Relax, Refresh your English knowledge 42
206. What is the meaning of the word ‘ilk'?
First, let's deal with the pronunciation of the word. It rhymes with ‘silk' and ‘milk'. ‘Ilk' comes from the Old English ‘ilca' meaning ‘same'; when you talk about someone's ilk, you are referring to the members of his family. The word, which is mostly used to show disapproval, can also be used to mean ‘type' or ‘sort'.
*Ram Mohan and his ilk were present at the wedding.
206. What is the meaning of the word ‘ilk'?
First, let's deal with the pronunciation of the word. It rhymes with ‘silk' and ‘milk'. ‘Ilk' comes from the Old English ‘ilca' meaning ‘same'; when you talk about someone's ilk, you are referring to the members of his family. The word, which is mostly used to show disapproval, can also be used to mean ‘type' or ‘sort'.
*Ram Mohan and his ilk were present at the wedding.
207. What is the meaning and origin of ‘knuckle under'?
When you knuckle under to someone, you end up doing whatever he wants you to. You willingly or unwillingly accept this individual's superiority over you, and do his bidding. His wish becomes your command.
*Like most men, Venkat knuckled under to his wife's demands.
As for the origin of this expression, people have different theories. I'll deal with only one here. When we think of the word ‘knuckle' nowadays, it is our hands that immediately come to mind. According to some scholars, the ‘knuckle' in the expression does not refer to the hands, but to one's knees. In the old days, this word was used to refer to the knee joint. Therefore, when a man ‘knuckled under', he fell to his knees — an act, usually seen as a sign of submission or defeat.
208. How is the word ‘chutzpah' pronounced?
The ‘ch' is like the ‘h' in ‘hat', ‘had' and ‘hiss', and the following ‘utz' rhymes with the ‘uts' in ‘puts'. The final ‘ah' sounds like the ‘a' in ‘china'. The word is pronounced ‘HUTS-pe' with the stress on the first syllable. Sometimes, the word is spelt ‘hutzpah'. The word is of Yiddish origin and is mostly used to show approval. When you say that someone has ‘chutzpah', you mean that the individual is extremely confident, sometimes, even arrogantly so. He is not afraid to do what he wants to; he is not afraid to speak his mind either — at times embarrassing all those around him.
*Rajeev had the chutzpah to tell his boss she was lying through her teeth.
209. What is the difference between ‘spokesperson' and ‘mouthpiece'?
In terms of function, there is no difference between the two. Both can be used to refer to an individual who speaks on behalf of the government, an organisation or a group of people. Whenever there is a political debate on television, we usually have a spokesperson from the various political parties making an appearance. ‘Spokesperson' is a neutral term; you are not making a value judgment.
Mouthpiece, on the other hand, is a loaded term; it is mainly used to show contempt. The word suggests that the individual merely parrots what the higher ups have said, and is incapable of any independent thinking. The function is the same, but which word is used is determined by how the individual is perceived. In India, many newspapers and TV channels are owned by politicians, and they do not provide unbiased news. They are nothing more than a mouthpiece for some political party.
210. What is the meaning of ‘friggatriskaidekaphobia'?
We know that ‘phobia' means ‘fear'. In Greek ‘tris' means ‘three', ‘kai' means ‘and', and ‘deka' means ‘ten'. If you add three and ten, you get ‘thirteen'! ‘Triskaidekaphobia' is the fear of the number 13. ‘Frigga' is the name of the old Scandinavian goddess after whom Friday is named. The word ‘friggatriskaidekaphobia' means the fear of Friday the 13th. Many people believe that bad things happen on this day.
A collection from the Open Page Supplement of The Hindu Newspaper
Courtesy: Sri Upendra, the writer of the above
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