General Knowledge Questions on Indian Culture & Freedom struggle 1.

96. What is the meaning of ‘clarion call'?
A clarion is a trumpet with a narrow tube which makes a very shrill sound when blown. The word comes from the Latin ‘clarus' meaning ‘clear', and the high pitched trumpet was mostly used in the past to alert soldiers during battles. In everyday contexts, the expression ‘clarion call' is used to mean an urgent demand for action. The ‘a', by the way, in ‘clarion' sounds like the ‘a' in ‘cat', ‘bat', and ‘hat'.
*The minister issued a clarion call to the students to join the protest.

97. Is it okay to say ‘on the anvil'?
“Pincode guidebook for Pune on the anvil.” Such headlines are frequently seen in Indian newspapers. But what is an anvil? When a blacksmith wants to shape a piece of metal, he usually places it on a heavy block of iron and hammers away at it. This heavy block of iron is called ‘anvil'. The expression ‘on the anvil' is frequently used in India to mean that something is about to begin or something is on the cards. For example, ‘New stadium on the anvil for Hyderabad' means the authorities are considering building a new stadium. The expression ‘on the anvil', according to experts, is an Indianism. It is seldom used or heard in native varieties of English.

98. What is the meaning of ‘my way or the highway'?
This is an expression that is mostly used in informal contexts. When you tell someone that it is either ‘my way or the highway', you are giving the individual an ultimatum. You are telling him that if he doesn't do what you want him to, he can take the highway — in other words, he can get lost. There is no question of compromise.
*Seema's my way or the highway attitude makes it difficult to work with her.
*I don't want any more arguments. It's my way or the highway.

99. Why does ‘put up your dukes' mean ‘put up your fists'?
When an American tells you to ‘put up your dukes', he wants you to put up your fists and get ready to fight. We have to thank the Duke of Wellington, the man who defeated Napoleon Bonaparte in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, for this expression. According to historians, the Duke, though quite the ladies man, wasn't really much to look at. Apparently, the only notable feature on his not-so-handsome face was his rather prominent nose. The officers and the men who served under Wellington began to affectionately refer to any nose which was unusually long as ‘duke'. With the passage of time, however, the word began to be used to refer to any nose; the size was no longer considered important. Since human fists were frequently employed in fights to put a ‘duke' out of joint, fists began to be called ‘duke busters'. Soon, the word ‘busters' was dropped, and everyone started referring to fists as ‘dukes'. What a radical change in meaning.
*Come on Chethan, be a man! Put up your dukes.

100. What is the meaning of ‘diva'?
First, let's deal with the pronunciation of this word. The ‘i' is like the ‘ee' in ‘fees' and ‘bees', and the ‘a' like the ‘a' in ‘china'. The word is pronounced ‘DEE-ve' with the stress on the first syllable. It comes from the Latin ‘diva' meaning ‘goddess' or ‘divine', and it is usually used to refer to a distinguished woman singer. Initially, it was only used with those who sang in operas, but nowadays it is used with lady performers who sing any form of popular music — jazz, rock, pop, etc.
*The well-known pop diva, Madonna, will be performing at the show.
The word is also being used to refer to a woman celebrity who thinks no end of herself, and is therefore very difficult to please.
*I'd be careful if I were you. She has the reputation of being a bit of a diva.

A collection from the Open Page Supplement of The Hindu Newspaper 
Courtesy: Sri Upendra, the writer of the above