Know Your English 10/6/2014

Know your English 

S. UPENDRAN

  

What is the meaning and origin of ‘Young Turks’?

(Said Khan, Guwahati)

The expression is frequently heard in the world of politics. When you refer to someone as a ‘Young/young Turk’, you are suggesting that the individual is keen on making some radical changes in a well-established organisation. It could be anything: a political party, a company, a university, etc. This young individual is bubbling with ideas and is rather impatient to implement them. He and his group of friends are keen to usurp power from the old conservatives who have been running the show till now.

*At the meeting, it was only the Young Turks that spoke against the Director.

*The young Turks in the teaching faculty want the VC to apologise to the students.

The term ‘Young Turks’ was first used to refer to a nationalist party that was keen on bringing about changes in the political system in Turkey. The members of the party were called ‘Young Turks’ because the founding members were all very young — most were in their early thirties, while a few were in their late twenties. In 1908, the party succeeded in overthrowing Sultan Abdul Hamid II.

What does ‘in law’ stand for in ‘mother-in-law’?

(C Radhakrishnan, Neelambari)

The word ‘in law’ is normally used to indicate that you are not biologically related to some individual; you have formed a relationship with him/her through marriage. The term ‘mother-in-law’ was first used by the Church to refer to one’s spouse’s mother. According to the laws of the Church (Canon Law), this individual had the same legal rights and responsibilities as the biological mother. In the eyes of the law, she was a mother too. This probably explains why in the past a ‘step father/mother’ was sometimes referred to as ‘father/mother-in-law’ — in the eyes of the law, the two individuals were not biologically related to the child.

Some people are afraid of seeing other people naked. Is there a word for this?

(Joseph, Hyderabad)

Yes, there is. The word that is frequently used to refer to the fear of nudity — whether it is the fear of seeing someone else or yourself naked — is ‘gymnophobia’. The word ‘gym’ comes from the Greek ‘gumnos’ meaning ‘naked’. In the past, when an athlete went to the gymnasium, he always trained naked. ‘Gym’ is the shortened form of ‘gymnasium’. Imagine the pandemonium that would result if all members started showing up in their gym in their birthday suit! In ancient times, women were not allowed to witness any of the events at the Olympic games. The reason being that all participants were men, and many chose to perform without a stitch on.

What is the difference between ‘stink’ and ‘stench’?

(Sunil Rao, Bangalore)

Both words are used to refer to a foul, unpleasant smell. Some people maintain there is no difference between the two. Others, however, claim that ‘stench’ is stronger and overpowering of the two. It is a smell that most people would agree is foul; it is something makes you want to throw up.

*Please get those socks washed. They stink.

*The stench from the rotting corpse made him open the windows.

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“Political discourse has become so rotten that it’s no longer possible to tell the stench of one presidential candidate from the stink of another.” — PJ O’ Rourke

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English Usage

Know your English — What is the difference between ‘talent’ and ‘skill’?

S. UPENDRAN

  

What is the difference between ‘talent’ and ‘skill’?

(Kapila Vishnu, Chennai)

‘Talent’ is something that one is born with; it is your natural ability to do something without really thinking about it. For example, you may have no experience in playing tennis, but if you have the talent, you may have no problem keeping the ball in play. You are a natural on the tennis court. ‘Skill’, on the other hand, is something that you acquire after putting in a lot of hard work; unlike talent, it is not inborn, but learnt. Not everyone is talented, but if you make the effort, you can learn a new skill.

*Sheba’s talent for painting showed at a very young age.

*Hemant is a wonderful teacher. It’s a skill he’s honed over the years.

What is the meaning and origin of ‘devil’s advocate’?

(Shivam Mishra, Kanpur)

Sometimes, when you are making an argument for something, the person sitting with you deliberately chooses to provide a counterargument. Though this individual may not actually believe in the position he has taken, he may choose to contradict you in order to prolong the argument. When you ‘play the devil’s advocate’ you pretend to be against something that someone has said; you do this in order to make the other person consider his argument in greater detail. You are compelling him to examine the merits and demerits of his case.

*Are they your true beliefs or are you merely playing the devil’s advocate?

The term ‘devil’s advocate’ is actually a translation of the Latin ‘Advocatus Diaboli’; it was first used by the authorities in church. Whenever people demanded that someone be made a saint (canonised), the Roman Catholic Church appointed a devil’s advocate. It was the job of this official to argue as to why the individual should be not be made a saint.

How is the word ‘hyperbole’ pronounced?

(Zeenat, Kochi)

The word consists of four syllables, not three. The ‘hy’ is pronounced like the word ‘hi’, and the following ‘er’ sounds like the ‘ir’ in ‘shirt’, ‘dirt’ and ‘skirt’. The ‘o’ in the third syllable is like the ‘a’ in ‘china’, and the final ‘e’ sounds like the ‘i’ in ‘bit’, ‘sit’ and ‘hit’. The word is pronounced ‘hi-PER-be-li’ with the stress on the second syllable. It comes from the Greek ‘hyperbole’ meaning ‘exaggeration’ or ‘extravagance’. When you use hyperbole in your speech or writing, you make someone sound much more important than he actually is — you exaggerate the person’s importance.

*When you introduce the speaker, please avoid hyperbole.

Is there a difference in meaning between ‘She has hidden the jewels’ and ‘She hid the jewels’?

(L Sreemathi, Nellore)

The first sentence suggests that the jewels were hidden sometime ago — we don’t really know when — and they still continue to remain hidden. No one has found them as yet. We cannot say, ‘She has hidden the jewels, but the police found them’. In the case of the second sentence, we are not really sure about the fate of the jewels. Perhaps they are still hidden. There is also the possibility that someone has found them.

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“When a woman hires a detective to follow her husband, it’s probably to learn what the other woman sees in him.” — Leo J Burke

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Know your English

Know your English — What is the meaning and origin of ‘whistle-stop tour’? 29/4/2014

S. UPENDRAN

What is the meaning and origin of ‘whistle-stop tour’?

(KR Natarajan, Coimbatore)

This American expression is mostly used in politics. During an election, a candidate does not usually spend too much time campaigning in small towns. When he visits such places, he makes a short speech, shakes a few hands and moves on. A ‘whistle-stop tour’ is when a candidate puts in a brief appearance in several small towns in a very short period of time.

*Our candidate plans to make several whistle-stop tours this month.

In everyday contexts, the expression means to visit several different places — not necessarily small towns — in a short span of time.

*John and Peter plan to make a whistle-stop tour of India.

In the 18th and 19th centuries in America, most candidates made use of the train to get from one place to another. Whenever a train stopped at a small station, the candidate made a short speech from the train itself and quickly moved on to the next town. Such small stations were called ‘whistle stop’ because trains only stopped there on request.

How is the word ‘virago’ pronounced?

(CV Geetha, Hyderabad)

The ‘i’ in the first syllable is like the ‘i’ in ‘sit’, ‘knit’ and ‘bit’, while the following ‘a’ is like the ‘a’ in ‘bath’, ‘mask’ and ‘dance’. The final syllable sounds like the word ‘go’. The word is pronounced ‘vi-RAA-go’ with the stress on the second syllable. A woman who is ill tempered and rather bossy is usually referred to as a ‘virago’. She is a shrew; someone who shouts and screams a lot.

*How Sanjay fell in love with a virago like Meena is beyond me.

The word comes from the Latin root ‘vir’ meaning ‘man’ or ‘virile’. Virago was first used as a compliment; when you referred to a woman as being a virago, you meant she had great strength and courage.

What is the difference between ‘person’ and ‘personage’?

(Uday Kumar, Pune)

First, let us deal with the pronunciation of ‘personage’. The ‘age’ in the final syllable rhymes with the words ‘fridge’, ‘bridge’ and ‘ridge’. The word is pronounced ‘PER-se-nij’ with the stress on the first syllable. Any individual can be referred to as a ‘person’, but only a few can be called ‘personage’. This word is normally used to refer to someone who is well known and has a social standing.

*Standing at the doorstep was no less a personage than Sachin Tendulkar.

The word can also be used with characters/people one sees in a painting, movie, play, etc.

*Tell me, who are the personages in this famous painting?

‘Personage’ comes from the Latin ‘personaticum’ meaning ‘person of high rank or distinction’.

Is it okay to use ‘rethink’ as a noun?

(Anil Sharma, Kanpur)

Yes, the word ‘rethink’ can be used as a noun as well as a verb. It refers to the act of thinking about something again; when you ‘have a rethink’ about a plan, you reassess it. You may make changes to the original or you may choose to discard the plan altogether.

*The Minister believes that a fundamental rethink on higher education is needed.

*If you ask me, your proposal needs a rethink.

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“It is so simple to be wise. Think of something stupid to say and don’t say it.” — Sam Levenson

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Know Your English

Know your English — meaning of ‘get the monkey off the back’ 15-4-2014

S. UPENDRAN

  

What is the difference between ‘trip’ and ‘journey’?

(S Das, Chennai)

In both cases, you are going from one place to another. The word ‘journey’ suggests that you will be travelling a great distance. The time taken is likely to be considerable for you are likely to visit a number of places.

In the case of a journey, not everything is planned — as a result, a few unexpected things may happen along the way. This perhaps explains why people talk about life being a journey — it is impossible to predict what is likely to happen.

The distance covered during a ‘trip’ can be short or long. For example, one can take a trip to the U.S. or one can make a trip to the local supermarket. Usually, in the case of a ‘trip’, you return to the place you started from. This, however, is not always true in the case of a journey.

What is the meaning of ‘get the monkey off the back’?

(Kushal Garg, Lucknow)

The expression is mostly used in informal contexts to mean to get rid of a major problem or source of irritation. By winning the World Cup in Bangladesh, Mahela Jayewardene and Kumara Sangakkara finally got the monkey off their back. After having lost in four World Cup finals, it must have felt good to finally win one.

Another expression that is frequently used is ‘have a monkey on your back’; it means that you are carrying a burden or a problem that you find difficult to get rid of.

*Prabhu is an alcoholic. He needs to get the monkey off his back.

*Tina’s property dispute with her mother is a monkey on her back.

Nobody is really sure about the origin of the idiom. Some scholars believe that the original expression was ‘have a monkey on the roof’; it was mostly used in the late 19th century to refer to the mortgage that had to be paid — a burden that most middle class house owners face even today. During the 1940s, ‘monkey on the back’ acquired a new meaning — someone who had a monkey on his back was addicted to drugs.

How is the word ‘quasi’ pronounced?

(Aditya Jaiswal, Kolkata)

There are different ways of pronouncing this word. The ‘qu’ sounds like the ‘qu’ in ‘quit’, ‘quick’ and ‘quiz’, and the following ‘a’ like the ‘ay’ in ‘day’, ‘say’ and ‘bay’. The ‘s’ is pronounced like the ‘z’ in ‘zip’, ‘zero’ and ‘zoo’; the final ‘i’ rhymes with the ‘y’ in ‘my’ and ‘by’. Some people pronounce the ‘a’ like the ‘ar’ in ‘park’, ‘bark’ and ‘dark’. The word can be pronounced ‘KWAY-zai’ or ‘KWAA-zai’; in either case, the stress is on the first syllable. It comes from the Latin ‘quasi’ meaning ‘as it were’ or ‘almost’.

In English, the word is mostly used to mean ‘seemingly’ or ‘partly’. When you say that someone’s theory is ‘quasi-scientific’, it means that at first glance it looks like a scientific theory, but it actually isn’t. It does not include or contain all the features of such a theory. Some experts on usage claim quasi is a great alternative for ‘kind of’.

*I was rather disappointed. We were served quasi-Rajasthani food.

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“Money is like manure. You have to spread it around or it smells.” — J Paul Getty

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Source: The Hindu

Know Your English

Know your English — 8-4-14

S. UPENDRAN

During the Sony Open in Miami, one of the commentators kept saying, ‘Djokovic seems dialled in’. What is the meaning of ‘dialled in’?

(J Uday, Mysore)

This rather informal expression is mostly used to mean to give your complete attention to the task at hand. When you ‘dial in’, nothing distracts you; you remain focussed, and as a result, are able to perform splendidly. The commentator was implying that Djokovic was so focussed in the final that he wasn’t making too many errors; he was beating his opponent — in this case, Nadal — quite easily.

*Federer didn’t get dialled in till the middle of the second set.

This expression, which is frequently used in sports, has nothing to do with having someone’s number on speed dial. I understand that ‘dial in’ is something that mechanics do when they are tuning engines.

What is the difference between ‘slim’ and ‘skinny’?

(Rajeev Shukla, Meerut)

Both words are used to describe the physique of an individual — they can be used with men as well as women. Nowadays, there is a tendency to use these two words with things as well — particularly, electronic gadgets. For example, people talk about ‘ultra slim TVs’, ‘skinny mobiles’, etc. When used with people, ‘slim’ has a much more positive connotation than ‘skinny’. When you say that someone is slim, it suggests that the individual is rather attractive. This explains why people who need to knock off a few pounds, do ‘slimming exercises’ and not ‘thinning exercises’.

‘Skinny’, on the other hand, is mostly used to show disapproval. A ‘skinny’ person is very thin and weighs far less than he should. He may be nothing but skin and bones — making him hard on the eyes.

*They make an odd couple. She is short and fat and he is tall and slim.

*They told him he was too skinny to be a fast bowler.

What is the meaning and origin of ‘let your hair down’?

(V Rohini, Chennai)

The idiom is considered to be rather old fashioned, and when used, is mostly limited to informal contexts. When you ask someone to let his hair down, you are telling him to chill out. In other words, you want the person to be less formal than he usually is; you would like him to relax and enjoy himself.

*Many people find it difficult to let their hair down when Bala is around.

*It was nice to see John let his hair down at the party.

Several centuries ago, when a woman appeared in public, she had to put her hair in a bun; she wasn’t allowed to let it hang freely. It was only in the privacy of her bedroom that a woman could let her hair down.

Is there a difference between ‘We are usually having lunch at noon’ and ‘We usually have lunch at noon’?

(Dilip Kumar, Hyderabad)

Yes, there is. The first sentence suggests that you generally start eating before 12:00 o’clock; at what time you start is not known. The only certainty is that when the clock strikes twelve, you are already eating. The second sentence suggests that you sit down for lunch at noon.

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“Kids called me ‘Skeletor’ as a kid because I was so skinny.” — Cameron Diaz

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Source: The Hindu

Know your English — 1-4-14 - The Hindu

Know your English 

S. UPENDRAN

How is the word ‘kerfuffle’ pronounced?

(Prasad Baru, Secunderabad)

The ‘er’ in the first syllable sounds like the ‘a’ in ‘china’, and the following ‘fuff’ rhymes with ‘puff’, ‘cuff’, and ‘snuff’. The final ‘le’ sounds like the ‘le’ in ‘kettle’, ‘bottle’ and ‘mettle’. The word is pronounced ‘ke-FUFFL’ with the stress on the second syllable. It is used in British English in informal contexts to refer to a commotion or a disturbance of some kind. An argument between two people over something very trivial can also be called ‘kerfuffle’. According to scholars, it comes from the Scottish ‘curfuffle’; ‘cur’ originally meant ‘bend’ or ‘twist’ and ‘fuffle’ meant ‘to throw into disorder’.

*As expected, there was a kerfuffle over who should be the next President.

*During the kerfuffle, the thief managed to pick several pockets.

Why is New York referred to as ‘the Big Apple’?

(G Ranjit, Mysore)

There are many theories about why the city of New York is frequently referred to as ‘the Big Apple’. Some say that the city got its name from a well-known brothel; others claim that jazz musicians created this term. The only thing that experts agree on is that New York began to be called ‘the Big Apple’ in the 1920s. According to some people, African American stable boys working in the racetracks of New Orleans were the first to refer to New York as ‘the Big Apple’. This was because many of the important horse races were held in New York, and the prizes (frequently referred to as ‘apples’) awarded at these events were ‘big’. The city became the dream destination of most jockeys and boys working in stables. John Fitzgerald, a well-known sports reporter, took a fancy to the term and called his popular column on racing ‘Around the Big Apple’. In his introduction to the column on 18 February 1924, he wrote, “The Big Apple. The dream of every lad that ever threw a leg over a thoroughbred, and the goal of all horsemen. There’s only one Big Apple. That’s New York.” Other terms to refer to New York are ‘Gotham’, ‘Empire City’ and ‘the City That Never Sleeps’.

What is the meaning and origin of the expression ‘fair game’?

(Vineet Mittal, Vellore)

When you say that someone is ‘fair game’, you are suggesting that it is all right to criticise or attack the individual. Such a person is often the target of fun. For example, as far as the media are concerned, a crooked politician is fair game; newspapers and television channels write/say whatever they wish to about the person. Another expression that has more or less the same meaning is ‘open season’.

*Nowadays, most students think teachers are fair game.

The expression ‘fair game’ has another meaning as well. Something that you fight for in order to win it can be called ‘fair game’.

*Our Vice President is quitting. The rival companies now see him as fair game.

The expression comes from the world of hunting; people were allowed to hunt certain animals during a specific time or season of the year. During this period, these animals were ‘fair game’ — in other words, it was legal to hunt and kill them.

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“I come from New York, where if you fall down, someone will pick you up by your wallet.” — Al McGuire

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Source: The Hindu