111. How is the expression ‘higgledy piggledy' pronounced?
‘Higgle' and ‘piggle' rhyme with the words ‘giggle' and ‘jiggle', and the final ‘y' in both cases is pronounced like the ‘i' in ‘bit', ‘sit', and ‘kit'. The word is pronounced ‘higl-di PIGL-di' with the main stress on ‘pig'. When you say that things are higgledy-piggledy, you mean that everything is in a state of disorder; things are mixed up and rather untidy.
Some scholars believe that the expression comes from the messy state that a pig sty is usually in.
*Rajeevan's clothes and files were strewn on the floor higgledy-piggledy.
*The higgledy-piggledy row of houses by the roadside was an eyesore.
112. Is there a difference in meaning between ‘I haven't had problems with the students so far' and ‘till now'?
Yes, there is a difference in meaning. The first sentence suggests that the students have not given you any trouble at all. You maintain a good relationship with them. When you say that you haven't had a problem with the students till now, it seems to imply that you have a problem with them now. The students are giving you trouble for the first time.
*We've lived here for 25 years. We've haven't had water problems so far.
*Jyothi has never been late for an appointment till now.
113. What is the meaning of ‘Cassandra'?
Cassandra was a Trojan princess; she was the sister of Paris, the man who fell in love with the beautiful Helen. According to Greek mythology, Apollo falls in love with Cassandra, and as a token of his love gives her the gift of seeing into the future. Unfortunately for Apollo, Cassandra has no interest in him; so the angry god puts a curse on her. Although she will be able to see into the future, no one will believe whatever predictions she makes. So much so, when Cassandra predicts Helen's arrival will bring about the destruction of Troy, no one believes her. When she pleads with Priam, the King of Troy, not to drag the giant wooden horse left behind by the Greeks, into the city of Troy, he ignores her warning. Nowadays, the name is used in everyday contexts to mean someone whose constant warnings go unheeded.
114. How is the word ‘apartheid' pronounced?
There seem to be different ways of pronouncing this word. One way is to pronounce the first ‘a' like the ‘a' in ‘china'. The second syllable rhymes with the words ‘far', ‘bar', and ‘car', while the ‘theid' that follows sounds like the word ‘tight'. It can be pronounced ‘e-PAR-tight' with the stress on the second syllable. The word comes from Afrikaans, and means ‘separateness' or ‘apartness'; it refers to the racial segregation that was practised in South Africa till 1992. ‘Coloured people' and the whites were kept separated; members from the two groups were not allowed to fraternise. Only people of European descent had political rights, the ‘non-whites' did not have any. Nowadays, the word is frequently used to refer to blatant discrimination of any kind – not necessarily racial. People talk about ‘gender apartheid', ‘cultural apartheid' and ‘sexual apartheid'.
115. What is the difference between ‘departed' and ‘dead'?
Both words can be used to refer to someone who is no longer alive. Of the two, ‘dead' is the more general term, and it can be used with people, animals and things. In the movie ‘Sixth Sense', the little boy had the ability to see dead people. A dead rat behind the fridge often creates a stink. When used with things, ‘dead' means something has stopped working. For example, a dead battery in a car means the vehicle won't start. The word ‘departed', on the other hand, is a rather formal word, and is only used with people. When you talk about ‘the departed', you are talking about people who are no more; people who are dead. The word also carries the suggestion that these individuals have gone to a better place.
*After the tragedy, several churches in the city held services for the departed.
A collection from the Open Page Supplement of The Hindu Newspaper
Courtesy: Sri Upendra, the writer of the above
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