Let's Learn Idioms and Phrases in a unique way
 

Salam to all CSS Aspirants,

I am initiating a thread in which I will place regularly a very interesting way to learn idioms. I have found useful [B][U]"KNOW YOUR ENGLISH" [/U][/B]in [url]www.thehindu.com[/url] by [B]"S. UPENDRAN"[/B], and would like to collect all those articles in this thread. I hope you all would like it.

Thanks,

regards,

S. AAMIR ALI SHAH

P.S: Please take this first post as a reference to all would-be articles.

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="3"]Know your English [/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]
``HI, COME on in! Haven't seen you in a while.''
``I was busy with my exams. What have you been up to? Good God, What's all this mess?''
``Just rearranging some of the stuff. Do you think you could....''
``....I smell Sujatha's perfume. Was she here by any chance?''
``That's some nose you have. Yes, she came in at about ten this morning and [B][U]parked herself[/U][/B] on that stool over there.''
``Parked herself? What do you think she is? A car?''
``Even people park themselves you know.''
``Really?''
[U]``When someone parks himself somewhere, he sits or stands in one particular place for a long time. He stays put in that place for quite some time.'' [/U]
``But won't other people find this inconvenient? I mean....''
``....yes, they will. But [U]when you `park yourself somewhere' you generally don't worry about such things.[/U] Here's an example. Anand and Karthik parked themselves on the sofa and remained there all morning.''
``Some of the demonstrators parked themselves in the hotel lobby and refused to budge. How does that sound?''
``Sounds great. The donkeys and cows parked themselves on the road and ...''
``....so this expression can be used with animals as well?''
``It can not only be used with animals, but also with things. Many of the students I know park their chewing gum under the table.''
``I hate it when people do that. Last night Gopa came over to our place and parked his notebooks on my study table.''
``Did you ask for them?''
``Of course not! He said that he would come back for them tomorrow.''
``I see. Prema parked her suitcases in the front room and vanished. She returned in the evening after having met her friends.''
``Can one use this expression in formal contexts?''
``The expression is normally used in informal contexts alone. Usually with people you know fairly well.''
``I think I'll park myself on the sofa.''
``Oh, no you're not! I don't want you to park yourself anywhere. I need your help in carrying these boxes to the...''
``....sorry. I won't be able to help today.''
``What's wrong? Feeling [B][U]under par[/U][/B]?''
``Under what?''
[U]``Under par! When you say that you are feeling under par or below par, it means you are not feeling well. You don't have the energy level that you normally do.'' [/U]
``I see. The Chairman cancelled the meeting because he was feeling below par.''
``That's a good example. She had viral fever last week. She feels under par even today.''
``Doesn't the expression [B][U]`off colour'[/U][/B] mean the same thing as `below par'?''
[U]``That's right. When you say that somebody looked off colour, it means that he/she was not in good health. For example, you...'' [/U]
``....let me try. The young man looks a little off colour today. I wonder what's wrong.''
``Very good. The Chairman has been off colour for the past two or three days.''
``Is there any other informal expression which means more or less the same thing?''
[B][U]``Under the weather[/U][/B]! Bharath has been under the weather the past couple of days.''
``What's wrong with you? You look a bit under the weather.''
``Excellent. Another expression that is frequently used in informal contexts is [B][U]`up to par'.[/U][/B] When someone says that he is not `up to par', it means that he is not feeling very good. Not his usual energetic self.''
``Can you give me an example?''
``Certainly. They invited me to come trekking, but as I wasn't up to par, I decided not to join them.''
``I am just not feeling up to par today. How does that sound?''
``Sounds good. This expression can be used with things as well. When you say that something is not up to par, it means that it doesn't meet the required standard. My teacher said that the assignment that I had submitted was not up to par. So she made me redo it.''
``Many students feel that the course that is being offered is not up to par.''
``None of the candidates who appeared for the interview were up to par.''
``As I am feeling below par today, I am going to park myself on your sofa and watch you carry all these boxes!''

------------------------------
``It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it.''
- Dan Quayle (former U.S. Vice President)
-------------------------------

S. UPENDRAN

[url]http://www.hinduonnet.com/2000/10/31/stories/13310676.htm[/url]

[CENTER][B][SIZE="3"]Know your English [/SIZE][/B][/CENTER]

``HEY, GUESS what? Sujatha's sister is getting married.''
``I know that. Sujatha introduced me to the guy a couple of days ago.''
``She did? I wonder why I wasn't introduced to him? Anyway, it doesn't matter. What does he look like?''
``His name is Laxman. He seems to be a nice person. He is no [B][U]Greek god[/U][/B], mind you, but he is definitely....''
``....Greek god! What are you talking about?''
``[U]Well, when you say that someone looks like a Greek god, it implies that he is extremely good looking. In other words, he is very handsome.'' [/U]
``I see. How about this example? When I walked into the restaurant - I found a Greek god sitting next to Sujatha.''
``That couldn't have been Laxman. Here's another example. Rajeev is no Greek god, but there is something about him...''
``....who cares about Rajeev. What do you think my chances are of looking like some Greek god when I grow up?''
``Pretty good, I'd say.''
``You really mean that?''
``Of course I mean it. Nothing is impossible, you know. I mean if you kill off all the men in this world and you are the only one...''
``....not very funny. Anyway, the fact that Sujatha's sister didn't find someone who looks like a Greek god is not surprising. She is no [B][U]Greek goddess[/U][/B], is she?
``No, she isn't.''
``Do you feel [B][U]peckish [/U][/B]at strange hours?''
``What a strange question! Why do you...''
``....I am not asking a question. I'm merely reading a line from this ad.''
``I see. Do you know what `peckish' means?''
``Doesn't it mean `hungry'?''
``Excellent! [U]The word 'peckish' is used in informal contexts in British English to mean `slightly hungry'.[/U] Here's an example. After playing two sets, Devi began to feel peckish.''
``Your friend Devi always feels peckish.''
``You have a point there.''
``My neighbour Banu says she usually feels peckish around 11-00 o'clock at night.''
``Many people feel peckish around that time. Yesterday, while waiting at the bus stop, I began to feel peckish.''
``That happens to me whenever the bus is late. I told my mother about it and she suggested to take a snack to....''
``[B][U]....not `suggested to take', but `suggested taking'.'' [/U][/B]
``But I have heard many people say, `He suggested to meet after lunch'.''
``It's true that many people say it, but it's wrong. What you need to say is, `He suggested meeting after lunch.''
``I see. How about this sentence? The students suggested going to the zoo.''
``Why go to the zoo when they can look at you?''
``I suggest that you stop making fun of me.''
``Sorry about that. I just couldn't....''
``Let's talk about something else.''
``Like what?''
``Cricket! Isn't it fantastic the way we bounced back in the test series?''
``It was a wonderful achievement. But I feel there is too much of [B][U]showboating [/U][/B]in cricket these days.''
``Showboating? What does it mean?''
``[U]It is an annoying form of behaviour which the players display on the field. Showboating means the same thing as showing off.'' [/U]
``Like when a fielder has brought off a brilliant catch or a bowler has taken an important wicket?''
``Yes, something like that. [U]Showboating is usually done to attract attention to yourself.'' [/U]
``Thanks to television, it's become very common these days.''
``Exactly! Here is an example. When the bowler took his second hat trick in the match, I thought there would be a lot of showboating. Surprisingly there was none.''
``How about this example? My friend Mukund is a showboat outfielder. He is well known for his outstanding catches.''
``When Rahul scored his fifth goal, we were all willing to forgive his showboating.''
``There is too much of showboating in cricket these days. It is no longer a gentleman's game.''
``It ceased to be that a long time ago. Anyway, we must be happy that we beat the Aussies.''
``I am extremely happy. I think the trip to Tirupathi brought the Prince of Kolkata lots of luck. From now on, for the sake of the country, our captain should visit Tirupathi before every test series.''
``And should the same person accompany him every time?''
``No comments.''


[CENTER]``Speech making is exactly like childbirth. You are so glad to get it over with.'' - John Barrymore [/CENTER]

S. UPENDRAN

Know Your English
 

[B][U][CENTER]Know your English [/CENTER][/U][/B]

"You're late as usual. What's the excuse this time?"
"Ran into Sarita and Ganesh at the bus stop. They are planning to see Spiderman 3 this evening, and they wanted to know if I'd like to come along."
"I hope you said no. If you go with those two, you'll end up feeling like [B][U]a fifth wheel." [/U][/B]
"A fifth wheel? What are you talking about?"
[U]"This is an expression mostly used in American English. A fifth wheel is a person or a thing that is not required." [/U]
"In other words, the person is the unwanted extra. He is like the fifth wheel of a car that already has four good ones, and is therefore unnecessary!"
"For example, the team already has two very good off spinners. I feel like a fifth wheel."
"It is also possible to say, [B][U]`third wheel'.[/U][/B]"
"Lavanya is just a third wheel around here. Why don't you send her home?"
"Good example. Is something wrong? You look a little green around the gills."
"What are you talking about? I'm not a fish! I don't have gills!"
"When you say that [B][U]someone is green around the gills[/U][/B], [U]what you mean is that he/she looks out of sorts." [/U]
[U]"In other words, the person looks sick or unwell." [/U]
"That's right! The person feels like throwing up. For example, I'm feeling green around the gills. I'd better step outside and get some fresh air."
"It's possible to say [B][U]`blue around the gills' [/U][/B]as well. It means the same thing. Ever since eating the chocolate cake, I've been feeling a little blue around the gills."
"I've been feeling blue around the gills since this morning. That was just an example. There's nothing wrong with me. I feel just fine."
"You don't look it, though. Do you... ."
"Guess who came to see me this morning?"
"I'm not in the mood to play games. Just tell me."
"Ram. He says that he is going to start his own business."
"Ram is going to start his own business! Does he [B][U]have the smarts [/U][/B]to do that?"
"Smarts? You mean `smart', don't you?"
"No, I mean `smarts'. [U]The word `smarts' is used in informal contexts to mean `intelligence' or `expertise." [/U]
"Intelligence, eh? Can I say, I've have the smarts to do the job?"
"You certainly can. Here's another example. If I were you, I would talk to Bala. He has the smarts to figure out what to do next."
"But your friend Ram certainly hasn't got the smarts. The only thing that he is good at doing is telling [B][U]fish stories." [/U][/B]
"Fish stories! What are you talking about?"
[U]"A fish story is a tall tale. In other words, a great big lie." [/U]
"How about this example? Politicians are good at telling fish stories."
"That's a good example. Do you seriously expect me to believe that fish story?"
"Can you tell me why tall tales are called fish stories?"
"Fishermen always have interesting stories to tell about the fish that they didn't catch. In the stories that they tell, the fish that gets away is always very big. Hence the expression `fish story'."
"That makes sense."

[CENTER]"You know you're getting old when you stoop to tie your shoelaces and wonder what else you could do while you're down there." — George Burns [/CENTER]
S. UPENDRAN

Know Your English
 

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="3"]Know your English [/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

"Your company seems to be doing quite badly. According to my cousin... "
"Have you come here to cheer me up or make me feel even more depressed?"
"Sorry! How did your boss react when people started selling their shares?"
"He didn't turn a hair."
"Didn't turn a hair, eh? How could he? Your boss is completely bald!"
"He's [B][U]as bald as a coot,[/U][/B] isn't he? When you say,..."
"What is a coot? Is it an animal of some kind?"
"It's a bird. And... "
"[U]When you say that someone is as bald as a coot, what you probably mean is that the person is completely bald. Am I right?" [/U]
"One hundred per cent. My neighbour is as bald as a coot."
"My twenty-five year old cousin is as bald as a coot. We've been telling him to wear a wig."
"Maybe someone should tell Sehwag to wear one as well. Ever since he started losing hair, he's stopped scoring runs."
"Maybe he's related to Samson! Anyway, what does [U][B]`didn't turn a hair' [/B][/U]mean?"
"[U]When you give someone bad news and he doesn't show any emotion, you say, `he didn't turn a hair'." [/U]
"When my boss was told that the union members were going on strike, he didn't turn a hair."
"He's a cool customer, isn't he?"
"He certainly is. I wouldn't want his job, though. He has to take a lot quick decisions. I want a job where I don't have to take any. A job... "
"Then become a Supreme Court Judge. The only time he takes a quick decision is when he has to decide whether Doordarshan should be given telecast rights for a cricket match."
"You have a point there."
"Turn on the TV, will you? I want to... "
"There's something wrong with it."
"It's not even a year old. It's still in guarantee, isn't it?"
[B][U]"You don't say that something is `in guarantee', but `under guarantee'. Yes, the TV is still under guarantee." [/U][/B]
"How about this example? I have to remind my father that the air conditioner is still under guarantee."
"Good example. By the way, the stress in guarantee is on the final syllable. Not on the first. How is your friend Sunita doing?"
"She's doing great! She's got a job in a call centre and is working alongside of Arun and Sarah."
"She works alongside Arun and Sarah. [B][U]You don't say `alongside of'. For example, the children took great delight in working alongside the clowns." [/U][/B]
"Senior citizens were seen fighting alongside soldiers."
"We jogged alongside the Olympic champion..."
"I understand how to use `alongside' now. So, please stop. Tell me, are you in the mood for a movie?"
"A movie, eh? Not a bad idea! Going out might do me a world of good. It might help me overcome my depression. Can you wait for a while? I'll take a bath, and then... "
"Take your bath? Shouldn't you say, `I'll have my bath'?
[B][U]"You can either `take a bath' or `have a bath'. Both are acceptable. The British say `have a bath', while Americans say, `take a bath'." [/U][/B]
"OK then, you have your bath. While I'm waiting, I'll write a letter."
"A letter? To whom?"
"To Sehwag. I'm going to tell him to wear a wig."

[CENTER]"If you want to make God laugh, tell him your future plans." — Woody Allen [/CENTER]
S. UPENDRAN

no yur ingleish
 

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="3"]Know your English [/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

``I HAVE been coming here every day, but you are never around. Don't tell me that you are already busy with next month's conference''
``A conference requires a lot of planning. There are so many rules and regulations to be followed. Even my boss is [B][U]stymied [/U][/B]by some of...''
``....your boss is what? What was the word you used?''
``S..t..y...m..i..e The `y' in the first syllable is like the `y' in `my', `by', and `cry'. The `ie' in the second syllable is pronounced like the `i' in `kit', `bit', and `hit'. The main stress is on the first syllable `sty'.''
``But what does `stymie' mean?''
``Believe it or not, it's a word that comes from the world of golf. How would you feel if you were to find your opponent's golf ball obstructing your path to the hole.''
``Well, if the opponent's golf ball is between mine and the hole, I would probably feel pretty annoyed and frustrated I guess. I would probably feel that he placed the ball there to ensure that I didn't make any progress.''
``Excellent! [U]When something `stymies' you, it prevents you from doing whatever it is that you had planned to. There is an obstruction which leaves you confused.'' [/U]
[U]``In other words you end up making no progress in whatever it is you are doing.'' [/U]
``Exactly! Here's an example. The change that the new teachers tried to bring in was stymied by the administration.''
``How about this example? We had a test in physics yesterday. Most of the students were stymied by the first question.''
``That's a good example. My attempts to get a promotion were stymied when my boss' son applied for the same position.''
``Competing with the boss' son is not going to get you anywhere, is it? So, how is the preparation for the conference coming along?''
``Our Coordinator has been[B][U] sweating blood[/U][/B] ever since....''
``....sweating blood? Good grief! That sounds serious. Have you taken him to the doctor?''
``Doctor? What for? I don't ...Oh I see. [U]When you say that someone is sweating blood, it doesn't mean he/she is really bleeding. It means that the person is working really hard to complete something.'' [/U]
``I see. For a minute you had me worried there. Is `sweating blood' an expression used in informal contexts?''
``That's right. Here is an example. The old man sweated blood to put his grandson through college.''
``I usually sweat blood a month before the final exams. How does it sound?''
``Good. But six months before the final exams, you don't even sweat. Let alone sweat blood.''
``That's true. My nephew Vyomekesh is sweating blood to complete his science project on time.''
``Talking about nephews, did you....''
``....I wish that the Indian cricket team would sweat blood for the sake of the country.''
``They probably would if the Board made it clear that a player's pay would be determined by his performance, rather than his non performance.''
``Some of the newspaper articles dealing in cricket were very interesting.''
``[B][U]Dealing with and not dealing in.''
``What is the difference between the two?''[/U][/B]
[U]``When a shop or a company deals in something, it does business buying and selling those things.'' [/U]
``I see. So when you `deal in' something, you specialise in it. Is that it?''
``Well, yes. Here is an example. If you want to buy a good pair of jeans, go to my cousin's shop. He deals in jeans.''
``How about this example? When they started their business, they dealt only in stationery. But now they also deal in cassettes and CDs.''
``That is a good example.''
``Now tell me, what does `deal with' mean?''
[U]``When a book or an article deals with a particular topic, it discusses or covers that particular topic. Here is an example. Corruption is a topic that is dealt with in detail in this book.'' [/U]
``The article doesn't deal with how badly women were treated.''
[U]``When a person `deals with' something, he/she usually handles that something. For example, the Rector dealt with the problem quickly.'' [/U]
``Our batsmen must learn to deal with the Australian bowling.''
``I am sure they will be able to do that after the third test.''
``But we are playing only three test matches.''
``I know that. You see....''
``....I have an idea. Just as kids have a trial ball when they play cricket, our players should ask for a couple of trial tests.''

[CENTER]* * *[/CENTER]
[CENTER]``Some women get excited about nothing and then marry him.'' - Anon [/CENTER]
S. UPENDRAN

no yur ingleish
 

[CENTER][U][B][SIZE="3"]Know your English [/SIZE][/B][/U][/CENTER]

``HI! WHY are you walking like that? Is there something wrong?''
``Yes, it's my back, I'm afraid. It's [B][U]playing up [/U][/B]again.''
``What did you play? I thought you were too busy....''
``....I didn't play anything.[U] When you say that some part of your body is `playing up', it means that it is causing problems. This is .....'' [/U]
``....Oh, so what you're saying is that you have a back problem.''
``I guess you could say that.''
``I see. Can I say my grandmother's leg is playing up again?''
``You can. What's wrong with the leg?''
``I think it has something to do with the weather. It's been raining non stop for the past three days and whenever it rains....''
``....the weather, of course! Why didn't I think of it before? The weather could be the reason why my back is playing up too.''
``Could be. But tell me, is this expression used with parts of the body alone? Or can it be used with....''
``....[U]`play up' can be used with machines and instruments as well. For example, I can say, our telephone is playing up again.'' [/U]
``Meaning the telephone is not working properly. It's creating problems.''
``Exactly!''
``The telephones in our city play up whenever there is a slight drizzle.''
``You have a point there. I'd better take the car to the mechanic. It's playing up.''
``Didn't you have it repaired last week?''
``I did. But....''
``.... nothing ever gets fixed, does it?''
``You're right! Nothing ever gets fixed. Venkat recommended the mechanic that I...''
``....Venkat! Is it true that he called your Chairman `a dirty old man'?''
``Yes, he called him that in a meeting. Poor Venkat, the incident is being [B][U]played up by everyone.''[/U][/B]
``Played up, again? What does it mean this time?''
[U]``When you play something up, you make it out to be much more important than what it actually is. In other words, you exaggerate.'' [/U]
``Isn't this what all newspapers do? Last week, for example, all the local newspapers played up the divorce story.''
``So true. People seem to be very interested in the private life of a movie star. When I went to visit my cousin last week, my mother told me not to let her play up her illness.''
``I don't know why so many people exaggerate their illness. Tell me, we have the expression, `play up'. Is there an expression [B][U]`play down'[/U][/B]?''
``There definitely is. [U]It means the exact opposite of `play up'.
``I see. So, when you play down something, it means that you reduce the importance of someone or something?'' [/U]
``Exactly! Here's an example. The Minister tried to play down his role in the scandal.''
``The Government is trying to play down its recent loss in the local elections. How does that sound?''
``Sounds great. Namrata tried to play down her role in the scandal.''
``What's her brother Janardhan up to?''
``The last time I saw him he was [U][B]playing at being[/B][/U] a chef.''
``Playing at? Isn't it wrong to say that?''
[U]``When someone `plays at being' someone or something, they pretend to be that someone or something.'' [/U]
``Little kids do this all the time.''
``Exactly! They pretend all the time. Here's an example. Sharmila and Rajesh were playing at being astronauts.''
``I played at being a pilot when I was young. How does that sound?''
``Good! The politicians were playing at being pirates.''
``I don't think they have to play at being pirates. Most of them already are! Anyway, does Janardhan still play tennis?''
``Let's just say he [B][U]plays at[/U][/B] tennis.''
``Plays at tennis! That is definitely wrong.''
``No, it isn't. When you [U]`play at' something, you don't do it seriously. You are merely pretending to do it. For example, in yesterday's match, most of the players were playing at batting.'' [/U]
``[U]In other words, they were just pretending to bat.[/U] Another case of match fixing?''
``Don't say that. The press will play it up again.''

[CENTER]Journalism: A profession whose business it is to explain to others what it personally does not understand.''
- Lord Northcliffe. [/CENTER]
S. UPENDRAN

no yur ingleish
 

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="3"]Know your English [/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

``HI! COME on in. Did your cousin get the job?''
``We are not really sure.''
``Why not? He did well at the interview, didn't he?''
``He must have. But the man who interviewed him says that he'll give him the job provided my cousin pays him something in return.''
``He wants a bribe, eh? Why doesn't he give him [B][U]a piece of bread[/U][/B] and get it over with?''
``A piece of bread! I wish it were that simple. The man wants....''
``....but that's what a bribe amounted to. Don't you know that?''
``You mean to say that [U]when you bribed someone, you gave him a piece of bread?'' [/U]
``Exactly! [U]The word `bribe', some people believe, originally meant a piece of bread. In the old days, when fairly well to do people went for a walk, they used to carry bread in their pockets. When beggars used to harass them for money, they used to dip into their pockets and give them a piece of bread instead.''
``Since the rich man wanted to be left in peace, he gave the poor man a piece of bread.''
``It was a bribe to stop pestering him.'' [/U]
``That's interesting. If only the same practice continued even today, then...''
``.... many houses would be stinking of stale bread.''
``We would be talking about bread scam rather than urea scam!''
``Tell me, are you planning on joining the new computer course?''
``No, I am not. It's very expensive. The fee.....''
``....how much is it going to cost you? [B][U]Two cows or three cows[/U][/B]?''
``Two or three cows! What are you talking about?''
``[U]That's what the word `fee' means. It comes from the Anglo Saxon `feoh' meaning `cattle'.''
``But what is the connection between cattle and money?''
``Well, in the old days, cattle represented a man's wealth. The more cattle an individual had, the more money he had.'' [/U]
``I see. I wonder what would happen if I took some stray cattle and walked into .....''
``...they wouldn't let you anywhere near the building.''
``That's true. Anyway, what's the silly movie you are watching?''
``I have no idea what the movie is called. It's about this kid who gets rescued by a soldier. Later, they....''
``.... speaking about soldiers. My cousin Ravi has joined the army. He told me that he is going to be in the [B][U]infantry[/U][/B].''
``Is your cousin an infant?''
``No, he isn't. He wouldn't be able to join the army if he were.''
``That's true. Any way, this movie....''
``....wait a minute! Are you saying that [B][U]there is a connection between `infant' and `infantry'?'' [/U][/B]
``Don't you see any connection?''
``Well, both words look alike, but that's about it. An `infant' is a child. And `infantry' is a term that is used in the army. I don't see any connection.''
``Well, there is a connection. You see, the word `[U]infant' comes from the Latin `infans' which means `unable to speak'. So, the original infant was a child who hadn't begun to speak as yet.'' [/U]
``But these days, in some countries, children less than the age of seven are called infants. Surely they would know how to speak and write!''
``That's true. The meaning of the word has changed somewhat. Now coming to the word ``infantry'. You see....''
``....don't tell me the infantry consisted of little children who didn't know how to speak.''
``No, I am not saying that. [U]The original infantry consisted of young men. Youths,[/U] shall we say, and they...''
``....but surely these men could speak?''
``Of course, they could. But they were not expected to.[U] Since they were all very junior people in the army, they were not expected to speak unless they were spoken to.'' [/U]
``Since they couldn't speak on their own, I guess that's why they were called `infants'.''
''That's right.``
``Are you keen on watching this movie?''
``Yes, could you become an `infant' for the next hour or so?''
``Am I supposed to give you some cattle for letting me watch this movie?''
* * *
`[CENTER]`Speeches are like babies - easy to conceive, but hard to deliver.''
- Pat O' Malley [/CENTER]
S. UPENDRAN

no yur ingleish
 

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="3"]KNOW YOUR ENGLISH [/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

"HOW DO you pronounce r...a...p...p...o...r...t?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"First, you tell me, and then I'll tell you."
"O.K. The `a' in the first syllable is pronounced like the `a' in ....."
".... like the `a' in `china', I bet."
"No, it's like the `a' in `cat', `bat', and `sat'. The `or' in the second syllable is like the `or' in `pore', `sore', and `bore'. The final `t' is silent."
"The stress? Is it on the first or second syllable?"
"It's on the second syllable. When you have a good [B][U]rapport [/U][/B]with someone...."
".... [U]I know what it means. When you have a good rapport with someone, you have a good relationship with him or her. You understand the individual very well." [/U]
"Lots of people find it strange that I have an excellent rapport with Bala."
"Well, I guess it's because you two are so different. Anyway, how about this example? My physics teacher has an excellent rapport with all his students."
"Good! I wish my boss had a good rapport with the new accountant."
"I thought your new accountant had some good ideas about how to cut costs."
"She does. But my boss isn't willing to listen to anything she says. According to him she's just a Johnny come lately."
"[B][U]Johnny come lately[/U][/B]? What does it mean?"
[U]"When you refer to someone as a Johnny come lately what you mean is that he/she is a newcomer. As you know, this accountant joined the company very recently." [/U]
"So your boss isn't willing to listen to your accountant because she doesn't know much about the company?"
"That's right."
"How about this example. We don't pay any attention to Laxman. He is a Johnny come lately and doesn't know what he is talking about."
"[U]Another expression which means the same thing is [/U][B][U] 'new kid on the block'.[/U][/B]"
"I have been going to the same restaurant for ten years. Why should I listen to some new kid on the block?"
"I have been with my company for fifteen years. But my boss still thinks of me as the new kid on the block."
"That's because he's been with the company for forty years, and....."
".... I don't want to talk about my boss. Tell me, why did you want to know about rapport?"
"Well Sujatha said that if I wanted to have a good rapport with her, then I should...."
".... a good rapport with Sujatha! That's not going to happen."
"Why not?"
"You are too [B][U]lowbrow[/U][/B] 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, [U]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." [/U]
"O.K, I think I understand. I feel ill at ease in the company of [B][U]highbrows[/U][/B]. 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 post structuralism and ....."
".....don't want to know."
"O.K. Tell me, is there a [B][U]middlebrow[/U][/B]?"
"Yes, there is. [U]Someone who is a middlebrow is average." [/U]
[U]"In other words, mediocre?" [/U]
"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."
[CENTER]* * *
"Doing nothing is very hard to do...you never know when you're finished." — Leslie Nielsen
[/CENTER]

no yur ingleish
 

[B][CENTER][U]KNOW YOUR ENGLISH[/U][/CENTER][/B]

"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 [B][U]winged it[/U][/B]. 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. [U]When you say that somebody `winged it' what you are saying is that the person improvised. He made things up as he went along;[/U] 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. [U]You stand up and say something even though you are not prepared." [/U]
"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 [B][U]went ballistic[/U][/B]."
"Went ballistic? Doesn't [U]the expression mean to become extremely angry[/U]?"
"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 [U][B]walking papers[/B][/U]. He has asked...."
"....his walking papers? What are you talking about?"
"[U]When a company gives you your `walking papers', it means that you have been sacked. Or `fired', as the Americans would put it[/U]."
"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."
"You may be right."
"Walking papers. I have never come across that expression before."
"It is considered slang, but it's used quite often by native speakers in informal contexts. For example, I can say, our company is downsizing. I hope I am not given my walking papers. I need this job to help repay some of my debts."
"How about this example? When Ashok was given his walking papers, he looked at his boss and laughed."
"He can afford to. His wife has a really fantastic job. And with his qualifications and the contacts that his wife has, Ashok can get a job anywhere."
"How about Dilip? How did he react?"
"Dilip! The poor guy is[B][U] in a funk[/U][/B]."
"In a funk? What a strange expression!"
"When you say that you are in a funk, it implies that..."
"...I can guess the meaning. It probably means that [U]you are feeling depressed. It probably means the same thing as `feeling blue'[/U]."
"My! You're in excellent form today. That's exactly what it means. Arun has been in a funk ever since he came to know that the Indian cricket team had lost the match."
"He's in a funk because our cricket team lost? That's really crazy. Well, all I can say is poor Arun is going to be in a funk most of the time because our overpaid underachievers always lose."
"Except when they play in India of course."
"That's true. By the way,[U] it is also possible to say[/U] `[B][U]in a blue funk[/U][/B]'. For example, I can say, Sushila has been in such a blue funk that she refuses to even step out of the house."
"Padma has taken a couple of weeks off from work to come out of her blue funk."
"Poor Dilip. I hope he gets a job soon. I can't imagine him being in a funk actually. You see, he always seems so happy, so relaxed. As if nothing can bother him."
"That's true. He gives the impression that he is pretty [B][U]laid back[/U][/B]. But he ..."
".... laid back. Does[U] it mean someone who is usually calm and relaxed[/U]?"
"That's right. When you say that someone is laid back what you are implying is that the individual gives the impression that he is calm and relaxed. That nothing ever worries him. I have been told by many people that I am pretty laid back."
"You are laid back, if you ask me."
"Who is asking you? I am anything but laid back. I get worked up about a lot of things. My only problem is that I don't ....
"...relax, will you? I was just kidding. I know that you get upset when things don't work out. As for me, I am pretty laid back about a lot of things."
"You can afford to be because you are still a student. But if your boss gets the impression that you are laid back, then I can assure you....
"... I'll probably get my walking papers."
"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."
[CENTER]* * *
"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

[/CENTER]

S. UPENDRAN

no yur ingleish
 

[B][U][CENTER]KNOW YOUR ENGLISH[/CENTER][/U][/B]

[B]Q. What is the meaning of "[B][U]run with the hare and hunt with the hounds[/U][/B]"? [/B] (N.Vijayaselvam, Srivilliputtur)

ANS: Very often when two people have an argument, they go to a third person and ask him to be a judge. If the person is timid and is afraid to take a decision, he will end up saying that both parties are in the right. He will support both sides of the argument because he doesn't want to hurt the feelings of his friends; sometimes, he does this with an ulterior motive in mind. This desire to be on friendly terms with both warring factions by supporting their arguments is what we mean by the expression, "running with the hare and hunting with the hounds." The individual is trying to be both the rabbit (hare) and the dog (hound). He wants to be the hunted as well the hunter; and this is just not possible. This idiom is considered rather old fashioned.
*Latha is a very clever person. She runs with the hare and hunts with the hounds.

[B]Q. Is there a difference in meaning between "between "amuse" and "bemuse"? [/B]
(Jayashree, Pune)

ANS: Yes, there is a difference — a big difference. The two words are not synonymous, as some people believe. When something "amuses" an individual, it makes him laugh or smile. He finds it funny or entertaining.
*The principal found the comments made by the students very amusing.
"Bemuse", unlike amuse, has nothing to do with making people laugh. When you are "bemused" by something, you are bewildered by it. It leaves you confused or puzzled. For example,
*When the stranger walked into the classroom, the children looked at her with a bemused expression.

[B]What is the meaning of "lost in the shuffle"?[/B] (L. Keshav, Hyderabad)

ANS: This is an expression that comes from the world of card games and is mostly used in American English. When you shuffle a pack of cards, you mix them up; you don't know where a particular card is. [U]When a plan or an idea gets lost in the shuffle, it doesn't get the attention that it deserves.[/U] The expression can be used with reference to people as well.
*In refugee camps, orphans often get lost in the shuffle and are left without food for days.


[B]Q. What is the meaning and origin of `Garrison finish'? [/B]
(K. Prabhakar Rao, Tirupati)

ANS: Early this year, our one-day team pulled off a couple of sensational victories.[U] When we thought that the match had been lost, someone or the other did something incredible and helped the team win the match.[/U] This come-from-behind victory is called `Garrison finish'.
*It was a Garrison finish. Our team scored three goals in the last two minutes.
The expression comes from the world of horse racing. Edward H. Garrison, nicknamed `Snapper', was a famous American jockey who raced in the late 19th century. He was famous for his spectacular come-from-behind victories. Whenever he participated in a race, Garrison always began by staying at the back of the pack. He made his move (he speeded up his horse) only during the last stretch of the race. Since he always won his races by staying back till the last minute, a come-from-behind victory began to be called `Garrison finish'.

[B]Q. What is the difference between `break a sweat' and `break into a sweat'? [/B]
(S. Venunathan, Kozhikode)

ANS: [U]When you do something `without breaking a sweat', you do it without any difficulty.[/U] You find the task so easy that you don't have to exert yourself at all; you perform the task very easily or quickly. There is no need for you to sweat.
*Rahul answered all the questions without breaking a sweat.
[U]Another expression that has more or less the same meaning is[/U] [B]`no sweat'. [/B]
*Listen, I'll carry the two large suitcases. No sweat at all.
When you [B]`break into a sweat',[/B] [U]you actually start sweating. And when is it that we begin to sweat? When we exert ourselves or when we are extremely nervous or frightened about something. [/U]
*The children broke into a sweat when they heard strange noises coming from the bedroom.
*Uma broke into a sweat when she saw the policeman walking towards her.

[B]Q. What is the difference between `I read your article' and `I did read your article'? (T. Vasanthi, Chidambaram) [/B]

ANS: The first sentence is a statement. It could be the reply to the question, `Did you read my article?' The second sentence is what you would tell someone if they didn't believe that you had actually read the article. The `did' is used to add emphasis; you are saying that you have indeed read the article. You are not lying.

[B]Q. Is there such a word as `[B][U]auto dentist[/U][/B]'? (K. Lavanya, Pondicherry) [/B]

ANS Yes, the word does exist; it has been around for a few years now. You may be surprised to know that the word `dentist' in this case does not refer to the doctor who looks after people's teeth! As you walk along the road and look at the various parked cars, scooters and motorcycles, what is it that strikes you? What is it that the vehicles have in common? Most of them have `dents'; there are very few cars in India that do not have dents. [U]An `auto dentist' is someone who repairs the dents and other minor damages in cars. Auto means `car' and `dentist' means `one who repairs dents'[/U]

[B]Q. How is the word `honcho' pronounced, and what does it mean? [/B] (J. Reddy, Chennai)

ANS: The first `o' is pronounced like the `o' in `hot', `pot', and `dot'; the second sounds like the `o' in `so', `go', and `no'. The `ch' is like the `ch' in `chips', `cheap', and `chew'. The main stress is on the first syllable `hon'. The word is considered slang, and is mostly used in American English in informal contexts. It can be used both as a noun and a verb. [U]Anyone who is the boss or the leader can be referred to as a `honcho'. The word is of Japanese origin and can be used with both men and women. [/U]
Meera, the top honcho in the accounts department, listened patiently to our problem.
[U]When used as a verb, `honcho' means to manage or direct something. [/U]
Did Revathi tell you who is likely to honcho the project?
Amrit is honchoing preparations for the forthcoming seminar.

[B]Q. What is the meaning of `pull the rug from under someone's feet'? [/B]
(K. M. Karthik, Vizag)

ANS: If someone were to pull the rug on which you are standing, what do you think is likely to happen? You will probably fall and hurt yourself, and in the process create problems for yourself. When someone pulls the rug from under your feet, what he is doing is taking away the support or help that you have been receiving. By taking away your support rather unexpectedly, he [U]creates all kinds of problems for you.[/U]
Prabhu pulled the rug from under his children's feet by denying them their allowance.
The company was losing money. It decided to pull the rug from under the ill-fated project.

[B]Q. Is it okay to say, "It took Mohan six months to recover from his fatal accident"? [/B](B. Akshay, Pune)

ANS: No, it isn't. The word `fatal' usually has a negative connotation. An accident or an illness that is described as `fatal', usually results in the death of an individual. As you probably know, it is difficult for a person to recover from death!
The ailing chief minister suffered a fatal heart attack around midnight.
Several policemen were fatally wounded during the encounter with the militants.
[U]The word `fatal' can also be used to mean `undesirable' or `causing disaster'.[/U]
The captain made the fatal mistake of asking Agarkar to bowl the final over.
Sahu's injury proved fatal to our plans of winning the trophy.

[CENTER]"Women are like cell phones. They like to be held and talked to, but push the wrong button, and you'll be disconnected." Unknown
[/CENTER]

S.UPENDRAN

no yur ingleish
 

[CENTER][B][U]KNOW YOUR ENGLISH[/U][/B][/CENTER]

"WHAT ARE you reading?"
"An article on global warming. It says here that the weather in our country...."
".... I'm not interested in the weather. Right now I am only interested in finishing ...."
".....how do you pronounce [U][B]e..q..u..a..b..l..e[/B][/U]?"
"What?"
"E..q..u..a..b..l..e. How do you pronounce it?"
"Well, the first `e' is like the `e' in `set', `bet', and `met'. The `qu' sounds like the `qu' in `quality', `quit', and `quick'. The `a' is like the...."
"....don't tell me. It's like the `a' in `China', while the final `ble' is probably like the `ble' in `bubble', `trouble', and `double'."
"Exactly! The main stress is on the first syllable. Any idea what the word means?"
"Sure I do. People usually talk about an `equable settlement'. That ...."
"....sorry! The word you are thinking of is [B][U]`equitable', not `equable'."
"What's the difference between the two?" [/U][/B]
[U]"When you say that something is `equable', it means it is regular, moderate, free from extremes. The word is often used to refer to the climate. For example, the climate in Rajasthan is anything but equable." [/U]
"Many people say that Hyderabad has an equable climate."
"You must be joking. Hyderabad gets really hot during the summer. I have heard quite a few people say that Bangalore is equable. But let's not get into an argument over the weather. Can `equable' be used with people as well?"
[U]"Yes, it can. When you say that someone is `equable' what you are implying is that the person is even tempered."[/U]
"In other words, the individual has no mood swings. Like the climate, the person has no extremes."
"I guess you could say that. No matter what the situation is, the individual is calm and cheerful. Like me!"
"Like you? You must be joking! How about this example? It's a pleasure working with Gitanjali because she is so equable."
"That's a good example. His equable temperament made Bala quite a popular teacher."
"Everyone had told Venkat that his new boss was equable and that he would enjoy working with him. So he was quite surprised when the man snapped at him for coming late to office."
"Bosses are so unpredictable. Tell me, [U]what does `eQUITable' mean[/U]?"
"The stress is not on the second, but the first syllable. It's pronounced Equitable."
"I see. What does Equitable mean?"
[U]"It means just or impartial." [/U]
"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."
"[B]Drives you up the wall[/B]? One can drive into a wall. How do you drive up the wall?"
[U]"When you say that someone is driving you up the wall, it means that the individual is driving you crazy." [/U]
"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 [B][U]come to a boil[/U][/B] as yet."
".... come to a boil? Does[U] it mean to get angry or something[/U]?"
"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 [U]`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. [/U]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."
"When Aparna asked for a divorce, everything came to a boil."
"If I don't complete this project by tomorrow, things will come to a boil."
"In that case I shall perform the disappearing act."
"Please do. And don't reappear till tomorrow."
[CENTER]
*** ***
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy — and Jill a wealthy widow." — Evan Esar
[/CENTER]
S. UPENDRAN

no yur ingleish
 

[B][U][CENTER]KNOW YOUR ENGLISH [/CENTER][/U][/B]

"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 `[B][U]handsome[/U][/B]'?"
"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, [U]I wouldn't use the word handsome with a young girl like Shanti. You see, mature women can be called `handsome', not young girls." [/U]
"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'."
[U]"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?" [/U]
"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 [B][U]psych my new boss out[/U][/B].''
[U]"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."
"In other words, you try and understand the person. How his mind works. Is that what you are saying?" [/U]
"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?"
[U]"When you psych out about something, you become very excited about it. [/U]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 `[B][U]psych up[/U][/B]'."
"What does it mean?"
"[U]When you psych someone up, you get them mentally prepared to do something.[/U] It..."
"....[U]you mean like taking a test or something[/U]?"
"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."

[CENTER]* * *
"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
[/CENTER]

S. UPENDRAN

no yur ingleish
 

[B][U][CENTER]Know your English [/CENTER][/U][/B]

[B]WHAT IS the origin of the expression ``lion's share''? [/B]
(V. H. Ninoy, Cochin)

ANS This is an expression which owes its origin to a story from Aesop's Fairy Tales. In the story, a lion and three of his friends - a fox, an ass, and a wolf - go hunting. After they make a kill the lion says that he is going to keep three fourths of the meat for himself. The reasons he provides for keeping the ``lion's share'' are the following: one fourth as his just share, one fourth for his lioness and cubs, and the other one fourth for his courage. The lion then goes on to inform his friends that he is prepared to part with the remaining one fourth provided one of them challenges him to a fight and defeats him. The three friends refuse to take him on and as a result leave the entire kill to the king of beasts. ``[U]Lion's share'' as you can guess from the story means the larger share of something. [/U]Here are a few examples.
* Promod claimed the lion's share of the credit for winning the match.
* As usual, Vishnu took the lion's share of the pizza.
* They were supposed to divide the money equally between themselves, but Narender took the lion's share.

[B]Q How is the word ``dilettante'' pronounced? (D. Devayani, Hyderabad) [/B]
* The `i' in the first syllable and the final ``e'' are pronounced like the `i' in `pit', `sit', and `hit'. The vowel ``e'' in the second syllable is like the ``a'' in ``china''. Some people pronounce the ``a'' like the `a' in `act', `pact', and `hat'. Others pronounce it like the ``a'' in ``bath'' and ``path'' (British English). The main stress is on the third syllable. Any idea what the word means? Well, [U]a `dilettante' is someone who tries to cultivate an area of interest without really making the necessary commitment. The person may do a course in painting for example, without taking the subject seriously. He merely dabbles in the subject.[/U] Here are a few examples.
* I wouldn't take him too seriously. He is a musical dilettante.
* He often refers to his writings as the musings of a dilettante.
* The critics, as expected, did not take the young dilettante poet seriously.

[B]Q. What is the difference between ``corrigenda'' and ``errata''?[/B] (Chhoto Gawai, Nagpur)

ANS Both ``corrigenda'' and ``errata'' refer to the errors - usually in spelling - that occur in writing or printing. [U]The words are mainly used to refer to the list of errors in a book along with their corrections. [/U]Of the two words ``errata'' is the more common. The errata or corrigenda are usually appended to the book - one usually finds this page at the back. The singular of `corrigenda' is `corrigendum'; while that of ``errata'' is ``erratum''. A note about the pronunciation of ``corrigenda''. The `o' in the first syllable is like the `o' in `cot', `pot', and `hot', while the `i' in the second is like the `i' in `pit', `sit', and `bit'. The `gen' in the next syllable sounds like the `gen' in `gentle' and `gentleman'. The `a' in the final syllable is like the `a' in `china'. The main stress is on the third syllable.
In the case of ``errata'', the first ``a'' is pronounced like the ``a'' in ``cat'', ``bat'', and ``hat'', while the second sounds like the ``a'' in ``china''. The stress is on the second syllable.

[B]Q. One of my teachers keeps telling us to ``chill out''. What exactly does he mean by that?[/B] (Vinta Manohar, Adoor)

ANS: Well, if your teacher is asking you to ``chill out'' it says a lot about your class. Are you a noisy bunch? Do you and your friends talk non-stop in class? Do you allow your teacher say his piece? If the teacher has to use the expression ``chill out'' very often in class, then chances are you are not allowing him to talk in class! By asking you to [U]``chill out'', the teacher is asking you to calm down, to relax - in other words he is pleading with you to stop talking! [/U]The plight of most teachers these days! Here are a few examples.
* Most people like to chill out during weekends.
* The argument was turning nasty. So I told the guys to chill out.
* You have had a pressure packed week. Take a couple of days off and chill out.
It is also possible to say ``chill''. ``Chill out'' and ``chill'' both mean the same thing. Chillin' is another word, which is used very often in American English. Any idea what it means? It means ``great or excellent''. Here are a few examples.
* I made some chillin' friends during the holidays.
* Asmita said that she had a chillin' time yesterday.
* The movie was chillin'.
* By the way, all three expressions are used in informal contexts.

[B]Q What is the correct spelling of ``whiskey''? Is it ``whiskey'' or ``whisky''? [/B](P. Ramanujam, Hyderabad)

ANS It depends on which part of the world you are from. I understand the Americans spell it ``whiskey'' while the British spell it ``whisky''. The English have been influenced by the way the Scots spell the word. The Americans, on the other hand, have been influenced by the way the Irish spell the brew. As you know when America was discovered, a lot of people from Ireland went to settle down there.

[CENTER]***
``I am not a vegetarian because I love animals; I am a vegetarian because I hate plants.''
[/CENTER]

S.UPENDRAN

no yur ingleish
 

[B][CENTER][SIZE="2"]Know your English [/SIZE][/CENTER][/B]

"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..."
"...[B][U][COLOR="Red"]you should have informed that[/COLOR][/U][/B] you were...."
"....informed her."
"What?"
[B][U]"You should have informed her.[/U][/B] [U]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[/U]. 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 [B][U]cotton on [/U][/B]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. [U]When you `cotton on' to something, you begin to understand it or realise it." [/U]
"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."
"That's because you don't [B][U]cotton to[/U][/B] 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 [U]`cotton to' mean to like someone.[/U]"
"Very good. [U]When you `cotton to' someone or something, you like the person or thing.[/U] 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 [B][U]tall cotton[/U][/B]."
"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."
"[U]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." [/U]
"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!"
"We'll be in tall cotton then."

[CENTER]* * *
"I told my wife that a husband is like a fine wine; he gets better with age. The next day, she locked me in the cellar." - Anonymous[/CENTER]

S.UPENDRAN

no yur ingleish
 

[B][U][CENTER]KNOW YOUR ENGLISH [/CENTER][/U][/B]

[B]WHAT IS the meaning and origin of the word ``laconic"?[/B] (Y. N. Murthy, Hassan)

If you want to know the meaning of the word ``laconic" all you have to do is to recall those old Amitabh Bachchan movies where he played the role of the angry young man. Remember movies like Deewar, Zanjeer, Sholay and Trishul? In these movies Amitabh hardly spoke; he was laconic. Whenever the heroine or villain spoke at length about something, Amitabh's usual response was a one liner. [U]The word ``laconic" is usually used to refer to a person who speaks very few words. He is usually blunt and brief in what he has to say.[/U] We have at some time or the other met such a person in our life. Here are a few examples.
*The scientist's laconic replies were driving the reporter up the wall.
*A laconic politician! That is an oxymoron.
*Das' laconic speech left everyone wondering if something was wrong.
The word comes from the name of a place in Greece - ``Laconia". The Spartans who lived in this region were known for their ability to ration their words. (An ability, which I wish all our politicians, would acquire!) Whatever they said, it was to the point. The story goes that Philip of Macedon sent a message of warning to the Laconians. The message was: ``If I enter Laconia with my army, I shall raze Sparta to the ground. I will destroy it." The Laconians' terse response to this threat was ``If"!
Finally, a word about the pronunciation of ``laconic". The ``a" in the first syllable is like the ``a" in ``China", ``about", and ``announce". The following ``o" sounds like the ``o" in ``cot", ``pot", and ``hot". You can probably figure out how the final syllable is pronounced. The main stress, by the way, is on the second syllable.
[B]
Is there a word for someone who fears thunder and thunderstorms?[/B] (V. Shyamala, Bangalore)

Many of us as children were afraid of thunder and thunderstorms. So it would be rather surprising if the English language didn't have a word to refer to someone who is scared of thunder and thunderstorms. [U]The Greek word for thunder is ``bronto". We all know what ``phobia" is. So the fear of thunder and thunderstorms is ``brontophobia". A person who suffers from this phobia is a ``brontophobe".[/U] Here are a few examples.
*Bala had to share a room with a brontophobe during a thunderstorm.
*I am told that Prakasham suffers from brontophobia.
*I wouldn't take Meera out on a night like this. She is brontophobic.
These words however are not used very often.

[B]What is the difference between a ``robber" and a ``thief"? [/B](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 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.

[B]What is the meaning of the expression ``talk through one's hat"? [/B](N. Subramanian, Chennai)

This is what our politicians do most of the time. And what is it that our elected officials are famous for? They have the tendency to give lengthy speeches/talks on subjects that they know nothing about. So [U]when you ``talk through your hat" what you are actually doing is talking about something as if you know a lot about it, when in fact you know nothing about it. When you talk through your hat, you talk nonsense. [/U]Here are a few examples.
*Our not so beloved Professor was as usual talking through his hat.
*Jayashree was talking through her hat. She doesn't know anything about chemistry.
*Stop talking through your hat Sunila!
This expression is considered to be rather old fashioned. Another expression, which has the same meaning, is [B][U]``talk through the back of one's head".[/U][/B] Here are a few examples.
*Sidhu talks through the back of his head most of the time.
*Pooja as usual was talking through the back of her head.

[B]Can the first Principal of a college be called the ``founder Principal" [/B]- though he is not the one who founded the college? (Dr. C. Venkatramaiah, Tirupati)

The word ``founder" is normally used with people who have established a business, school, college, etc. In your example, the Principal did not establish the college; he was merely appointed its first Principal. Perhaps the ``founder" appointed him Principal! You can refer to the individual as the ``first Principal" and not the ``founder Principal".
[B]
What is the meaning of ``bimonthly"[/B] (S. Gopalan, Coimbatore)?

The word ``bimonthly" can mean different things. [U]A magazine or journal that is published once in two months can be called a ``bimonthly". The word can also be used to refer to a magazine that comes out twice a month. So when someone refers to a magazine as being a bimonthly, find out from him whether it is twice a month or once in two months. [/U]A magazine that comes out once in four months is called a ``[B]quarterly[/B]". A ``[B]fortnightly[/B]" is one that is published once in two weeks.

[CENTER]* * *
``Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer." - Dave Barry [/CENTER]

S. UPENDRAN

no yur ingleish
 

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="2"]Know your English [/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

``I HAVE a doubt.''
``You always have one. You should be called `Doubtmaster'.''
``Like `Beastmaster'! I was watching a Hollywood movie yesterday. One of the characters kept saying A S A P, [B][U]A S A P[/U][/B]. At least, that's what I think he was saying. Any idea what it means?''
``It's an expression which Americans use quite often in speech, and also in informal styles of writing. [U]A S A P stands for `as soon as possible'[/U].''
``I see. But how does one use it? Can you give me an example?''
``Certainly. I would like to meet you A S A P.''
``When he heard that his father wasn't well, he returned A S A P.''
``So whenever I use the expression, I have to say each letter, right? I mean....''
``....that's what a lot of people do. Say each letter out loud. Some however, merely say the letter `A', and ....''
``....what happens to S A P?''
``It's made to sound like the word `sap', which by the way, rhymes with `nap', `map', and `lap'.''
``That's interesting. So A S A P stands for `as soon as possible'.''
``That's right! Sometimes a common expression has been reduced to a single word. Take for example, [B][U]`hi', and `bye'[/U][/B].''
``What about them?''
``Tell me, how do you normally greet someone?''
``You normally say `hi'.''
``In formal contexts?''
``In formal contexts we generally say `Good morning. How are you?'. And then....''
``.... exactly! [U]In the old days it was standard practice to say `How are you?' when you ran into someone. Since this greeting was so common, nobody really bothered to say the words clearly.''
``When somebody said something when they saw you, you just assumed that they were saying `How are you?'. Is that it?''
``Exactly! Since everyone knew what the other person was going to say when they saw him/her the first time, they started saying ``How are you?' very indistinctly. Some of them started saying it very fast. And when said very quickly `How are you?', sounds like `hiya'.''
``And from `hiya', we get `hi', is it?`` [/U]
[U]``That's right. So when you wish someone `Hi', what you are actually asking him is, ``How are you?''.
``So, when someone says, `Hi, how are you?', what he is actually saying is, `How are you? How are you?''' [/U]
``Right again! He's merely repeating himself. It's like the expression `D-day'.''
``The `D' in that expression stands for `day'. So what you are saying is `day day'. Now what about [U]goodbye?''
``In the old days, just as it was common for people to say, `How are you', when they met each other, similarly the expression that they used when they took leave of each other was `God be with you'.''
``And just like `How are you?' when said quickly got reduced to `hiya', `God be with you', when said quickly' was reduced to `goodbye'.''
``My! My! Aren't you in cracking form today! Some people thought that `goodbye' was too long, so they reduced it to `bye'.'' [/U]
``That's interesting. You know Americans tend to use [B][U]`so long' [/U][/B]when they wish to bid goodbye to someone. Is this expression also a ....''
``....no, no. `so long' is not a reduction of anything.''
``Then why does [U]`so long' mean 'good bye'[/U]?''
``There are many theories to account for that. I'll tell you about one of the theories. I understand that [U]when Jews meet or take leave of each other, they use the expression `shalom'.'' [/U]
``What?''
``Shalom! The `a' is like the `a' in China and the `o' in the second syllable is like the `o' in `hot', `cot' and `pot'. It means `peace'.''
``The stress is on the second syllable, I suppose?''
``Correct. [U]Native speakers of English when they heard the Jews using this expression, thought they were saying `so long'.''
``And they started using this expression too!''
``That's right! So, when you say `so long' what you are actually attempting to say is `shalom'.'' [/U]
``Well, I guess I'd better make a move. Shalom.''
``God be with you.'

[CENTER]``Every man has his follies - and often they are the most interesting thing he has got.'' - Josh Billings [/CENTER]

S. UPENDRAN

no yur ingleish
 

[CENTER][B][U]Know Your English [/U][/B][/CENTER]

``HI, SORRY I'm late.''
``I have been waiting for an hour. Where have you been?''
``I went to see my cousin Vishvanath at the nursing home. [COLOR="Red"]He is going to be operated tomorrow.[/COLOR] His appendix is being removed.''
[U]``Doctors usually perform an operation on someone. They don't `operate' someone, they `operate on' someone. Your cousin is being operated on for appendicitis tomorrow.'' [/U]
``Operated on, eh? I see. How does this sound? The surgeon said that he planned to operate on the Principal some time next week.''
``Why don't you leave your poor Principal out of your examples! Last week my best friend's mother was operated on. Tell me, who is the doctor who is going....''
``....I heard this morning that the doctor who is going to operate on my cousin isn't very good.''
``Who told you that?''
``Madhu. He said that the last person that this particular doctor operated, died on the...I mean that the last person that the doctor operated on died on the operation table.''
``That's terrible. Did you tell your cousin about this?''
``Yes, I did. But he is not at all worried. [COLOR="Red"]According to his opinion,[/COLOR] if someone....''
``....[U]you cannot say `according to his opinion'. You can either say, `according to him/her', or `in his/her opinion'. [/U]You are not allowed to mix the two expressions.''
``I see. According to the doctors the operation is a minor one.''
``In the doctors' opinion the operation is a minor one.''
``According to my cousin, the operation is so minor that even a medical student could perform it with his eyes closed.''
``Perform an operation with one's eyes closed! Good grief! In my opinion your cousin isn't taking things seriously enough.''
``That's what my father thinks too! [COLOR="Red"]According to me,[/COLOR] both of you....oops, sorry! [U]You cannot say, `according to me', right?''[/U]
``[U]That's right! It's always `according to someone else'. If you want to express an opinion, then you have to say....''
``....in my opinion. [/U]In my opinion you correct me too often.''
``That's a good example. [U]Or you could say, `If you ask me,[/U] you correct me too often'.''
``If you ask me, there is too much corruption in this country of ours.''
``Let's not start talking about corruption please. People in this country only talk about it. They don't do anything about it.''
``There's nothing we can do about it. India wouldn't be India without the corruption. Any way, what were you doing before I walked in?''
``I was listening to some Minister talking about how to prevent AIDS.''
``AIDS! That doesn't sound very interesting. How was the talk by the way?''
``It was [B][U]flabby[/U][/B].''
``The Minister's speech was flabby? What are you talking about? You mean that the Minister was flabby, don't you?''
``One of the meanings of `flabby'....''
``....I know what the word flabby means. [U]When you say that someone is `flabby', it means that his muscles are soft and loose. For example I can say, the woman who came to deliver the flowers was quite flabby.''
`` That's a good example. My cousin Karthick has become very flabby. But what I ...''
``...but in your first example, you referred to the Minister's speech as being flabby. What is the meaning of the word in that context?'' [/U]
``[B]When you say that someone's speech was flabby, it means that it was very weak or ineffective.[/B]''
``I see. Can I say, when I asked him why he hadn't done his homework, he gave some flabby excuse.''
``Sounds O.K. My favourite author's latest book was released last week. Most critics have said that the plot is flabby.''
``Meaning that the book has a very weak plot. Can I say the corruption in this country...''
``....corruption again! Why are you so [B][U]fixated [/U][/B]on corruption?''
``Fixated? What does it mean?... Wait, wait, don't tell me. Let me guess. [U]When you are fixated on something, you are always thinking about it. Am I right?'' [/U]
``Excellent. You don't merely think about it, but you constantly talk about it as well.''
``Like our friend Raja. He is constantly talking about cricket.''
``Exactly! [U]When you are fixated on something, it becomes your obsession. You are thinking about it excessively. You can be fixated on a person as well. [/U]My friend Janaki remains fixated on things which keep reminding her of her dead grandmother.''
``The jury was informed that the defendant was fixated on the victim.''
``I don't want to be fixated on anyone or anything.''
``Neither do I.''
``But in the opinion of many people you are already fixated on something.''
``Me fixated on something?''
``That's right. According to your parents you are fixated on the idea of making tons of money without really having to work for it. How do you plan on becoming rich without....''
``....buy plenty of lottery tickets.''

[CENTER]``I stand by all the misstatements that I've made.'' - Dan Quayle [/CENTER]
S. UPENDRAN

no yur ingleish
 

[B][CENTER]Know your English [/CENTER][/B]

[B]WHAT IS the origin and meaning of the expression ``to kick the bucket''? [/B](Subhashini, Chennai)

The idiom [U]``to kick the bucket'' means ``to die''[/U] and it is normally used in very informal contexts. You will never find a newspaper headline screaming, ``Local M.P kicks the bucket''. Similarly, it would be unwise to ask someone ``I understand your father kicked the bucket yesterday. How did it happen?'' The idiom should not be used with people who have suffered a recent loss in the family. Here are a few examples.
* Sunitha told me that our former Principal kicked the bucket last week.
* Several people in their family kicked the bucket last year.
* They expect him to kick the bucket next week.
People have come up with different theories as to how this expression came into being. One of them is the following. In the old days, when someone wanted to commit suicide or when people wanted to hang someone, they made use of a bucket - an article that was readily available in all houses. What they used to do was to tie a rope to a tree and under the rope they used to place an empty bucket. The bucket was then turned upside down and the man who was to be hanged was made to stand on it. The noose was slipped around the victim's neck and the bucket was then kicked away. Result? A slow and painful death.

[B]How is the word ``collage'' pronounced?[/B] (Basheer Kutty, Kollam District)

The ``o'' in the first syllable is like the ``o'' in words like ``hot'', ``pot'', and ``cot''. The ``a'' in the second syllable is like the ``a'' in ``bath'', ``path'', and ``cart''. The final ``ge'' is like the ``s'' in ``measure'', ``treasure'' and ``pleasure''. The stress is on the second syllable. Some people pronounce the ``o'' in the first syllable like the ``a'' in ``China''. Both pronunciations are acceptable.
[U]A collage is a picture that you create by sticking various materials/objects onto a hard surface. People often make use of pieces of cloth, paper, and metal to create this picture. [/U]

[U][B]Which of the following sentences is correct? ``None of them is any good'' or ``None of them are any good''?[/B][/U] (P. Vani, Pollachi)

[U]Both are acceptable. There was a time, however, when it was recommended that the word ``none'' be followed by a singular verb. But times have changed, it is now possible to use either a singular or a plural verb when ``none'' refers to a countable noun.[/U] For example it is possible to say:
* None of the telephones is/are working.
* None of the students have/has turned up.
* None of the children is/are happy.
People who are extremely fond of grammar insist, even today, that a singular and not a plural verb should follow ``none''.

[B]What is the difference in meaning between ``many friends'' and ``many a friend''?[/B] (M. Sridhar, Bangalore)

[U]As far as the meaning is concerned, there is no difference. ``Many a'' is mainly used in a literary context; it is best avoided in informal ones. ``Many'', on the other hand, is used in both formal and informal contexts. The expression ``many a'' is always followed by a singular noun, the meaning however is plural. Here are a few examples. [/U]
* Many girls were forced to drop out.
* Many a girl was forced to drop out.
* Many players are suspected of taking bribes.
* Many a player is suspected of taking bribes.
* Many men behave childishly.
* Many a man behaves childishly.

[B]What is the meaning of ``Que sera sera''?[/B] (Y. Mrinalini, Nellore)

[U]It means, ``what will be, will be''.[/U] There is a well-known song by that title. Here are a few lines from it.
When I was just a little girl, I asked my mother what will I be?
Will I be pretty? Will I be rich?
This is what she said to me.
Que sera sera, whatever will be will be,
The future is not ours to see,
Que sera sera, what will be, will be.
[CENTER]* * *

``I was thrown out of college for cheating on the metaphysics exam; I looked into the soul of the boy next to me.'' - Woody Allen [/CENTER]

S. UPENDRAN

[CENTER][B]Know your English [/B][/CENTER]

[B]WHAT IS the meaning of ``sting operation''? [/B]
(B. Premananda Bhat, Manipal)

[U]A sting operation is a well-planned scheme used by law enforcement agencies to entrap a criminal.[/U] It usually involves a lot of undercover work. Often the term is reduced to ``sting''. Here are a few examples.
It was a well-planned sting operation.
The sting, as expected, went off without a hitch.
The sting required a lot of manpower.
[U]The word ``sting'' has another meaning as well. It is often used in informal contexts to mean ``to cheat or overcharge someone''. [/U](Remember the Robert Redford and Paul Newman movie called ``The Sting''?) Here are a few examples.
The fruit vendor tried to sting me.
The supermarket next to my house makes it a point to sting its customers.
The mechanic tried to sting me, but I put him in his place.

[B]What is the difference between ``while'' and ``whilst'' [/B]
(S. Anand, New Delhi)

[U]As far as meaning is concerned there is no difference between the two words; they can be used interchangeably. ``Whilst'' is considered by some people to be rather old-fashioned. It is mainly used in British English; Americans seldom use it.[/U] I understand that even within Britain, ``whilst'' is more common in the north than in the south. As far as the pronunciation is concerned, the final `st' of `whilst' is pronounced. Here are some examples. The Police entered the former Chief Minister's house while/whilst he was sleeping.
Shakunthala called up while/whilst I was having dinner.

[B]Who is a ``psephologist''? [/B]
(Murali Krishnan, Ernakulam)

First, let's deal with the pronunciation. The first `p' is silent. The `se' in the first syllable sounds like the `se' in `set', sent', and `sell'. The `ph' is pronounced like the `f' in `fit', `feet', and `food'. The vowel `o' is like the `o' in `got', `not', and `lot'. The `o' in the third syllable sounds like the `a' in `China' and the following `g' is like the `j' in `jam'. You can probably guess how the final `ist' is pronounced. It is the second syllable which has the main stress. [U]Psephology is the scientific study of the way in which people vote in elections. [/U]
[U]A `psephologist' therefore is someone who studies how people vote - he comes up with the statistics, the trends, etc. These are the people you see on TV during elections telling us about the `swing factor', etc.[/U]
Several psephologists were interviewed a day before the elections.
My cousin Mohan wants to be a psephologist when he grows up.
How does one become a psephologist?

[B]What is the meaning and origin of the expression ``to hit the sack''? [/B]
(A. J. Venkatasubramayam, Bangalore)

This is an informal expression [U]meaning to `go to bed'. Here are a few examples. [/U]
Ranjani hit the sack early last night.
It's been a long day. I am ready to hit the sack.
Although it was well past their bedtime, the children weren't ready to hit the sack.
The expression became popular during World War II when American soldiers began referring to the sleeping bag/blanket that they were carrying as ``sack''. Later, the word ``sack'' began to be used for anything that one could sleep on - a bed, a table, a bench, etc. The earlier expression that was commonly used was ``[U]to hit the hay[/U]''.

[B]Does the word ``history sheeter'' exist? [/B]
(P. Venkat, Saligramam)

The words [U]`history sheeter' and `rowdy sheeter' are often used in India to refer to a person who has a long criminal record - someone who has been arrested several times. [/U]The word however does not find a place in dictionaries. There is a word however - [B][U]`rap sheet'.[/U][/B] [U]A `rap sheet' is a term used by native speakers of English, to refer to someone's criminal record. In this case, the reference is to the sheet itself and not the individual. [/U]
Some of our politicians have a rap sheet that is a mile long.
Her rap sheet is pretty impressive. She'll be our next Chief Minister!
The lawyers asked if there was a rap sheet on their client.

[B]What is the meaning of ``We fear the president may be buying a lemon here''.[/B]
(N. Balasubramanian, Kaveripakkam)

Have you ever bought a second hand car? Sometimes the person selling the car tricks us into buying something absolutely worthless. [U]When you have been tricked into buying something worthless you have been sold a lemon. When you say that something is a lemon it implies that it is useless because it fails to work properly.[/U] So in the sentence that you have given, you are afraid that the president is buying something that is absolutely useless. (Isn't that what most presidents do?). Here are a few more examples.
Promod has a car which is real lemon.
I wouldn't borrow Madhavan's VCR. It's a lemon.
Rajeev bought a radio last month. It's turned out to be a real lemon.
By the way, [U]``worthless'' is the meaning of the word `lemon' in American English. In British English, it's people who are referred to as a lemon. The word is used in informal contexts to mean a silly person. [/U]
I felt such a lemon when I tripped over the carpet.
Many of the students think that the Dean is a bit of a lemon.
Usha has no intentions of meeting that lemon Ganpat.

[CENTER]``I am free of all prejudices. I hate everyone equally.'' - W. C. Fields[/CENTER]

S.UPENDRAN

[B][CENTER][SIZE="3"]Know your English [/SIZE][/CENTER][/B]

[B][U]IS IT correct to say ``He has good command over English"?[/U][/B] (B. Senthil, Madurai)

Careful users of the language would frown on this. They would argue that one can have command over people, but not over language. You can for example say:
He has total command over his men. They will do whatever he wants them to.
But when it comes to language, they would [U]prefer ``of '' to ``over".[/U]
We are looking for someone who has good command of English.
Many children in the south have little or no command of Hindi.
I am told that Prakasham has good command of French.
There is a tendency these days however, even among some native speakers, to say ``have good command over English". The purists may not like this, but as the Americans would put it, that's the way the cookie crumbles. To be on the safe side, [U]avoid saying ``command over English"[/U].

[B][U]Which of the following sentences is correct? The Government has many problems ''or ``The Government have many problems"? [/U][/B](D. S. R. Ramaswamy, Bangalore)

[U]Both are acceptable. It depends on how you view the Government.[/U] Do you consider the Government to be single impersonal unit, or do you look upon it as consisting of separate small units? If you view it as a single unit, then you can use a singular verb ``The Government has many problems". If, on the other hand, you view the Government as comprising several different units, then you can use the plural verb ``have''; ``The Government have many problems". [U]There are many words in English, which can take either the singular or the plural verb - family, jury, committee, staff, team are just some of the nouns. [/U]Here are a few examples.
The jury was/were beginning to look bored.
The family was/were planning to move to Australia.

[B][U]What is the meaning and origin of the term ``son of a gun"? [/U][/B](Dr. T. Muralidharan, Palakkad)

This is an expression that is frequently heard in American English. [U]It is used to express different emotions. It is often used to indicate surprise and shock.[/U]
Son of a gun! I can't believe that they actually bombed New York.
The expression is [U]also used to refer to a man who is unpleasant[/U].
I wouldn't go anywhere near Anand. He's a mean son of a gun.
Don't get too friendly with that man. The son of a gun will take advantage of you.
The son of a gun tried to steal from his own parents.
[U]It is also used as a term of endearment. When you refer to someone as ``son of a gun", you are indicating your affection for that person. [/U]Here are a few examples.
The little son of a gun got an A in the test.
The son of a gun went out of his way to help me.
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; 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".

[B][U]What is the difference between ``should'' and ``must"? [/U][/B](K.R. Mahalingam, Chennai)

When you tell someone that he should do something, you are advising him to do it. You are not ordering him to do something; you are merely asking him to consider the possibility. It is a request; you are merely suggesting to the individual that it would be a good idea if he were to do it. Here are a few examples.
You should brush your teeth every day before going to bed.
Mohan should work harder.
I think the old rules should be revised.
The word ``must'' is normally used when you wish to order someone. You are no longer requesting, or suggesting, you are telling the person what to do. When a person is told that he ``should'' brush his teeth, he has a choice; he can either follow your advice, or he can ignore it completely. In the case of ``must", the person has no option. He has to brush his teeth. Here are a few examples.
If you want to get through your exams, you must work harder.
I am telling you that you must not marry that girl.
The Chairman said that we must work on Sunday.

[B][U]What is the meaning of ``ground zero"?[/U][/B] (N. Raja Mani, Secunderabad)

This is a term that has been heard quite frequently on CNN the past couple of weeks. [U]``Ground zero'' was originally used to refer to an atomic explosion; it is the site at which an atomic explosion took place.[/U] This is how dictionaries define the term: ``the point on the surface of the earth or water directly below, directly above, or at which an atomic or hydrogen bomb explodes". [U]Today the term is being used informally to mean a place of rapid development or change; a place of violent activity. [/U]
About ten years ago no one had heard about Vasudeva Nagar. But today it has become the ground zero from which restaurants and designer shops radiate.
[U]The term ``ground zero'' is also used to mean elementary level; a ``starting point".[/U] For example,
Many of my students will be starting at ground zero.
My boss didn't like the ad campaign. Looks like I have to return to ground zero.

[CENTER]* * * * *
"I've had bad luck with both my wives. The first one left me and the second one didn't." [/CENTER]

S. UPENDRAN

[B][CENTER][SIZE="3"]Know your English [/SIZE][/CENTER][/B]

[B]WHAT IS the meaning of ``have the blues''?[/B] (A. B. Sankaran, Vizag)

[U]The ``blues'' is a kind of music; it is usually slow and sad.[/U] This type of music was first made popular by the Blacks who lived in the Southern states of America - the states where slavery was common. I understand that the original blues songs were about the lives of slaves. Nowadays, in most blues songs the singer sings about how terrible his life is or how unlucky he has been in love - not very different from our Indian film songs! When you say that you have the blues, it means that you are in a sad or depressed mood. It is also possible for one to ``get the blues''. Here are a few examples.
*Rahul has had the blues ever since his wife walked out on him.
* A wet day like today always gives me the blues.
*Shanthi gets the blues whenever she watches ``Love Story''. [U]Another expression, which means more or less the same thing, is ``feeling blue'' If you feel blue, you feel sad. [/U]
*Prakash has been feeling blue since yesterday.
*Rainy days always make me feel blue.
*I don't know why, but I am feeling blue this morning.

[B]Which of the following sentences is correct? ``Neither Mohan nor Geetha is going home'', or, ``Neither Mohan nor Geetha are going home''.[/B] (S. Janaki, Hospet).

Careful users of the language prefer the use of the singular verb ``is''. In writing, you would be better off using ``is''. In speech, however, it is quite common to hear even native speakers use the plural ``are''. There is a tendency to use the plural verb in speech. This however is not considered to be grammatically correct. [U]The verb that you use will depend on the noun which precedes it.[/U] Here are a few examples:
* Neither the father nor his children were willing to go home.
* Neither the children nor the father was willing to go home.

[B]What is the difference between ``biannual'' and ``biennial''?[/B] (E. Shyama Sundar, Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh)

[U]An event that is held ``annually'' takes place once a year. The word ``bi'', pronounced ``by'', means ``two''. So an event which is held ``biannually'' is one that is held twice a year.[/U] Here is an example.
* The Chairman decided to make the Board Meeting a biannual event.
In this case, the Board will meet twice a year - perhaps every six months.
[U]A ``biennial'' event, on the other hand, is one that takes place once in two years. [/U]
* The Chairman decided to make the Board Meeting a biennial event.
In this case, the Board will meet once every two years. If it meets this year(2001), its next meeting will be in 2003.
The stress in both words is on the second syllable. The ``e'' in ``biennial'' is like the ``e'' in ``set'', ``bet'', and ``get''. One of the ways of pronouncing the second ``i'' is like the ``y'' in ``yes'', ``yellow'', and ``young''. The final ``a'' is like the ``a'' in ``China''.

[B]How is the word ``crèche'' pronounced?[/B] (P. Laxman, Secunderabad)

The first ``e'', which has an accent mark on it, sounds like the ``e'' in ``set'', ``get'' and ``bet''; the second ``e'' remains silent. It is also possible to pronounce the first ``e'' like the ``ay'' in ``day'', ``bay'', and ``say''. The final ``ch'' sounds like the ``sh'' in ``ship'', ``sheet'', and ``shoot''. A [U]``crèche'' is a place where babies are looked after while the parents are away at work. [/U]

[B]What is the opposite of ``feminist''? [/B](M. Pradeep, Madanapalle, AP)

Most people that I asked this question to, said that the opposite is ``chauvinist''. While surfing the Net, I came across a word which has been part of the English language for nearly a century. The word is ``hominist''.[U] A ``hominist'' is someone who advocates equal rights for men.[/U] The ``o'' in the first syllable is like the ``o'' in ``hot'', ``pot'', and ``got'', and the ``i'' in the following two syllables is like the ``i'' in ``bit'', ``hit'', and ``sit''. The main stress is on the first syllable.
*After meeting several feminists, Satish decided to become a hominist.
*Narayan, the General Manager, is a vocal hominist.
*His students say that Bala is a self proclaimed hominist.
The word, I understand, was coined by G. B. Shaw in the preface to his play ``Man and Superman''. While all dictionaries include the word ``feminist'', very few include ``hominist''. Wonder why! (By the way, what do you think is the opposite of ``feminist''? Please do write in.)

[B]When I get a telephone call and the person wants to speak to my mother or father, can I say ``Excuse me'' to mean ``Please wait''?[/B] (J. Rajesh, Chennai)

There are several expressions that one could use when asking the person at the other end of the telephone to wait. Some of these are ``Please hold on'', ``Could you please hold on'', ``Hold on, please'', ``Hang on a minute'', ``Just a minute'', ``He/she will be with you in a minute''. You do not say, ``Excuse me'' to the caller. You could however use the expression with the person being called - in this case, your father or mother. You could say ``Excuse me, father. There's a call for you.'' You are using the expression ``excuse me'' to draw the attention of your parent.

[CENTER]``If feminists are `women' trying to be men, I suppose `men' trying to be women are `hominists'.'' - R. Brooke [/CENTER]

S. UPENDRAN

[B][CENTER][SIZE="3"]Know your English [/SIZE][/CENTER][/B]

``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.''
``[B][U]You cannot say `an accommodation[/U][/B]'.[U] In British English the word `accommodation' is an uncountable noun. So you shouldn't use `an' before it.'' [/U]
``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'.''
``[B][U]What is the difference between an 'academic' and `academician'?''[/U][/B]
``[U]Well, strictly speaking, an `academic' is a person who teaches or does research at the university.'' [/U]
``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'.''
``Exactly! Radhakrishnan was an academic before he became the President of India.''
``Everyone knows that. That's why we celebrate Teacher's Day.''
``Exactly!''
``My cousin is the only person in the family who wanted to be an academic. Now tell me, [U]what is the meaning of the word `academician'?''[/U]
``First of all, the word has the stress on the fourth syllable `mi'. Usually when you refer to someone as being an `academician', it implies that he/she is a member of an academy or a society....''
``...any type of academy?''
[U]``An academician is usually a member of an academy that is concerned with the arts or sciences. The Royal Academy of Arts, for instance, or the Russian Academy of Sciences.'' [/U]
``I think I understand the difference now. A professor is an academic. And when that professor becomes a member of an academy which is devoted to either the sciences or the arts, then he becomes an `academician'. Am I right?''
``Absolutely! There is a tendency these days, however, to use the words `academician' and `academic' synonymously. Some people object to it. Most dictionaries have only one definition for the word `academician' - member of a society or academy.''
``I think I understand the difference now.''
``This cousin of yours. What does he teach?''
``Computer Science. And you know something, he is quite a popular teacher.''
``Did he show you the new computer lab?''
``He took me to the lab last week. He has a free access to it, you know.''
``[B][U]Free access and not `a free access'.''[/U][/B]
``What?''
``[U]He has free access to the lab. You cannot say `a free access'.''[/U]
``I see. I would like to have access to the building next door. Say after 10 : 00 in the night!''
``That's a bank! No one is going to grant you access to it at 10 : 00 in the evening!''
``That's true!''
``But they may be willing to provide free accommodation! Your cousin....''
``....the academic in my family doesn't need accommodation. Today he received a letter from the university saying that he has been allotted one of their quarters.''
``All's well that ends well!''

[B][CENTER]``Marriages are made in heaven. But so are thunder and lightning!'' - Anonymous
[/CENTER][/B]
S. UPENDRAN

[CENTER][B][SIZE="3"]Know your English [/SIZE][/B][/CENTER]

"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?"
[B]"M..i..s..n..o..m..e..r.[/B] 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?"
[U]"It means that something has been given the wrong name or designation."[/U]
"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."
"[B][U]Went down like a lead balloon,[/U][/B] eh? Is that another way of saying that your presentation flopped?"
"That's right.[U] When you say that something went down like a lead balloon, it means that it was a total disaster. It failed to be funny." [/U]
"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...."
".... [B][U]spread yourself too thin[/U][/B]? 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. [U]When you say that you have spread yourself too thin, what you are implying is that [B]you are doing too many things at the same time.[/B][/U]"
"I see. And if you are doing too many things at the same time, then it isn't possible for you to focus on 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...."
".... `[B][U]sound out people[/U][/B]'. That's an interesting expression."
"When you sound someone out, you...."
"....I think I can guess the meaning. [U]When you sound someone out, you probably try and find out what he/she thinks about something." [/U]
"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."
"[B][U]A shoestring budget[/U][/B]? What does that mean?"
"[U]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." [/U]
"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!"

[CENTER]* * *
``Water is composed of two gins - oxygin and hydrogin. Oxygin is pure gin. Hydrogin is gin and water."
- A student in U.S.A.[/CENTER]

S.UPENDRAN

[CENTER][SIZE=3][B][COLOR=blue]Know your English [/COLOR][/B][/SIZE]
[/CENTER]

[B] WHAT IS the meaning and origin of "[U]red letter day[/U][/B]"?
(J. Suresh, Chennai)

[U] When you refer to something as being a "red letter day", it implies that it's a very important or a very special day. As far as you are concerned, it's a day on which something memorable happened or will happen.[/U] Here are a few examples.
* The day the school won the championship was a red letter day for us.
* Even after twenty-five years, Vasu considers his wedding day a red-letter day.
* The days I spent with Raja Rao were red-letter days.
The expression comes from the practice that was followed in religious calendars. In the old days, saints' birthdays, festivals and other holy days were marked in red. The other days of the month, which were not special, were marked in black. So, the original "red letter day" had a religious significance. It was only during the 18th century that the expression began to take on a general meaning - namely any memorable or important day in an individual's life. You can now refer to the day of graduation as a red-letter day. The day you meet Amitabh Bachchan or Sachin Tendulkar could also be called a red letter day! By the way, this practice of marking special days in red continues even today. For the modern man, Sundays and second Saturdays have become red-letter days as well!

[B] What is the meaning of "[U]misogynist[/U]"? How do you pronounce the word?[/B] (Anto Maria Santosh, Chennai)

[U] The word "misogynist" is usually used to refer to a man who hates women.[/U] Here are a few examples.
* Some scholars believe that Jack the Ripper was a misogynist.
* When his wife ran away with another man, Rahul became a misogynist.
* As expected, the misogynist didn't invite a single woman to the party.
A word about the pronunciation. The `i' in the first syllable is like the `i' in `hit', `bit', and `sit'. The following `o' sounds like the `o' in `hot', `pot', and `lot'. The "y" in the third syllable is pronounced like the "a" in "China", and "about". The "g", by the way, is like the "j" in "jam", "Jew", and "jelly". The final "i" is like the "i" in "kit" and "pit". The main stress is on the second syllable.
This word is another example of how male chauvinistic the English language is. "Misogynist" is a fairly common word; most dictionaries include it. But not all dictionaries include the word, which refers to a woman who hates men! Why? I guess women are supposed to like men. Perhaps there are more women-hating men than men-hating women! Who knows! By the way, [U]do you know what a woman who hates men is called? "[B]Misandrist[/B]".

[/U][B] Is it OK to say, "Which class are you studying?"[/B] (K. Raghavan, Thiruvananthapuram)

This seems to be a common way of asking the question in our country. Most people accept it the way it is - at least in speech. If you wish to be grammatically correct the word "in" is required. You could either say, [U]"In which class are you studying?" or "Which class are you studying in?"[/U] It is also possible to ask a person, [U]"Which class are you in?[/U]" Here are a few more examples.
* In which room did the murder take place?
* Which room did the murder take place in?

[B] What is the difference between "martyr" and "victim"? [/B](F.S. Riazuddin, Port Blair)

[U] A martyr is someone who is killed or punished because of his religious or political beliefs.[/U] The individual is willing to undergo any amount of suffering for the cause he believes in. Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. were assassinated because of their political beliefs. Whatever be the reason - political, or religious - the individual in this case is usually punished or killed intentionally.
A "victim", on the other hand, may or may not have any strong political or religious beliefs. He may be killed or punished intentionally or accidentally. A person who is murdered is referred to as a "victim" and so is an individual who dies in a road accident. The word "martyr" carries with it the sense that the individual gave up his life voluntarily for the cause he believed in; that he fought hard for his beliefs. A "victim" may been killed for no apparent reason. He could have merely been an individual who was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

[B] What do the initials FAQ stand? [/B](C.R. Lokanath, Madanapalli)

You find this in many web sites. The letters stand for "frequently asked questions".


[CENTER]* * *

"If you want your spouse to listen and pay strict attention to every word you say, talk in your sleep."

- Anonymous[/CENTER]



S.UPENDRAN

[CENTER][SIZE=3][B][COLOR=blue]Know your English [/COLOR][/B][/SIZE]
[/CENTER]

"WHAT'S THE matter with you? You look terrible."
"I have been thinking about our Indian cricket team. I feel absolutely miserable whenever they lose."
"Don't [B]eat your heart out [/B]about a bunch of overpaid underachievers!""[B][U]Eat my heart out[/U][/B]? I haven't come across that expression before."
[U] "When you tell someone not to `eat his heart out' about something or someone, you are telling [/U][U]him not to grieve or feel sad about something[/U] or someone. For example, I can say, Pandey spent a lot of time eating his heart out after the company he was working for folded."
"Sumithran has been eating his heart out ever since his neighbour sold her house and moved to another town."
"My cousin Anuradha ate her heart out when she was forced to sell her grandmother's diamonds."
"Our team didn't win. But don't eat your heart out."
"That should be the attitude. By the way, the expression, `eat your heart out' has [U]another meaning as well. It can mean, [B]`to be jealous'."[/B] [/U]
"I see. How about this example? When my friend heard that I had won twenty lakhs in a lottery, [B][U]he ate his heart out."[/U][/B]
"That's a good example. Do you think you will ever win twenty lakhs in a lottery?"
"Who knows? Some day fate may decide to smile on me."
"It already has. That's why you have a friend like me! Anyway, here's another example. Look you guys; these five new cars belong to me. So eat your heart out."
"That's a nasty thing to say."
"I know! And you know what the sad part is? I'll never get a chance to say something like that in real life."
"Thank god for that. By the way, I've started taking tennis lessons. Hewitt, eat your heart out. How does that sound?"
"You expect Hewitt to be jealous because you have started playing tennis?"
"Yes, because pretty soon I will be beating him!"
"Keep dreaming. I don't think the fact that you are learning tennis is going to [B][U]eat away[/U][/B] at Hewitt."
"Eat away at Hewitt? What does that mean?"
[U] "When something `eats away at someone' or `eats at someone',[/U] [B][U]it troubles or worries the person.[/U][/B] This is one of the meanings of the expression. For example, the fact that he would soon be out of a job was eating away at Jaichand."
"The terrible state of the company was [B][U]eating away[/U][/B] at Raju."
"Vinita's financial problems [B][U]ate away[/U][/B] at her day and night."
"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 [B][U]eat her out[/U][/B]."
"[B][U]He'll eat her out[/U][/B][U]? What does that mean? [/U]Does it ...."
".... when someone eats you out, what ...."
".... [U]the expression probably means [B]to scold someone severely[/B]. [/U]Am I right?"
"I am impressed. Can you give me an example?"
"The Principal [B][U]ate the teacher out[/U][/B] 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, [U]`eat someone out' sounds like `[B]chew someone out'[/B]. And I know that `[B]chew someone out' means to scold someone." [/B][/U]
"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 [B][U]eating out[/U][/B] today?"
"No, I am [B][U]eating in[/U][/B] for a change."
"Eating in[B][U]? Is it the opposite of `eating out'[/U][/B]?"
"That's right![U] 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.[/U] 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 outfor 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."
"Eat your heart out, kid!"

[CENTER] * * *
"The spinal column is a long bunch of bones. The head sits on the top and you sit on the bottom." A student in the U.S.
[/CENTER]

S. UPENDRAN

[B][COLOR=blue]Know your English [/COLOR][/B]

[B]WHAT IS the meaning and origin of the expression "[/B][B][U]to give someone an even break[/U]"?[/B]
(A. Ramaniah, Secunderabad)


When you give someone an even break you are giving the person the same opportunities as others to do something. In other words, you are giving a fair chance to the individual; you are being impartial. Here are a few examples.
*Sarita has tonnes of talent. All she needs is someone to give her an even break and she could be at the top.
*If you don't have a Godfather, then no one will be willing to give you the even break you need to prove how good you are.
*Prasanna gave the even break Sneha was desperately looking for. She will always be grateful to him.
There are several explanations as to the origin of this expression. I will deal with only one here. According to some scholars, the expression comes from the sport of dog racing. In the old days it was common practice for people to take bets on whose dog was faster and which one was better skilled at "hare coursing". In order to determine this, the owners held the animals tightly by the leash and released them at the same time. This letting go of the leash at the same moment - so that neither dog was at an advantage - was referred to as an "even break." In case you are wondering what "hare coursing" is, well, a poor hare was let loose and the dogs were made to chase and kill the frightened animal. A cruel sport, indeed! By giving the dogs an even break, the faster and more skilled animal was likely to catch the hare. Later, the expression "to give someone an even break" began to be used with horse racing as well. Here it refers to the clean start to a race; where all the horses start off at the same time.


[B]Can we say 7 into 20 is 140?[/B]
(S. Mohan, Kovaipudur)
This is the standard practice in India. When we want to multiply, we say one of the following: multiply, into, or times. Native speakers of English, on the other hand, tend to use either "multiply" or "times". For example, a native speaker might say, "Three hundred and twenty times twenty is six thousand four hundred" He may also say, "Three hundred and twenty times twenty makes six thousand four hundred". For a simple sum like the one that you have given, the native speaker would say, "Seven twenties are one hundred and forty". Notice that it isn't "is", but "are". Two fives are ten. Three tens are thirty.
The word "into" is normally reserved for division and not multiplication. For a native speaker, ten "into" one hundred and twenty would mean one hundred twenty divided by ten. The answer in this case is twelve. But for many Indians the answer would be one thousand two hundred - because we tend to associate "into" with multiplication.


[B]What is the difference between "[/B][B][U]despise" and "hate[/U]"?[/B]
(T. Aparna Raman, Mysore)
When you "hate" someone, you dislike the person intensely. Here are a few examples.
*I hate all politicians.
*There was a time when Reshma hated her Principal.
*When she was young, Janaki hated her sister.
"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.

[B]Which is correct? "[/B][B][U]Co-brother" or "co son-in-law?"[/U][/B]
(V. S. Rama Sarma, Cuddapah)
Indians, particularly those from the south, use the terms "co- brother" and "co son-in-law" to refer to one's wife's sister's husband. Native speakers of English however do not use these terms. Co-brother and co-son in law are terms used in Indian English alone. If you were to introduce someone as your "co- brother" to a native speaker of English, he/she would not understand you. Within the Indian context, I guess, we can continue to use the terms.


[B]How is the word "exposi" pronounced?[/B]
(N. Visvanathan, Chennai)
The first syllable "ex" is pronounced like the prefix "ex". The "o" in the second syllable is like the "o" in "go", "so" and "no". The following "s" is like the "z" in "zoo", "zip" and "zing". The final "i" sounds like the "ay" in "say", "gay", and "may". The stress is on the second syllable "po". It is also possible to have the main stress on the final syllable. In order to do that, you must pronounce the "o" in the second syllable like the "a" in "China" and "India". By the way, the final "i" has an accent mark on it.
An exposi is generally a story in the mass media - radio, television, newspapers, etc - which reveals the truth about something to the public. Here are a few examples.
*The exposi triggered off a parliamentary debate.
*We want an exposi of the shady deals of builders.
*The local newspaper relies on exposi to survive.


[CENTER]****** [/CENTER]
[CENTER]"Anytime four New Yorkers get into a cab together without arguing, a bank robbery has just taken place." Johnny Carson. [/CENTER]
S. UPENDRAN

[B][COLOR="Blue"] Know Your English[/COLOR][/B]

[B]WHAT IS the origin of the expression ``lion's share''?[/B]
[B]
(V. H. Ninoy, Cochin)[/B]

This is an expression which owes its origin to a story from Aesop's Fairy Tales. In the story, a lion and three of his friends - a fox, an ass, and a wolf - go hunting. After they make a kill the lion says that he is going to keep three fourths of the meat for himself. The reasons he provides for keeping the ``lion's share'' are the following: one fourth as his just share, one fourth for his lioness and cubs, and the other one fourth for his courage. The lion then goes on to inform his friends that he is prepared to part with the remaining one fourth provided one of them challenges him to a fight and defeats him. The three friends refuse to take him on and as a result leave the entire kill to the king of beasts. ``Lion's share'' as you can guess from the story means the larger share of something. Here are a few examples.

* Promod claimed the lion's share of the credit for winning the match.

* As usual, Vishnu took the lion's share of the pizza.

* They were supposed to divide the money equally between themselves, but Narender took the lion's share.

[B]How is the word ``dilettante'' pronounced? (D. Devayani, Hyderabad)[/B]

* The `i' in the first syllable and the final ``e'' are pronounced like the `i' in `pit', `sit', and `hit'. The vowel ``e'' in the second syllable is like the ``a'' in ``china''. Some people pronounce the ``a'' like the `a' in `act', `pact', and `hat'. Others pronounce it like the ``a'' in ``bath'' and ``path'' (British English). The main stress is on the third syllable. Any idea what the word means? Well, a `dilettante' is someone who tries to cultivate an area of interest without really making the necessary commitment. The person may do a course in painting for example, without taking the subject seriously. He merely dabbles in the subject. Here are a few examples.

* I wouldn't take him too seriously. He is a musical dilettante.

* He often refers to his writings as the musings of a dilettante.

* The critics, as expected, did not take the young dilettante poet seriously.

[B]What is the difference between ``corrigenda'' and ``errata''? (Chhoto Gawai, Nagpur)[/B]

Both ``corrigenda'' and ``errata'' refer to the errors - usually in spelling - that occur in writing or printing. The words are mainly used to refer to the list of errors in a book along with their corrections. Of the two words ``errata'' is the more common. The errata or corrigenda are usually appended to the book - one usually finds this page at the back. The singular of `corrigenda' is `corrigendum'; while that of ``errata'' is ``erratum''. A note about the pronunciation of ``corrigenda''. The `o' in the first syllable is like the `o' in `cot', `pot', and `hot', while the `i' in the second is like the `i' in `pit', `sit', and `bit'. The `gen' in the next syllable sounds like the `gen' in `gentle' and `gentleman'. The `a' in the final syllable is like the `a' in `china'. The main stress is on the third syllable.

In the case of ``errata'', the first ``a'' is pronounced like the ``a'' in ``cat'', ``bat'', and ``hat'', while the second sounds like the ``a'' in ``china''. The stress is on the second syllable.

One of my teachers keeps telling us to ``chill out''. What exactly does he mean by that? (Vinta Manohar, Adoor)

Well, if your teacher is asking you to ``chill out'' it says a lot about your class. Are you a noisy bunch? Do you and your friends talk non-stop in class? Do you allow your teacher say his piece? If the teacher has to use the expression ``chill out'' very often in class, then chances are you are not allowing him to talk in class! By asking you to ``chill out'', the teacher is asking you to calm down, to relax - in other words he is pleading with you to stop talking! The plight of most teachers these days! Here are a few examples.

* Most people like to chill out during weekends.

* The argument was turning nasty. So I told the guys to chill out.

* You have had a pressure packed week. Take a couple of days off and chill out.

It is also possible to say ``chill''. ``Chill out'' and ``chill'' both mean the same thing. Chillin' is another word, which is used very often in American English. Any idea what it means? It means ``great or excellent''. Here are a few examples.

* I made some chillin' friends during the holidays.

* Asmita said that she had a chillin' time yesterday.

* The movie was chillin'.

* By the way, all three expressions are used in informal contexts.
[B]
What is the correct spelling of ``whiskey''? Is it ``whiskey'' or ``whisky''? (P. Ramanujam, Hyderabad)
[/B]
It depends on which part of the world you are from. I understand the Americans spell it ``whiskey'' while the British spell it ``whisky''. The English have been influenced by the way the Scots spell the word. The Americans, on the other hand, have been influenced by the way the Irish spell the brew. As you know when America was discovered, a lot of people from Ireland went to settle down there.

***

[I]``I am not a vegetarian because I love animals; I am a vegetarian because I hate plants.''[/I]

- A. Whitney Brown

S. UPENDRAN

[COLOR="Blue"]Know Your English
[/COLOR]
[B]

When someone sneezes why do people say, ``Bless you''? (Mita Paul, Vishakapatnam)[/B]

This is based on a superstition. People in the old days believed that whenever someone sneezed, the individual's soul came out with the sneeze. (Some people believed that the devil entered the individual!) And what would happen if the soul escaped? The individual would die, of course! To prevent the soul from escaping, they sought divine intervention - they called upon the Almighty to ``bless'' the sneezer and keep his/her soul inside. This is just one of the theories going around. Although people these days do not believe that an individual's soul will escape along with a sneeze, the expression ``Bless you'' continues to be used.

[B]How do you pronounce ``joie de vivre''? What is its meaning? (B. Sajith, Calicut)[/B]

The ``j'' is pronounced like the ``s'' in ``pleasure'', ``measure'', and ``treasure''. The next sound is like the ``w'' in ``wet'', ``web'', and ``wed''. The final sound in ``joie'' is like the ``a'' in ``path'', ``bath'' and ``ask'' - the way these words are pronounced in British English. The ``e'' in the second word ``de'' sounds like the ``a'' in ``China''. The ``i'' in ``vivre'' is like the ``ee'' in ``meet'', ``see'', and ``bee''. The final ``e'' is once again like the ``a'' in ``China''. The main stress is on the first syllable of ``vivre''. And what does the word mean? It is a French expression which means ``joy of living''. Here are a few examples.

* For a woman who is nearly 90, she is full of joie de vivre.

* The students were filled with joie de vivre.

* Sonya's joie de vivre was the envy of many of her colleagues.
[B]
People tend to say, ``the media is''. Shouldn't it be ``the media are''? (Satish Pradhan, Pune)[/B]

The word ``media'' is the plural of ``medium'' and it is generally used to refer to radio, television, newspapers, etc - things generally associated with mass communication. Since the word is considered to be plural, it is only logical that the verb that follows it should be plural too. Careful users of the language frown on those who use a singular verb. These days however, ``media'' can be followed by a singular or a plural verb. In the beginning we thought of the various media as being separate entities. When we use a singular verb after ``media'' we are thinking of the various media as a single entity. Here are a few examples from dictionaries which show that the word ``media'' can be followed by either a singular or a plural verb.

* The news media are interested only in bad news.

* The manager feels that the media is biased.
[B]
What is the difference between ``a few'' and ``few''? (V. P. Acharya, Tirupathi)
[/B]
Let's take a hypothetical situation. Suppose there is a 'bandh' and you don't expect anyone to come to work. You go to your office and you find that ten of your colleagues have turned up. You are quite surprised and happy. In this context you would say, ``A few people turned up for work''. ``A few'' means ``some''. In this case, your focus is on the number of people who turned up for work, and not on those who did not. In other words, you are looking at the positive side of things. If, on the other hand, your focus is more on the negative aspect - you are worried about the people who didn't turn up for work rather than those who did- then you would say ``few''. Few people turned up for work. In this context ``few'' means ``hardly any''. Here are a few more examples.

* Few CDs were available. (Hardly any CDs were available)

* A few CDs were available. (There were some CDs available)

* Few people in my school speak Hindi. (Hardly anyone in my school speaks Hindi)

A few people in my school speak Hindi. (Some people in my school speak Hindi)
[B]
What is the meaning of the expression ``to carry coals to Newcastle''? (D. Sudheer Kumar, Nagarjun Sagar, AP)[/B]

Newcastle is a place in the north of England and it is well known for its coal mines! So if you are carrying coals to Newcastle, you are merely wasting your energy; you are doing something unnecessary. It is also possible to say ``take coals to Newcastle''.

* Mohan was trying to sell ice cream to the Italians. That's like carrying coals to Newcastle.

* Exporting pine to the Scandinavians is like carrying coals to Newcastle.

* Giving money to Suresh is like taking coals to Newcastle.

[B]What is the opposite of Utopia? (S. Dilip, Chennai)[/B]

Utopia is the imaginary world created by Sir Thomas Moore where everything is perfect. The word is used figuratively to mean one's idea of perfection. For example.

* Free beer and watching cricket on TV is Atul's idea of Utopia.

* Looking after the poor people is Vinita's idea of Utopia.

* The opposite of ``Utopia'' is ``dystopia''. Atul's idea of Utopia is Maitabi's idea of dystopia.

***

``[I]I wasn't kissing her, I was whispering in her mouth[/I].'' -Chico Marx

S. UPENDRAN

[COLOR="Blue"][B]Know Your English[/B][/COLOR]

[B]WHAT IS the difference between ``spectators'' and ``audience''?

(Dr. S. P. Gupta, Agra)[/B]

[U]Strictly speaking ``spectators'' usually come to ``see'' something[/U]. They come to see an event, a ``spectacle.'' The people who go to see a sporting event like a football game, a boxing bout, or a cricket match are called spectators. Usually in such events the focus is on what you ``see'' rather than what you ``hear.'' If you are walking along the road and you ``see'' two of your favourite stars shooting for a film, then you would be ``spectator.'' But when you go to the cinema hall and watch the film which you saw while it was being made, then you become part of the audience. The word audience is related to the word ``audio.'' You are at a specific event to listen to something. An audience is an assembly of `hearers.' People who are part of the audience listen to or watch a performance.[U] When you go to a music concert, a play, or a movie, you are part of an audience[/U]. It is interesting that when you go to the stadium to see a cricket match, you are a spectator, but when you watch the same match on television, you are part of the audience.

As you know, there is an exception to every rule. Readers are usually associated with the word ``audience'' - although reading has more to do with ``seeing'' rather than ``hearing''! This could be because in the old days not many people knew how to read or write. The illiterates had to be read to - they had to ``listen'' to other people reading aloud.

[B]What is the meaning of ``tete-a-tete''? How do you pronounce the word?

(B. Abdul Haleem, Alappuzha, Kerala)[/B]

While the first ``e'' in ``tete'' is pronounced like the ``ay'' in ``bay'', ``say'', and ``gay'', the second one is silent. The word rhymes with the words ``date'', ``late'', and ``hate.'' In some American dictionaries, however, the word rhymes with ``set'', ``bet'', and ``get.'' The following ``a'' is like the ``a'' in ``bath'', ``calf'', and ``path.'' Some people however pronounce the ``a'' like the ``a'' in ``china'' and ``amount.'' The main stress is on the second ``tete.''

[U]When you have a ``tete-a-tete'' with someone, you have a private conversation with him/he[/U]r. Itusually involves an intimate conversation between two people. You know what they say, ``Two is company, three is a crowd.'' The word is French in origin. The first ``e'' of ``tete'' and the ``a'' have accent marks on them. Here are a few examples.

* Braj and Yamuna had a cosy tete-a-tete after the interview.

* I understand they had a romantic tete-a-tete after dinner.

[B]What is the meaning and origin of the expression ``curate's egg''?
[/B]
(K. Siddharth, Secunderabad)

This is an expression which became quite popular because of a cartoon drawn by George du Maurier in Punch magazine in 1895. The cartoon shows a curate (a priest) and a bishop eating breakfast. The curate, unfortunately, has been served a bad egg. The bishop remarks, ``I am afraid you have got a bad egg.'' Since the curate doesn't want to offend his host, he replies, ``Oh, no My Lord, I assure you! Parts of it are excellent!'' [U]So when you say that something is a ``curate's egg'', it means that it has both good and bad qualities[/U]. It is partly good and partly bad. This is a term that is mostly used in British English. Film and drama critics often use this expression to mean that the film or drama being reviewed is passable - it's neither good nor bad. Here are a few examples:

* My favourite hero's latest film is a bit of a curate's egg.

* The University is something of a curate's egg. Elegant old buildings surrounded by ugly modern architecture.

One of the ways of pronouncing the ``u'' in ``curate'' is like the ``u'' in ``book'', ``took'', and ``cook.'' The ``a'' sounds like the ``i'' in ``pit'', ``sit'', and ``hit.'' Some people pronounce it like the ``a'' in ``china.'' The final ``e'' is silent. The stress is on the first syllable.
[B]
Which of the following sentences is correct? ``Anyway, I will meet you on Sunday'' or ``Anyways, I will meet on Sunday.''(V. Ravindran, Bangalore)
[/B]
American English will accept both. You will find that Americans tend to use both ``anyways'' and ``anyway'' in their speech. But they do not accept ``anyways'' in formal writing. The second sentence will be unacceptable in writing.
[B]
When I call someone up, should I say, ``Can I speak to...?'', ``May I speak to...?'', or ``Could I speak to ....?''(C. Maneesh Goel, Faridabad)
[/B]
It depends on the person you are talking to. If you are talking to someone whom you do not know and wish to sound polite, then you could say, ``May I'' or ``Could I.'' Of the two, ``May I'' is considered to be more polite. If, on the other hand, you are talking to someone you know fairly well, then you could say, ``Can I.'' The use of these three will depend on the person you are talking to and how you wish to sound. If you wish to sound polite, use ``May I'' or ``Could I.''

* * *

``[I]The light at the end of a tunnel may be an oncoming train[/I].'' - Anon

S. UPENDRAN

[COLOR="Blue"][B]Know your English[/B][/COLOR]
[B]
WHAT IS the meaning and origin of the idiom ``to bring home the bacon''? (S. Madhusudan, Tiruchy (TN)[/B]

Bacon is the salted or smoked meat that comes from the back or sides of a pig. Bacon and eggs is a popular American breakfast. When someone ``brings home the bacon'', he or she is providing food for the family. What do you need in order to buy food? Money, of course! When you say that someone ``brings home the bacon'', it means that he or she has a job and is earning a salary. He or she is the breadwinner. Here are a few examples.

*[U] Bhaskar is married, but it's his wife who brings home the bacon.[/U]

*[U] Prakash's parents have been telling him to get a job so that he can bring home the bacon.[/U]

In the old days, weekly and monthly fairs were very common in villages. On these occasions, farmers used to bring vegetables, meat, cattle, sheep, etc. and sell them at the market place. As a form of entertainment, a well-greased pig was let loose in the market. Any man or woman catching the pig could claim it as his/her prize. Since the animal had grease all over it, it was very slippery and hence very difficult to catch. But the person catching it could take it home. The man or woman catching the pig was literally bringing home the bacon! Nowadays, of course, you don't bring pigs home, instead you provide food for the family by bringing home a salary. But things haven't changed all that much. [U]These days in order to ``bring home the bacon'', you often have to grease someone's palm![/U]
[B]
Why do we call the spare tire that we carry in our car a ``stepney''? (N. Chandramouli, Hosur, Karnataka)
[/B]
Although this word is quite common in India, hardly anyone uses it in Britain. The Americans, of course, have never used it. The word is not included in most dictionaries! What we call a ``stepney'', native speakers of English refer to as a ``spare''. In America, the spare wheel is much smaller than the normal wheel.

[I]Where did the word ``stepney'' come from? Well, actually the word `stepney' is the name of a street in Wales. [/I]A mechanic in the street of Stepney in the town of Llanelly, was the first to provide the ready to use spare wheels. And the product, namely the spare wheels, began to be referred to by the name of the street where they were produced.
[B]
What is the difference between ``in the end'' and ``at the end''? (T. Sandhya, Hyderabad)[/B]

``[U]In the end'' means ``finally''[/U]. It is normally used when you want to give the impression that a conclusion was arrived at after a lot of confusion or uncertainty. For example:

* [U]In the end, the hero runs away with all the money.[/U]

``[U]At the end'', on the other hand, means at the point when something stops[/U]. Here we are thinking of a single event, and not a series of events. Take for example, the following sentence. ``At the end of the song, the hero jumps into the river.'' The single event that we are thinking of here is the end of the song. When we say, ``in the end'', what we have in mind is a sequence of events, not just one event. You cannot say ``In the end of the song.'' Here are a few more examples.

*[U] At the end of the third day, the little boy ran away.[/U]

* [U]In the end, the little boy runs away.[/U]

It's wrong to say ``in the end of..''. It always has to be ``at the end of''.

[B]What is the meaning of ``brownie points''? (T. R. Anantharaman, Porur, Chennai)[/B]

It is an imaginary award that you get for having done something good. When you get or gain brownie points, it is the imaginary credit that you get for having done something useful or good.

* [U]I earned some brownie points for helping the old lady cross the street.[/U]

* How many brownie points did you get for looking after her kids?

* You are not going to get any brownie points for doing that!

[B]Which of the following sentences is correct? ``He left for America after a three-day state visit'' or ``He left for America after a three days state visit''. (Lenin, Chennai)[/B]

The first sentence is correct. The words ``day'', ``month'', ``minute'', ``mile'', etc. are usually singular when used with a number immediately before a noun. Here are a few more examples:

*[U] Every day he goes for a twenty-minute jog.
[/U]
* [U]Every day he jogs for twenty minutes.[/U]

* [U]Last year he ran the twenty six-mile marathon.[/U]

S. UPENDRAN

[B][COLOR="Blue"]Know your English
[/COLOR][/B]
[B]

``WHAT IS the meaning of ``Supercalifragilis- ticexpialidocious''? - (P. Vanitha Rathnam, Pollachi, TN)
[/B]
This is a word which one hears several times in the Walt Disney movie, Mary Poppins. When the nanny, Mary Poppins, comes first in a horse race, a reporter remarks, ``There probably aren't words to describe your emotions.'' To which Mary Poppins replies, ``On the contrary, there's a perfectly good word. It's supercalifragilisticexpialidocious''. The word doesn't really mean anything, it's just fun to say. Here are the first four lines of the song sung by Mary and her friends.

Super cali fragi listic expi ali docious

Even though the sound of it is something quite atrocious

If you say it loud enough, you will always sound precocious

[B]Super cali fragi listic expi ali docious.

What is the meaning and origin of the expression ``greenhorn''? - (S. Sainath, Hyderabad)
[/B]

[U]A greenhorn is an inexperienced, or naive person, someone who can be easily duped or cheated.[/U] The term, I understand, was first used in the 15th century to refer to a young ox whose horns had not matured. Around the 17th century, the word began to be used to refer to people; any inexperienced person began to be called a ``greenhorn''. In the early part of the 20th century, with the influx of immigrants, the word began to be used to refer to them. Nowadays, of course, a ``greenhorn'' is any inexperienced person. Here are a few examples.

*[U]The Management is not planning on hiring greenhorns.[/U]

*[U]How could you give such an important assignment to a greenhorn?[/U]

*The old man was looking for a greenhorn whom he could sell his bogus stocks to.
[B]
What is the difference between ``assassinate'' and ``murder''? - (Balachand, Kumbi, Manipur)[/B]

Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Ghandi, John Kennedy, and Julius Caesar were all assassinated. If the same thing had happened to lesser- known mortals like you and me, people would have called it ``murder''. When you ``murder'' someone, you kill him/her intentionally - it is not an accident. You can ``murder'' anyone; your next door neighbour or the beggar on the street. If you were to ``murder'' someone famous, then it would become an assassination. When famous people are killed because of political reasons, it is called an assassination. Here are a few examples.

*[U]Nobody still knows why President Kennedy was assassinated.[/U]

*[U]When Indira Gandhi was assassinated, there was chaos in the country.[/U]

*We have asked Holmes to investigate the murder.

*[U]Why would anyone want to murder the poor old man?[/U]

By the way, in the word ``assassination'', the main stress is on the fourth syllable.

[B]What is the meaning of the following sentence, ``Dollar demand pushes rupee further south''? - (T. M. Krishnan, Tirupattur, Vellore District, TN)[/B]

[U]We always talk about ``down south'' and ``up north''. One usually associates ``going south'' with going ``down''.[/U] In the sentence that you have given, south means ``down''. The demand for the dollar has pushed the value of the rupee further down.

In American English, the expression ``go south'' is used in informal contexts. When you say that an organisation has ``gone south'', it means that though the organisation was in excellent shape once, it is in extremely bad shape now.

[B]How do you pronounce the word ``manoeuvre''? -

(R. Chandrasekhar, Chennai)[/B]

The ``a'' in the first syllable and the ``e'' in the final syllable are like the ``a'' in ``China'', ``about'', and ``around''. The ``oeu'' is pronounced like the ``oo'' in ``cool'', ``pool'', and ``school''. The final ``r'' is silent. The stress is on the second syllable. The Americans spell the word ``maneuver''.

The word can be used either as a verb or a noun. When you ``manoeuvre'' something, you move or turn something very skillfully. For example,

*[U]The soldier manoeuvred the tank through the giant trees.[/U]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]The word does have a negative meaning. However when you manoeuvre someone into doing something or manoeuvre someone out of something, you use clever, but often illegal methods to get what you want[/COLOR].

*[U]The election results were achieved through a series of political manoeuvres.[/U]

[B]Is it OK to say, ``Join at any day''? - (Eggoni Syama Sundar, Madanapalle,AP)[/B]

No, it isn't. You can tell someone to ``Join any day'', but not ``Join at any day''. If you have a specific day in mind, then you say, ``Join on Monday''.

* * *

``Hollywood: A place where they shoot too many pictures and not enough actors.''

- Walter Mitchell

S. UPENDRAN

[COLOR="Blue"][B]Know your English[/B][/COLOR]

[B]WHAT IS the origin of the word ``bootleggers''? (V. Ramkumar, Chennai)[/B]

``Bootleggers'' as you know, are people who brew and sell illicit liquor. The word was first coined in the United States in the mid- 19 century. It gained popularity within America, however, when the country went through a ``dry spell'' (prohibition) between 1920-1933. People who were fond of hard drinks had to depend on ``bootleggers'' to wet their palates. Bootleggers brewed whiskey in the outskirts of towns and cities. As it was illegal to sell whiskey in the open market, the dealers had to find ingenious ways of bringing the bottles into towns and cities. One method they employed was to hide the bottles inside the tall boots they used to wear. Since they hid the bottles in their boots they began to be called `bootleggers'!

The original ``bootlegger'' was someone who sold illicit liquor. When someone ``bootlegged'', he sold whiskey illegally. Nowadays, the word is being used in a very general sense. When you say that someone is bootlegging, it doesn't necessarily imply that he is making or selling illicit liquor. [U]He could be making copies of videotapes and selling them illegally. Video piracy is a form of bootlegging[/U]. Here are a few examples.

* [U]Prakash was caught bootlegging Windows 2000 CDs.[/U]

* [U]Amrit bought a bootleg CD of last night's concert[/U].

* [U]My friend Ramesh bootlegs videotapes in Chor Bazar.[/U]

[B]How is the word ``alias'' pronounced? (V. Kishore, Secunderabad)[/B]

The ``a'' in the first syllable is like the ``ay'' in ``day'', ``hay'', and ``may''. The ``i'' is pronounced like the ``i'' in ``sit'', ``bit'', and ``fit'', while the following ``a'' sounds like the ``a'' in ``China''. The stress is on the first ``a''.
[U]
What is an alias? Your official name may be Kishore, but at home everyone may be calling you Ravi[/U]. [B]Ravi is your alias[/B]. An alias is a name by which a person is also known. [U]Sometimes, people give a false name deliberately; this can also be called an alias. Charles Shobraj, for example, had several aliases[/U]. Here are a few examples.

* Ramanujam, alias Ravi, is arriving in Bangalore tomorrow.

* [U]The well-known criminal used several aliases[/U].

* Shoba, alias Rama, is wanted for questioning by the police.

[B]Which of the following sentences is correct? ``He left for America after a three-day state visit'' or ``He left for America after a three-days state visit''. (Lenin, Chennai)[/B]

[U]The first sentence is correct. You talk about a ``three- day visit''[/U], ``two-week holiday'', ``five-month vacation'', etc. [U]You do not say three days visit, or five months vacation[/U]. In these examples, ``three- day'', ``five-month'', and ``two-week'' are functioning as adjectives. Here are a few more examples:

* [U]Every day he does a twenty-minute jog[/U].

* We are planning to go on the fourteen-day cruise next year.

* Sailaja's four-page document was well written.
[B]
Could you give some colloquial expressions meaning ``gossip''? (T. R. Anantharaman, Chennai)[/B]

There are several expressions which mean ``gossip''. Here are three which I use quite often: ``[B]to shoot the bull[/B]'', ``[B]to chew the fat[/B]'', and ``[B]to shoot the breeze[/B]''. All are used in informal contexts. [U]When you shoot the bull, or chew the fat, you ``chat and gossip[/U]''. Here are a few examples.

* Why don't we get together this weekend and shoot the bull?

* Jai and Priya spend too much time shooting the bull.

* [U]Let's sit down and chew the fat for some time[/U].

* Nothing much happened. We chewed the fat for half an hour and left.

The expression ``chew the rag'' means the same thing as ``chew the fat''.

When you ``shoot the breeze'', you usually end up chatting about a lot of things.

*[U] Meera and Kalyani spent the entire afternoon shooting the breeze[/U].

* I enjoyed shooting the breeze with Lavanya.

[B]How is the word ``vide'' used? Can I say ``The material was dispatched vide our invoice no.....''? (Zameer, Hyderabad)[/B]

``[U]Vide'' is a Latin word meaning ``look at'' or ``refer to''[/U]. Formal letters referring to an earlier correspondence always make use of this word. The word consists of two syllables, and not one. The ``i'' sounds like the ``y'' in ``my'', ``shy'', and ``by''. The following ``e'' is like the ``i'' in ``pit'', ``bit'' and ``sit''. Some people, however, pronounce the ``i'' like the ``ee'' in ``see'', ``bee'', and ``ghee'', and the ``e'' that follows like the ``ay'' in ``day'', ``bay'', and ``say''. The stress in both cases is on the first syllable.

Let's look at the example that you have given. Your sentence implies that you sent the material through the invoice. It is not possible to do that! You could however say, ``We have dispatched the materials as per our agreement ([U]vide letter dated[/U]....)''. [I]It is interesting to note that not all dictionaries include this word. Did you know that ``vide'' and ``video'' are related[/I]?

* * *

``Order your summers suit. Because in big rush we will execute customers in strict rotation.'' - In a Rhodes tailor shop

S. UPENDRAN

[COLOR="Blue"][B]Know your English
[/B][/COLOR]


``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?[U] Some of the decisions made by Hair and Co. had me tearing my hair out.''
[/U]
``Hair had you tearing your hair out! That sounds nice. Does 'tear one's hair out' mean to become angry?''

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

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

`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.''

``[B]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[/B].''

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

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

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

``[U]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[/U].''

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

``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.''

[B]``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'?''[/B]

``[U]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.''[/U]

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

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

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

``....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?''

``[U]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.[/U]''

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

``How am I supposed to know?''

[U]``Some of my cousins who are in 10th class keep harping on about how difficult it is get through the IIT entrance exam.''
[/U]
``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]
``I like men to behave like men - strong and childish.''[/I] Francoise Sagan.

[COLOR="Navy"][B]Know your English [/B][/COLOR]

[B]
WHAT IS the origin and meaning of the expression ``to bite the bullet''? (Aparna Ramachandra Iyer, Hyderabad) [/B]

Every year, after the budget speech, the Finance Minister invariably tells us to ``bite the bullet''. Perhaps it's his way of ensuring that we get the required iron into our system! What does he mean by ``to bite the bullet''? What is it that you normally do when you are in terrible pain? You usually clench your fist, grit your teeth, or bite on something. By doing all these things you don't get rid of the pain, you merely lessen it. When the pain becomes acute, it is possible these days to take a painkiller. But in the old days, there were no painkillers. When doctors operated on patients, they didn't give them anesthesia, they merely gave them something to bite on - a piece of wood or a piece of iron. This was done to help the patient endure the pain, not to get rid of it. Having something in the mouth also prevented the patient from screaming into the doctor's ears! During wars, when soldiers had to be operated on, doctors usually gave them - you guessed it - a bullet to bite on. [U]So when someone asks you to ``bite the bullet'', they want you to accept something difficult or unpleasant and endure it. In other words, you put up with a bad situation.[/U] Here are a few examples:

*[U]Rohan decided to bite the bullet and pay extra for the car that he really wanted. [/U]

*[U]Housewives are biting the bullet after another increase in LPG prices. [/U]

[B]Isn't there a difference between ``the officer concerned'' and the ``the concerned officer''? (K. G. Chandrasekharan, Cochin) [/B]

[U]Yes, there is. When you talk about the ``concerned officer'', you are talking about the officer who is worried. The man is concerned or worried about something. When there is a plane or train accident, you will have concerned relatives/friends ringing up the airport or the railway station. When you talk about the ``officer concerned'', you are talking about the officer who is in charge of a particular department/section. For example, you might go to the sanitation department and meet the officer concerned. In other words, you meet the officer in the sanitation department who deals in the matter that you are interested in. [/U]

*When I went to school I met the concerned teacher. (The teacher was worried.)

*When I went to school, I met the teacher concerned. (I met the teacher I wanted to meet. The teacher with whom I had some work.)

*[U]The concerned parents met the IAS officer concerned.[/U]


*The captain talked to the players concerned.
[B]
Which of the following sentences is correct? ``I met him one and a half year ago'', or, ``I met him one and a half years ago''? (S. Shyam Sundar, Tirupati) [/B]
[U]
The rule is fairly simple. In sentences like the above, we use the plural noun with fractions and decimals over 1 (one). [/U]

*You're late. I have been waiting here for one and a half hours.

[U]*Abdul will be taking the next one and a half years off. [/U]

*We require 1.13 metres of this material.

[B]What does the abbreviation SWOT stand for? (R. Padma, Bangalore) [/B]

[U]SWOT is an acronym for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. I understand it is a formula used in marketing analysis of new products. [/U]

[B]What is the difference between ``home'' and ``house''? (Subhkaran, Kota, Rajasthan)
[/B]


When you go through the newspaper, you find many ``houses'' for sale. Sometimes at street corners, you find signs saying that there is a ``house'' available for rent. [U][B]A ``house'' is a place in which people live; it offers shelter[/B][/U].

[U]There may be thousands of houses in the city in which you live, but there is only one, which you call your ``home''. The ``house'' which you choose to live in becomes your ``home''.[/U]

Your builder constructed a ``house''. When you moved in, it became your ``home''. ``Home'' is the place where your family is; it provides emotional warmth and security.
[U]
A ``house'', on the other hand, provides shelter. Usually people buy a ``home'' and sell a ``house''.[/U] People who are away from their home often complain about being ``homesick'', not ``housesick''. What they lack is not a roof over their head, but the emotional warmth and security. Nowadays, every city has a ``home'' for the aged. They are not called ``house'' for the aged because these places provide not only shelter but also emotional comfort for the old people. Other common expressions in English are: ``There's no place like home'', ``Home, sweet home'', and ``Home is where the heart is''. Nobody ever substitutes the word ``house'' in any of these expressions.
[B]
How do you greet someone on his/her wedding anniversary? Is it O.K to say ``Many happy returns of the day''? (M. T. Chari, Bangalore)[/B]

The usual greeting is ``Happy wedding anniversary'', or, ``Happy anniversary''. Both are equally acceptable. I have heard people saying ``Many happy returns of the day''. Though this may strike one as being odd, some native speakers accept it. [U]Dictionaries however contend that ``Many happy returns of the day'' should be restricted to birthdays. [/U]


`[I]`In fact there was but one thing wrong with the Babbit house: it was not a home.'' [/I]

- Sinclair Lewis

S. UPENDRAN

[COLOR="Navy"][SIZE="5"]Know your English[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[B]WHAT IS the meaning of ``apple polishing''? (Rahul Sharma, Kota, Rajasthan)[/B]

[U]It means ``flattery''[/U]. Believe it or not, this is an expression which owes its origin to the practice followed by school children. What is it that people do in order to win the approval of their superiors? They either give them gifts or flatter them. [U]Some school going children did the same thing in order to be in the teacher's good books.[/U] [U]These kids took apples to school and polished them till they gleamed.[/U] [U]Then they presented them to the class teacher![/U] They hoped that by doing this, the teacher would overlook their poor performance in class and instead give them good marks.

* Vani's apple-polishing didn't get her anywhere.

* [B][I]Apple-polishing is something that my boss detests.[/I][/B]
[I][B]
* People who indulge in apple-polishing are called ``apple polishers''[/B][/I].

* Venkat, the apple polisher, doesn't know how silly he looks.

* Jaya's apple polishers surrounded her as soon as she stepped out of her car.

[B][I]* When he ran out of money the apple polishers left him.[/I][/B]

[U]Do not use this word in formal contexts. It is considered slang.
[/U]

[B]What is the difference between ``homophone'' and ``homonym''? (P.V.V.S. Lakshmi, Kakinada)[/B]
[U]
In everyday contexts these two words are used interchangeably. But there is a difference in meaning between the two. The word ``homophone'' comes from the Greek ``homo'' meaning ``same'' and ``phone'' meaning ``sound''[/U]. Strictly speaking therefore, the word homophone is used to refer to words which sound alike, although they have a different spelling and meaning. [U]Here are a few examples: mail, male; wear, ware; metal, mettle; etc.[/U]


[U]A homonym, on the other hand, is used to refer to words which have the same spelling and pronunciation but have a different meaning[/U]. For example May (month), may (possibility); can (be able), can (put something in container); bear (the animal), bear (to carry). As I mentioned earlier, this distinction is seldom maintained in everyday conversation. People in general tend to use ``homonym'' to mean ``homophone''.

A note about the pronunciation. The first ``o'' in both the words is pronounced like the ``o'' in ``hot'', ``pot'', and ``got''. The second ``o'' is like the ``a'' in ``China''. It's the first syllable which has the stress in both words. This is one way of pronouncing the words.
[B]
How do you answer someone who says ``Nice to meet you''? (P. Lokeshwar Rao, Mosopalli)
[/B]

When you are introduced to someone and the person says, ``Nice to meet you'' the standard reply is ``Nice to meet you'' with the emphasis on ``you''. It's like ``How do you do?'' When someone says ``How do you do?'' your reply is, ``How do you do?''. Other ways of responding to ``Nice to meet you'' are ``Likewise'', ``It's a pleasure meeting you'', ``Same here'', etc.
[B]
What is the origin of ``Jeep''? (S. Sadagoppan, Chennai)[/B]

These days whenever a new vehicle is launched, it comes with a fancy name - Alto, Accent, City, Matiz, etc. The vehicle which we now call the Jeep, however did not come with a fancy name. In fact this army vehicle had no real name at all; people in the army merely referred to it as ``General Purpose Vehicle''. Since this was a fairly long name, it was abbreviated to ``GP''. From GP we get ``Jeep''. Some people argue that the word ``Jeep'' became popular because of a comic strip character who was quite popular in the days prior to World War II. The character was a tiny creature with supernatural powers and his name was Eugene the Jeep.

[B]Is the word ``orange'' a Tamil word? (P. Somasundaram, Chennai)[/B]

Many Tamilians would like to think so! Some argue that the word orange comes from the Tamil words ``six'' and ``five'' respectively. The good news is that the word does come from an Indian language - Sanskrit. Scholars who have studied the origin of words contend that the word ``orange'' comes from the Sanskrit ``naranga''.

[B]How is the word ``paradigm'' pronounced? (Sudha, Nellore)[/B]

The first ``a'' is like the ``a'' in ``apple'', ``act'' and ``cat''. The ``a'' in the second syllable is pronounced like the ``a'' in ``China'', ``amount'', and ``about''. The final ``digm'' rhymes with ``time'', ``dime'', and ``lime''. The stress is on the first syllable. One of the meanings of the word is ``typical example of something''. This is a word used in formal contexts.

*For many the Holocaust is a paradigm of evil.
[U]
*The incident that took place yesterday is a paradigm of the destructive side of human nature.[/U]

*As far as I am concerned, she is a paradigm of all that is good in this world.

*A paradigm is also a model which explains how something works or shows how something is produced.
[B]
Why do we abbreviate ``example'' to ``e.g.''? (Soji Mathew,

Pondicherry)[/B]

The abbreviation ``e.g.'' comes from the Latin ``exempli gratia''. It means ``for example''.
[B]
Is it O.K to say, ``What class are you reading?'' (K. Krishnamurthy, Vishakapatnam)[/B]

Although one hears this question very often in India, it is however not acceptable in standard English. ``What class are your reading?'' is a translation of how we ask the question in our mother tongue. Native speakers of English would probably say, ``What class are you in?'' or ``What class are you studying in?''

***

[CENTER][SIZE="4"][COLOR="Blue"]Know your English
[/COLOR][/SIZE][/CENTER]

`HI, COME on in. Haven't seen you in a while. What have you been up to?''

``Oh, nothing much.''

``Some things never change, eh? Weren't you supposed to go to Hyderabad to write some test or something?''

``The test has been postponed because of the floods. I wasn't planning on going, anyway.[B] My father has discouraged me to write the exam this year. He feels....'' [/B]

``....[B]discouraged me from writing.'' [/B]

``What?''

``[B]You do not say 'discouraged me to write'. Instead you....'' [/B]

``... [B]wait a minute. It's O.K to say `He encouraged me to write', right?'' [/B]
[U]
``That's right. The word `encouraged' can be followed by `to'. But `discouraged' is followed by `from' and not `to'. You encourage someone to do something and you discourage someone from doing something.'' [/U]

``I see. So I have to say, the little boy was encouraged to go to school, but the young girl was discouraged from going to school.''

``After the scandal many students were discouraged from talking to the Principal.''

`[U]`The money lender discouraged the poor farmer from applying for a bank loan.'' [/U]

``Sounds like the kind of stuff we see in our movies.''

``I am sure it happens in real life as well.''

``I am sure it does.''
[B]
``How about this example? When I was young, I was encouraged to play tennis and football.'' [/B]

``Sounds good. I am sure you were discouraged from seeing movies.''

``You are absolutely right. Hey, look at the time. I've got to go.''


``You've got to go! But you just got here. What's the hurry?''

``I've got to meet Sujatha. I've promised to her that I would meet her at 6-00.''

[B]``I have `promised her', not `promised to her'.'' [/B]

``But I have heard many people say, `promised to her'.''
[U]
``It's true that many people say it. But it's wrong. When you use `promise' as a verb, you 'promise someone', you do not `promise to someone'. For example, Madan promised Kajol that he would be on time for the function.''
[/U]
``Anjali promised to have everything ready by 2-00 o'clock today.''
[U]
``My friend Ramesh promised to help me with the homework.''
[/U]
``That was nice of him. Now then, shall....''

``....wait a minute! You said that the word `promise' is not followed by `to', right?''

``That's right.''

``But what about this sentence? `I made a promise to him.' In that sentence....''

[U]``....the word `promise' is being used as a noun, and not a verb. I said that you cannot `promise to someone'. You can promise someone something, but ....'' [/U]

``...[U]you cannot `promise to someone'. So sentences like `Bala promised to Geetha' and `Anand promised to Sunita' are wrong.''
[/U]
``Yes, they are wrong. You can `promise to do something'. For example, I promised to meet him at 8-00 in the morning.''

[U]``I promised to read the book. How does that sound?'' [/U]

``Sounds great.''

``[B]Tell me, what about the word `told'? I often hear, `I told to him'. Is that correct?''[/B]
[U]
``You do not `tell to someone'. Instead you ....'[/U]'

``....you `tell someone something'.''
[U]
``Exactly! Here's an example. I told Venki to go jump in a lake.'' [/U]

``I told Radhika to get married.''


``That's not very good advice in my opinion.''

``I didn't ask for your opinion, did I?''

``No, you didn't. Here's an example. The IAS officer told the Minister to get his head examined.''

``I am sure the poor man was transferred. How about this example? We must tell our students not to worry about the exams.''

``Sounds good.''

``Can I go now?''

``If you promise to give this book to Sujatha, then ....''

``....I won't promise you anything.''
[I]
``Making a speech is more likely to cause clammy hands and terror in the heart of the average person than are thoughts of death or physical danger. It's number one on the 'fear' list.'' - Irving Wallace [/I]

S. UPENDRAN

[COLOR="Blue"][SIZE="4"]Know your English[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[B]WHAT IS the meaning of the idiom ``to bite the dust''? (M. C. Subhash, Patna)[/B]

[U]This is an expression that was made popular by old cowboy movies. When you say that someone has bitten the dust, it implies that he/she is dead.[/U] It is an expression that is normally used in informal contexts. [B][I]Do not walk into someone's house and say, ``I understand that your father bit the dust yesterday. I am so sorry.'' [/I][/B]Here are a few examples.
[U]
* The hero fired the gun and another villain bit the dust.[/U]

[U]* When she was diagnosed with cancer, Paroma turned to the doctor and said that she was too young to bite the dust.[/U]

* I don't think the old man next door will ever bite the dust.

[B][I]When referring to things, ``to bite the dust'' means ``to break or to fail''. This is the sense in which the expression is used most often these days.[/I][/B]

* Another one of Promod's plans bit the dust.

[U]* Balakrishna's old scooter bit the dust yesterday.[/U]

* Dolly's attempt to become the next Vice President bit the dust.

The rock group ``Queen'' has a song called ``Another one bites the dust''.

* * *
[B]
How do you pronounce the word ``hooch''? (R. Ganesan, Madurai)[/B]

The ``oo'' is like the ``oo'' in ``fool'', ``cool'', and ``pool''. The final ``ch'' is like the ``ch'' in ``chips'', ``chap'', and ``chin''. Any idea what the word means? [U]This is a word used in very informal contexts in American English to refer to any alcoholic beverage that has been made illegally. Here are a few examples.[/U]

* [U]He offered me some hooch, but I turned it down.[/U]

* [U]I would like to have some more of that hooch, please.[/U]

*[U] One could smell the hooch three miles away[/U].

* * *

[B]What is the meaning of ``snail mail''? (N. Mukunda Kumar, Chennai)[/B]

Are you into computers? Do you access the Internet frequently? Do you send e-mail every day? If you do, then like me, you too are probably amazed at the speed at which communication takes place these days. You can send mail to someone in America and get a reply in a matter of hours/minutes. Earlier, it used to take at least a couple of weeks to get a reply. The word ``snail mail'' refers to the regular mail - letters that we write to our friends and relations and put in a letterbox. Letters that normally take a couple of days to reach their destination - sometimes never reach at all! As you may have probably guessed, this word was coined by some computer buff.

* * *

[B]What is the difference between ``flats'' and ``apartments''? (S. Harish, Davangere, Karnataka)[/B]

[U]There is no difference; these are merely two words that are used on different sides of the Atlantic to refer to the same thing. Americans tend to use the word ``apartment'', while those in England prefer ``flat''.[/U]

* * *

[B]What is the meaning of ``ad nauseam''? (N. K. Rayaguru, Chennai)[/B]

First let's deal with the pronunciation. The word ``ad'' rhymes with the words ``pad'', ``bad'', and ``sad''. The ``au'' is like the ``ore'' in ``tore'', ``pore'' and ``core''. The following ``s'' is like the ``z'' in ``zip'' and ``zoo''. The ``e'' is like the ``i'' in ``pit'', ``bit'', and ``hit'', while the final ``a'' is like the ``a'' in ``China''. Some people pronounce the final ``a'' like the ``a'' in ``act'', ``pact'' and ``fact''. The main stress is on the first syllable of ``nauseam''. [U]When someone does something ad nauseam they do it repeatedly over a long period of time. He/she does it so often that you become sick and tired of it; very often you become irritated by it.[/U] Here are a few examples.

* [U]For the next hour the child played the same song ad nauseam[/U].

* [U]Sashi went on ad nauseam about what a wonderful wife he has.[/U]:laughing

* [U]The Director went on ad nauseam about how well the company was doing.[/U]

* * *

[B]How do you pronounce the final `s' in ``Charles's''? (N. Ajay Roshan, Pudukkottai)[/B]

The final ``s'' is pronounced like the ``es'' in words like ``houses'', ``blouses'', and ``noses''. It sounds like the word ``is''.

* * *
[B]
Is it OK to say ``The Chief Minister is in favour with Sumalatha''? (J. Chandrasekhar, Bangalore)[/B]

[U]The expression ``in favour'' is usually followed by ``of'' and not ``with''. You are usually ``in favour of'' something.[/U] Here are a few examples.

[U]* The farmers were not in favour of building a dam.[/U]

* Mohan and Sujatha were in favour of the new proposal.
[U]
* Nobody was in favour of the Japanese taking over the factory[/U].

* * *

[B]Why is the television called the ``idiot box''? (Antony Valarkott, Vempally)[/B]

What is it that you normally do when you watch television? You keep staring at the screen. You are glued to the images that appear on it. You sit there passively with your eyes wide open. You don't even think; you just sit there like an idiot, watching. This is one of the reasons why television is called the ``idiot box''. Television kills your imagination and your curiosity and in the process makes you an idiot. By the way, another common name for television is ``goggle box'' - people just keep staring (goggling) at it like a bunch of idiots!

***

[I]``I often quote myself. It adds spice to my conversation.'' - G. B. Shaw[/I]

S. UPENDRAN

[SIZE="4"][COLOR="Blue"]Know your English
[/COLOR][/SIZE]
S. UPENDRAN

``HI! HOW was your day?''

``O. K, I guess. As usual, I had a fight with Sujatha.''

``What was the fight about? Your haircut? Or was it....''
[B]
``....we had a fight about my haircut last week. This one had to do with `good name'. I asked Sujatha's cousin from the U.S what his good name was and he burst out laughing. Sujatha said that his good name was Rahul and his bad name was Bala.''[/B]

``That must have made you mad.''

``It certainly did. Anyway, what was wrong with the question I had asked?''
[B]
``You see, native speakers of English don't say, `What's your good name?'. They ask you for your `name', not your `good name'. By the way, do you have a `bad name'?''[/B]

``No, I don't! You mean it's wrong to say, `What's your good name?'.''

``It's quite common within India. But native speakers of English don't use it.''

``Then why do we say it?''

``I think it's the mother tongue influence. I have a feeling that `What's your good name?' is actually a translation of how the question is asked in Hindi. Of course, there may be other Indian languages which ask you for your `good name' as well.''

``That's interesting. But do you mean to say that native speakers of English never use the expression `good name'?''

``Of course, they do. But they don't use it when they want to know your name. The expression `good name' is used to refer to one's `reputation'. For example, if someone says `You have ruined the good name of the family', it means....''

``...it means you have ruined the family's reputation.''

``Yes, you have brought shame on the family, and what not!''

``The kind of stuff one normally hears in movies. Tell me, is it O.K to say, `Mohan has earned a good name for himself as a teacher'?''

``But not as a husband, eh? Anyway, the sentence sounds fine.''

``Tell me, while we are on the subject of `good name', is it wrong to say `good self'?''

``Good self! I thought there was only one `Self' for everyone to try to realise! I didn't know there was a good self and a bad self!''

``What are you talking about?''

``Just a little philosophy. But never mind. Native speakers of English seldom use `good self'. It is considered rather old fashioned. If at all used, it is used in highly formal contexts. Usually in writing.''

``I see. When writing to my uncle or my cousin, I shouldn't use ``good self''?''

``I wouldn't. Why use good self at all? Just say `you'.''

[B]``I see. But can I say, I am sending my bio-data to your good self to....''[/B]

[U]``....that's another word that's not common among native speakers of English.''
[/U]
``Which word are you talking about?''

[U]``Bio-data! They usually call it a `resume' or `curriculum vitae'.''[/U]

``What?''

``R..e..s..u..m..e.''

``That's pronounced reSUME, right?''

``No, you are thinking of another word which is spelt the same way. You are thinking of the word, which means to start something again. That is pronounced reSUME. ''

``The game resumed after the break''
[U]
``That's a good example. A resume, on the other hand, is what we in India call a bio-data. That's one of the meanings, anyway. It's a summary. The first syllable `re' is like the `re' in words like `red', `reckless', and `regular'. The `s' is like the `z' in words like `zoo', `zip', and `zero'. The `u' sounds like the word `you' and the final `me' is pronounced like `may'. The stress is on the first syllable. Some people put an accent mark on both e's, while some put it on the second one.''
[/U]
``I see. Can I say, I will send you my resume, next week?''

[U]``Yes. Here's another example. I need to update my resume.''[/U]
[B]
``What's the other term which is used instead of bio-data?''[/B]
[U]
``Curriculum vitae. The `u' in the first and last syllables is like the `a' in `china'. The `i' is like the `i' in words like `bit', `kit', and `pit'. The `cu' sounds like the letter `Q'. The stress is on the second syllable. It's pronounced cuRRIculum.'[/U]'

[B]``Difficult to say the word. CuRRIculum! How is v..i..t..a..e pronounced?''[/B]
[U]
The `i' in the first syllable is like the `ee' in words like `bee', `fee', and `see'. And the `ae' in the second syllable is like the `ie' in words like `die', `tie', and `pie'. The stress is on the first syllable. The word is pronounced VItae.''[/U]

``But when you say the two words together, which word has the main stress?''

``Vitae has the main stress.''

``Curriculum vitae! That's a mouthful!''

``True. Which is why most people refer to it as CV. I would like you to send me your CV.''

``Your CV looks interesting''

``In my case, that's about the only thing that does look interesting.''

``Who steals my purse steals trash.....
[I]
But he that filches from me my good name

Robs me of that which not enriches him,

And makes me poor indeed.''[/I]

- Shakespeare

KNOW YOUR ENGLISH
about TOP BRASS
The Italians have an old saying, "Il dolce far niente." The words mean it is sweet, or enjoyable, to do nothing.

On weekends and during holidays, many of us enjoy doing nothing. But most of the time we have to work. And, to keep our jobs, we must work hard. Our employer will not like it if we do nothing.

American workers often call their employers bosses. The word boss comes from the Dutch word, baas, meaning master.

Sometimes company bosses are called the brass. They also are sometimes called top brass, or brass hats.

Experts disagree about how these strange expressions started. But, they may have come from Britain. Leaders of the nineteenth century British army wore pieces of metal called oak leaves on their hats. The metal, brass, has a color similar to that of gold. So a leader or commander came to be called a member of the brass. Or he might have been called a brass hat. Or, even the top brass.

By the nineteen forties, the expression had spread beyond military leaders. It also included civilian officials.

A newspaper in the American city of Philadelphia used the term in nineteen forty-nine. It called the most important police officials, top brass.

Other expressions that mean boss or employer have nothing to do with brass or hats. One of these is big cheese. A cheese is a solid food made from milk.

The expression probably started in America in the late nineteenth century. Some experts believe it comes from a word in the Uersian or urdu languages -- chiz. The meaning is a thing. So the meaning of big cheese may be a big thing.

Other experts say the word cheese in this expression was really an incorrect way of saying chief. The word chief means leader. So the expression may mean big leader.

An employer usually does not object to being called boss. But most workers would not call their employers big cheeses, top brass or brass hats to their faces.

These words are not really insulting. But neither do they show great respect.

Employers also have expressions to describe their workers. One of them that describes a good worker is that he or she works like a Trojan.

This expression probably comes from the ancient writings of the Greek poet Homer. He wrote about the Trojans who lived in the city of Troy. He said Trojans worked very hard to protect their city.

Now, the expression often is used to describe an employee who works hard for a company. A loyal, hard-working employee is said to work like a Trojan.

So be happy if your company's brass hats say you work like a Trojan. They may consider you valuable enough to increase your pay.
regards!