Relax, Refresh your English knowledge 61
296. “Why is it strange?” “Because a couple of years ago, the two of you were joined at the hip.” “Joined at the hip? What are you talking about?” “When two people are joined at the hip, they are inseparable.” “Vijay and I were always together. Is that what you mean?” “Exactly! Ramesh and Karthik have been joined at the hip since college.” “The expression can also be used with things. The two companies have been joined at the hip ever since the first multinational company entered the market.” “I’d better go. An uncle of mine is coming over for lunch. I haven’t seen him in a month of Sundays.” “Have fun.” ****** “Many a man who falls in love with a dimple makes the mistake of marrying the whole girl.” — Evan Esar
297. How is the word ‘paean’ pronounced?
The first syllable rhymes with the words ‘bee’, ‘see’, and ‘fee’. The ‘ea’ in the second syllable sounds like the ‘a’ in ‘china’. The word is pronounced ‘PEE.en’ with the stress on the first syllable. A ‘paean’ was originally a song sung in honour of the Greek god Apollo. Nowadays, the word is being used to refer to any work — film, song, piece of writing, etc — which praises someone or something. The song is a paean to love and commitment.
298. What is the difference between ‘apoplexy’ and ‘apocalypse’?
First, let’s deal with the pronunciation of ‘apoplexy’. The ‘a’ sounds like the ‘a’ in ‘cat’, ‘bat’, and ‘hat’, and the following ‘o’ is like the ‘a’ in ‘china’. ‘Plex’ rhymes with ‘flex’, and the final ‘y’ is like the ‘i’ in ‘sit’ and ‘bit’. The word is pronounced ‘A-pe-plek-si’ with the stress on the first syllable. When someone has a fit of apoplexy, he becomes extremely angry. In a fit of apoplexy, the CEO threw the paperweight at the plasma TV.
The word can also be used to refer to a stroke caused by a brain haemorrhage. ‘Apoplexy’ comes from the Greek ‘apoplexia’ meaning ‘disable/cripple by a stroke’. The ‘a’ in the first and third syllable of ‘apocalypse’ sounds like the ‘a’ in ‘china’. The ‘o’ is pronounced like the ‘o’ in ‘hot’, ‘got’, and ‘pot’; and the final ‘lypse’ sounds like the word ‘lips’. The word is pronounced ‘e-PO-ke-lips’ with the stress on the second syllable. When you talk about ‘the Apocalypse’, you are talking about the total destruction of the world. Some people became rather uncomfortable when the priest talked about the Apocalypse. The word can also be used in everyday contexts to refer to an event which brings about destruction and radical change. The documentary was about what happens after a great nuclear apocalypse.
299. What is the meaning of ‘straw in the wind’?
What would happen if you were to leave a straw in the wind? It’ll probably get blown away; but in the process, it will tell you something. It will give you information about the direction in which the wind is blowing. When you say that something is a straw in the wind, what you mean is that it is a sign of things to come; a small hint of what is likely to happen in the future. *There are straws in the wind which suggest that the two companies will go belly up. *The constant bickering is a straw in the wind indicating future problems for the newly married couple.
300. What is the meaning of ‘medical tourism’?
It is the practice of visiting other countries for medical reasons. Visiting a doctor has become very expensive these days. People living in the so called ‘developed’ countries have a similar problem: some just cannot afford healthcare. When such people are advised to undergo a medical procedure, many choose to pack their bags and set off to a ‘developing’ country like India where they can get the procedure done for a fraction of the cost. These people who visit other countries for medical reasons are called ‘medical tourists’. “Falling in love consists merely in uncorking the imagination and bottling the common sense.” — Helen Rowland
A collection from the Open Page Supplement of The Hindu Newspaper
Courtesy: Sri Upendra, the writer of the above
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