Relax, Refresh your English knowledge 69
336. Is it okay to say, ‘He was sworn in President’?
No, it is not. You can either say, ‘He was sworn in’ or ‘He was sworn in as President.’ You cannot say, ‘He was sworn in President’. Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. My friend will be sworn in tomorrow evening.
337. What is the meaning and origin of ‘fly off the handle’?
This expression of American origin is normally used in relation to a person. When you say that someone flew off the handle, you mean he lost his temper. He became extremely angry about something you said or did, and started shouting. Another informal expression which has the same meaning is, ‘to go ballistic’. Our coach flies off the handle every time someone makes a mistake. The CEO flew off the handle when he heard that the workers were going on strike.
During the old days, axes were made by hand; sometimes, the axe head and the wooden handle were crudely fitted together. When people were cutting trees, it was quite common for the axe head to come loose and fly off its handle. The flying axe head used to cause a great deal of commotion among those working nearby. They let off steam by shouting at the person using the axe, or by cursing the implement itself.
338. What is the meaning of ‘neophyte’?
First, let’s deal with the pronunciation of this word. The ‘ne’ is pronounced like the word ‘knee’, and the following ‘o’ is like the ‘o’ in ‘so’, ‘go’, and ‘no’. The final syllable is pronounced is like the word ‘fight’. The word is pronounced ‘KNEE-ofight’ with the stress on the first syllable. This is just one way of pronouncing the word. Neophyte comes from ‘neo’ meaning ‘new’ and ‘phytos’ meaning ‘planted’. A beginner or someone who is new to something is usually referred to as a neophyte. The word can also be used to refer to a newly ordained priest or someone who has recently converted. Sahana has been taking sitar lessons for over five years. She’s not a neophyte. I need someone with experience. Radha is a neophyte at politics. *** “If you die in an elevator, be sure to push the Up button.” — Sam Levenson
339. What is the meaning of the expression ‘to lose face’?
When you say that someone has ‘lost face’, you mean that the individual has lost some of the respect that others had for him. Something that the person said or did has made those around him stop respecting him. When you lose face, you are usually publicly humiliated. The pilots didn’t want to call off the strike because they were afraid to lose face. The idiom ‘lose face’ is actually a translation of the Chinese expression ‘tiu lien’ meaning ‘lose face’.
340. How is the word ‘fecund’ pronounced?
There are several ways of pronouncing this word. The ‘e’ can be pronounced like the ‘ee’ in ‘fees’, ‘bees’ and ‘cheese’ or like the ‘e’ in ‘bet’, ‘set’, and ‘get’. The ‘c’ is like the ‘k’ in ‘kit’, ‘kiss’ and ‘kind’, and the following ‘u’ like the ‘a’ in ‘china’.
The word can be pronounced FEE-kend or FE-kend with the stress on the first syllable. ‘Fecund’ comes from the Latin ‘fecundus’ meaning, ‘fertile’ or ‘fruitful’. The word, which is mostly used in formal contexts, can be used with human beings, animals and plants. The fecund soil enabled them to grow crops throughout the year. If we don’t control these fecund animals, they will overrun the vegetation. When you say that someone has a ‘fecund imagination’, you mean that the individual has a vivid imagination. Ram’s fecund imagination enabled him to write four wonderful books.
A collection from the Open Page Supplement of The Hindu Newspaper
Courtesy: Sri Upendra, the writer of the above
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