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Know Your English (Dec 2001)-2

Know your English

Equable,Equitable,Drive up the wall...

"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 e..q..u..a..b..l..e?"

"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 `equitable', not `equable'."

"What's the difference between the two?"

"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."

"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?"

"Yes, it can. When you say that someone is `equable' what you are implying is that the person is even tempered."

"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, what does `eQUITable' mean?"

"The stress is not on the second, but the first syllable. It's pronounced Equitable."

"I see. What does Equitable mean?"

"It means just or impartial."

"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."

"Drives you up the wall? One can drive into a wall. How do you drive up the wall?"

"When you say that someone is driving you up the wall, it means that the individual is driving you crazy."

"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 come to a boil as yet."

".... come to a boil? Does it mean to get angry or something?"

"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 `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. 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."

* * * * *


All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy — and Jill a wealthy widow." — Evan Esar

Source:

The Hindu daily, Tuesday, Dec 11, 2001

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