Knowledge Spectrum English -2 Meaning and origin of ‘wing it', Difference between ‘momentary' and ‘momentous', Word ‘quixotic' pronounced, Quixotic code of honour.

 6. What is the meaning and origin of ‘wing it'?

The expression is mostly used in informal contexts. When you get up on stage and ‘wing it', you give an impromptu speech. You have had no time to prepare, and therefore end up speaking extemporaneously. The expression has more or less the same meaning as ‘off the cuff'.

*Shanthi left her notes in the taxi. In class, she had to wing it.

The expression comes from the world of theatre. The sides of a stage which cannot be seen by the members of the audience are called ‘wings'. Actors often wait here before they make their entry. Sometimes, actors go on stage without really knowing their lines. In such circumstances, they depend on the prompters hiding in the wings to whisper the lines to them. If they cannot hear the prompter, they make up their lines. They wing it!

7. What is the difference between ‘momentary' and ‘momentous'?

Something that is ‘momentary' lasts for a very short period of time. The word is pronounced ‘MO-men-tri' with the stress on the first syllable.

*There was a momentary pause before the child started screaming again.

The word can also be used to mean ‘constant' or ‘present at every moment'.

*Revathi lived in momentary fear of being found out.

‘Momentous', on the other hand, means very important. When you make a momentous decision, you make one which has serious consequences.

*The signing of the treaty was a momentous occasion for both countries.

The word is pronounced ‘me-MEN-tes' with the stress on the second syllable.

8. How is the word ‘quixotic' pronounced?

There seem to be different ways of pronouncing this word. One way is to pronounce the first syllable like the word ‘quick', and the final syllable like the word ‘tick'. The ‘o' is pronounced like the ‘o' in ‘pot', ‘got', and ‘hot'. The word is pronounced ‘kwik-SO-tik' with the stress on the second syllable. The word comes from the title of a satirical novel that Miguel de Cervantes wrote: ‘Don Quixote'. The main character, Quixote, is a slightly eccentric individual who decides to become a knight in shining armour and save the world. He has romantic notions of performing chivalrous deeds. Unfortunately for the ageing hero, the goals he has set for himself are so lofty that they are practically impossible to achieve. Every time he attempts to perform a chivalrous deed, it ends in disaster. After several misadventures, the hero returns to his village a dejected man. When you refer to someone's ideas or plans as being quixotic, you mean they are not practical.

*The members of the secret society lived by a quixotic code of honour.

9. Is it okay to say, ‘His condition got deteriorated on Saturday'?

Careful users of the language would avoid using ‘got' with ‘deteriorate'. If you are keen on using the word ‘got', you can say, ‘His condition got worse on Saturday'.

*The ageing star's condition suddenly deteriorated on Sunday.

“Balancing the budget is like going to heaven. Everybody wants to do it, but nobody wants to do what you have to do to get there.” — Phil Gramm

10. What is the meaning and origin of ‘turncoat'?

In India, when a politician is denied a ‘ticket' to contest in an election, he usually quits the party, and joins another. People who switch allegiances or change their opinion radically whenever they find it convenient to do so are called ‘turncoats'. The word is mostly used to show disapproval.

*Why would you want that political turncoat to preside?

In the old days in Europe, people used to wear reversible coats. When one side of the coat became dirty, the owner turned the coat inside out and wore it. According to one story, it was the Duke of Saxony who made the word ‘turncoat' popular. This individual lived very close to the French border, and therefore made it a point to keep both the Saxons and the French in good humour. The Duke's reversible coat was blue on one side, and white on the other. Traditionally, blue was the colour of the Saxons. Whenever a Frenchman visited his place, the Duke was seen wearing a white coat. When he wanted to please the Saxons, the Duke turned the coat inside out, and wore the blue side.