Know Your English (Oct 2001)-18

Know your English

What is a baby elephant called?

It's called a `calf'. In fact the babies of quite a few large animals are called calves — whales, giraffes, hippos, rhinos, etc.

Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, October 30, 2001

Know Your English (Oct 2001)-17

Know your English

In English are there words without vowels?

Are you talking about the letters of the alphabet or are you talking about sounds? Every English word, in fact, every syllable of every English word usually contains a vowel sound. It is possible to have a syllable/word without a consonant sound (I, eye) but you will not find a syllable without a vowel sound.

Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, October 30, 2001

Words without vowel letters

A large number of Modern English words spell the /ɪ/ or /aɪ/ sound with the letter Y, such as try, cry, fly, fry, sky, why, gym, hymn, lynx, myth, myrrh, pygmy, flyby, rhythm, and syzygy. The longest such word in common use is rhythms, and the longest such word in Modern English is the obsolete 17th-century word symphysy. (If archaic words and spellings are considered, there are many more, the longest perhaps being twyndyllyngs, the plural of twyndyllyng.)

Similarly, the letter w stands for a vowel sound (/u/) in Welsh words, and two of these have entered Modern English:

The crwth (pronounced /ˈkrʊθ/ or /ˈkruːθ/ and also spelled cruth) is a Welsh musical instrument similar to the violin:

He intricately rhymes, to the music of crwth and pibgorn.^[1]

A cwm (pronounced /ˈkuːm/) is a deep hollow within a mountain, usually with steep edges, such as the Western Cwm of Mount Everest. However, it is, in literary English, nearly always spelled combe (as in Ilfracombe and Castle Combe), coomb (as in J. R. R. Tolkien) or comb (as in Alfred, Lord Tennyson).

The internet term pwn arose as a misspelling of the word "own", due to the "o" and "p" keys being next to each other on the keyboard, and is now a commonly used word around the internet.

There is also the mathematical expression nth (pronounced /ˈɛnθ/), as in delighted to the nth degree, which has entered common usage. Besides this there are proper names, such as Kym Ng and the band Lynyrd Skynyrd.

The poem "And Sometimes" by Christian Bök contains no vowel letters.

Courtesy:

wikipedia

Know Your English (Oct 2001)-16

Know your English

Is it OK to address a person "Mr. Balagopal, Esq."?

No, it isn't. The short form of the word "Esquire" is normally used after a man's name. For example, we can say T. Sriraman, Esq, L. Balagopal, Esq., etc. The word "Esq" is considered to be rather old fashioned and is not frequently used by native speakers of English. The word comes from the Old French "esquier" which means "shield bearer". An "esquire" was originally someone who carried a Knight's shield. Becoming a Knight was no simple matter. One started at a very young age; as a boy one served as a page in a nobleman' s household. Later, as one entered one's teens, one became a Knight's personal attendant; and one of the duties of a personal attendant was to carry the Knight's shield. The personal attendant was called "Esquire" and in the old days he was considered to be higher in status than an ordinary man.

In other words, "Esquire" ranked above "Mr.". Nowadays, in Britain at least, "Esq." can be used with any man. Some scholars argue that the words "Mr." and "Esq." are being used synonymously. One cannot, however, use both words at the same time. It would be wrong to say, "Mr. L. Balagopal, Esq.". You can either say, "Mr. L. Balagopal", or "L. Balagopal, Esq."

In America, the word "Esq." is normally used after the names of lawyers. What is interesting is that the term is used with women lawyers as well. It is not uncommon to find an envelope addressed to "Sally Field, Esq.".

Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, October 30, 2001

Know Your English (Oct 2001)-15

Know your English

What is the meaning of "cut off one's nose to spite one face"?

This is one of those expressions that has been around for quite some time. If you wanted to get even with someone, or hurt the feelings of that person, would you do it by cutting off your nose? Would that be a sensible thing to do? It wouldn't, would it? That's what the expression `cut off one's nose to spite one's face' means. It means harming oneself, perhaps much more than the person one is trying to hurt. Here are a few examples:

*Harish loves to play tennis, but he refused to play with Suresh because he doesn't like him. He was cutting off his nose to spite his face."

*Daya cut off her nose to spite her face when she refused to come to the industrial exhibition with us.

*Tarun was the best salesman that the company had, but his boss hated him. So she fired him. It was bit like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, October 30, 2001

Know Your English (Oct 2001)-14

Know your English

Is `juggernaut' derived from Lord Jagannath?

Yes, Lord Jagannath of Puri has given us the word "juggernaut". As you probably know, Lord Jagannath and his consort are usually placed on huge chariots and taken out in procession every year. Lots of people from various parts of the country come to see and participate in this event. Many people line up as volunteers to pull the heavy chariot. Whenever you have a huge crowd, accidents are very commonplace; they are just waiting to happen. There have been several reported cases of people accidentally falling and being crushed by the huge wheels of Lord Jagannath's chariot. A person who was a witness to such accidents was a Franciscan missionary, named Friar Odoric. He visited India in the 14th Century and wrote about his visit to Puri in a journal, which he published in Europe later on. In his journal, Odoric wrote in detail about the huge chariot of Jagannath and how the devotees threw themselves at the chariot wheels allowing themselves to be crushed. According to Odoric, the people were offering themselves as sacrifice to the Lord! The European readers were shocked and horrified when they read this, and began to associate the word "juggernaut" with a huge object that is out of control. The Friar's story of the human sacrifice spread throughout Europe and by the 19th Century "juggernaut" began to be associated with a massive object, which destroyed everything in its path. It was seen as a destructive force. It is interesting to note that "trains", "tanks", and even "automobiles", when they were first introduced were referred to as "juggernauts"! The word has a negative connotation in English. Here are a few examples.
*Sandeep is very naive. He thinks it is possible to compete with the juggernauts of the industry.
*Believe it or not, the skinny man standing over there is a political juggernaut.

Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, October 30, 2001

Know Your English (Oct 2001)-13

Know your English

WHAT IS the difference between "resume" and "bio-data"?

It is difficult to point out the difference between the two. In the Indian context, I guess one could say that there is no difference between them. A "bio-data" is a résumé. A native speaker, on the other hand, may not understand what you mean by "bio-data". The word does not exist in most native varieties of English. The words commonly used by native speakers are CV (curriculum vitae) and résumé. In India, however, the word `bio-data' is much more common than the other two.

Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, October 30, 2001

Know Your English (Oct 2001)-12

Know your English

"HAVEN'T YOU finished reading that article yet?"

"Give me a couple of minutes, will you? Tell me, how do you pronounce p..r..e..c..o..c..i..o..u..s?"
"Has that word been used in the article?"
"You bet. The author has used it several times."
"I see. Well, the `e' in the first syllable `pre' is pronounced like the "i" in "sit", "bit" and "pit"; the following `o' is like the `o' in `so', `go' and `no'.''
"The final `ious' is like the `ious' in `precious' and `ambitious', I suppose?"
"Exactly! The `c' in the second syllable is like the `k' in `kit', `kin', and `kiss', while...."
".... the final `c' is like the `sh' in `ship', `sheep', and `sheet'. I had already guessed that. But tell me, what does the word mean?"
"Why don't you try and figure it out? How does the author use the word?"
"Well, he says that Jennifer Capriati `burst onto the world tennis scene as a precocious 14-year old'."
"So what do you think the author is trying to say?"
"That 14-year old Jennifer was very talented?"
"That's right! The word is normally used with children. When you say that a child is `precocious' what you are implying is that he/she is very clever or talented at something. The kind of talent that you would expect to find in an adult, but certainly not in a child."
"In other words, the child is mature beyond his/her years. Is that what you are saying?"
"Well, I guess you could say that. Here's an example. Nobody wanted to play chess with the precocious five-year-old."
"Devayani had precocious talent for music and dance."
"Though as a five-year-old, Saritha displayed precocious talent for tennis, her parents refused to send her to coaching camps."
"Were you a precocious child?""Me? You must be joking. I don't think anyone in my family was precocious."
"Didn't you say that your cousin Suresh was precocious? I remember you....``
"...I definitely didn't say that."
"But you said that he was a wonderful pilot. And I also think...."
"I probably said that he is rash. He is one of those who flies by the seat of his pants."
"Flies by the seat of his pants? What does that mean?"
"When you say that someone is doing something by the seat of his pants, what you are implying is that he is doing something instinctively. He is not doing things according to any well thought out plan.''
"No thinking involved, eh? Then, can I say, our Chief Minister has no clue what he is doing. He is flying by the seat of his pants."
"I don't think so. You see, our poor Chief Minister is not doing anything, actually. He is merely a mouthpiece for somebody else. Somebody else is running the State for him. Try this example. The electrician that the company sent had no clue what he was doing. He was merely flying by the seat of his pants."
"Most traders don't know what is happening in the stock market. Many of them are flying by the seat of their pants."
"That's a good example. The expression can also be used to mean, `by sheer luck and very little skill'. My cousin got through school by the seat of his pants."
"If I get through, it will probably be by the seat of my pants."
"That's what your cousin Shanthi said. But she ended up coming first in the university. By the way, how is she? She's married to a stockbroker, isn't she?"
"Not anymore. She divorced with him some six months ago.''
"You don't `divorce with' someone. You divorce someone. For example, she divorced her husband six months ago."
"If it hadn't been for her parents, Usha would have divorced her husband long ago."
"I am sure she would have. I still don't understand how she puts up with that husband of hers."
"Not all marriages are made in heaven, you know. But tell me, is it wrong to say, `divorce with'?"
"Yes, it is. You cannot say `divorce with', but you can say, `divorce from'. For example, she got a divorce from her husband six months ago."
"Ramakanth received a letter from his wife saying that she wanted a divorce from him."
"That's a good example. By the way, the `i' in divorce is not pronounced like the `ie' in `tie', `die', and `pie'. It sounds like the `i' in `bit', `hit', and `kit'. The stress is on the second syllable."
"I see. Tell me, can ...."
"....and, one needn't always get a divorce from someone. One can also get a divorce from something. For example, I can say, you must divorce yourself from the strange ideas that your friends have put in your head."
"Nandita feels that many of our politicians are divorced from the needs of the people."
"That's a pretty good example. Venkat is unable to divorce fantasy from reality."
"I agree with you completely. It's surprising to see so many marriages ending in divorce these days. Do you think your marriage is doomed for failure?"
"Difficult to answer the question right now because I am not even married. But I can assure you that it will not be `doomed for' failure."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because you cannot say `doomed for', that's why. Something can be `doomed to' fail, but not `doomed for'."
"I see. The idea that the Principal came up with was doomed to fail."
"All her short stories are doomed to oblivion."
"My father firmly believes that anything I start is doomed to fail."
"That's because you never think things out. You fly by the seat of your pants."
"Oh thank you, Prophet of Doom!"

* * * * *

Men are simple things. They can survive a whole weekend with only three things: beer, boxer shorts and batteries for the remote control" — Diana Jordan.

Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, October 23, 2001

Know Your English (Oct 2001)-11

Know your English

What is the meaning of "infructuous"?

As soon as I typed out your question, the spell checker on my computer highlighted the word "infructuous", telling me that such a word does not exist! At least it hasn't been included in the computer's dictionary. "Infructuous" is a word that is not used very often by native speakers of English, it is however quite popular among newspaper reporters in India. First, let me deal with the pronunciation of the word. The "u" in the second syllable sounds like the "u" in "but", "cut", and "hut". The following "tu" is like the "tue" in "Tuesday". The final "ous" is like the "ous" in "humourous", "fabulous", and "dangerous". The main stress is on the second syllable. As for the meaning, well the word means "unprofitable, unfruitful, ineffective". Here are a few examples.
*After several infructuous interviews to find a job, Ashwini turned to crime.
*Gauri made an infructuous appeal to the Chairman to retain the services of Arun.
*Sashidhar made several infructuous attempts to steal the Nizam's diamonds.

* * * * *

"The last time I was in Spain, I got through six Jeffrey Archer novels. I must remember to take enough toilet paper next time." — Bob Monkhouse.

Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, October 16, 2001

Know Your English (Oct 2001)-10

Know your English

What is the difference between "She went out slamming the door" and "She went out and slammed the door"?

The first sentence suggests that the person slammed the door as she was going out. The two actions, the person walking out and the slamming of the door, took place simultaneously. The action was continuous; there was no break. Here is another example. She picked up the telephone crying. This sentence suggests that the individual while crying picked up the phone. The second sentence "went out and slammed the door" suggests there was a pause between the two actions — however minute the pause may have been. The individual went out, stopped and then slammed the door. The action wasn't continuous; the incident is seen as two separate actions. Here's another example. The man yawned and picked up the telephone. This sentence suggests that the man yawned first and then after he had finished yawning, he picked up the telephone. Whereas a sentence like "Yawning, the man picked up the telephone" seems to suggest the man picked up the phone while he was yawning.

Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, October 16, 2001

Know Your English (Oct 2001)-9

Know your English

What is the origin of the expression "French leave"?

This is another example of how much the English hated the French. I guess we shouldn't be talking about this now, considering the fact the two have joined forces along with the United States to fight the Taliban. But historically the two nations couldn't stand each other. Even now it is not uncommon for an Englishman to refer to a Frenchman as a "frog", because the French consider frogs legs a delicacy. The term "French postcards" is used to refer to picture postcards with naked ladies on them. When someone uses foul language, you can hear the person saying, "pardon my French" — thereby implying that the French had the habit of swearing.
When someone goes on "French leave", he or she takes off without informing the authorities. According to the English, it was standard practice in France in the 18th Century to leave a ball or dinner without thanking the host and hostess. People left without even saying good-bye. The English felt that the French were people without manners. But what is interesting is that, taking leave of someone in this manner is referred to as "English leave" by the French! What the Americans call "French postcards", the French call "American postcards". It is interesting to note that countries, which have such a low opinion of one another, have come together to fight terrorism! I guess they don't mind the war of words.

Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, October 16, 2001

Know Your English (Oct 2001)-8

Know your English

What is the difference between `fairly' and `rather'?

"Rather" is the stronger of the two words. When you say that the movie was "rather good ", it implies that it was pretty good; it was much better than you had expected. So in your opinion, people should go and see it; you recommend it. On the other hand, when you say that it was "fairly good", what you are implying is that it was OK. There was nothing great about the film, if the friend wants to, he/she may go and see it, but you wouldn't recommend it. Similarly, when you tell someone that his English is "fairly good", you are not really complimenting him. All that you are saying is that his English is OK. Here are a few more examples.
*Jyothi made a fairly/rather good presentation.
*During summer, it gets fairly/rather warm.
*Sreetilak's wife is fairly/rather good looking.

Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, October 16, 2001

Know Your English (Oct 2001)-7

Know your English

WHAT IS the plural of "staff "?

If you are thinking of people working in an organisation, then the plural is "staff ".The word is an uncountable noun. In most universities, for example, we have teaching staff and administrative staff. Like the nouns "jury", "government", etc. the word "staff" can be followed by either a singular or a plural verb. Here are a few examples.
*The staff is of the opinion that we should go on strike.
*The staff were excellent.
*The staff at St. Mary's Hospital have rejected the new pay scale.
The word is normally not used to refer to a single individual. If you wish to refer to a single person, then you could say "staff member", "staff person", etc. Some people use the word "staffer", not everyone, however, accepts this word.

Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, October 16, 2001

Know Your English (Oct 2001)-6

Know your English

"HI, COME on in. Nice pair of jeans. Where did you buy them?"

"At Jeansworld. And they cost me only Rs. 150."
"That's pretty cheap. Is there a sale going on?"
"No, no sale. I exchanged my old pair of jeans with this new pair."
"For a new pair."
"What?"
"You don't exchange something `with' something. You usually exchange something `for' something. For example, Saritha exchanged her old VCR for a new one."
"My father is planning to exchange his old scooter for a new one. How does that sound?"
"The example is an excellent one. But do you seriously think someone will actually pay money for that rusty old thing?"
"Well, I'm not really sure."
"I have a feeling that your father will have to pay money to get rid of it! Ha! Ha!"
"You have a point there. My mother would agree with you completely. She's been asking him to get rid of the old scooter for about ten years now. But he keeps telling her that he can't. Apparently it was a gift from his father. Anyway, how about this example? The old farmer exchanged his wheat for oil."
"Good example again! Now then, how about...."
".... listen, does this mean it's wrong to say `exchange with'?"
"Of course not. You can use both `exchange with' and `exchange for'. What you have to remember is you `exchange something for something' and you `exchange something with someone'."
"In other words, you use `exchange with' to indicate trading between people, not between things."
"I guess you could say that. Here's an example. The two students exchanged coats with each other."
"Sujatha exchanges books with many of her friends. How does that sound?"
"Fine. Here's another example. I exchange greetings with Ajit on 1st January. That's the only time I ring him up."
"That's understandable. I mean who would want to talk to that creep?"
"There are lots of people who want to talk to him. Many people think he's very intelligent.''
"Those people must be crazy. You know, sometimes I think people are not really interested.... That reminds me, what is the difference between `some time' and `sometime'?"
"Well, `some time' is normally used to indicate some amount of time. The duration could be very short or long. It could be five minutes or ten years. For example, I need some time to finish writing this letter."
"Karthick always makes it a point to spend some time with his grandparents during the summer. How does that sound?"
"Sounds great. As a child, Padma spent quite some time in Gwalior. Her Hindi is excellent.''
"In all these examples, would it be wrong to use `sometime'?"
"Yes, it would. `Sometime' is normally used to refer to indefinite time in the future or the past. For example, 'Pramod will be arriving sometime next month'."
"So, what you are saying is that Pramod will be arriving next month, but you don't know when. That is, you don't know the date and the time."
``That's right. The sentence gives you a general idea as to when Promod is arriving, but it does not specify when exactly. Here is another example. Would it be possible for me to come and see you sometime tomorrow?"
"The Vice Chancellor told us that the results would be announced sometime next month."
"That's a good example."
``The Guptas have been married for 25 years. They have been married for quite some time."
"I hope to get married sometime next year."
"No girl in her right mind would marry you."
"You may be right. But you never know. You know sometimes I wish, I could just..."
"....ah, the word `sometimes'. This is a word I know."
"Really? What do you think it means?"
" `Sometimes' means occasionally, once in a while...that's what it means, doesn't it?"
"You're right. That's exactly what it means."
"I am glad that I was able to answer at least one question correctly today. You know, sometimes I wish I were smarter."
"Sometimes my boss gets really angry with me."
"That's not surprising! Most of the time I am happy being who I am, but sometimes I wish I had been born in America."
"With your kind of luck you would have ended up working on the 90th floor of the World Trade Centre."
"You know sometimes you say the strangest things."
"That's because spending time with you drives me crazy. Shall we continue our conversation sometime tomorrow?"
"No, thank you. I have to spend some time cleaning up my room."
"You! Cleaning up your room? You know you still manage to surprise me sometimes."

* * * * *
"When we drink, we get drunk. When we get drunk, we fall asleep. When we fall asleep, we commit no sin. When we commit no sin, we go to heaven. Sooooo, let's all get drunk and go to heaven!'' — Brian O'Rourke

Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, October 09, 2001

Know Your English (Oct 2001)-5

Know your English

Is it wrong to say, "Protest against something"?

No, it isn't. It is possible for one to "protest against" or "protest about" something. Here are a few examples.
* We protested against the increase in student fees.
* Prabhakar is always protesting about something.
* The workers decided not to protest against the downsizing of the company.
* Most of us were planning to protest about the increased workload.
In American English it is possible to "protest" something. For example,
* We protested the increase in working hours.
* The students protested the indiscriminate firing by the police.
* The unions were protesting the war.

* * * * *

"The only imaginative fiction being written today is income tax returns." — Herman Wouk

Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, October 02, 2001

Know Your English (Oct 2001)-4

Know your English

What is the difference between "placebo" and "panacea"?

First let's deal with the pronunciation of the two words. The "a" in the first syllable of "placebo" is like the "a" in "china"; the following "e" is like the "ee" in "see", "bee", and "free". The final "o" sounds like the "oe" in "toe", "doe", and "Joe". The stress is on the second syllable "ce".
The first "a" in "panacea" is like the "a" in "act", "pact", and "fact", while the second is like the "a" in "china". The final "cea" rhymes with the words "fear", "dear", and "cheer". The main stress is on the third syllable.
The Greek word "panacea" means "universal remedy". During the old days it was common practice for some people to claim that a certain herb could cure all diseases; they claimed that it was a panacea. We now know that there is no such herb. Though the word "panacea" continues to be used, the focus now has shifted from curing bodily ills to social ills. Here are a few examples.
* America thinks that getting rid of terrorism is the panacea for the world's problems.* Borrowing money from the World Bank may help. But it is not a panacea.
* Marrying someone rich is not the panacea for your problems, Krishna.
A "placebo", on the other hand, is a substance that is given to an individual instead of real medicine. We have met people who keep complaining about their health all the time. Every time you meet them, they have a different ailment. Most of the time the problems are imaginary. Some people visit the doctor and take great pleasure in explaining to him the various aches and pains. The doctor knows that the patient's illness is imaginary, but in order to please the patient he gives him tablets, which he recommends, should be taken every day. The tablets are not medicine, but sugarcoated pills.
The tablets are a placebo; they have no medicinal value. The patient after taking them, however, begins to feel better. As far as he is concerned he has become well because of the tablets that the doctor has given him. The imagined aches and pains disappear because the patient feels that he has been taking genuine medicine!
* The doctor kept his coloured placebos in the bottom drawer.
* He began to feel better after a couple of days. He didn't realise that what the doctor had given him was nothing more than a placebo.
* Namratha wasn't given the real drug, but only a placebo.

Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, October 02, 2001

Know Your English (Oct 2001)-3

Know your English

Which of the following sentences is correct? ``The driver of the bus was expired in the accident'' or ``The driver of the bus expired in the accident"?

It is grammatically incorrect to say, "was expired". The first sentence is therefore definitely wrong. As far as the second sentence is concerned, well, usually in an accident, people "die", they do not "expire". Therefore it's better to say, "The driver died in the accident", instead of "The driver expired in the accident". The word "expire" carries with it the sense that things came to an end gradually along expected lines. In an accident, things do not happen gradually; they happen suddenly, unexpectedly. Therefore "died" is a better word in this context.

Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, October 02, 2001

Know Your English (Oct 2001)-2

Know your English

What is the meaning of "You scared the daylights out of me"?

This is an expression which is mostly used in informal contexts. When you "scare the daylights out of someone", you succeed in frightening the person quite badly. Remember the James Bond movie, "Living Daylights"? Well, it is also possible to say, ``scare the living daylights out of someone". Here are a few examples.
* The little boy scared the daylights out of his mother.
* The bombing of the World Trade Center has scared the living daylights out of most Americans.
* Vijay's Halloween mask scared the daylights out of Sadhana.
Other expressions which mean more or less the same thing are "frighten the daylights out of someone", "scare the wits out of someone", and "scare someone out of his wits".

Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, October 02, 2001

Know Your English (Oct 2001)-1

Know your English

WHAT IS the meaning of "neck to neck"?

First of all, it's not "neck to neck", but "neck and neck". Although there is a tendency to say "neck to neck" within India, it is wrong to do so. When you say that a particular race or contest between two participants was neck and neck, what you are implying is that it was very even or very close; either of the two participants could have won it.
* The survey shows that the two political parties are running neck and neck.
* At the two-mile mark, Mohan and Shyam were running neck and neck.
* Atul and Vishnu were running neck and neck in the quiz competition.
"Neck and neck" comes from the world of horse racing.

Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, October 02, 2001