Relax, Refresh your English knowledge 62
301. What is the meaning of ‘pastiche’?
First, let’s deal with the pronunciation of this word of French origin. The ‘a’ is like the ‘a’ in ‘ant’, and ‘stamp’; the following ‘i’ is like the ‘ee’ in ‘seed’, and ‘deed’. The final ‘che’ sounds like the ‘sh’ in ‘ship’, and ‘shoe’. The word is pronounced ‘pas-TEESH’ with the stress on the second syllable. The word has different meanings. One meaning is to imitate. When a writer or a musician deliberately chooses to imitate the style of a particular author/musician, it is called a pastiche. In this case, the artist is borrowing elements from another source; sometimes, the borrowing may be from several different sources. *The play was a witty pastiche of Shakespeare’s Othello. The audience loved it.
302. What is the meaning of ‘grossed out’?
When you say that something is ‘gross’, what you mean is that it is disgusting: it could be the smell, the looks, the taste, etc. The medicine that my mother gave me was gross. The expression ‘gross out’ is mostly used in American English to mean ‘to fill someone with disgust’. It is considered to be slang, and therefore should be avoided in formal contexts. *The murder scenes in the movie were very graphic. They grossed me out. The ‘o’ in ‘gross’ is pronounced like the ‘o’ in ‘so’, ‘no’, and ‘go’. The main stress is on the word ‘out’.
303. Does the expression ‘hand-me-up’ exist?
Believe it or not, it does. People who have older brothers or sisters will certainly know what ‘hand-me-downs’ are. They are usually clothes which the older child has outgrown, and which the parents give to the next in line. If the clothes are still in good condition, they get handed down to the unfortunate third child. Sometimes, a child grows up wearing hand-me-downs! A ‘hand-me-up’ is the opposite of ‘hand-me-down’. In this case, it is the younger generation which passes things on to the older generation: parents, grandparents, etc. Young people today are very fond of gadgets: computers, IPods, and cell phones are some of the things they must have. They cannot survive without them. Once a particular model becomes outdated, some people immediately go to the market and buy the latest version. What do the youngsters do with the old gadget? Many choose to hand it over to their less tech savvy parents or grandparents. This handing over of used gadgets to the older generation is called ‘hand-me-up’. *I got this laptop from my daughter. It’s a hand-me-up.
304. What is the difference between ‘man of promise’ and ‘man of promises’?
A politician is a man of promises; he’s not to be believed or trusted. Before an election, he promises you a lot of things. You know from experience that it’s all talk; he’s not going to fulfil any of them. In fact, once he gets elected, he’s going to forget all about them. *Why do you waste your time with him? He’s a man of promises. A man of promise is someone with the potential of becoming good at something; he’s a person with a bright future. *Keep an eye on Raman. He’s a young man of promise. ****** “Telling lies is a fault in a boy, an art in a lover, an accomplishment in a bachelor, and second-nature in a married man.” — Helen Rowland
305. What is the difference between ‘take part’ and ‘partake’?
The word ‘partake’ which comes from the Middle English ‘part taking’ has several different meanings; one of them is ‘take part in’. When you ‘partake in’ something, you are taking part in it. You are participating in some activity along with others. The word ‘partake’ is not frequently heard in everyday conversation as it is considered to be rather formal. Some people say that it is old fashioned. The word is pronounced ‘par-TAKE’ with the stress on the second syllable. *Sujatha and Ramesh refused to partake in the games we had planned. When people ‘partake of’ something, they share their food or drink with their friends or guests. *We were invited to partake of their simple meal.
A collection from the Open Page Supplement of The Hindu Newspaper
Courtesy: Sri Upendra, the writer of the above
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