less the same meaning as ‘breeze off’.

Namratha breezed away without even thanking the hosts.

The CEO stopped in mid sentence and just breezed away.


5. Is it okay to say ‘His resignation has been be sanctioned’?
(R. S. Prakash, Dharwad)

No, it isn’t. Sanction is not a word that one associates with resignation. One can sanction someone’s leave, budget, project, etc. Resignations are either accepted or rejected.


6. When you are writing a cheque, which of the following is correct ‘Two hundred and fifty five’ or ‘Two hundred fifty five?’
(K. Rathnam, Hyderabad)

Both are correct. It depends on which side of the Atlantic you are from. If you are British, then you would use ‘and’. Americans, I understand, tend to write the amount without the ‘and’. Most Indians tend to follow the British.

* * *

“If it’s sent by ship, then it’s cargo; if it’s sent by road, it’s shipment.” — David Allen



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1. What is the difference between ‘annex’ and ‘annexe’?
(K. Ganeshan, Cochin)

In British English, the first is a verb and the second, a noun. There are several pairs like this in English: envelope (noun) and envelop (verb) is one such pair. Some people pronounce the ‘a’ in ‘annex’ like the ‘a’ in ‘china’, and the following ‘nex’ like the word ‘necks’. In this case, the word is pronounced ‘a-NEX’ with the stress on the second syllable. As a noun, the ‘a’ is pronounced like the ‘a’ in ‘ant’ and ‘apple’: the word is pronounced ‘A-nex’ with the stress on the first syllable. Americans, however, don’t maintain this distinction in spelling. Both words are usually spelt ‘annex’.

An extension or an addition to the main building is called an ‘annexe’. A section that is added to an existing document can also be called an ‘annexe’. When you ‘annex’ someone’s property, you take it away from him by force – usually without his permission. During times of war, this is what countries do.

*My friend tells me that during World War II Germany annexed a part of Czechoslovakia.


2. How is the word ‘burgeon’ pronounced?
(N.Subramanian, Ravanasamudram)

The ‘ur’ sounds like the ‘ur’ in ‘fur’, ‘purr’, and ‘curd’. The ‘g’ is like the ‘j’ in ‘jam’, ‘juice’, and ‘jump’, and the final ‘eo’ is like the ‘a’ in ‘china’. The word is pronounced ‘BER-jen’ with the stress on the first syllable. When ‘burgeon’ is used in relation to plants, it means ‘to put out leaves; sprout’. In everyday context, the word can be used to mean ‘to grow or flourish’.

*After winning the first set, the champion’s confidence began to burgeon.



3. What is the meaning of the expression ‘the end justifies the means’?
(S. Sivakumar, Chennai)

There are times when in order to achieve something, we have to do certain things that are not necessarily good. For example, builders cut down trees and destroy beautiful rock formations in order to construct their buildings. Some would say that in this case, the end justifies the means. That is, any method that we adopt is okay as long as the intent is good. It doesn’t really matter if we resort to any wrong doing in order to achieve our aim.

If it means chopping down 200 trees in order to build this shopping complex, it doesn’t matter. In my opinion, the end justifies the means.



4. Is it okay to say ‘I met her yesterday night’?
(Etmani, Delhi)

No, it isn’t. English allows you to say ‘yesterday morning’, ‘yesterday afternoon’, and ‘yesterday evening’, but not ‘yesterday night’. When it comes to ‘night’, it is always ‘last night’. Why? Well, some scholars argue that we cannot say ‘yesterday night’ because ‘the night is also part of today’!



5. What does ‘reckon’ mean?
(Rajesh Kumar Verma, New Delhi)

First, let’s deal with the pronunciation. ‘Reck’ rhymes with ‘peck’, ‘deck’, and ‘check’, and the ‘o’ is like the ‘a’ in ‘china’. The stress is on the first syllable. In informal contexts, the word can be used to mean ‘think or believe’.

*My friend reckons that we will have a surprise test tomorrow.

The word can also be used to mean ‘to consider’. For example, “Ashok is reckoned to be one of the best teachers in the university.” The word has other meanings as well. We’ll deal with them later.

“Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.” — P. J. O’Rourke




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1. Is it okay to say ‘wait dinner for someone’?
(Raj Kumar, Nagpur)

Though I haven’t heard anyone actually using the expression, it does exist. The dictionaries that include it claim it is an expression mainly used in American English. When you ask someone to ‘wait dinner/lunch for you’, what you would like them to do is to delay the meal. Whenever a businessman wishes to curry favour with a minister, he invariably hosts a lavish party in the politician’s honour. On such occasions, the host finds he has to wait dinner for the politician — because in India, politicians are seldom on time for anything.

*Please don’t wait lunch for me. I have several errands to run.

2. What is the meaning of ‘bread and butter letter’?
(T. Devasenaapathy, Mayiladuthurai)

Considering the fact that snail mail has gone out of fashion, don’t be surprised if the use of this idiom goes out of fashion as well. In the old days whenever you spent a couple of days at someone’s house as a guest, you usually wrote them a letter thanking them for their hospitality. This letter that you wrote thanking your host was called ‘bread and butter letter’. Maybe the idiom should be changed to ‘bread and butter email’ or ‘bread and butter call’.

*I was quite surprised to receive a bread and butter letter from my uncle.

3. What is the difference between ‘treason’ and ‘treachery’?
(M. Venugopal, Secunderabad)

The two words have a negative connotation. Both refer to the deliberate and wilful act of betraying someone. When you betray a friend or someone who is supposed to be close to you, it is called ‘treachery’. Our politicians are famous for this.

*How could you do this to me? I didn’t expect this treachery.

Treason is a much more serious form of betrayal. When you commit treason, you betray your country. You commit treason against the country or against the king who rules the country.

*The prisoner denied that he had committed treason.

According to some books on usage, all treasonable acts are treacherous, but not all treachery is treason.

4. What is the meaning of ‘hit the ground running’?
(B. Laxman, Hosur)

This is an expression mostly used in informal contexts to mean to be ready for action. When you tell someone you hit the ground running, you mean that you began working on your new task immediately, without any delay.

*During the campaign, Obama promised to hit the ground running.

According to some people, the expression refers to soldiers who were dropped into enemy territory. When they were parachuted behind enemy lines, the soldiers made sure they landed on their feet, with their guns drawn. They were ready for action. This is just one of the explanations for the origin of this expression.

5. Is the word ‘co-sister’ used by native speakers of English?
(Lakshmi, Chennai)

No, it isn’t. We Indians think relationships are important (at least, we used to). As a result, we have different words to refer to the members of the immediate family. Many of the terms that we have in Indian languages do not exist in English.



“The other night I ate at a real nice family restaurant. Every table had an argument going.” — George Carling



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1. How is the word ‘guerdon’ pronounced?
(G. Vijaykumar, Coimbatore)

The ‘uer’ in the first syllable sounds like the ‘ir’ in ‘birth’, ‘shirt’, and ‘bird’; the following ‘o’ is like the ‘a’ in ‘china’. The word is pronounced ‘GER-din’ with the stress on the first syllable. This rather old fashioned word can be used as a noun and a verb.

When used as a noun, it means a reward; a guerdon is something that is given to someone ‘in return for a service or an accomplishment.’ When used as a verb, it means ‘to reward’. In last year’s National Spelling Bee contest held in the United States, Sameer Mishra was crowned the champion when he succeeded in spelling the word ‘guerdon’ correctly. The headline in one of the papers read: National Spelling Bee winner takes the guerdon!


2. What is the difference between ‘infiltrator’ and ‘intruder’?
(Saurab Sinha, Allahabad)

When you enter someone’s property without his consent, you become an intruder. This act may or may not be intentional. You may for example, walk into someone’s property without being aware of it. Perhaps you failed to see the ‘Keep Out: Private Property’ sign.

The burglar who breaks into your house to steal is also an intruder: only in this case, the intrusion is deliberate. Both intruders are performing an illegal act; they are both breaking the law.

The intruders were caught by the students and handed over to the police.

An ‘infiltrator’ always makes use of stealth. He enters an organisation or a country without others being aware of it. The word has a very negative connotation. An infiltrator is usually very cunning and invariably plans everything in advance: one cannot become an ‘infiltrator’ by accident. In this case, you are breaking the law deliberately.

The infiltrators were shot while they were attempting to cross the border.


3. What is the meaning of ‘play to the gallery’?
(C. Ram Mohun, Vijayawada)

Most political parties in India have been accused of doing this. When you say that someone is playing to the gallery, you mean that instead of spending time doing things that are important, he’s busy trying to win the approval of those around him. The person, instead of doing his job, is keen on winning popularity.

If you want the new Director to play to the gallery, then Bala is a bad choice.

This idiom has been around for several hundred years. Originally, the word ‘gallery’ referred to the cheapest seats in a theatre. Since people who sat in the gallery were poor and not very sophisticated, any artist or writer who tried to win their approval was seen as doing something demeaning. He was trying to win approval by appealing to popular taste.


4. How is the word ‘adieu’ pronounced?
(Vedula Krishna, Vizag)

The ‘a’ in the first syllable is like the ‘a’ in ‘china’, and the following ‘dieu’ sounds like the word ‘due’. The word is pronounced ‘e-DUE’ with the stress on the second syllable, and it means ‘good bye’. Remember the song ‘So long, farewell’ from the movie ‘Sound of Music’? The word ‘adieu’ is used in it quite a few times.

* * * * *

“What’s the difference between a boy friend and a husband? About 30 pounds!” — Cindy Gardner



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1. Does the word ‘breakfasted’ exist?
(P. Vanitharathnam, Pollachi)

Yes, it does. The word ‘breakfast’ can be used as a verb, and when used in this manner, it means ‘to eat breakfast’. For example, Ananya prefers to breakfast alone. The children breakfasted on idlis and puris. The words ‘lunch’ and ‘snack’ can also be used as verbs. My wife lunched with her clients in a five star hotel. While watching the movie, I snacked on potato chips. Strangely enough, the word ‘dinner’ is not used as a verb. We don’t hear people saying they ‘dinnered’ with their friends.



2. What is the meaning of ‘handsome is as handsome does’?
(B. Natraj, Mumbai)

This is an expression that has been around for several hundred years, and it has the same meaning as ‘pretty is as pretty does’. Not very helpful, is it? What the expression literally means is that it is not the looks of the individual that are important, but the good deeds that he performs: in other words, good behaviour and chivalrous deeds are much more important than good looks.

*Venu may not be much to look at, but he is always helping those who are in need. Handsome is as handsome does.

According to some scholars, the expression was first recorded by the English poet, Geoffrey Chaucer. In the movie ‘Forrest Gump’, the main character comes up with his own version of the proverb: ‘stupid is as stupid does.’



3. How is the word ‘askance’ pronounced?
(C.V. Geetha, Hyderabad)

The ‘a’ in the first syllable is like the ‘a’ in ‘china’, and the ‘a’ in the second sounds like the ‘a’ in ‘ant’, ‘pants’, and ‘hat’. The word is pronounced ‘es-CANS’ with the stress on the second syllable. It is also possible to pronounce the second ‘a’ like the ‘a’ in ‘park’, ‘dark’, and ‘stars’.

The word is normally used to talk about the kind of look that you give an individual. When you ‘look askance at someone’, you usually look at him with disapproval or distrust. In most cases, you don’t look at the person directly; you choose to glance at him sideways. The word can be used with things as well.

*Raju looked askance at her with his big eyes.



4. What is the difference between ‘crisis’ and ‘crises’? (P. Sampath, Salem)

‘Crises’ is the plural form of ‘crisis’. There is a difference in the way the two words are pronounced. The final ‘is’ in ‘crisis’ is like the ‘is’ in ‘fist’, ‘mist’, and ‘gist’. The word is pronounced ‘CRY-sis’ with the stress on the first syllable. The ‘es’ in ‘crises’ rhymes with ‘eeze’ in words like ‘breeze’, and ‘freeze’, and ‘sneeze’. The word is pronounced ‘CRY-seez’; the stress remains on the first syllable.



5. What is the opposite of ‘comedian’?
(V. Hari Murali, Kottayam)

A person who performs tragic roles on stage is usually referred to as a ‘tragedian’. The first ‘a’ is like the ‘a’ in ‘china’, and the following ‘e’ is like the ‘ee’ in ‘fees’, ‘bees’, and ‘sees’. The word is pronounced ‘tre-JEE-dien’ with the stress on the second syllable. Dilip Kumar, Sivaji Ganesan, and Sanjeev Kumar are some of our well-known tragedians. The two words ‘comedian’ and ‘tragedian’ are usually used to refer to male actors. An actress who specialises in comic/tragic roles is sometimes called ‘comedienne’/‘tragedienne’. In the case of these two words, the main stress is on the final syllable ‘enne’. The words are pronounced ‘ke-mee-di-EN’ and ‘tre-jee-di-EN’ respectively.

******

“A poet who reads his verse in public may have other nasty habits.” — Robert Heinlein



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1. What is the difference between ‘invite’ and ‘invitation’?
(Sania Kuruvilla, Hyderabad)

Most of us tend to use invite as a verb and invitation as a noun. Pawan made sure that I wasn’t invited to the wedding. He tore up the invitation that was being sent to me. When used as a verb, ‘invite’ has the stress on the second syllable: in-VITE. Nowadays, there is a tendency among native speakers of English to use ‘invite’ as a noun. When used in this manner, it has the same meaning as ‘invitation’. The stress, however, in this case is on the first syllable: IN-vite.

*Harish was disappointed because he didn’t get an invite to the party.

The use of ‘invite’ as a noun is becoming fairly common in informal contexts. Careful users of the language, however, frown upon this. They prefer the use of ‘invitation’.



2. How is the word ‘zeitgeist’ pronounced?
(K. Rajamadhuri, Chennai)

There are several ways of pronouncing this word of German origin. The ‘z’ is like the ‘ts’ in ‘cuts’, ‘huts’, and ‘puts’. A simpler way is to pronounce it like the ‘z’ like the ‘z’ in ‘zip’ and ‘zoo’. The ‘ei’ in the first and second syllable are like the ‘i’ in ‘fight’, ‘might’, and ‘tight’. The word is pronounced ‘ZAIT-gaist’ or ‘TSAIT-gaist’ with the stress on the first syllable.

‘Zeit’ in German means ‘time’ and ‘geist’ means ‘spirit’. The word literally means ‘spirit of the time’; the term is normally used to refer to the spirit of the age. Zeitgeist has been defined as ‘the general set of ideas, beliefs, feelings, etc. which is typical of a particular period in history.’



3. What is the meaning of ‘cast-iron guarantee’?
(R. Satish, Coimbatore)

A cast iron is a kind of hard metal which does not bend easily. When you give someone a cast-iron guarantee about a product, you are telling the person that it can be trusted completely; there is no way that the product will fail.

*I need a cast-iron guarantee that you won’t exceed the budget.

The word ‘guarantee’ has the stress on the final syllable, and not the first.



4. Is it okay to say, ‘He’s been depromoted’?
(K. R. Umadevi, Coimbatore)

No, it isn’t. Although ‘depromoted’ is a possible word, it does not exist; no dictionary lists it. The word that you have in mind is ‘demoted’. When you ‘demote’ someone, you lower his rank or position.

*After the trial, my cousin was demoted from colonel to captain.



5. What is the meaning of ‘it’s your funeral’?
(R. Ramanujan, Hyderabad)

This is an expression that is mostly used in informal contexts. When you tell someone that it’s his funeral, what you mean is that the thing he intends to do is rather stupid. In other words, it’s your way of warning the person that he has made a wrong decision, and he is the one who is going to suffer the consequences.

*You want to go for a walk at this time of the night? It’s your funeral.



6. What is the past tense of ‘slay’?
(J. Bharath, Thanjavur)

This is a word which is frequently found in newspapers. When you slay someone, you kill them in a violent manner. ‘Slayed’ and ‘slew’ are often used as the past tense of ‘slay’.

*The villain slayed the villagers and laughed.

The word has another totally different meaning. Slay can also be used to mean to ‘delight or amuse immensely.’

The stand-up comedian’s jokes slayed the audience.

* * *

“We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office.” — Aesop



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Know your english

“How did your boss react when you asked him for a raise?”

“He got on his soapbox about the importance of…”

“He got on his soapbox? What do you mean?”

“It’s an expression mostly used in informal contexts. When you say that someone got on his soapbox, you mean that the person expressed strong opinions about something.”

“I see. Since he feels strongly about it, he probably talks about it for a long time.”

“That’s right! He also talks about the subject very passionately.”

“How about this example? A week ago, my uncle got on his soapbox about the evils of the internet.”

“Sounds fine. Now then, tell me…”

“No, you tell me. What is this soapbox?”

“It’s a small wooden box in which bars of soap were once packed. In the old days, people used it as a temporary platform to stand on.”

“So once someone got on a soapbox, you knew he was going to make a speech.”

“That’s right. These people were sometimes called soapbox orators.”

“I see. Tell me, did you manage to meet your old school friend?”

“Mrinali came to the office to see me.”

“That was nice of her. What did the two of you talk about?”

“We took a stroll down memory lane.”

“Memory lane? I haven’t heard of the place. Where is it?”

“In your head, silly. When you take a stroll down memory lane, you recall some of the happy events that happened in the past.”

“I guess the two of you talked about your school days.”

“Exactly! We talked about the crazy things we did in school.”

“Looks like the two of you enjoyed your stroll down memory lane.”

“We certainly did! It is also possible to say ‘take a trip down memory lane’.”

“I see. How about this example? Whenever my mother gets together with her sisters, she takes a trip down memory lane.”

“Sounds good! I like it when my grandmother takes a stroll down memory lane.”

“So, is this Mrinali a good friend of yours?”

“A steadfast one, I must say.”

“A steadfast friend? Does it mean someone who has been your friend for a long time?”

“When you say that someone has been your steadfast friend, what you mean is that the person has been a loyal friend.”

“In other words, she has been a constant friend. A dependable friend!”

“Exactly! Russia has been India’s steadfast ally for several decades.”

“Tell me, ‘fast’ means something that moves quickly. So why does steadfast mean ‘constant’?”

“The word ‘fast’ has many different meanings. One of the meanings is ‘steady’ or ‘fixed’. For example people talk about ‘fast colours’. What do you think it means.”

“It probably means colours that will not fade when washed. They remain constant.”

“Very good! That’s exactly what it means.”

“Maybe we should ask for fast politicians.”

“Oh, we already have those! ‘Fast’ in some contexts means ‘without moral principles’.”

“Sounds like our politicians all right.”

******

“In politics, absurdity is not a handicap.” — Napoleon Bonaparte



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1. How is the word ‘Porsche’ pronounced?
(C. Vijay Kumar, Erode)

There are different ways of pronouncing this word. The ‘por’ is pronounced like the word ‘pour’; the following ‘sch’ is like the ‘sh’ in ‘sheep’, ‘ship’, and ‘shoe’. Some people don’t pronounce the final ‘e’, while others pronounce it like the ‘a’ in ‘china’. The word can be pronounced ‘POURSH’ or ‘POUR-sha’. Either way the stress is on ‘pour’. Porsche is the name of a German car manufacturer which produces luxury cars. The company was founded by Ferdinand Porsche in 1931.


2. What is the difference between ‘academic’ and ‘academician’?
(P. Roopa, Bangalore)

First, let’s deal with the pronunciation of the two words; they are pronounced very differently. The first ‘a’ in academic is like the ‘a’ in ‘ant’, ‘apple’, and ‘ass’; while the second sounds like the ‘a’ in ‘china’. The word is pronounced ‘a-ke-DEM-ik’ with the stress on the third syllable. In the case of ‘academician’, the ‘a’ in the first syllable and the ‘e’ in the third are like the ‘a’ in ‘china’; the second ‘a’ sounds like the ‘a’ in ‘apple’. The word is pronounced ‘e-ka-de-MISH-en’ with the stress on the fourth syllable.

An ‘academician’ is someone who is a member of an academy which promotes science, literature, art, etc. According to some dictionaries, in American English, both ‘academic’ and ‘academician’ can be used to refer to someone who ‘teaches at a college or studies as part of his job’. Careful users of the language, however, prefer ‘academic’ to ‘academician’ to refer to such a person.


3. Which is correct? ‘I think I’m going to lay down for a while’ or ‘I think I’m going to lie down for a while’?
(C. Anupama, Mysore)

When policemen surround the bad guys, the first thing they say is, ‘We have you surrounded. Lay down your weapons’: meaning ‘put down your weapons’. If you are planning on getting some sleep or merely stretching yourself out on the bed, then you are planning to ‘lie down’.

The word ‘lie’ is normally used when you wish to change from a vertical to a horizontal position! If you would like to place or put something somewhere, then you use the word ‘lay’. Vrinda laid the plates on the table. We’ll have to lay the carpet in the bedroom upstairs.

One way to remember which word to use is to substitute it with ‘put’ or ‘place’. If the sentence sounds okay, then the verb you have in mind is ‘lay’ and not ‘lie’. ‘Vrinda placed/put (lay) the plates on the table’ sounds fine. ‘I think I’m going to put/place down on the bed’ sounds terrible. The past tense of ‘lie’ is lay’, and this often creates a problem. We’ll deal with it some other time.


4. What is the meaning of the expression ‘in clover’?
(J. Rukmani, Vijaywada)

Clover is a plant which is used as food for livestock: animals usually found on farms. If an animal were allowed to eat as much clover as it wanted to, how would it feel? Pretty happy, don’t you think? When people are ‘in clover’, they are ‘extremely content’. They are living in comfort, and have no financial worries.

They struggled for over twenty years, and now they’re in clover.

After we sell the rights to this movie, we’ll be in clover.

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“Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition.” — Timothy Leary



S. UPENDRAN


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P.R.