Know Your English

What is the meaning and origin of the idiom take something with a grain of salt?
This is an idiom which has been part of the English language since the mid-17th century. When someone tells you something, and you take it with a grain or pinch of salt, you do not believe everything he has said you are sceptical about some of the information that has been given to you. !ou have certain reservations. "#oliticians e$aggerate. !ou must take whatever they say with a grain%pinch of salt. The idiom is a translation of the &atin 'cum grano salis(. )ccording to some scholars, #liny the Elder, in his book Naturalis Historia, wrote that #ompey *+ulius ,aesar(s son-in-law- had discovered that his enemy, .athridates, had found the perfect antidote to poison. #liny said that for this antidote to work effectively, it had to be taken with a pinch of salt/ 0eaders however thought that the reference to salt was a tongue-in-cheek remark something that was not to be taken seriously. )nother theory which has been put forward is that the idiom comes from the world of dining a sprinkling of salt can make something insipid a little more palatable.

What is the meaning of tchotchke? How is it pronounced?

1irst, let(s deal with the pronunciation of this !iddish word. The word can be spelt in different ways and also pronounced differently. The 'tch( at the beginning and end of the first syllable is pronounced like the 'ch( in 'cheese(, 'cheat(, and 'cheap(. The 'o( is like the 'o( in 'hot(, 'got(, and 'pot(, and the final 'e( is like the 'a( in 'china(. The word is pronounced ',23,2-ke( with the stress on the first syllable. The word is mostly used in )merican English to show disapproval. 'Tchotchke( refers to the ine$pensive toys or trinkets which are sold on the roadside or in small shops. These items are of cheap 4uality and are of little value. 5owadays, the word is being used to refer to the souvenirs or promotional items which companies hand out at trade shows. These items usually have the company(s name or logo on them.

What is the difference between portent and portend?

One is a noun and the other is a verb; the two words are pronounced differently. POR-tent, which is a noun, has the stress on the first syllable; while por-TE !, which is a verb, has the stress on the second. " portent is an o#en; it is a si$n that so#ethin$ bad is li%ely to happen in the future. &The 'EO believes that the last #inute cancellation is a portent of the disasters to co#e.

The verb portend #eans to serve as a warnin$. &(f you as% #e, )o$eshs unusual silence portends trouble.

What is the meaning of hazard in hazard a guess?

The word ha*ard can be used both as a noun and a verb. +hen used as a noun, it #eans unavoidable dan$er or ris%. ,or e-a#ple, swi##in$ in a polluted pond is a health ha*ard. +hen used as a verb, the word #eans to ris% doin$ so#ethin$. +hen you ha*ard a $uess, you are ris%in$ #a%in$ a tentative $uess. it is a ris% because you could be wron$. &Please dont as% #e to ha*ard a $uess.

What is the meaning of academic bulimia?

,irst, lets deal with the pronunciation of buli#ia. The u in the first syllable is li%e the u in full, pull, and bull. /o#e people pronounce the first i li%e the ea in feat, #eat and seat; others pronounce it li%e the i in it and bit. +hether you pronounce the word bu-0(1-ia or bu-0EE1-ia, the stress is on the second syllable. These are 2ust two of the ways of pronouncin$ the word. 3uli#ia is a disorder. /o#e people have a cravin$ for food, and when they eat, they proceed to stuff the#selves. Once they have finished eatin$, they usually rush to the bathroo# and force the#selves to vo#it. This act of eatin$ enor#ous a#ounts of food and then proceedin$ to vo#it everythin$ is called buli#ia. "cade#ic buli#ia is so#ethin$ that we (ndians specialise in. +hat is it that we do durin$ the ti#e of e-a#s4 +e usually #u$ up the answers to all possible 5uestions, and the followin$ day we reproduce everythin$ we have #e#orised; #ost of the ti#e, with little or no understandin$. This ability that we have to dis$or$e answers is called acade#ic buli#ia. !ont be fooled by his #ar%s. 6e doesnt %now a thin$. +hat you see on paper is acade#ic buli#ia.

How is the word potpourri pronounced?

The t is silent; the po in the first syllable rhy#es with so and no. The ou sounds li%e the a in china, and the final i is li%e the ee in bees, fees and sees. The word is pronounced po-pe-REE with the #ain stress on the final syllable. This is 2ust one of the ways of pronouncin$ the word. " bowl of potpourri usually consists of an assort#ent of dry petals and leaves fro# different plants and flowers. (t is usually placed in a roo# to $ive the place a pleasant s#ell. The word has ac5uired a $eneral #eanin$ as well. (t can be used to #ean #edley or #i-ed ba$. a collection, consistin$ of unrelated thin$s is also called potpourri. 1y favourite authors latest boo% is a potpourri of essays and short stories.

What is the difference between prescribe and proscribe?

+hen you prescribe, you are advisin$ so#eone as to what he #ust do. The word can also #ean order the use of. )ou are layin$ down rules as to what it is that needs to be done. +hen a doctor prescribes #edicine, he is tellin$ us how it should be ta%en. The word prescribe is related to prescription. 1y nephew believes that the doctor #ay prescribe a course of in2ections. +hen the $overn#ent proscribes so#eone fro# doin$ so#ethin$, it is forbiddin$ or bannin$ the individual fro# doin$ it. Proscribe is #ostly used in for#al conte-ts. /o#e of the prescribed boo%s are written so badly, they should be proscribed.

What is the meaning of be up with the larks?

" lar% is a bird which starts sin$in$ 5uite early in the #ornin$. Therefore, when you say that you were up with the lar%s, what you #ean is that you $ot up very early in the #ornin$. "ustralians say be up with the crows. (# feelin$ rather sleepy. ( was up with the lar%s this #ornin$.

What is the meaning and origin of `pull out all the stops'?
This is an idio# which has been part of the En$lish lan$ua$e for several centuries. +hen you pull out all the stops, you do everythin$ possible to #a%e so#ethin$ a success. &The local police pulled out all the stops to find the terrorists.

The e-pression co#es fro# the world of #usic. The pipe or$an, an instru#ent which is usually played in church, has s#all %nobs which are referred to as stops. These %nobs or 7stops8, control the a#ount of air flowin$ throu$h the pipes of the or$an. +hen a stop is pulled out, the volu#e increases. The #ore stops you pull out, the louder the or$an $ets.

How is the word `angst' pronounced?

The 7an8 in the first syllable is li%e the 7an8 in 7san$8, 7ban$8, and 7pan$8. The 7$8 is li%e the 7%8 in 7%iss8 and 7%id8, and the final 7st8 is pronounced li%e the 7st8 in 7stop8, 7step8, and 7stin%8. The word consists of only one syllable and is pronounced 7an%st8. (n 9er#an, it #eans 7fear8 or 7an-iety8. (n En$lish, the word is #ostly used to refer to the feelin$ of unhappiness or insecurity that we $et fro# ti#e to ti#e. &!on8t worry about it too #uch. (8# sure it8s 2ust teena$e an$st.

Which is correct: `grumble about' or `grumble at'?

3oth are correct. One can 7$ru#ble about8 so#eone or so#ethin$, but one can only 7$ru#ble at8 so#eone. +hen you $ru#ble about so#eone or so#ethin$, you are co#plainin$ to a person about so#eone or so#ethin$ in a bad-te#pered way. )ou are #a%in$ it obvious to the listener that you are rather unhappy about so#eone or so#ethin$. &:ana%i is constantly $ru#blin$ about so#ethin$ or the other. +hen you 7$ru#ble at8 so#eone, you are co#plainin$ to the individual. &(8# sic% of listenin$ to your co#plaints. 9o $ru#ble at so#eone else.

Is it ok to sa ! `I was confident on hitting the shot'?

+e (ndians are very fond of the word 7on8. +e often hear people say that they are 7an$ry on8 so#eone and 7confident on8 doin$ so#ethin$. The word 7confident8 is not followed by 7on8; one is seldo# 7confident on8 doin$ so#ethin$. One is always confident 7of8 doin$ so#ethin$. &9iri2a was confident of defeatin$ her ine-perienced opponent.

What is the meaning of `tease' in `tease something out of someone'?

The word 7tease8 has several different #eanin$s. +hen you 7tease so#eone8, you #a%e fun of the person. +hen you atte#pt to 7tease so#ethin$ out of so#eone8, you try to e-tract infor#ation fro# that person - you usually succeed in $ettin$ what you want. &"s% Rohini to tal% to hi#. (8# sure she8ll be able to tease the infor#ation out of hi#. The e-pression can also be used to #ean 7to lure so#ethin$ out of so#ethin$ by teasin$ or te#ptin$8. &;sha #ana$ed to tease the puppy out fro# under the bed with a slice of bed. The act of runnin$ your fin$ers or co#b throu$h your hair in order to re#ove the tan$led %nots is also called 7teasin$8. &9ayathri spent a couple of hours teasin$ out the %nots in her dau$hter8s hair.

What is the meaning and origin of the idiom roll out the red carpet?
This is so#ethin$ that people do when they wish to welco#e or entertain so#eone who# they consider to be special. +hen you roll out the red carpet for so#eone, you are $ivin$ hi# a very special welco#e. +hen you $ive so#eone the red carpet treat#ent, you treat the person li%e royalty. &+hen he arrived in 1u#bai, the actor was $iven the red carpet treat#ent. (n the old days whenever the %in$ and the 5ueen stepped out of the palace, a red carpet was spread out for the# to wal% on. owadays it is rolled out for everyone. heads of state, actors, sports#en, etc. There was a ti#e when people thou$ht that wal%in$ on the red carpet was <fit only for the feet of $ods.=

How is the word ca"eat pronounced?

The ca in the first syllable is li%e the ca in cat and cab; the at in the final syllable is pronounced li%e the word at. The e sounds li%e the i in it and bit. The word is pronounced %a-vi-at with the stress on the first syllable. /o#e people pronounce the a in the first syllable li%e the ay in say and #ay. " caveat is a warnin$ or a caution. The word co#es fro# the 0atin cavere #eanin$ let hi# beware. 'aveat is fre5uently used in the conte-t of law to #ean a for#al notice to suspend action until the party that filed the action can be heard. &( thin% we can $o ahead with the plan, but with certain caveats.

What is the opposite of u#oricide?

+hen a #an %ills his wife, it is called u-oricide. The word u-or in 0atin #eans wife and cide #eans to %ill or cut. The opposite of u-oricide is #ariticide; it is derived fro# the word #aritus #eanin$ #arried. 1ariticide is actually the %illin$ of ones #arried partner; it could be the husband or the wife. owadays, however, the word is bein$ used to refer to the #urder of the husband by the wife. &The police have ta%en the wife into custody. They say its a case of #ariticide.

Which is correct: different from or different than?

3oth are correct. (t 2ust depends on which side of the "tlantic you are fro#. /o#ethin$ can be very different fro# or different than so#ethin$ else. !ifferent fro# is used in both 3ritish and "#erican En$lish, while different than is restricted to "#erican En$lish. &The life that these villa$ers lead is so different fro#>than ours. &1y dau$hters new school is very different fro#>than the old one. !ifferent to is used in 3ritish En$lish, and it has the #ore or less the sa#e #eanin$ as different fro#.

How is the word sepulchre pronounced?

The e in the first syllable is li%e the e in set and pet; the u and the final re sound li%e the a in china. The ch is li%e the % in %in$ and %id. The word is pronounced se-pel-%e with the stress on the first syllable. (n "#erican En$lish, the word is spelt sepulcher. The word sepulchre is considered literary, and is used to refer to a to#b or a burial cha#ber.

What is the difference between breeze awa and breeze through?

+hen you bree*e throu$h an assi$n#ent, you #ana$e to do it 5uic%ly without too #uch difficulty. )ou find the tas% rather easy. ( thou$ht (d be able to bree*e throu$h the test. ( was sadly #ista%en. "fter bree*in$ throu$h her chores, #y #other went out for a wal%. The e-pression can also be used to #ean to travel throu$h a place rapidly. (n this case, you dont #a%e a stop. (t was $ettin$ late. The candidate 2ust bree*ed throu$h several s#all towns +hen you bree*e away fro# so#e place, you leave it 5uic%ly or abruptly. (t has? #ore or less the sa#e #eanin$ as bree*e off. a#ratha bree*ed away without even than%in$ the hosts. The 'EO stopped in #id sentence and 2ust bree*ed away.

What is the meaning of redress?

The e in the first syllable sounds li%e the i in it, bit, and hit, and the second syllable is pronounced li%e the word dress. This for#al word can be used as a noun and a verb, and in both cases, the stress can be put on the second syllable. This is 2ust one of the ways of pronouncin$ the word. /o#eti#es, when we in2ure so#eone or treat so#eone badly, we are forced to pay the# so#e for# of co#pensation. This #oney that we pay the individual is called redress. +hen used as a verb, the word #eans to to #a%e up for or co#pensate. The word co#es fro# re #eanin$ a$ain and drecier #eanin$ strai$hten. &The 'hief 1inister, as e-pected, refused to redress the $rievances of teachers.

When do we sa $ours faithfull and $ours sincerel in a letter?

+hat do you nor#ally do when you are writin$ a letter of co#plaint to a co#pany and dont %now the na#e of the person to who# the letter should be addressed4 )ou invariably be$in the correspondence with the salutation !ear /ir. (f you are not sure whether you are writin$ to a #an or a wo#an, you cover your bases by writin$ !ear /ir>1ada#. +hen you be$in a letter in this fashion, the standard co#pli#entary endin$ is )ours faithfully. )ours sincerely, li%e )ours faithfully, is #ostly used in for#al letters. (f you %now the na#e of the person you are writin$ to, then the standard endin$ is )ours sincerely. (f you be$in a letter in the followin$ #anner, !ear !r. Ra#an or !ear 1r. 9upta, the usual for#al endin$ is )ours sincerely. The standard endin$ in "#erican En$lish is /incerely yours. /o#eti#es, they shorten it to /incerely.

Whats the difference between gawk at and gaze at?

3oth e-pressions #ean to loo% at so#eone or so#ethin$; the difference lies in the way you loo% at the ob2ect. +hen you $a*e at so#eone, you loo% at the person for a lon$ ti#e with an intense e-pression on your face. the e-pression can be one of ad#iration or surprise. One can also $a*e at so#eone or so#ethin$ in an absent #inded sort of way. &The students $a*ed at the a$ein$ actor with ad#iration. " $aw% is a lout. 6e is so#eone who is rather stupid and clu#sy; he often behaves rather rudely. +hen you $aw% at so#eone, you loo% at the person with a stupid or rude e-pression on your face.

What is the meaning and origin of whale of a time?

+hen you say that you had a whale of a ti#e so#ewhere, what you #ean is that you had a wonderful or a $reat ti#e. (t is an infor#al way of sayin$ that you had a blast. &The children had a whale of a ti#e at the party on ,riday. The whale, as everyone %nows, is the lar$est #a##al on this planet. The blue whale can so#eti#es $row to over a hundred feet lon$. Therefore when you say a whale of so#ethin$, what you #ean is a lar$e or bi$ a#ount of so#ethin$. &(f we put in another Rs. @AAAA, it will #a%e a whale of a difference. (n this conte-t, what you are tryin$ to say is that the #oney will #a%e a bi$ difference.

What is the meaning of the e#pression catch a few ra s?

The e-pression is #ostly used in infor#al conte-ts. The word rays refers to sun rays; so when you say that you would li%e to catch a few rays, you are sayin$ that you wish lie down or sit outside in the sun. (t is also possible to say catch so#e rays. People who live in cold places li%e to catch so#e rays every now and then. &6e spent the early #ornin$ on the beach catchin$ so#e rays. &( thin% (ll read the paper outside and catch a few rays.

What is the difference between `talk to' and `talk with'?

The e-pression 7tal% to8 has several different #eanin$s. +hen you tal% to so#eone, you spea% to hi#. )ou #ay spend a short ti#e or a lon$ ti#e spea%in$ to the in dividual. (8ll tal% to #y wife and let you %now what she thin%s. The e-pression can also be used to #ean to scold or lecture so#eone. (n this case, it8s #ore of a #onolo$ue than a dialo$ue. ( thin% you should $ive your dau$hter a $ood tal%in$ to. /he8s hasn8t been doin$ her assi$n#ents. +hen you tal% with so#eone, you discuss so#ethin$ with hi#. The a#ount of ti#e that you spend with the individual is usually lon$. in this case, there is a conversation. "nanya spent an hour tal%in$ with her father about her new bat.

When lea"e is used to mean "acation! is it oka to sa number of lea"e%lea"es taken?

o, it isnt. +hen leave is used to #ean vacation, it is used as an uncountable noun; you cannot say leaves. The e-pression a nu#ber of is always followed by a countable noun. ,or e-a#ple, <" nu#ber of students were present at the #eetin$=, and <" nu#ber of children too% ill after eatin$ the ice crea#.= )ou cannot say, <a nu#ber of leaves>leave=. (f you wish to use <nu#ber of= with <leave=, then youll have to say, < u#ber of days ta%en as leave=. &( plan to be on leave all of ne-t wee%.

What is the meaning of the e#pression the end &ustifies the means?
There are ti#es when in order to achieve so#ethin$, we have to do certain thin$s that are not necessarily $ood. ,or e-a#ple, builders cut down trees and destroy beautiful roc% for#ations in order to construct their buildin$s. /o#e would say that in this case, the end 2ustifies the #eans. That is, any #ethod that we adopt is o%ay as lon$ as the intent is $ood. (t doesnt really #atter if we resort to any wron$ doin$ in order to achieve our ai#. (f it #eans choppin$ down @AA trees in order to build this shoppin$ co#ple-, it doesnt #atter. (n #y opinion, the end 2ustifies the #eans.

What is the difference between anne# and anne#e?

(n 3ritish En$lish, the first is a verb and the second, a noun. There are several pairs li%e this in En$lish. envelope Bnoun? and envelop Bverb? is one such pair. /o#e people pronounce the a in anne- li%e the a in china, and the followin$ ne- li%e the word nec%s. (n this case, the word is pronounced a- EC with the stress on the second syllable. "s a noun, the a is pronounced li%e the a in ant and apple. the word is pronounced "-ne- with the stress on the first syllable. "#ericans, however, dont #aintain this distinction in spellin$. 3oth words are usually spelt anne-. "n e-tension or an addition to the #ain buildin$ is called an anne-e. " section that is added to an e-istin$ docu#ent can also be called an anne-e. +hen you anne- so#eones property, you ta%e it away fro# hi# by force D usually without his per#ission. !urin$ ti#es of war, this is what countries do. &1y friend tells #e that durin$ +orld +ar (( 9er#any anne-ed a part of '*echoslova%ia.

How is the word burgeon pronounced?

The ur sounds li%e the ur in fur, purr, and curd. The $ is li%e the 2 in 2a#, 2uice, and 2u#p, and the final eo is li%e the a in china. The word is pronounced 3ER-2en with the stress on the first syllable. +hen bur$eon is used in relation to plants, it #eans to put out leaves; sprout. (n everyday conte-t, the word can be used to #ean to $row or flourish. &"fter winnin$ the first set, the cha#pions confidence be$an to bur$eon.

What is the meaning of humour me?

/o#eti#es, youn$ children co#e and tell us tall tales. They narrate events which couldnt have happened. " child #ay tell us that there was a ti$er in the $arden and that he drove it away with a stic%. +hen children tell us such stories, as adults, it is our 2ob to believe the#. +hy do we pretend to believe the#4 /i#ple. +e want to %eep the children happy; we want to hu#our the#. +hen you tell so#eone hu#our #e, what you want the person to do is to a$ree with what you are sayin$ or doin$. +hat you #ay be sayin$ or doin$ #ay be co#pletely unreasonable, but you want the person to a$ree with you 2ust to %eep you happy. &The husband thou$ht it best to hu#our his wife. &( hold the purse strin$s. /o youd better hu#our #e.

What is the meaning of che'uebook diplomac ?

This is an e-pression that was coined durin$ 9ulf +ar (, when /adda# 6ussein invaded Euwait. (n order to liberate the country, 9eor$e 3ush, the current Presidents father, invited other nations to 2oin hi# in his effort to overthrow /adda#. 1any countries sent troops, but there were so#e whose constitution did not per#it the# to send troops abroad. :apan and 9er#any, two of the closest allies of the ;./, were two such countries. /ince they couldnt co##it troops to the coalition, these two rich nations did the ne-t best thin$ D they $ave a lot of #oney for the war effortF This is how che5ueboo% diplo#acy ca#e into bein$. owadays, the e-pression is used to describe any international policy in which a country dan$les #oney, in the for# of econo#ic aid and invest#ent, to win diplo#atic favour. "nother e-pression that has #ore or less the sa#e #eanin$ is dollar diplo#acy. &'hina denies usin$ che5ueboo% diplo#acy in "frica.

What is the meaning and origin of pa through ones nose?

+hen you pay throu$h your nose for so#ethin$, you pay a heavy price for it. (n other words, you pay too #uch for it. This infor#al e-pression has the sa#e #eanin$ as cost an ar# and a le$. & ever $o to that restaurant. )ou have to pay throu$h your nose for #ost thin$s. "ccordin$ to scholars, this idio# has been around for over ten centuries. ( understand that when the !anes ruled (reland, they i#posed heavy ta-es on the locals. (f an (rish#an failed to pay the ta-, he had his nose cut off. (n other words, if he didnt pay, he had to literally pay throu$h his nose.

What is the meaning of "omitorium?

(f an auditoriu# is a place where the audience sits, a vo#itoriu# should be a roo# where people vo#it. ;nfortunately, this is not the case. The word co#es fro# the world of theatre. " vo#itoriu# was the passa$eway that people used to $et to their seats in an a#phitheatre. These passa$es were situated below or behind an individuals seat, and they enabled the #e#bers of the audience to enter and e-it the theatre very 5uic%ly. ( understand that the vo#itoria in the 'olosseu# in Ro#e were so well desi$ned that it was possible for GA,AAA people to enter or e-it the place in HG #inutes. The word vo#itoriu# co#es fro# the 0atin vo#itus, #eanin$ to vo#it. +hat is the connection4 +hen you vo#it, the contents of your sto#ach are thrown out. The vo#itoriu# dis$or$ed or forced out the contents of the theatre I the people insideF

What is the meaning of pig out?

The pi$ is an ani#al that is not associated with anythin$ $ood. +hen you call so#eone a pi$, you #ean one of two thin$s. he eats a lot and is therefore e-tre#ely fat, or he is very dirty. The e-pression to pi$ out is nor#ally used in infor#al conte-ts to #ean, to eat or drin% too #uch. &On /undays, the students fro# the hostel $o to the city and pi$ out on pi**as and bur$ers.

What is the meaning of wake in the following e#pression: in the wake of something?
The idio# #eans co#in$ after so#ethin$ or as a conse5uence of so#ethin$. The wa%e has nothin$ to do with wa%in$ up fro# sleep. (n this case, the word refers to the <turbulence left by so#ethin$ #ovin$ throu$h the water=. (n other words, the waves or path that a #ovin$ ship or boat leaves behind in the water is a wa%e. &The tsuna#i left a trail of destruction in its wa%e

What is the meaning of lagniappe?

,irst, lets deal with the pronunciation. The a in the first and second syllable are pronounced li%e the a in cat, bat, and fat. The $ and the final e are silent, and the i sounds li%e the y in yes, yellow, and youn$. The word is pronounced lan-yap with the stress on the second syllable. ( understand that la$niappe co#es fro# the /panish la napa #eanin$ the $ift. The word was ori$inally used to refer to a $ift or so#ethin$ e-tra that a friendly shop%eeper added to a custo#ers purchase. "s ti#e went on, the word ac5uired a broader #eanin$. (t be$an to be used to refer to any une-pected $ift or benefit. 0a$niappe is not included in #any dictionaries, and its use is #ostly confined to what are %nown as the 9ulf states in the ;nited /tates I 1ississippi, 0ouisiana, etc. &/ince we had bou$ht so #any ite#s, the shop%eeper included a !J! player as la$niappe.

The well-%nown author 1ar% Twain wrote about this word in his boo% 0ife on the 1ississippi.

What is the meaning of too cle"er b half?

This is an e-pression that is used to refer to so#eone who thin%s very hi$hly of hi#self. +hen you say that so#eone is too clever by half, what you #ean is that the individual is very annoyin$ because he i#a$ines hi#self to be #uch s#arter than he actually is. )ou are i#plyin$ that he is #uch too clever for his own $ood, and this #i$ht $et hi# into trouble one day. The e-pression is #ostly used ironically. (t is also possible to say too s#art by half. &)ou should #eet the characters in #y class. /o#e of the# are too clever by half.

When you tell someone to put his money where his mouth is, what you want him to do is to back his words with action. In other words, dont just talk, perform.

Thats right !nother term for a homemaker is "domestic engineer. #ounds much more important than "homemaker, doesnt it$ It certainly does. #o tell me, is a domestic engineer a woman who looks after the house and% ! domestic engineer could be a man or a woman. &e or she stays at home and makes sure that things run smoothly.

What is the meaning of cast(iron guarantee?

" cast iron is a %ind of hard #etal which does not bend easily. +hen you $ive so#eone a cast-iron $uarantee about a product, you are tellin$ the person that it can be trusted co#pletely; there is no way that the product will fail. &( need a cast-iron $uarantee that you wont e-ceed the bud$et. The word $uarantee has the stress on the final syllable, and not the first.

How is the word zeitgeist pronounced?

There are several ways of pronouncin$ this word of 9er#an ori$in. The * is li%e the ts in cuts, huts, and puts. " si#pler way is to pronounce it li%e the * li%e the * in *ip and *oo. The ei in the first and second syllable are li%e the i in fi$ht, #i$ht, and ti$ht. The word is pronounced K"(T-$aist or T/"(T-$aist with the stress on the first syllable. Keit in 9er#an #eans ti#e and $eist #eans spirit. The word literally #eans spirit of the ti#e; the ter# is nor#ally used to refer to the spirit of the a$e. Keit$eist has been defined as the $eneral set of ideas, beliefs, feelin$s, etc. which is typical of a particular period in history.

Is there a sentence that includes all )* letters of the alphabet?

" sentence which contains all the letters of the alphabet is called a pan$ra#. There are #any pan$ra#s; in fact, if you are in the #ood, you can create one of your own. The #ost fa#ous pan$ra# is the followin$. <The 5uic% brown fo- 2u#ps over the lady do$.= ( understand that in the old days when typists wished to chec% if all the %eys were in wor%in$ order, they invariably typed this sentence.

What is the difference between stammer and stutter?

3oth words are used to refer to a defect in an individuals speech. +e often #eet people who have difficulty spea%in$; so#eti#es, they #erely repeat the first sound or syllable of a word. They are unable to produce anythin$ beyond that. 'areful users of the lan$ua$e #aintain that the word "stutter is used to refer to a person who has a chronic speech defect. "#tammering, on the other hand, is considered temporary. "ll of us have sta##ered so#eti#e or the other. 6u#an bein$s can sta##er or stutter; #achines only stutter. /peech therapists in 3ritain prefer to use sta##er, while those in "#erica and 'anada prefer stutter. "ristotle, "esop, !arwin, apoleon, and 1arylyn 1onroe are so#e fa#ous people who stuttered.

How is the word +obdurate+ pronounced?

The first syllable is li%e the LobL in LsobL, L#obL, and LlobL. The followin$ LuL is pronounced li%e the LuL in LpullL and LfullL. The LaL is li%e the LaL in LchinaL, and the final LeL is silent. The #ain stress is on the first syllable. +hen you say that so#eone is obdurate, you are i#plyin$ that he>she is very stubborn. The word is #ostly used in for#al conte-ts. The #inister found it difficult to i#ple#ent chan$es because his depart#ent heads were obdurate defenders of the old policies.

What is the difference between +odour+ and +smell+?

Tell your si$nificant other that you li%e his>her LodourL and see how he>she reactsF 'hances are the person will never spea% to you a$ain. The word LodourL has a ne$ative connotation; it #eans foul s#ell. "n odour can never s#ell $ood; it8s always bad. &The odour of rottin$ fish al#ost #ade #e vo#it. &The odour fro# his dirty soc%s was dis$ustin$. " s#ell, on the other hand, can be either $ood or bad. )ou can tal% about the s#ell of rotten e$$s and the s#ell of perfu#e.

What is the meaning and origin of +be ond the pale+?

+hen so#eone behaves in an unacceptable or an uncivilised #anner, you can say that his behaviour was Lbeyond the paleL. The idio# can also be used to refer to people8s actions. &Ra2a$opal8s behaviour at the #eetin$ was beyond the pale.

,an a woman be called handsome?

)es, the word can be used with wo#en as well. +hen you call a wo#an handso#e, you are not #a%in$ fun of her; you are, in fact, payin$ her a co#pli#ent. +hat you #ean is that she is very attractive. ;nli%e a wo#an who is pretty, a handso#e one is not built alon$ very delicate lines. /he is so#ewhat bi$ built and her features are usually lar$e and there is so#ethin$ about her which su$$ests stren$th of character. /he has a stron$ di$nified appearance. The word is only used with wo#en and not with youn$ $irls. The word can also be used to refer to ob2ects, such as $ardens and buildin$s. ,or e-a#ple, when you say that a buildin$ is handso#e, what you #ean is that it is lar$e and attractive in an i#pressive sort of way.

What is the meaning of `mutatis mutandis'?

71utatis #utandis8 is a 0atin e-pression fre5uently used in econo#ics and law. (ts literal #eanin$ is Lthin$s bein$ chan$ed that have to be chan$edL. This can be interpreted to #ean Lthe necessary chan$es havin$ been #adeL. ,or e-a#ple, if you were to say, LThe sa#e a$ree#ent will, #utatis #utandis, be $iven to each #ana$er in the or$anisation,L what you #ean is that the a$ree#ent that will be $iven to each #ana$er will be #ore or less the sa#e. The only chan$e will be the na#e - each a$ree#ent will contain the na#e of a different #ana$er.

What is the meaning of e#cuse m -rench?

Jery often, when people $et an$ry, they swear. They use #any vul$ar words which they wouldnt nor#ally use. +hen you say e-cuse #y ,rench, what you #ean is that you are sorry that you have sprin%led your conversation with words which are considered i#polite. )ou are apolo$isin$ for swearin$ in the presence of those who #i$ht be offended by it. The e-pression pardon #y ,rench has the sa#e #eanin$. +hy the ,rench, and not the 9er#ans or Russians4 The answer is fairly si#ple. The En$lish hated the ,rench; they thou$ht that the ,rench were vul$ar people who swore all the ti#e. Therefore, when an En$lish#an says, pardon #y ,rench, what he #eans is that he is $oin$ to behave crudely li%e a ,rench#an

What is the meaning of diem?

This is a word that co#es fro# 0atin, and it #eans day. The word is used in En$lish in certain fi-ed e-pressions li%e carpe die# and per die#. Of the two, per die# is #uch #ore co##on in (ndia, especially in 9overn#ent circles. (t #eans per day; when e#ployees of the $overn#ent are sent on official duty to other places, they are paid a daily allowance. This is called per die#, and it is $iven to an individual to #eet his daily e-penses. 'arpe die# #eans sei*e the day.

What is the difference between e# and former?

'areful users of the lan$ua$e la#ent the fact that not #any people #aintain a distinction between these two words. (f you are in the habit chan$in$ 2obs every two #onths, you will have several for#er bosses, but only one e--boss. +hat is the difference between the two4 /o#e scholars ar$ue that the word e- should be used with the i##ediate past incu#bent. )our previous boss is your e--boss, and the ones you had before hi# are your for#er bosses. Ja2payee is the e--Pri#e 1inister of (ndia. ehru, J. P. /in$h, (ndira 9andhi, and 9u2ral, so#e of the others who preceded Ja2payee, are all for#er Pri#e 1inisters of (ndia.

What is the meaning of `meal mouthed'?

+e often #eet people who are hesitant to say what is on their #ind. +hen so#ethin$ unpleasant happens, they refuse to spea% plainly or openly about the #atter. +hen you say that so#eone is 7#ealy #outhed8, what you #ean is that the individual is not fran% or sincere. 6e is not brave enou$h or honest enou$h to spea% his #ind. The ter# is nor#ally used to show conte#pt for an individual.

What is the meaning and origin of blurb?

+hen we pic% up any boo%, the first thin$ we nor#ally loo% at is the bac% cover. (t usually contains the publishers>reviewers short, but ravin$ description of the boo%. This description, which is always full of praise for both the author and the boo%, is called a blurb.

What is the meaning and origin of `to read the riot act'?
+hen you read so#eone the riot act, what you are doin$ is $ivin$ hi# a severe scoldin$. )ou are an$rily tellin$ the individual that if the sa#e thin$ happens a$ain, he will $et into serious trouble.

What is the meaning of `ne plus ultra'?

The e-pression co#es fro# 0atin, and it #eans, 7not further beyond8. The ancient 9ree%s believed that this was the e-pression that was inscribed on the /trait of 9ibraltar - then called, 7Pillars of 6ercules8. The inscription was #eant to warn sailors not to $o any further westwards. (f they did,

they would be sailin$ into un%nown territory - the uncharted waters of the "tlantic. owadays, 7ne plus ultra8 is used to #ean the hi$hest level of e-cellence, so#ethin$ that is close to perfection. The LeL in LneL is pronounced li%e the LayL in LwayL, LhayL, and LrayL, while the LuL in LultraL sounds li%e the LuL in LcutL, LhutL, and LbutL. 6ere is an e-a#ple. &3ala8s career with the or$anisation reached its ne plus ultra when he was appointed 1ana$in$ !irector.

Wh do pilots shout `.a da ! .a da ' when the are in trouble?

+hen a pilot is in serious trouble and wishes to let air-traffic control %now that he has a proble#, he usually shouts, 71ayday, 1ayday, 1ayday8. The ter# is always shouted three ti#es in a row. The e-pression 71ayday8 has been used as an international distress si$nal in radio co##unications since HM@N. 71ayday8 has nothin$ to do with the #onth of 1ay. The e-pression co#es fro# the ,rench 7#8aider8, which is the shortened for# of 7vene* #8aider8, #eanin$ 7co#e help #e8.

Wh are people who are left(handed called +southpaws+?

"ccordin$ to #any sports enthusiasts, the word LsouthpawL be$an to be used to refer to lefthanders in the late HMth 'entury. /o#e believe that the sports colu#nist ,inley Peter !unne coined the word. L/outhpawL co#es to us fro# the world of baseball. This popular "#erican $a#e is usually played in the su##er; professional $a#es are played either in the afternoons or in the evenin$s. (n #ost stadiu#s, the Lho#e plateL or the batter8s bo- is placed in such a #anner that it faces east. This is done to ensure that the batter doesn8t have the afternoon or evenin$ sun in his eyes when he bats. The pitcher throws the ball facin$ west. This bein$ the case, when a left-handed pitcher winds up for his delivery, his throwin$ ar# is facin$ south. 6ence the ter# LsouthpawL. The LpawL refers to the hand of the pitcher. 9ra##arian8s definition of L%issL. noun, thou$h often used as a con2unction. (t is never declined; it is #ore co##on than proper; and it is used in the plural and a$rees with all $enders.

What is the meaning of +ke pal+?

This is a word of recent ori$in. " pen pal is so#eone with who# you e-chan$e letters. " L%eypalL is so#eone with who# you e-chan$e e#ails. 6e>she is your e#ail pen pal. )ou L%eyL in the #essa$es for this individual. &( infor#ed all #y %eypals about the upco#in$ event.

Wh are people who are left(handed called +southpaws+?

"ccordin$ to #any sports enthusiasts, the word LsouthpawL be$an to be used to refer to lefthanders in the late HMth 'entury. /o#e believe that the sports colu#nist ,inley Peter !unne coined the word. L/outhpawL co#es to us fro# the world of baseball. This popular "#erican $a#e is usually played in the su##er; professional $a#es are played either in the afternoons or in the evenin$s. (n #ost stadiu#s, the Lho#e plateL or the batter8s bo- is placed in such a #anner that it faces east. This is done to ensure that the batter doesn8t have the afternoon or evenin$ sun in his eyes when he bats. The pitcher throws the ball facin$ west. This bein$ the case, when a left-handed pitcher winds up for his delivery, his throwin$ ar# is facin$ south. 6ence the ter# LsouthpawL. The LpawL refers to the hand of the pitcher. 9ra##arian8s definition of L%issL. noun, thou$h often used as a con2unction. (t is never declined; it is #ore co##on than proper; and it is used in the plural and a$rees with all $enders.

What is the difference between +hoard+ and +horde+?

3oth words are pronounced the sa#e way. They rhy#e with LboardL, LfordL, and LswordL. L6oardL is nor#ally used to describe the accu#ulation of so#ethin$ for future use. +hen you hoard so#ethin$, you $enerally store it as a precautionary #easure. The thin$ that is hoarded could be #oney, food, etc. The i#portant thin$ to re#e#ber about hoardin$ is that it is done in secret. ot #any people are aware of the fact that you are puttin$ so#ethin$ away. The use of LhoardL shows disapproval; it often su$$ests #iserliness. The word co#es fro# the Old En$lish LhordL #eanin$ La secret storeL. " person who hoards is called a hoarder. &1erchants who were cau$ht hoardin$ rice were sent to prison. &The police found the #iser8s hoard and distributed it a#on$ the poor. (n infor#al conte-ts, the word LhoardsL can be used to #ean La very lar$e a#ount.L

&+e have hoards of ti#e to co#plete the pro2ect. The word LhordeL was first used to refer to no#ads I i.e., wanderin$ tribes. 9ypsies, for instance, were referred to as hordes. owadays, the word is used to tal% about any disor$anised crowd. &6ordes of football hooli$ans wal%ed into the club sin$in$ loudly. &( didn8t en2oy #y vacation. There were hordes of people ca#ped around the la%e. "ccordin$ to so#e scholars the word co#es fro# the Tur%ish LorduL #eanin$ Lca#pL. They #aintain that it is fro# this Tur%ish word that we $et L;ruduL.

What is the meaning and origin of +/arkis is willing+?

The e-pression first appeared in 'harles !ic%ens8 well-%nown classic L!avid 'opperfieldL. 3ar%is is the na#e of one the characters in the novel. 6e %eeps sendin$ a #essa$e throu$h !avid to 'lara Pe$$otty, the #aid of !avid8s #other. The #essa$e that !avid is to $ive 'lara is L3ar%is is willin$L. (n other words, 3ar%is is willin$ to #arry 'lara. The e-pression is used nowadays to indicate one8s willin$ness or readiness to do so#ethin$.

What is the meaning of +diddl (s'uat+?

This is a slan$ e-pression #eanin$ Lnothin$L. +hen you say that so#eone %nows diddly-s5uat about che#istry, what you #ean is that the individual doesn8t %now anythin$ about the sub2ect. &"fter all the wor% ( did, ( $ot paid diddly-s5uat. &The property that we bou$ht ten years a$o is now worth diddly-s5uat.

0oes the word +regift+ e#ist?

)es, it does. +hen you $et #arried you usually $et a lot of $ifts. /o#eti#es two or three people end up $ivin$ you the sa#e thin$. ,or e-a#ple, you #ay end up $ettin$ three or four cloc%s. +hat are you $oin$ to do with so #any cloc%s4 (f you are sensible, then what you would do is to wait for one of your friends to $et #arried. +hen he>she does, you $ive one of the e-tra cloc%s as a $ift. This is what we #ean by Lre$iftin$L. &9eetha is plannin$ to re$ift the u$ly vase that she $ot fro# 3ala.

What is the meaning and origin of +be ond the pale+?

+hen so#eone behaves in an unacceptable or an uncivilised #anner, you can say that his behaviour was Lbeyond the paleL. The idio# can also be used to refer to people8s actions.

What is the difference between +sometime+! +sometimes+ and +some time+?

The word Lso#eti#esL has the stress on the first syllable, and is used to #ean LoccasionallyL or Lonce in a whileL. &The boys so#eti#es $o to their favourite restaurant for #asala dosas. &/o#eti#es, the students sit in the canteen and do their ho#ewor%. (n the case of Lso#e ti#eL, both words are stressed. (t #eans La lot of ti#eL. &( a# afraid it will ta%e us so#e ti#e to find a replace#ent for this part. 0i%e the word Lso#eti#esL, Lso#eti#eL has the stress on the first syllable, and is often used to #ean Lone dayL. (t refers to an unspecified period of ti#e in the future or the past. &( told /adanand that ( would #eet hi# so#eti#e ne-t wee%. The word can also be used with people. +hen you refer to so#eone as a Lso#eti#e 'EOL, what you #ean is that the individual held the position of a 'EO in the past. 6e is not a 'EO now. &!ivya, the so#eti#e !irector of 'ultural "cade#y visited #e last wee%

What is the difference between +adhesi"e+ and +cohesi"e+?

"n adhesive is any substance that is used to stic% two ob2ects to$ether. 9lue, for e-a#ple, is an adhesive. +hen you say that so#ethin$ is cohesive, what you #ean is that it consists of nu#erous parts which fit to$ether perfectly. &"fter several #onths of trainin$, the tea# finally beca#e a cohesive unit.

rhyme or reason, lo$ic, sense, or plan. There was no rhyme or reason for what they did.

What is the difference between `complacent' and `complaisant'?

'o#placent #eans 7self satisfied8; when you beco#e co#placent about so#ethin$, you are so pleased with yourself and your abilities that you don8t feel the need to put in the e-tra effort re5uired to #a%e so#ethin$ a success. The word is used to show disapproval. & "fter winnin$ two tourna#ents in a row, he beca#e co#placent. /o#eone who is 7co#plaisant8 is ready to obli$e people. 6is #ain ai# is to please people, and is willin$ to do whatever they want hi# to. & (f you are loo%in$ for a secretary who will be co#plaisant, hire 6e#a.

0oes the word ` ellular' e#ist?

)ou won8t find this word listed in any standard dictionary, but it is bein$ used. (t is a co#bination of 7yell8 and 7cellular8. +hen so#eone $ets a call on his cell phone, and the connection is bad, what does the person do4 (n order to be heard, he usually shouts. as if the yellin$ will #a%e the connection any betterF This act of shoutin$ in the hope that you will be audible is called 7yellullar8. & /o#e idiot on the train went yellular at three in the #ornin$.

What is 1assface?
P"//,"'E " picture of a hu#an face that is used instead of a password as part of a security syste#