The Hindu 2010 Word

What is the difference between `flip out' and `flip over'? The expression `flip out' is considered to be slang, and is therefore mostly used in informal contexts. When someone `flips out', he loses control of himself, and simply goes crazy. The expression usually carries a negative meaning. *Gupta flipped out hen he sa his young daughter hen she sa earing ma!e"up.

*The young mother flipped out

the mess the children had made.

When you flip something over, you turn it over very #uic!ly. The expression can also be used ith people as ell. *$sha flipped over the dosa before pic!ing up her cell phone. *The hero flipped over, grabbed the stool, and used it to protect himself from the blo . The expression has another meaning as ell. When you flip over someone or something, you li!e the person or thing very much% you become crazy about the person or thing. The expression is mostly used in a positive sense. *&ohan flipped over 'amana the first time he sa her.

*(veryone flipped over the sambar my mother had made.

Is it okay to say, `The students are awaiting for the principal's reply'? )o, it isn't. *t is o!ay to say ` ait for something', but not `a ait for something'. The ord `a ait' is not usually follo ed by `for'. *n the example you have given, you can either say, `The students are aiting for the principal's reply', or `The students are a aiting the principal's reply'. Know Your nglish house. What,s it li!e-.

+$nderstand your boss has built a ne +/antabulous is the +/antabulous-.

ord that 0u1atha used to describe it..

+*t,s a combination of 2fantastic, and 2fabulous,. *t means, unbelievably good or great.. +When * +What ent to Goa, the vie as the vie from my room as fantabulous..

li!e from your boss, ne

house-.

+3aven,t a clue. )ever been to his house.. +Well, if you didn,t go to your boss, party, here ere you on )e 4ear,s (ve-.

The Hindu 2010 Word

+* ent for a drive.. ere stopped by the police..

+* understand you

+)e s travels fast. Who told you-. +5oes it really matter- Were you speeding-. +)o, * asn,t. The policeman thought * you dran!. When did6. as intexticated..

+* didn,t !no

+* didn,t say 2intoxicated,. * said 2intexticated,.. +5on,t thin! *,ve heard that +*t,s ord before.. hile you,re driving..

hen you try to send a message on your cell phone

+*n other

ords, you are driving and texting at the same time..

!That"s right# $ccording to this newspaper article, %ore accidents are caused by inte&ticated drivers than by into&icated ones'( +There are many intexticated drivers in our country.. +That,s true. Tell me, can the time-. ord be used ith people ho al! and message at the same

+4es, it can. 7a1eev as so intexticated that he didn,t see here he as going. 3e fell into a manhole and bro!e his leg. 3e,s been advised to ta!e it easy for three months.. 28h, the poor chap. * hope he has insurance.. +5on,t orry about 7a1eev. 3e,s flush..

+/lush- What do you mean-. +8ne of the meanings of flush is abundant. *n this context, it means the person is rich. /or example, at the beginning of every month, * feel flush.. +We are not exactly flush, but +That,s hat most people e manage to live a comfortable life..

ant..

+That,s true. 9ccording to my father, the best thing6. +Tal!ing about your father, has he returned the laptop to the dealer-. +3e,s been tal!ing to him on the phone and....

The Hindu 2010 Word

+)othing ill come of it, *,m afraid. Tell your dad to stop pussyfooting around and....

+:ussyfooting around- What does it mean-. !It %eans to do so%ething in a cautious or ti%id %anner' When you)( +*n other ords, you al! or tread carefully li!e a cat-.

+(xactly; The person is un illing to commit to any course of action. <isten 7adha, you,ve been pussyfooting around for over six months no . * ant a decision by the end of the day.. +*f * ere you, * ouldn,t promote him. 3e,s incapable of ta!ing decisions. 3e,ll pussyfoot around and not get on ith anything.. +That,s a good example. We have a crisis on our hands. 4ou need to ta!e action. 4ou can,t pussyfoot around.. +*,ll tal! to my dad about the laptop.. +4ou,re leaving- That,s fantabulous;. What is the difference between *e%inent" and *fa%ous"? When it %eans, *widely known", the word *fa%ous" can be used with both people and things' * %inent", on the other hand, is %ostly restricted to people . 2/amous, suggests that the individual is idely !no n for a particular reason= it can be for good or bad. /or example, 9amir 'han is a famous actor. 0omeone li!e &onica <e ins!y is also famous% perhaps, not for the right reasons. 2(minent, is a stronger ord than 2famous,. *t comes from the <atin 2eminentem, meaning 2to stand out,. 9n eminent person, therefore, is someone ho stands apart from others% in other ords, he is an outstanding and distinguished member of his profession. 3e is respected by both the public and the members from his o n profession. *ndia has produced many eminent artists. What it the %eaning of *cut loose"? The expression has several different meanings. While atching cric!et, e often hear Gavas!ar and >hogle say, 20eh ag has cut loose,. *n this context, the expression means 2free and relaxed,. *n other ords, the batsman is not holding bac!% he is going for his shots, and is thoroughly en1oying himself. 3e is batting ithout restraint. 3e is li!e an animal that is no longer tied up. *When :rahlad, >ala, and 7a!esh get together, they really cut loose. What is the %eaning of *kitchen cabinet"? (very head of state is believed to have his?her o n 2!itchen cabinet,. *t usually consists of a small group of people hom the :rime &inister or :resident turns to for advice. These

The Hindu 2010 Word

unofficial advisers are not politicians, and the head of state implicitly trusts them. *t is believed that sometimes the !itchen cabinet has a greater influence on the head of state than the official cabinet. This is understandable, * guess, because the official cabinet consists of politicians, and as everyone !no s, politicians are not meant to be trusted @ even if they happen to be from your o n party; The expression 2!itchen cabinet, as coined in the $nited 0tates in the ABCDs during the presidency of 9ndre Eac!son. 3e had three friends hom he depended on for advice. 0ince he anted to !eep their visits a secret, he usually had them ushered in through the !itchen door. *t is believed that most of their meetings actually too! place in the !itchen= hence the term 2!itchen cabinet,. 8ther expressions hich have more or less the same meaning are 2brainFsG trust, and 2thin! tan!,. What is the difference between `revue' and `review'? 5on't let the spelling fool you. `7evue' is pronounced the same ay as `revie '% both have the stress on the second syllable. Their meanings, ho ever, are very different. ords

9 `revue' is a form of theatrical entertainment. *t is not a full length play% it is a multi"act form of entertainment, hich usually includes songs, dances, and short s!etches. :eople en1oy going to revues because they are satirical in nature% they ma!e fun of politicians, actors, riters and other public figures. This form of entertainment as very popular in the early decades of the HDth century. 9sho! ants me to rite a political revue for his theatre group.

The ord `revie ' has several different meanings, but *'ll be dealing ith only one here. When someone rites a revie of a boo! or a film, for example, he gives his opinion of it. 3e tells us hat he li!ed and didn't li!e about the film?boo!. The revie s that the film got eren't particularly good. &y friend has been as!ed to revie of my favourite author's latest boo!. * * * I7ogues are preferable to imbeciles because they sometimes ta!e a rest.I " 9lexandre 5umas What is the %eaning of `scuttlebutt'? This is a ord hich comes from the orld of sailing. `>utt' means `barrel' or `cas!', and `scuttle' refers to the hatch on the dec! of a ship. 9`scuttlebutt' as actually a barrel containing the day's supply of drin!ing ater for the ship's cre . 0ince this barrel FbuttG of ater as placed near the hatch FscuttleG, the container began to be called `scuttlebutt'. What do you thin! happened hen the members of the cre got together to drin! ater- The same thing that happens today hen colleagues in an office gather around the ater cooler or the coffee machine. They gossiped; The sailors dran! ater, and gossiped about hat as happening on the ship. *n informal contexts, the expression `scuttlebutt' is used to mean `rumour' or `gossip'. 3ave you heard the latest scuttlebutt about my ne neighbourrite a

The Hindu 2010 Word

* don't pay too much attention to the scuttlebutt around here. What is the %eaning and origin of `set the ball rolling'? 9ccording to some scholars, the idiom comes from the hen the ball is set rolling. orld of football= the game starts

When you set the ball rolling, you do something hich starts an activity. 4ou ma!e a beginning. *t is also possible to say, `get the ball rolling' and `start the ball rolling'. 91it set the ball rolling by putting up posters in the nearby supermar!ets. 4ou can get the ball rolling by tal!ing to your classmates. Know your english 3i; 4ou don't loo! too good. *s something bothering youI* complained to my boss about 3emant yesterday.I IWhy did you do that- 5o you have a problem I4ou !no that *'ve had a beef ith him-

ith him for a long time.I

I4ou've had beef- 5o you parents !no -I +I didn't say I ate beef' I said that I had a beef with ,e%ant' When you have 'beef with' so%eone, you '''+ +You probably have a co%plaint against the person'+ 'That's right# The e&pression could also %ean 'grudge'' You are itching for a fight or an argu%ent'+ I* see. Well, in that case, your next door neighbour has a beef I* hope that as 1ust an example. 8ther ise, *'ll...I neighbour ould recognise you even if ith you.I

I*t as an example, that's all. * don't thin! your ne he sa you.I IThat's true; *n most universities, students have beef I9nd *'m sure teachers have beef I4ou're probably right. '>eef 9lso, e...I

ith teachers.I ell.I

ith the students as

ith' is mostly used in informal contexts.

The Hindu 2010 Word

IWhat did your boss say I3e said * IWhat-I IThat he...I as my reaction as ell. 9pparently, 3emant had already complained about me, and as at fault.I hen you complained against 3emant-I

I*s 3emant related to your boss-I I* don't really !no . >ut they are pretty close. 9ccording to 0harma, the t o are in cahoots ith...I I*n hat- What did you say-

IJ..a..h..o..o..t..s. The 'a' is pronounced li!e the 'a' in 'china', and the'oo' li!e the 'oo' in 'pool' and 'cool'.I I0o, the ord is pronounced !e"388T0 the ith the stress on the second syllable.I

IKery good; That's exactly ho I>ut hat does it mean-

ord is pronounced.I

IWhen you are 'in cahoots ith someone', you are conspiring scheming or plotting ith someone to get something.I I9n expression ith a very negative meaning;I

ith another person. 4ou are

I4ou could say that. The t o individuals are up to no good.I I*'ve been told that the :rincipal is in cahoots computers.I ith the dealer ho supplies our school ith

I* understand that some of our &inisters are in cahoots IGiven the !ind of politicians

ith organised crime.I

e have, the ne s shouldn't surprise anyone.

What are you going to do about 3emant-I I* really don't !no . * seem to have fouled my o n nest by complaining to the boss about him.I I/ouled your o n nest- What does it mean-I IWhen you foul your o n nest, you end up harming or hurting yourself.I I* see. *t's not surprising that 4u!tha asn't promoted. 0he fouled her o n nest by spreading ild rumours about her boss.I

The Hindu 2010 Word

I$day complains that his ife doesn't respect him. 3e fouled his o n nest by constantly ma!ing fun of her in front of others. 9nd no , she...I I)o , she has beef ith him;I *** I9 oman in love can't be reasonable " or she probably ouldn't be in love.I "

What is the difference between *co brother" and *brother in law"? :eople in *ndia, especially 0outh *ndia, use the terms 2co"brother, and 2co"brother"in"la , to refer to one,s ife,s sister,s husband. )ative spea!ers of (nglish do not use these terms. *nstead, they prefer to use 2brother"in"la ,. This term is usually used to refer to one,s ife,s brother, or one,s sister,s husband. *t can also be used to refer to one,s ife,s sister,s husband. *n the past, the plural of 2brother"in"la , as 2brothers"in"la ,. )o adays, 2brother"in"la s, is also being used. Which is correct- ,e is taller than %e or I? >oth are correct. 8ld grammar boo!s, ho ever, ould claim that the correct option is `*' and not `me'. The understood meaning is, `3e is taller than * am.' 9lthough sentences li!e `3e is taller than *' and `0he is smaller than he' are grammatically correct, they sound rather boo!ish. )ative spea!ers of (nglish do not consider them to be idiomatic. This explains hy in everyday conversation, native spea!ers say, `3e is taller than me' and `0he is smaller than him.' What is the difference between `loneso%e' and `lonely'? &ost dictionaries claim, that in terms of meaning, there is no difference bet een the t o ords. `<onely' is preferred by the >ritish, hile the 9mericans prefer `lonesome'. When someone is `lonely' or `lonesome', he is very unhappy because he is alone. *0harada called up her parents to tell them ho **'ll go ith you. * don't lonely? lonesome she as.

ish to spend a lonesome? lonely evening at home

What is the %eaning of `%any a %ickle %akes a %uckle'? This is an old 0cottish saying, meaning, hen small amounts are put together, they add up to a big amount. The interesting thing is that the t o ords, `mic!le' and muc!le', are actually variants of each other. They originally meant `amount'. With the passage to time, the ords began to ac#uire a different meaning. &ic!le began to mean `small amount', and `muc!le', `large amount'; What is the %eaning of *bucket list'? *t is a ish list. 0ome people, as they get older, dra up a list of things they ish to do before they die= this may include places they ould li!e to see, people they ould li!e to meet again, etc. The list of things that the individual ants to do before he actually !ic!s the buc!et is called 2buc!et list'.

The Hindu 2010 Word

The expression comes from the title of a film starring Eac! )icholson and &organ /reeman. ** have one more thing to add to my buc!et list. What is the %eaning of *splitsville'? This is an expression that is mostly used in informal contexts in 9merican (nglish. When you tell someone that you are 2splitting', you mean that you are leaving. Therefore hen you say 2splitsville', you mean that you are exiting #uic!ly or escaping. **n movies, by the time the detectives arrive, the croo!s are splitsville. When a couple splits, they brea! up or separate. The expression 2splitsville' can also be used to refer to a brea!up or separation. **f you as! me, their relationship is headed for splitsville. ****** +*t as very good of God to let Jarlyle and &rs. Jarlyle marry one another, and so ma!e only t o people miserable, instead of four.. @ Know Your nglish ill be spending a ee! ith you..

+&y mom tells me your nephe

+Wo , ne s really travels fast around here.. +*t certainly does. Tell me, +8h, you t o hat's your nephe li!e-.

ill get along famously. <i!e you, he's a confirmed vidiot..

+5id you 1ust call me an idiot-. +* didn't say, 2idiot'. * said, 2vidiot'.. +What does it mean-. +What is it that you do most of the time-. +:lay video games, of course.. +9nd that's hat a vidiot does as ell. 3e plays video games all the time. 4ou could say that he is addicted to video games. The ord is a combination of video and idiot.. +&any of my friends are vidiots.. +9 vidiot is also someone hose intelligence level has decreased because he has been constantly playing video games or atching too much TK. *f you as! me, the younger generation is full of vidiots..

The Hindu 2010 Word

+* don't agree ith that at all. 4our friend 3arish is a vidiot, isn't he-. aiting for approval from corporate to buy some ne game. * believe

+3e certainly is. 3e is it's really expensive..

+9pproval from corporate; 4ou mean your company allo s you to buy video games-. !.f course, not# The e&pression *approval fro% corporate' is used to refer to one's significant other' The spouse who controls the purse strings'( +0o in 3arish's case, it's his ife ho loo!s after the finances. Therefore, he has to get her approval before he buys anything.. +(xactly; $sha is aiting for approval from corporate to buy a ne sofa set for the house.. ill say-.

+5o you thin! she'll get approval from corporate- What do you thin! 7aghu +* don't !no . Getting approval from the li!es of 7aghu is li!e herding cats.. +*'ve heard of people herding co s, not cats..

+8ne can round up co s #uite easily. >ut cats are rather difficult. Getting all of them to move in the same direction is next to impossible.. !Therefore when you say that so%ething is like herding cats, it %eans that you are trying to achieve the i%possible' You are atte%pting to perfor% an i%possible task'( +Good 1ob. Getting my boss to commit to something is li!e herding cats.. +3o about this example- Getting our students to hand in their pro1ect on time is li!e herding cats.. +0ounds good. 5id your cousin manage to get to 5elhi-. +4es, he did. 9pparently, he travelled for some time in the pantry car.. +That must have been pretty exciting. 5id he get to eat a lot of bread-. +>read; What are you tal!ing about-. +The ord pantry comes from the <atin 2panis' meaning, 2bread'.. here people ma!e bread.. as....

+* see. 0o a pantry is a place +(xactly. 9nd a companion +*t also has the +9s *

ord 2pan' in it.. as someone ith hom you shared your bread..

as saying, a companion

The Hindu 2010 Word

+7eally- 3ey, there's some bread on the table. Jan * be your companion for the day-. +* don't share my 2panis' ith vidiots li!e you;.

,ow is the word *ersat/' pronounced? There seem to be different ays of pronouncing this German ord. The 2er' can be pronounced li!e the ord 2air', and the follo ing 2s' li!e the 2z' in 2zip' and 2zoo'. The final syllable, 2atz', sounds li!e the 2ats' in 2bats', 2rats', and 2cats'. 8ne ay of pronouncing the ord is 9*7"zats ith the stress on the first syllable. 0ome people, ho ever, put the stress on the second. The ord comes from the German 2ersetzen' meaning 2to replace', and in (nglish, the ord is used to mean 2substitute'. 0ince the replacement is usually much inferior to the original, the ord ersatz is used to sho disapproval. **'m told that during the coffee. ar, my grandmother had to ma!e do ith ersatz chocolates and

What is the %eaning and origin of *stalking horse'? When you 2stal!' someone or something, you follo the person or animal very closely ithout being spotted. 4ou do this in order to trac!, catch or !ill the individual?animal. )o , let's deal ith the origin of the idiom. *n the old days, hen people ent hunting for birds, they too! a ell trained horse ith them. They did this because they found henever a solitary animal li!e a horse or co approached the birds, they didn't fly a ay. 8n the other hand, henever a human being as seen approaching, the birds promptly fle a ay. *n order to tric! the birds into believing that it as only a solitary animal al!ing around, hunters trained their horses to al! very slo ly and noiselessly to ards the #uarry. The hunter al!ed alongside the animal, and ensured he stayed out of sight by !eeping lo . When he as ithin range of the prey, he came out of hiding, and proceeded to !ill the birds. *n this case, it asn't the horse that as doing the stal!ing% it as being used to divert the attention of the birds. The hunter as using the animal as a decoy. 0omething that is used to disguise one's true intention or ob1ective is usually referred to as 2stal!ing horse'. The idiom is #uite fre#uently used in politics and business. 9 candidate ho is put for ard by a party in order to split the opposition is often referred to as a 2stal!ing horse'. This person may also be someone hose name has been proposed in order to conceal the candidacy of a much more important figure. *The party leader anted me to play the stal!ing horse.

What is the difference between *for%er' and *erstwhile'? /irst, let's deal ith the pronunciation of 2erst hile'. The first syllable 2erst' rhymes ith the ords 2burst' and 2first', and the second sounds li!e the ord 2 hile'. The ord is pronounced 2(70T" hile' ith the stress on the first syllable, and it comes from the 8ld (nglish 2erst' meaning 2before' and 2 hile' meaning 2time'. The ord literally means 2of former time'. *n terms of meaning, there is no difference bet een 2erst hile' and 2former'. 8f the t o, erst hile is considered old fashioned, and is mostly used in rather formal contexts. 0ome boo!s on (nglish usage claim that 2erst hile' is a 2pretentious' ord for 2former' and is best avoided. *Gayathri, my erst hile colleague, has become the Kice :resident of the ne company.

The Hindu 2010 Word

*** +*f you understand (nglish, press A. *f you do not understand (nglish, press H.. @ 9ustralian Tax 3elpline What is the %eaning of the e&pression *scri%p and save'? When you 2scrimp on something', you attempt to save money by spending less than hat is re#uired on it. *f a company scrimps on security during times of recession, it is reducing the amount that it normally spends on security, and in the process putting the company at ris!. The idio%, *scri%p and save' %eans *to econo%ise'' You spend very little %oney on things, so that you can save up enough in order to buy so%ething that you really want. 4ou ish to spend the money that you have so carefully saved on something that is fairly expensive. The expression 2pinch and scrape' has the same meaning. *The young couple scrimped and saved to buy a motorcycle. What is the %eaning of *shoulder surfing'? )o adays, henever e go out, e not only need to be on the loo!out for the pic!poc!et, but also the 2shoulder surfer'. This person ill stand behind you, and loo! over your shoulder to see hat numbers you are punching in hen you ta!e money from the 9T&. 3e ill also fre#uent cybercafLs, stand behind people hile they are typing in their pass ord. The ord 2shoulder surfer' is fre#uently used in computer security to refer to people use such observational techni#ues to get information about others. ****** +* hope you go before me because * don't ant you singing at my funeral.. @ 0pi!e &illigan ho

What is the difference between a *prolonged %eeting' and a *protracted' one? >oth ords are used to refer to the duration of something. 8f the t o, 2prolonged' may be considered a neutral term. *f you have a 2prolonged meeting', you have a lengthy meeting% a meeting hich ent on longer than expected. :erhaps there ere many items on the agenda, as a result of hich the meeting ent on for a long time. The use of 2prolong' suggests that there might have been reasons hy the meeting as extended. 2:rotracted', on the other hand, is usually used to sho disapproval. *t suggests that the duration of the meeting as needlessly extended. The meeting as dra n out to such an extent that it as tedious. Which is correct- 0evathi is engaged to1with 0avi? Eust as one is 2married to someone', and not 2married ith someone', one is al ays 2engaged to' someone, and not 2engaged ith' someone. *t is also possible to be 2engaged in something'. *The young couple ere engaged in a heated argument ith the hotel manager.

What is the %eaning and origin of *to go haywire'?

The Hindu 2010 Word

This is an expression hich is mostly used in informal contexts. When you say that something has gone hay ire, you mean that it has stopped functioning or or!ing properly. *t has become rather erratic. *7a1eev tells me that Gayathri's old computer has gone hay ire. *When a person goes hay ire, he goes slightly crazy% he becomes confused and starts behaving oddly. *When he didn't get the promotion, 3arish ent hay ire

9 2hay ire' as a thin piece of ire that as used by farmers to bind together bales of hay. The hay as rolled, and a hay ire as used to tie the bundle together tightly. *t as ound so tightly that hen the ire as cut, it behaved in an unpredictable manner= sometimes, it ould spring bac! at the person cutting the ire, in1uring him in the process. 9ccording to some scholars, this is the origin of the expression. Is it okay to say, *The student was i%personating as a police officer'? )o, it isn't. When you impersonate someone, you ma!e an attempt to deceive other people by pretending to be someone you are not. This is 1ust one of the meanings of the ord. 4ou al ays 2impersonate someone'. 4ou do not 2impersonate as someone'. *The terrorist tried to impersonate a police officer. ****** +3e had the sort of face that ma!es you realize God does have a sense of humour.. @ >ill >ryson What is the %eaning of *put a he& on so%eone'? Whenever the home team plays at the 7a1iv Gandhi 0tadium in 3yderabad, it al ays loses. The 5eccan Jhargers haven't on a single game there, and neither has the *ndian cric!et team. 0ome people believe that the 2vasthu' is all rong, hile others thin! that someone has put a hex on the stadium. *n other ords, someone has put a curse or a spell on the stadium. 9 fe months ago, the 3yderabad Jric!et 9ssociation performed a pu1a to remove the curse. *t seems to have or!ed, because the 5eccan Jhargers have started inning on their home ground. The only problem is, the team is not playing in 3yderabad anymore% it has moved to Juttac!; *0ania has lost in the first round again. * onder if someone has put a hex on her.

What is the %eaning of *ra%bunctious'? /irst, let's deal ith the pronunciation of this ord. The first syllable rhymes ith the ords 2dam', 2ham', and 20am', hile the second is pronounced li!e the ord 2bun!'. The 2ct' is li!e the 2sh' in 2ship' and 2shape', and the 2iou' is li!e the 2a' in 2china'. The ord is pronounced 2ram">$)'"shes' ith the stress on the second syllable. When you refer to a child or a puppy as being rambunctious, you mean that they are full of youthful energy, and therefore

The Hindu 2010 Word

some hat difficult to control. The ord can also be used to mean very noisy and disorderly. 0ome people say that the ord is an alteration of 2rumbustious'. *The rambunctious entertainer collapsed during the first scene. *There as a lot of drin!ing, and it rambunctious. K2.W Y.30 245I6, asn't surprising that the students became

+What are you doing here- 9ren't you supposed to be studying for your final exams-. +*'m ta!ing a brea!. What's that in your hand-. +9 novel.. +<ife isn't fair at all. * have to study, hile you get to read a novel.. rite home about;.

+4ou don't need to feel 1ealous. The novel is nothing to +)othing to

rite home about- 5oes it mean it's not very good-.

+When you say that something is 2nothing to rite home about', you mean that it is mediocre. *t's not something to get excited about.. +*n other ords, it's not as good as you'd expected it to be. 0upriya's party rite home about.. +Good example. * got a raise yesterday, but it's nothing to +4ou got a raise- Then as nothing to

rite home about.. restaurant on &G 7oad..

e must celebrate. <et's go to that ne

+<et's do that after your exams.. +9fter my exams; 9ll my friends ould have visited the place by then. They6. restaurants-.

+Why are you so hung up on eating in ne +What does 2hung up on' mean-.

+*t means to be obsessed. 4ou are constantly thin!ing about the thing or person.. +Jan * say, my friend 7amesh is hung up on 'a1ol- 3e 1ust can't get her off his mind.. +That's a very good example. 5on't !no if 91ay 5evgan ill be happy about it, though. Muite a fe politicians in our country are hung up on getting statues of themselves made.. +These are people ho probably didn't play statue hen they ere !ids..

The Hindu 2010 Word

+4ou may have a point there. )o +*'m hung up on ne then, you'd better....

restaurants because * love eating good food..

+That's not true. 4ou never really en1oy hat you are eating. 4ou order something, and then hen you see hat someone else is eating, you have dish envy.. +5ish envy- 5oes it mean being envious of something that someone else is eating-. +Kery good; 5ish envy is something that e experience all the time. * order a plate of idli, and you order a butter masala dosa. When your dosa comes, * feel * should have ordered dosa too. * feel that my idli is inferior to your dosa.. +*t's true that * feel dish envy once in a hile. >ut it's not....

+9ll of us have experienced the anguish of dish envy sometime or the other.. +That's true. 9ny ay, tell me, hat's the novel about-.

+*t's li!e a typical *ndian movie. >oy meets girl. >oy is poor, girl is rich. They fall in love, yada yada yada.. +4ada yada yada- )ever heard that expression before.. +*t means, so on and so forth. *t's an expression that is mostly used in informal contexts.. +* see. 0o, hen you say 2yada yada yada', you mean that everything else is understood..

+That's right; The listener can figure things out for himself because everything is so obvious.. +(very time * sho my report card to my father, he tells me the same thing. That * should get up early in the morning, be more disciplined, or! much harder...yada yada yada.. +9ll parents give such lectures. 4ou ill too hen you have !ids.. *** +* hate to spread rumours, but hat else can one do ith them-.@ 9manda <ear

What is the difference between *alongwith' and *along with'? The main difference is that the ord 2along ith' does not exist. *t is al ays ritten as t o ords, and not as one. *f you find it ritten as one ord, it means the editor fell asleep hile going through the article. The children, along *** ith their t o teachers, ent to the zoo.

The Hindu 2010 Word

+* have been complimented many times and they al ays embarrass me% * al ays feel that they have not said enough.. @ &ar! T ain What is the %eaning of the e&pression *two to tango'? The complete expression is 2ta!es t o to tango', and it is mostly used in informal contexts to refer to a bad situation. The tango is a dance form hich originated in 0outh 9merica% t o people are re#uired to perform this rather intricate dance. When t o people find themselves in a bad situation, and you say 2it ta!es t o to tango', you are implying that both individuals are to be blamed for the current mess they are in. 8ne person alone cannot be held responsible for their present misfortune. 5on't blame the fight on me. *t ta!es t o to tango, my friend. 91it believes 0unitha forced his son to elope t o to tango. ith her. >ut you !no hat they say. *t ta!es

The expression became popular in the ANODs, than!s to a song by :earl >ailey. What is the %eaning of *perspicuous'? /irst, let's deal ith the pronunciation of the ord. The 2e' in the first syllable, and the 2ou' in the final syllable are li!e the 2a' in 2china'. 20pic' rhymes ith the ords 2stic!', 2pic!', and 2chic!', and the follo ing 2u' sounds li!e the letter 2u'. The ord is pronounced 2pe"0:*'"yu" es' ith the stress on the second syllable. The ord comes from the <atin 2perspicuus' meaning 2transparent'. When you refer to someone's riting or speech as being 2perspicuous', you mean it is very clear, and easy to understand. The critics say that he as a riter of perspicuous prose. * don't agree at all. ho ill create an interest among the students.

*'m loo!ing for a perspicuous professor

Why do we say *o'clock'? What does *o' stand for? *n the old days, people didn't say 2six o'cloc!' or 2ten o'cloc!'. When they anted to indicate the time, they said 2six of the cloc!' and 2ten of the cloc!'. The expression 2of the cloc!' as used to mean 2according to the cloc!'. With the passage of time, the definite article 2the' as dropped% later 2of' as reduced to 2o'. 0o, hen you say 2o'cloc!', hat you are actually saying is 2of cloc!'. What is the difference between *%e%ento' and *souvenir'? <et's deal ith the pronunciation of 2souvenir' first. The 2ou' in the first syllable is li!e the 2oo' in 2pool' and 2cool', and the 2e' in the second is li!e the 2a' in 2china'. The final syllable is pronounced li!e the ord 2near'. The ord is pronounced 2soo"ve")(97' ith the stress on the final syllable. *t comes from the <atin 2subvenire' meaning 2come to mind'. When e visit a ell"!no n place, e usually buy 2souvenirs'. /or example, hen people visit 9gra, they usually buy picture postcards or a replica of the Ta1. These things ill later remind them of their trip to 9gra. 0ouvenirs are usually manufactured on a large scale, and visitors to the place spend money on them. &ost places of tourist attraction have 20ouvenir 0hops'.

The Hindu 2010 Word

*When e ent to Goa, my ife spent a lot of money on souvenirs.

9 2mi"&()"toe', on the other hand, is not something that you buy. *t is usually an ob1ect given to you by an individual, and you !eep it in order to remember the person. 0ome people, for example, !eep their grandfather's atch or pen as a memento. 9 2memento' can also be an ob1ect li!e a stone or a leaf, something hich you have pic!ed up P and not bought P during a trip. The ord comes from the <atin 2meminisse' meaning 2to remember'. *The coloured stone is a memento of our trip to 0cotland Know Your English +Jongratulations; * understand your neighbour has become the Kice Jhancellor. (veryone in your building must be really proud of her.. +*'m not so sure. 0omeone said the only reason she's become a KJ is because she has friends in high places. * understand my neighbour excels in the art of bro n"nosing.. +>ro n"nosing- *s it a !ind of art that someone + 9 bro n"noser is someone +*n other happy.. +(xactly;. +0umitra !eeps bro n"nosing all the time, but her boss ignores it.. +>ro n"nosing doesn't get one very far place.. +3ave you congratulated the ne KJ-. ith my boss either. 0he puts a bro n"noser in his ith a bro n nose excels in-. or! done..

ho flatters people in order to get his

ords, he is a sycophant. 3e does everything possible to !eep those in po er,

+* stealth"called her about an hour ago.. +9 stealth"call; )ever heard that expression before.. +There are times hen someone leaves a message on your cell as!ing you to call bac!. 4ou don't actually feel li!e doing it.... +>ecause you're not interested in spea!ing to the person.. +(xactly; 0o, hat do you do- 4ou ring her hen you !no that she on't be able to ta!e your call. This morning, * sa that several TK ne s channels had come to intervie my neighbour. * stealth"called her then;. +That as rather mean of you. 4ou must congratulate her in person. 9nd don't forget to buy her a gift..

The Hindu 2010 Word

+* plan to get her something that on't brea! the ban!..

+>rea! the ban!- What are you tal!ing about-. +*f you brea! the ban! in order to buy something, you spend a lot of money on it.. +The thing that you are buying is so expensive that you end up spending all your savings.. +That's right; 4ou have no money left. 4ou exhaust your resources.. +*t'll hardly brea! the ban! if you buy her a dozen roses.. +4ou have a point there. &y uncle is planning on sending his son to study in the $.0. 3e says it'll brea! the ban! to do it.. +* don't li!e to spend money. >ut * guess an occasional movie and dinner ban!.. +That's a good example. )o +3as your cousin graduated-. +)ot yet. 3e's still a graduand.. +9 hat-. ord 2graduate', and then,.... on't brea! the

+G..r..a..d..u..a..n..d. The first t o syllables are pronounced li!e the the final syllable li!e the ord 2 and'.. +0o the ord is pronounced G79"1u"and. >ut hat does it mean-.

+9 graduand is someone formalities.. +*n other

ho is about to graduate. 3e has completed all the necessary

ords, he has finished his course

or!, and

ritten the exams. 3e's....

+3e's finished all that. 3e hasn't been a arded his degree as yet. 3e hasn't ta!en part in the formal ceremony that.... +/ormal ceremony- 8h, you mean *** +9 graduation ceremony is an event here the commencement spea!er tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps and go ns that 2 individuality' is the !ey to success..@ 7obert 8rben here people ear those ridiculous caps and go ns-.

The Hindu 2010 Word What is the meaning of the be-all and end-all'?
The expression 2the be"all and end"all' is mostly used in informal contexts to mean the most important thing% the only thing that matters. *Kinita's adopted children have become the be"all"and end"all of her existence. *&y uncle believes that profit should not become the be"all and end"all of business. 0ha!espeare is believed to have coined this expression in his tragedy 2&acbeth'. The hero, &acbeth, realises that the only ay he can become the 'ing of 0cotland is by !illing 5uncan. &acbeth says, +that but this blo might be the be"all and the end"all'.

Which is correct: whereabouts are/is?

The ord 2 hereabouts' can be used either as a noun or an adverb. When used as a noun, it means, 2the place here a person or a thing is'. The ord can be follo ed by a singular or a plural verb. *The The hereabouts of the famous film star is?are un!no n. ord can also be used to mean 2in hat area or location'.

*Whereabouts in 3yderabad does the author live*Whereabouts did the buffoon find the treasure-

What is the difference between utensil' and vessel'?

The ord 2utensil' comes from the <atin 2utensilia' meaning 2things for use'. *t is an umbrella term for anything that can be used in the !itchen= a plate can be called a utensil, and so can a cup and a spoon. 9 2vessel', on the other hand, is usually a hollo container hich is used to hold li#uids or other things. Jups, bo ls, and pitchers are all vessels. &il! and ater are usually boiled in vessels. 9ll vessels are utensils, but not all utensils are vessels.

Does the name errari' mean an!thing?

Till a couple of years ago, henever e heard this name, e immediately thought of &ichael 0chumacher and /ormula 8ne racing. (nzo /errari as the man ho came up ith the idea of 20cuderria /errari' or 2Team /errari'. The name 2/errari', li!e the name 20mith' in the $.0 and the $.', is a very common family name in *taly. *t comes from the *talian ord 2ferraro' meaning 2blac!smith'.

K"#W Y$%& E"'()*+

+3o as dinner last night-. restaurant. We had dinner here..

+We decided not to go to the ne

The Hindu 2010 Word

+4our friend 7ahul had a vegetarian meal; $nbelievable;. +7ahul has been an economic vegetarian for a month no .. +* !no hat vegetarian means. >ut hat does 2economic vegetarian' mean-.

+0omeone

ho is forced to become a vegetarian because he cannot afford meat..

+* see. When Guhan lost his 1ob, he decided to become an economic vegetarian.. +0everal months ago, hen there as tal! of 1ob cuts, a fe of my friends became economic vegetarians..

+That's understandable. They must have been.... +What are you doing here so early-. +5on't you remember- 8ur college elections. * am.... +8h, that's right; 4ou must be pumped for the elections. What are the chances of.... +:umped for the elections- What do you mean by that-. +When you say you're 2pumped for' or 2pumped up for' something, you mean that you are tense and at the same time very excited about something.. +* see. *n other ords, you are nervous and at the same time eager. <i!e a player before a big match..

+(xactly; 8ur captain says that the team is pumped up for 0unday's big game.. +$nfortunately, our *ndian team never seemed pumped up for any of its matches.. +Well, according to the coach, our overpaid underachievers ere only pumped up for the *:< matches..

+5on't forget the parties. The aistline and double chin of some players ma!e that pretty obvious. Tell me, hy 2pump up'- What is being pumped-. +* understand it is adrenaline. 5o you thin! your candidate has the smarts to +0marts- 4ou mean 2smart', don't you-. +)o, * mean 2smarts'. The ord is fre#uently used in informal contexts to mean 2intelligence'.. does that sound-. in the election-.

+* definitely have the smarts, but not the confidence. 3o +Terrible.. +What's rong ith the example-. it, and * !no it..

+4ou don't have the smarts. 4ou !no

+)ot very funny, *'m afraid. 3ave you finished your pro1ect-.

The Hindu 2010 Word

+9lmost. We're on the home stretch.. +3ome stretch- 5oes it mean you're almost done-. +That's right. When you say you're on the home stretch, it means you're in the final stages of something. *t could be a 1ourney, a pro1ect, a.... +8!, o!, * understand. :an!a1 told me he is on the home stretch and he'll be done.. ith his dissertation. 9nother t o ee!s,

+Wo , that as #uic!. 3e must have spent the last t o months riting. *t is also possible to say, 2in the stretch'. We ould have arrived earlier, but our car bro!e do n in the stretch.. +What does 2home stretch' refer to-. +The expression comes from the orld of horse racing. The distance bet een the last turning on the race trac! and the finish line is called the 2home stretch'. 5o you thin! your candidate ill in-. +)ot sure. 3e is trailing right no .. +<et's hope he moves ahead in the stretch.. ******* +Gossip is hat you say about the ob1ects of flattery hen they aren't present..@ :.E. 8'7our!e

What is the difference between a homo,hone' and a homon!m'?

/irst, let's begin ith the pronunciation of the t o ords. The 2o' in the first syllable is li!e the 2o' in 2hot', 2got', and 2pot', hile the 2o' in the second is li!e the 2a' in 2china'. The ords are pronounced 238"me"fone' and 23o"me"nim'% in both cases, the stress is on the first syllable. Though there is a difference in meaning bet een the t o ords, people tend to use them interchangeably. 23omophone' comes from the Gree! 2homo' meaning 2same' and 2phone' meaning 2sound'. Jareful users of the language use the term to refer to ords hich sound ali!e, but have a different spelling and meaning. (xamples of homophones are= bear, bare% fair, fare% and here, ere. 9 homonym, on the other hand, is used to refer to ords hich have the same spelling and pronunciation, but have a different meaning. /or example, 2ball' FdanceG, 2ball' Fsomething to play ithG, ruler FscaleG, ruler F!ingG, and roc! FmusicG, roc! FstoneG. This subtle distinction is seldom maintained in everyday conversation% of the t o, 2homonym' seems to be the preferred term.

What is the difference between stumble over' and stumble on'?

When you stumble over something or someone, you trip over the ob1ect or person. 4ou lose your balance% you may or may not end up falling. 9t the party, 3arish stumbled over the chair and fell into the s imming pool. There are several people sleeping in the dra ing room. 5on't stumble over any of them. The expression 2stumble on' can also be used to mean to trip over someone or something.

The Hindu 2010 Word

Gayathri stumbled on the step and hurt herself #uite badly. When e find something #uite accidentally, used ith people as ell. The children ere loo!ing for the ball e can say, e stumbled on?upon it. The expression can be

hen they stumbled on the cute puppy.

+ow is the word trenchant' ,ronounced?

The first syllable rhymes ith the ords 2/rench', 2drench', and 2 rench'. The follo ing 2a' is li!e the 2a' in 2china'. The ord is pronounced 2T7()J3"ent' ith the stress on the first syllable. *t comes from the 8ld /rench 2trenchier' meaning 2to cut'. When someone presents a trenchant argument, he ma!es one hich is forceful or vigorous. The ord can also be used to mean 2caustic' or 2critical'. *The riter's trenchant argument for a unified state made interesting reading.

What is the meaning of annus horribilus'?

/irst, let's deal ith the pronunciation of this <atin expression. The first syllable of 2annus' is pronounced li!e the name 29nn', hile the second sounds li!e the ord 2us'. The 2o' in horribilus is li!e the 2o' in 2hot' and 2got', hile the follo ing 2i' is li!e the 2ee' in 2fees', 2sees', and 2bees'. The 2i' and the 2u' in the final t o syllables are li!e the 2i' in 2!it', 2!id', and 2sit'. The expression is pronounced 9))"us ho"7(("bi"lis. *t literally means 2horrible year'. *9ccording to experts, HDDN as an annus horribilus for the corporate sector. onders'.

The opposite of this expression is 2annus mirabilis' meaning 2year of

What is the difference between fragile' and frail'?

>oth ords come from the <atin 2fragilis' meaning 2easily bro!en'. The ord 2fragile' can be used ith both things and people. When you say that the contents of a box are fragile, it means that the things inside are rather delicate and can be easily bro!en. The contents need to be handled ith care. *:lease don't let &adhav handle any of the fragile plates. When used ith people, the ord means physically or emotionally ea!.

*5on't ma!e fun of her. 0he's very fragile. The (nglish pronounce the final 2ile' li!e the 2ile' in 2mile', 2 hile', and 2pile'. The 9mericans pronounce the 2i' li!e the 2a' in 2china'. *n both cases, the stress is on the first syllable. 2/rail' is used ith people, usually old, hich can be easily damaged. *9fter t o ee!s in hospital, Eana!i ho are in poor health. When used ith things, it refers to ob1ects

as too frail to climb the stairs.

*Given the frail economy, it is not surprising that people are not investing.

The Hindu 2010 Word What is the meaning and origin of clean bill of health'?
When you visit the doctor and he gives you a clean bill of health, you should be happy because it is an assurance that there is nothing rong ith you physically. The doctor is informing you that you are in the pin! of health; When used ith things, the idiom means that the ob1ect is in good condition. *8f the HD buildings inspected, only four ere given a clean bill of health.

The 2bill' in the idiom has nothing to do ith the amount of money you have to pay the doctor. 0uch bills seldom bring happiness; *n the old days, the captain of a ship as handed over a document by the port authority hich certified that there as no infection or epidemic at the port from hich the vessel set sail. This document as called the >ill of 3ealth and unless it as presented at the next port, the ship as refused entry.

Who or what is a fa- ,otato'?

We have several different types of potatoes these days. 9 2couch potato' is someone ho sits in a chair or a sofa and atches TK all day% he eats and drin!s sitting in front of the tube. 9 2mouse potato' is someone ho spends his time sitting in front of a computer, surfing the eb. 9 2fax potato', another addition to the gro ing list of human potatoes, is someone ho specialises in sending faxes to people= the receiver may be less than a hundred feet a ay, but instead of getting out of his chair and tal!ing to the person concerned, he sends him?her a fax. <i!e the couch potato, the fax potato is rather lazy and remains glued to his seat.

What is the meaning and origin of wing it'?

The expression is mostly used in informal contexts. When you get up on stage and 2 ing it', you give an impromptu speech. 4ou have had no time to prepare, and therefore end up spea!ing extemporaneously. The expression has more or less the same meaning as 2off the cuff'. 0hanthi left her notes in the taxi. *n class, she had to ing it.

The expression comes from the orld of theatre. The sides of a stage hich cannot be seen by the members of the audience are called 2 ings'. 9ctors often ait here before they ma!e their entry. 0ometimes, actors go on stage ithout really !no ing their lines. *n such circumstances, they depend on the prompters hiding in the ings to hisper the lines to them. *f they cannot hear the prompter, they ma!e up their lines. They ing it;

What is the difference between momentar!' and momentous'?

0omething that is 2momentary' lasts for a very short period of time. The ith the stress on the first syllable. There The as a momentary pause before the child started screaming again. ord can also be used to mean 2constant' or 2present at every moment'. ord is pronounced 2&8"men"tri'

7evathi lived in momentary fear of being found out. 2&omentous', on the other hand, means very important. When you ma!e a momentous decision, you ma!e one hich has serious conse#uences.

The Hindu 2010 Word

The signing of the treaty The as a momentous occasion for both countries. ith the stress on the second syllable.

ord is pronounced 2me"&()"tes'

)s it o.a! to sa!/ +is condition got deteriorated on *aturda!'?

Jareful users of the language ould avoid using 2got' ith 2deteriorate'. *f you are !een on using the 2got', you can say, 23is condition got orse on 0aturday'. The ageing star's condition suddenly deteriorated on 0unday. *** +>alancing the budget is li!e going to heaven. (verybody have to do to get there.. @ :hil Gramm ants to do it, but nobody ants to do hat you ord

)s it o.a! to sa!/ 0*he was terminated b! her ,ublisher'?

*n terms of grammar, there is nothing rong ith the sentence. *t suggests that this person as !illed by her publisher; 8f course, given the times e are living in, authors getting bumped off by their publisher ouldn't be considered unusual. *f you ant to say that the publisher didn't !ill, but merely fired the individual, then the sentence should be ritten in the follo ing manner= `3er services ere terminated by her publisher.' )ot all publishers are li!e 9rnold 0ch arzenegger% they are not `TerminatorFsG'.

What is the difference between 0nervous' and 0edg!'?

9 person ho is nervous or edgy is tense or orried about something. 8f the t o, `nervous' is the more general term. 0omeone ho is nervous need not necessarily sho that he is orried about something. 3e may be out ardly very calm, but on the inside, he may be extremely agitated. 9 person ho is `edgy' sho s he is orried% the tension is there for all to see. 3e is anxious and is therefore very irritable. 0mall things set him off% he may argue or fight ith those around him. *Gayathri said she *The soldiers as nervous, but she certainly didn't loo! it during the presentation. aited for their orders from the Japtain.

ere edgy as they

What is the meaning and origin of 0turncoat'?

*n *ndia, hen a politician is denied a `tic!et' to contest in an election, he usually #uits the party, and 1oins another. :eople ho s itch allegiances or change their opinion radically henever they find it convenient to do so are called `turncoats'. The ord is mostly used to sho disapproval. *Why ould you ant that political turncoat to preside- *n the old days in (urope, people used to ear reversible coats. When one side of the coat became dirty, the o ner turned the coat inside out and ore it. 9ccording to one story, it as the 5u!e of 0axony ho made the ord `turncoat' popular. This individual lived very close to the /rench border, and therefore made it a point to !eep both the 0axons and the /rench in good humour. The 5u!e's reversible coat as blue on one side, and hite on the other. Traditionally, blue as the colour of the 0axons. Whenever a /renchman visited his place, the 5u!e as seen earing a hite coat. When he anted to please the 0axons, the 5u!e turned the coat inside out, and ore the blue side

The Hindu 2010 Word )s it o.a! to sa!/ bou1uet of flowers'?

0ome people ould argue that 2of flo ers' is unnecessary because bou#uet means an attractive arrangement of flo ers. >ut there is nothing rong in saying 2bou#uet of flo ers'. The 2ou' in the first syllable, by the ay, is li!e the 2oo' in 2fool', 2cool', and 2school'. The follo ing 2#' is li!e the 2!' in 2!ing' and 2!iss', and the final 2uet' rhymes ith 2say' and 2bay'. The ord is pronounced 2boo"'94' ith the stress on the secondsyllable.

What is the meaning and origin of windfall'?

The amount of money that you sudden stro!e of luc!. in or receive from someone rather unexpectedly is called 2 indfall'. *t's a

*When Gayathri visited her uncle after her marriage, she got a /ruit that falls do n from a tree because of heavy say 2 indfalls'. *0ameer's garden as covered ith indfalls.

indfall of 7s. QODDD. indfall. *n this context, e can also

ind is also called

*n the old days in (ngland, lando ners ere not allo ed to cut do n trees hich ere on their property. The la stipulated that all trees ere the property of the 7oyal )avy, and the ood as to be used in the building of ships. *f ho ever, heavy ind made a tree fall, the 2 indfall' became the o ner's property. 0ince in the old days such 2 indfall' as not common, the ord began to mean unexpected good fortune.

What is the difference between demise' and death'?

While both ords mean 2end or ending of life', demise is mostly used in formal contexts to refer to the death of someone or something very important or ell !no n. 8ne usually tal!s about the demise of a :rime &inister or a celebrity% the ord is seldom used ith ordinary people. *The sudden demise of the :rime &inister created a political vacuum. The ord can also be used to indicate the failure of an enterprise. ell"!no n company had many investors orried. ith things and animals.

*The demise of the

25eath' is a much more general term, and unli!e 2demise', can be used *)eelam became very upset **t

hen she heard about the death of her puppy.

as the death of all her plans.

Know !our english

+What is the meaning of )e 4or! minute-.

+9n extremely short period of time. *t's actually less than a minute. *t too! the students less than a )e 4or! minute to find a solution to the problem.. +The ne J(8 arrived at a decision in a )e 4or! minute..

The Hindu 2010 Word

+Tell me +>ut hat you ant. *'ll give you a )e 4or! minute..

hy )e

4or! and not some other city-.

+When people from other cities came to )e 4or! in the late AN RStT RShT century, they found that life in this city as extremely fast. )e 4or!ers seemed to be constantly rushing from one place to another ithout having any time to relax.. +*t's the same feeling that some of us have today hen document * gave you- 9re the instructions clear-. +The instructions are clear as mud.. +Jlear as mud- >ut mud isn't very clear.. +*t isn't, and that's the point. When you say something is clear as mud, you mean it isn't clear at all.. +0o hat you are saying is that the instructions are difficult or impossible to understand.. ere clear as mud.. e visit &umbai. 9ny ay, did you ta!e a loo! at the

+(xactly; The directions that 0u1atha gave to reach her house +*'ve read his chapter t ice, and it's as clear as mud to me.. +9lo!'s presentation as clear as mud..

+Tal!ing about mud, there is some good ne s; The tomorro .. +*f the

eatherman says

e'll have a heavy do npour

eatherman says that, it'll probably rain !ittens and puppies..

+'ittens and puppies- 4ou mean cats and dogs, don't you-. +When you say it's raining cats and dogs, you mean that it is pouring or raining heavily. When the rain is light, it is possible to say.... +4ou can say that it's raining !ittens and puppies.. +That's right; )o then....

+5oes the expression really exist or are you trying to fool me-. +The expression does exist.. +* see. 3o about this example, then- /orget the umbrella, it's 1ust raining !ittens and puppies.. ater problem, e need it to rain cats and dogs. )ot !ittens and

+That's a good example. To solve the puppies.. +That's true. >y the ay,

hy are you home so early- )ot

ell or something-.

+*'m fine. *'ve ta!en a couple of days off..

The Hindu 2010 Word

+4ou've ta!en a couple of days off; That's rather unusual. What do you plan on doing-. +*'ll probably be !ic!ing it at home.. +'ic!ing it- <oo!s li!e the World Jup fever has got to you too. 4ou'll be !ic!ing the ball around.... +)o, no, no; When you say you'll be !ic!ing it, you mean you'll be relaxing.. +*n other ords, you'll be chilling at home.. ee!s, the champion !ic!ed it on the beach

+* guess you could say that. /or example, after a hectic t o ith his family..

+&y friends and * are !ic!ing it at the mall tomorro . Would you li!e to 1oin us-. +4ou must be 1o!ing. 9rvind's ne +That's too bad.. +4es, it certainly is.. *** +* 1ust need enough to tide me over until * need more.. @ >ill 3oest 1ob doesn't allo him to !ic! it in the mornings..

T*<< AH E$<4