Why are street vendors sometimes referred to as `costermongers'?

(I. Ranjani, Chennai)

The word `costermonger' is mainly used in British English to refer to someone who sells fresh fruit, vegetables and fish on the street. `Monger' means `seller or trader'; `coster', on the other hand, is actually a corruption of an old English word `costard', meaning `apple'. A `costardmonger' was someone who sold apples on the street.



What is the meaning of the expression `no ifs and buts'?

(Bharanidharan, Sriperumbudur)

Very often when we tell children to do something, their standard reply is, "But can't I do it later? I want to watch this match on TV!" — or something like that. They always try to put things off, and they provide all kinds of excuses as to why things should be postponed. They will keep arguing with you till they are blue in the face. When you tell someone that you don't want any `ifs and buts', what you mean is that you want them to stop arguing and do what they have been told to. It's your way of telling them to get on with their job. You don't want to hear any more excuses.

*I don't want to hear any ifs and buts. You are not wearing that dress to the party.



Which is correct? "The students had a difficulty in getting the books" or "The students had difficulty in getting the books"?

(V. Bharath, Erode)

The second sentence is correct; you do not normally say `had a difficulty'. The word `difficulty' does not take the indefinite article `a' before it. For example, we say, "The children had difficulty in understanding the accent." We don't say, "The children had a difficulty in understanding the accent." It is possible to drop the word `in' in the sentence.

*It rained heavily last night, and we had difficulty (in) finding a taxi.







What is the difference between `obsolete' and `junk'?

(A. N. Manjunath, Palakkad)

First, let's deal with the pronunciation of `obsolete'. The first syllable rhymes with `sob', `cob' and `mob'. The second `o' is like the `a' in `china', and the final `lete' rhymes with `neat', `beat', and `meat'. The main stress is on the final syllable `lete'. When you say that something is `obsolete', what you mean is that it has gone out of fashion; it is outdated. It is no longer required or no longer in use because something new and better has taken its place. For example, computers have made typewriters obsolete; the `tonga', which was quite popular once upon a time, has become obsolete.

*We don't have spare parts for your computer. The model has become obsolete.

`Junk', unlike the word `obsolete', is mostly used in informal contexts. When you say that something is `junk', what you mean is that it is worthless. The object is fit to be thrown away. Something that is new, but is of no value, can also be called `junk'. `Obsolete', on the other hand, does not carry this meaning. The word merely suggests that the equipment has become outdated — it could be an outdated piece of equipment that still works. A piece of junk, on the other hand, could be an outdated piece of equipment which may or may not work. Either way, you want to throw it away. Not everyone throws away an obsolete piece of equipment.

*You've had that scooter for over 20 years now. Get rid of the junk.

"It's clearly a budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it." — George W. Bush

S. UPENDRAN

(C. Ramamoorthy, Madurai)

This is an idiom which has been around for many centuries, and it is mostly used in informal contexts. When someone pulls the wool over your eyes, he/she succeeds in deceiving you. The person does this to ensure that you don’t figure out what he’s up to.

Raju pulled the wool over the old couple’s eyes, and ran away with their savings.

Before buying a car, please read this article. Otherwise, the salesperson will pull the wool over your eyes.

Several centuries ago, it was standard practice in Europe and America for both men and women to wear wigs — irrespective of whether they were bald or not. These loosely fitting hair pieces were usually made of wool. When thieves wanted to steal something that a wig wearer was carrying, they sneaked up to the individual and literally pulled the wig (wool) over the victim’s eyes. Temporarily blinded and confused, the victim didn’t know what was happening around him. The thief used this opportunity to run away with what the victim was carrying.


(R. Mukund, Pune)

The ‘ch’ in the first syllable is like the ‘h’ in ‘hut’, ‘hiss’, and ‘have’, the following ‘u’ is like the ‘u’ in ‘put’, ‘pull’, and ‘full’. The ‘z’ sounds like the ‘s’ in ‘sit’ and ‘sat’, and the final ‘a’ is like the ‘a’ in ‘china’. The ‘h’ is silent, and the stress is on the first syllable ‘chut’. The word is pronounced ‘hutspe’. Americans sometimes spell this word of Yiddish origin ‘chutzpa’.

When you say that someone has ‘chutzpah’, what you mean is that the person is not afraid to say or do things which often embarrass or shock other people. You admire the person because he has the audacity and the supreme self confidence to do what he wants to. The word is always used to show approval.

Such was his chutzpah that he asked his new boss if he could take her daughter to a movie.


(Abin Ben, Kollam)

According to scholars, ‘soccer’ is a slang term coined by university students in England to refer to Association Football. The word comes from the alteration of ‘assoc’: the short form of ‘association’. In the beginning, the word was spelt ‘socca’, later it became ‘soccer’.


(S. Deepak, Chennai)

First, let’s deal with the pronunciation of the word. The ‘e’ and the ‘y’ are pronounced like the ‘i’ in ‘it’, ‘bit’, and ‘hit’, while the ‘o’ is like the ‘o’ in ‘cot’, ‘hot’, and ‘dot’. The final ‘ou’ is like the ‘a’ in china. The word is pronounced ‘iponimes’ with the stress on the second syllable ‘pon’.

‘Othello’, ‘King Lear’ and ‘Macbeth’ are some of the well-known tragedies written by Shakespeare. The title is also the name of the lead character in the play. Similarly, we have novels like ‘Winnie the Pooh’, ‘Robinson Crusoe’ and ‘Emma’; once again, the title is based on the name of the hero or heroine in the novel. An eponymous character in a book or play is one whose name also happens to be the title of the book or play.

“My uncle Sammy was an angry man. He printed on his tombstone: What are you looking at?” — Margaret Smith


S. UPENDRAN

__________________
Regards,
P.R.

1. What is the meaning of ‘laissez-faire attitude’?
(Madhav, Hyderabad)

First, let’s deal with the pronunciation of this French expression. The ‘lai’ is pronounced like the word ‘lay’, while the ‘sez’ in the second syllable is pronounced like the word ‘say’. ‘Faire’ sounds like the word ‘fare’. The word is pronounced ‘lay-say fare’ with the main stress on ‘fare’.

A ‘laissez-faire’ policy is one based on the idea that the government should not interfere in business and trade practices of individuals or companies. The expression means ‘let do’, and in this context it means that the government should let people in trade and industry do as what they want to. Nowadays, the expression has taken on a general meaning as well; it means non-interference in the affairs of others.

*I’m afraid your laissez faire approach is likely to create more problems for the university.


2. Does the word ‘staycation’ exist?
(V. Balakrishnan, Trivandrum)

Yes, it does. The word was coined recently in the United States, and you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that it is a combination of two words: ‘stay’ and ‘vacation’. A ‘staycation’ is a vacation you spend relaxing at home or a place very close to home.

*What some of our cricket players really want is a staycation.


3. What is the meaning and origin of the expression ‘toe the line’?
(Madhu Teotia, New Delhi)

This is an expression that has been around for a very long time. When you toe the line, you do what is expected of you. You follow the rules, and in general you behave in the way that people in power expect you to. In other words, you conform. The expression ‘toe the mark’ has more or less the same meaning.

*The VC has said that he’ll suspend all those who don’t toe the line.

There are many explanations as to the origin of this expression. According to some scholars, the idiom comes from the world of athletics. The ‘line’ referred to in the idiom is the starting line of a race. People taking part in a running race were expected to ‘toe the line’; in other words, they were expected to keep their toes on the line or behind it. Rules required that their toes were ‘on the mark’ (line), not over it. This is just one of the explanations.


4. Is it okay to introduce oneself in the following manner? ‘My name is Prof. X’.
(T. Balu, Chennai)

Many teachers in India have the habit of introducing themselves in this manner. A native speaker of English wouldn’t say, ‘My name is Prof. Smith.’ Remember, ‘professor’ is the designation of a person; it is not a part of his name. If you would like people to know that you are a professor, then you’ll be better off saying, ‘I’m Prof. X’, instead of, ‘My name is Prof. X’. Does our P.M say, ‘My name is Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’?

5. What is the meaning of the word ‘presently’?
(T. Janaki, Chennai)

The word has several different meanings depending on the context. When you say that some event will take place ‘presently’, what you mean is that it will take place ‘shortly’ or ‘soon’.

*We were told that the Principal would be with us presently.

In American English, the word is frequently used to mean ‘right now’ or ‘currently’.

“Politics is skilled use of blunt objects.” — Lester B. Pearson


S. UPENDRAN

__________________
Regards,
P.R.

"Hi, come on in! Is something wrong? Please don't tell me you're going to cry."

"Cry? Why would I do that?"

"I haven't the faintest idea. If you're not going to cry, then why the sad face?"

"Haven't you heard? The Left has withdrawn its support, and there are..."

"It was expected, wasn't it? Would you say that this decision of the Left came out of left field?"

"Left's decision came out of left field! What are you talking about?"

"When you say that something `came out of left field', what you mean is that it came as a total surprise. You were not really prepared for it."

"I see. So, when something comes out of left field, it is totally unexpected."

"Exactly! Here's an example. The hailstorm, which lasted more than an hour, came out of left field." "The two slaps that Surabhi gave Rahul really came out of left field."

"That's a good example. The Principal's decision to start new courses without consulting his teachers came out of left field."

"My friend Deepa thinks..." "Please, I don't want to talk about her. She is a nut case."

"No, she isn't."

"If you ask me, she's way out in left field."

"What's with you and the word `left' today? Way out in left field? What does it mean? Wait, wait. Let me guess. My friend Deepa is a nice person. But most people find her odd. Does `way out in left field' mean odd or crazy?"

"Very good! That's exactly what it means. The word can be used with things as well. For example, don't pay any attention to the Principal. Most of his ideas are way out in left field."

"You should meet some of my classmates. They are way out in left field."

"The Minister talked about how we could keep our population under check. The recommendations he made were way out in left field."

"That's expected, isn't it? When was the last time a politician talked sense?"

"I can't remember. Tell me, why do you look so sad? It can't be because of the Left. There must be some other reason. Come on, out with it." "You're right. It has nothing to do with politics. You see, my friend and I have been working on a project. We have to make a presentation next week. Yesterday my friend rang up and..."

"Let me guess. He wants you to make the presentation on your own. He doesn't want to be involved."

"Exactly! He says he's going to be out of town and..." "He's left you holding the baby."

"Left me holding the baby? What baby? What are you talking about?"

"When someone leaves you holding the baby, they inconvenience or burden you with additional responsibility." "The person who is supposed to help you, disappears."

"You are on your own. The other person doesn't want to deal with the problem. And you end up being responsible for something that you..." "And if things go wrong, you are blamed."

"That's right! Here's an example. When the company went bankrupt, all the partners ran away. My poor cousin was left holding the baby." "I want everything in writing. I certainly don't wish to be left holding the baby.



"The whole point is guys aren't thinking much. They are what they just appear to be. Tragically." - Dave Berry



S. UPENDRAN

__________________
Regards,
P.R.

1. What is the meaning and origin of ‘riding roughshod over someone’?
(K. S. Sundaram, Bangalore)

When you ‘ride roughshod over someone’, you dominate the person quite ruthlessly. You just walk all over him. You do what you want to, and you don’t really care what the other person thinks. If the circumstances demand it, you use brutal force to get the desired results.

The new boss is a bully and rides roughshod over everyone.

The term ‘roughshod’ refers to the type of shoe that was often mounted on a horse’s hoof. The word ‘shod’, as you probably know, is related to the word ‘shoe’; in order to ensure that the horse didn’t slip, the shoes were often kept rough. To make sure that the animal had good traction, what the blacksmith did was to leave the nailheads projecting from the shoes. During times of war, horses were armed with these projecting nails on their hooves; the nails provided better grip on slippery ground, and they enabled the horse to injure or kill fallen enemy soldiers. It was during the 18th century that the idiom began to mean ‘to bully someone’.


2. What is the meaning of ‘fashionably late’?
(Dilip Saxena, Kanpur)

When you arrive at a party ‘fashionably late’, what you are doing is making an appearance a few minutes after the scheduled time. You don’t turn up an hour or two after the event has begun, you are late only by a few minutes. This is your way of telling others that you are a busy or popular person. Most actors and politicians are fashionably late for events in order to create the impression that they were busy elsewhere.

As expected, the children arrived fashionably late for the party.


3. Is it OK to say, ‘She pleaded with her daughter to never go there’?
(K. Madhusudhan, Vizag)

No, it isn’t. In such constructions, careful users of the language would place the words ‘never’ and ‘not’ before the infinitive ‘to’ — not after it.

It is very dangerous. I promise never/not to do it again.


4. What is the meaning of ‘qualm’?
(Murali Pillai, Thiruvananthapuram)

The word rhymes with ‘calm’ and ‘arm’; the ‘qu’ is like the ‘qu’ in ‘quit’ and ‘quick’ and the ‘l’ is silent. It is pronounced ‘kwaam’. This is one way of pronouncing the word. When you have qualms about something, you have misgivings about it; you have this feeling of doubt as to whether you are doing the right thing or not.

The man had no qualms about stealing from his own parents.


5. What is the difference between ‘squash’ and ‘quash’?
(B. Hamsa, Coimbatore)

‘Quash’ is a term which is used quite frequently in legal contexts to mean ‘to set aside’ or ‘annul’. When a judge, for example, ‘quashes’ a conviction, what he is doing is stating officially that the earlier decision taken is no longer acceptable or valid.

As expected, the minister’s conviction was quashed.

When you ‘quash’ something, you forcibly suppress it.

The dictator sent his army to quash the rebellion.

When you ‘squash’ something, you apply so much pressure on it that you make it lose its shape.

The children had fun squashing all the clay models.

Like the word ‘quash’, ‘squash’ can also mean to forcibly suppress something.


“If you owe the bank $100, that’s your problem. If you owe the bank $100 million, that’s the bank’s problem.” — J. P. Getty


S. UPENDRAN

__________________
Regards,
P.R.

1. What is the meaning of ‘shoestring budget’?
(Anjali Anirudh, Bangalore)

What we call ‘shoelace’, the Americans call ‘shoestring’. As we all know, shoestrings are pretty inexpensive; one doesn’t really have to spend too much money to buy a pair. Therefore, when you say that something was done on a ‘shoestring budget’, what you mean is that it was done using a very small amount of money; you had very little money to spend.

*My father says we’ll be making our next film on a shoestring budget.


2. How is the expression ‘Mot juste’ pronounced?
(J.V. Reddy, Nellore)

The ‘t’ in ‘mot’ is silent, and the ‘o’ sounds like the ‘o’ in ‘go’, ‘so’, and ‘no’. The ‘j’ in ‘juste’ is like the ‘j’ in ‘jam’ and ‘juice’, and the following ‘u’ is like the ‘oo’ in ‘cool’, ‘pool’, and ‘fool’. The ‘st’ is like the ‘st’ in ‘stop’ and ‘step’, and the final ‘e’ is silent. The word is pronounced ‘mow joost’ with the stress on ‘juste’. ‘Mot’ in French means ‘word’ and ‘juste’ means ‘right’; when you say that something is ‘mot juste’, what you mean is that the word that you used is appropriate or exact.


3. What is the difference between ‘lease’ and ‘rent’?
(N. Gurumurthy, Chennai)

When you lease something, it always involves a written contract — it is a legal agreement. In the case of property, you draw up a contract which specifies the duration of the stay and the amount of money you will pay the landlord each month as rent. During this period of lease, the two parties are bound by the contract; unless both parties agree, the terms of agreement cannot be changed. The landlord cannot suddenly increase the rent, and the tenant cannot vacate the property as and when he likes. Should the tenant decide to leave before the lease expires, he may have to pay the rent for the remaining period or find another individual to take over his lease.

When you rent a property, it doesn’t always include a written contract. As a result, both parties can change the terms of agreement: the landlord can increase the rent whenever he wants to. He can ask the tenant to vacate the premises giving him a 30-day notice. The tenant too can leave whenever he wants to.


4. Where does the word ‘alphabet’ come from?
(K. Nirupama, Hyderabad)

The word ‘alphabet’ refers to the set of letters which is used for writing. One can talk about the ‘letters’ of the alphabet, but not about the ‘alphabets’. English has 26 letters of the alphabet, not 26 ‘alphabets’. This word comes from the Greek ‘alphabetos’; it is a combination of ‘alpha’ and ‘beta’. These two words, as you know, are the first two letters of the Greek alphabet.


5. What is the meaning and origin of the expression ‘bolt’ from the blue’?
(R. Balakrishnan, Chennai)

When you say that something was a bolt from the blue, what you mean is that it was totally unexpected; the result was something that surprised you very much.

*The fact that Rahul had failed the exam was a bolt from the blue.

The word ‘bolt’ refers to the thunderbolt that we often hear during heavy rain, and the ‘blue’ refers to the blue sky. On a beautiful day, when there are no clouds, and the sky is blue, we generally don’t expect to hear the sound of thunder. If we do hear one, it comes as a total surprise.


“We don’t bother much about dress and manners in England, because as a nation, we don’t dress well, and we’ve no manners.” — G. B. Shaw


S. UPENDRAN

__________________
Regards,
P.R.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be rehearsing for tomorrow's play?"

"That's what we were doing. But unfortunately the CD player stopped working."

"Did you inform the Principal?"

"We went to his office, but he wasn't in his desk."

"A person is usually `at' his desk, not `in' it."

"I see. How about this example? Hari was not at his desk."

"Sounds good. Our Accounts Officer is usually at his desk between 10 and 1: 00."

"Is it 10 A.M or P.M?"

"Take a wild guess! Now that the rehearsal has been called off, are you..."

"It hasn't been called off. All we need is a CD player. Could we borrow yours for a day?"

"Mine? It's brand new. I don't..."

"It's only for today. I promise I'll take good care of it."

"Well, okay. I guess you can borrow it. But don't make a practice of it."

"What do you mean? We are staging the play tomorrow. We have to practice."

"That's not what I meant. When you tell someone `not to make a practice of something', what you mean is that you don't want the individual to do it frequently."

"In other words, you are telling me not to borrow your CD player frequently. You're telling me not to make a habit of it."

"Exactly! Seema makes a practice of giving ten percent of her salary to charity."

"You're probably talking about some other Seema. The Seema I know spends all her money, and makes a practice of borrowing from her parents."

"That's a good example. Some teachers don't mind if their students come late to class. But they don't want them to make a practice of it."

"Teachers should be grateful that students come to class at all. Many of my friends go to college, but never attend classes. They make a practice of not attending classes."

"Good example, again. So, how's the play coming along? Did you manage to iron out the wrinkles?"

"Iron out the wrinkles? Oh you mean the wrinkles in my costume? Yes, I did manage..."

"That's not what I meant at all. The last time we met, you mentioned the problem you had with the lights in the auditorium. Have you solved the problem?"

"Is that what `iron out the wrinkles' means? To ease or solve a problem?"

"I guess you could say that."

"I see. The problem with the lights was minor. We managed to iron it out pretty quickly. How does that sound?"

"Excellent. We need to iron out a few wrinkles before we sign the contract."

"I guess you'll be hiring a couple of lawyers to iron out the wrinkles."

"You're right! They're having lunch with my boss tomorrow. I was told that one of them was a meatatarian."

"A what?"

"A meatatarian."

"What does it mean?"

"A meatatarian is someone who has a strong preference for meat. He must have meat with every meal. He doesn't particularly care for fruit and vegetables."

"My friend Anand is a meatatarian."

"The chicken biriyani was so good that Sujatha had three helpings. She is not even a meatatarian."

"Can this vegetarian borrow your CD player, please?"



"We journalists make it a point to know very little about an extremely wide variety of topics; that is how we stay objective." - Dave Barry



S. UPENDRAN

__________________
Regards,
P.R.

"Come in! Come in! How does it feel to be a star?"

"So, what did you think of our play? Did you like it?"

"I quite enjoyed it, actually. It was much better than expected."

"Thank you! You're not lying, are you?"

"Of course not! I really enjoyed the play. And so did a lot of other people. The guy sitting next to me let out a couple of belly laughs. I'm sure you heard it."

"What's a belly laugh?"

"A loud, hearty laugh is usually called a belly laugh. You laugh so loudly that sometimes even your belly shakes!"

"I see. My father laughs like that sometimes. Last week, when I told my famous joke, all I got from my friend was a giggle. What I wanted was a belly laugh."

"You don't always get belly laughs for jokes. Here's another example.I've seldom heard Uma laugh like that. It was a real belly laugh."

"Did you bring anyone with you to watch the play?"

"I certainly did. Ganesh."

"Ganesh! He must have been stepping out every five minutes for a smoke."

"He's kicked the habit."

"Kicked the habit? You can kick a person or thing. How can you kick a habit?"

"When you say that someone has `kicked the habit', what you mean is that he has given something up. He's quit doing something that he used to. He's given it up voluntarily."

"I see. So, what you are saying is that Ganesh has given up smoking."

"Precisely. `Kick the habit' is mostly used in relation to drugs and smoking. But it can..."

"My uncle smokes like a chimney. He's tried to kick the habit several times. But he has never succeeded."

"A lot of people say it's difficult to kick the habit. Ganesh was lucky. It took him over three years to kick the habit."

"Good for him. Did he enjoy the play as well?"

"Yes, he did. There were no belly laughs from him, though.

"Tell me, what can we do to improve? I mean how do we..."

"There were several people who fluffed their lines. Maybe you could..."

"They what?"

"F..l..u..f..f. Rhymes with `stuff' and `puff'. When you fluff something, you make an error or do it incorrectly or badly. So...."

"So what you're saying is that some of the actors kept making mistakes."

"Exactly! During the recording Anuradha fluffed her lines several times."

"At least I didn't fluff my lines."

"True. Sujatha did very well in the written exam, but she fluffed the interview."

"She told me that interviews make her nervous."

"They make a lot of people nervous. In informal contexts, the word fluff can also be used to mean `nonsense' or `irrelevant stuff'. The proposal submitted by the Manager is a lot of fluff."

"How about this example? Whenever my Principal gives a talk, there is always a lot of fluff."

"Sounds good. This will make a good essay if you cut out all the fluff in the first two paragraphs."

"Talking about writing essays, there are a couple that I have to submit the day after tomorrow."

"In that case, you'd better start on them immediately." "

I think I will."


"It takes hundreds of nuts to hold a car together, but it takes only one of them to scatter it all over the highway." - Evan Esar



S. UPENDRAN

__________________
Regards,
P.R.

1. What is the meaning of ‘Adidas’? Where does the word come from?
(K. Shanthi, Bangalore)

The word doesn’t really mean anything. There was time when people believed that ‘Adidas’ was an acronym for ‘All Day I Dream About Sport’. Of course, some people thought that the ‘s’ stood for something else! Neither story is based on fact. The founder of Adidas was a German named Adolf Dassler; he was nicknamed ‘Adi’ by his friends. When Dassler started his company in 1924, he decided to name it after himself. He combined his nickname ‘Adi’ with the first half of his surname ‘Dassler’ and got ‘Adidas’! Starting a shoe company seems to have run in the family. Adolph Dassler’s brother, Rudolph, was the founder of the Puma shoe company.


2. What is the meaning and origin of ‘hitting below the belt’?
(R. Saranyaraj, Coimbatore)

When you hit someone below the belt, you are being rather cruel or unfair; you are not playing by the rules of the game. You are using unfair means to get what you want, and in the process you deliberately hurt the other person.

*Making fun of the poor woman’s dead husband was definitely hitting below the belt.

The expression comes from the world of boxing. According to the Marquis of Queensbury Rules, a boxer is allowed to hit his opponent only on the upper body or the head. He is not allowed to hit below the waist belt.


3. What is the difference between ‘deadly’ and ‘deathly’?
(E. Silambarsan, Erode)

The word ‘deadly’ is normally used to suggest that something is ‘fatal’. It is something that is likely to cause the death of someone or something.

*According to this report, the terrorists were carrying deadly weapons.

“Deadly” can also be used to mean “extremely” or “very”.

*The temperature has dropped. It’s become deadly cold.

The word “deathly”, on the other hand, is mostly used figuratively to mean “suggestive of death” or “like death”. For example, if you say that someone is “deathly pale”, what you mean is that he is extremely pale; as pale as someone who is dead.

*After being hit by the car, the poor dog lay deathly still.

When you want to say that something is ‘very dull’, the word that you are looking for is ‘deadly’ and not ‘deathly’.

*You need to have tons of patience to listen to him. The man is a deadly bore.


4. What is the meaning of ‘invidious’?
(Y. N. Murthy, Hyderabad)

This is a word that is mostly used in formal contexts. It comes from the Latin ‘invidia’ meaning ‘envy’ or ‘malice’. When you refer to a task as being ‘invidious’, what you mean is that it is likely to be rather unpleasant; one that could cause resentment or a lot of unhappiness.

*He was given the invidious task of commenting on his boss’ work.

The word can also mean ‘offensively unfair’ or ‘discriminating’. An ‘invidious comparison’ is one where you are made to compare two things which are very different. The comparison can sometimes be made difficult because the two objects are either equally good or equally bad.

*As a mother, she resented the invidious comparison between the two children.


“Never under any circumstances take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.” — Dave Barry




S. UPENDRAN

__________________
Regards,
P.R.

1. What is the difference between ‘impasse’ and ‘deadlock’?
(R. Thirunarayan, Chidambaram)

First, let us deal with the pronunciation of the French word ‘impasse’. The British tend to pronounce the ‘i’ in the first syllable like the ‘a’ in ‘ant’, ‘pants’, and ‘apple’, and the ‘a’ in the second like the ‘a’ in ‘ask’, ‘answer’, and ‘car’. They pronounce the word ‘ampaas’. This is just one of the ways that the English pronounce the word. Americans, on the other hand, pronounce the ‘im’ like the ‘im’ in ‘him’, ‘Tim’ and ‘Kim’, and the following ‘a’ like the ‘a’ in ‘cat’ and ‘bat’. They pronounce the word ‘impass’. In both cases, the final ‘e’ is silent, and the stress is on the first syllable.

As far as the meaning is concerned, the two can be used interchangeably in most contexts. When two parties reach an impasse or deadlock, they reach a dead-end. They are in a difficult position and are unable to reach an agreement about something; they are unable to move forward in their discussions.

*Peace talks between the two countries ended in deadlock.


2. How is the word ‘sleuth’ pronounced? Why are detectives called ‘sleuths’?
(P. Mallika, Hyderabad)

Sleuth rhymes with ‘truth’, ‘booth’ and ‘Ruth’. The word comes from the compound ‘sleuthhound’; it was a dog like a bloodhound which was mainly used for tracking people and animals. With the passage of time, the word was reduced to ‘sleuth’, and like many other words, it acquired a figurative meaning. It meant to track or pursue someone or something. Since this is what detectives do, pursue or track people, it is not surprising that the word began to be used to refer to them. Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes are some of the well-known sleuths in fiction. The word is considered to be rather old fashioned.


3. What is the meaning of ‘tryst’?
(Impung Chang, New Delhi)

The ‘y’ in the word is pronounced like the ‘i’ in ‘fist’, ‘mist’, and ‘list’. ‘Tryst’ is considered to be a literary word which is mostly used in British English. The meeting of two lovers in a quiet and secluded place is called a tryst. The word nowadays is being used to mean ‘appointment’. Tryst comes from ‘tristre’ meaning ‘appointed station in hunting’.

*According to some people, India has a tryst with destiny.


4. Is it OK to say, ‘The school has received a great deal of complaints’?
(T. Vidya, Chennai)

No, it isn’t. The expression ‘a great deal of’ is usually followed by uncountable nouns, not countable ones. It is okay to say, ‘His father left him a great deal of money’, or, ‘Her children spent a great deal of time with the little puppy.’ With countable nouns, people generally use ‘large number of’ or ‘great many’.

*The Vice Chancellor received a large number of complaints.


5. What is the meaning and origin of ‘let your hair down’?
(C. Banumathi, Chennai)

When you tell someone to let his hair down, you are telling him to relax and have a good time. You are asking him to be himself and not worry about what others will think of him.

*Somebody needs to tell the new boss to let his hair down once in a while.

The expression comes from the world of fashion. Centuries ago, women, when they were in public, had to wear their hair up. The only time when they could literally let their hair down, and be themselves, was when they were in the privacy of their ‘bed chamber’.


“Art is a collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist does, the better.” — Andre Gide



S. UPENDRAN

__________________
Regards,
P.R.