Relax, Refresh your English knowledge 78
379. What is the meaning of `scuttlebutt'?
This is a word which comes from the world of sailing. `Butt' means `barrel' or `cask', and `scuttle' refers to the hatch on the deck of a ship. A`scuttlebutt' was actually a barrel containing the day's supply of drinking water for the ship's crew. Since this barrel (butt) of water was placed near the hatch (scuttle), the container began to be called `scuttlebutt'. What do you think happened when the members of the crew got together to drink water? The same thing that happens today when colleagues in an office gather around the water cooler or the coffee machine. They gossiped! The sailors drank water, and gossiped about what was happening on the ship. In informal contexts, the expression `scuttlebutt' is used to mean `rumour' or `gossip'. Have you heard the latest scuttlebutt about my new neighbour? I don't pay too much attention to the scuttlebutt around here.
380. How is the word `sycophancy' pronounced?
There are several ways of pronouncing the word. One simple way is to pronounce the `syc' like the word `sick'. The following `o' and `a' sound like the `a' in `china', and the final `y' is like the `i' in `bit', `sit', and `kit'. The word is pronounced SICK-e-fen-si with the stress on the first syllable. A `sycophant' is someone who flatters others in order to get something from them. He is a like a parasite: he hangs on to people in power for personal gain. At the party, the wellknown cricket player was surrounded by sycophants. Please, we do not want any of your sycophancy here.
381. What is the meaning and origin of `set the ball rolling'?
According to some scholars, the idiom comes from the world of football: the game starts when the ball is set rolling. When you set the ball rolling, you do something which starts an activity. You make a beginning. It is also possible to say, `get the ball rolling' and `start the ball rolling'. Ajit set the ball rolling by putting up posters in the nearby supermarkets. You can get the ball rolling by talking to your classmates.
382. What is the difference between `revue' and `review'?
Don't let the spelling fool you. `Revue' is pronounced the same way as `review'; both words have the stress on the second syllable. Their meanings, however, are very different. A `revue' is a form of theatrical entertainment. It is not a full length play; it is a multi-act form of entertainment, which usually includes songs, dances, and short sketches. People enjoy going to revues because they are satirical in nature; they make fun of politicians, actors, writers and other public figures. This form of entertainment was very popular in the early decades of the 20th century. Ashok wants me to write a political revue for his theatre group. The word `review' has several different meanings, but I'll be dealing with only one here. When someone writes a review of a book or a film, for example, he gives his opinion of it. He tells us what he liked and didn't like about the film/book. The reviews that the film got weren't particularly good. My friend has been asked to write a review of my favourite author's latest book. * * * "Rogues are preferable to imbeciles because they sometimes take a rest." - Alexandre Dumas
A collection from the Open Page Supplement of The Hindu Newspaper
Courtesy: Sri Upendra, the writer of the above
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