Relax, Refresh your English knowledge 82
398. What is the meaning and origin of "ringside view"?
When you have a "ringside view" of an event, you have an excellent view of it. It is also possible to say "ringside seat". *Sheel was sitting on the terrace and had a ringside view of the accident. There are many idioms that come from the sport of boxing, and "ringside view" is one of them. The "ring" refers to a "boxing ring". If during a boxing bout you are lucky enough to have a seat close to the ring, you can see all the action very clearly. S. UPENDRAN
399. What is the difference between "sob" and "weep"?
In both cases, tears flow from the eyes. "Weep" is mostly used in writing, and is considered a literary word. When you say that someone is weeping, you are focussing on the tears, and not on the sounds that accompany it. Weeping is usually done silently, which is why you never talk about a baby weeping. Babies cry — a lot of noise accompanies the tears that flow from their eyes. One can weep for various reasons; we can weep with sorrow, and we can weep with joy. Sobbing is always done loudly; it is accompanied by a lot of noise. The heroines in our films sob a lot. Sobbing involves gasping for breath and this results in a lot of chest heaving. The word is usually associated with misery; unlike "weep", one cannot "sob" with joy. S. UPENDRAN
400. What is the meaning of "on the qui vive" ?
First, let's deal with the pronunciation. The first word "qui" is pronounced like the word "key", and the "i" in "vive" is like the "ee" in "fee", "bee" and "see". The final "e" is silent. The main stress is on the second word. I understand that soldiers in France who were on duty during the night used this expression. Whenever they saw a figure approaching or heard some noise, they used to shout "qui vive", meaning, "Who goes there?" or "Long live who?" The person approaching was expected to respond by saying, "vive le roi", meaning, "Long live the king". Since the sentinel on duty had to be alert, the expression "on the qui vive" is used to mean, "watchful" or "alert". *With the elections around the corner, the police have been asked to be on the qui vive. S. UPENDRAN
401. How is the word "scourge" pronounced?
The "sc" is like the "sk" in "skin", "skip", and "skill". The following "our" is pronounced like the "er" in "her", "nerd" and "herd". The "g" sounds like the "j" in "jam", "jazz" and "jump", and the final "e" is silent. A "scourge" is a whip normally used to flog people. The word can also be used to refer to a person or a thing. When you refer to an individual as a "scourge", what you mean is that he is someone who causes a lot of suffering for others — just like the whip! *The President wants to put an end to the scourge of terrorism. S. UPENDRAN
402. What is the meaning of "shimmy"?
Some people when they walk, shake their hips and shoulders side to side. This is what we mean by "shimmy"; it is a word that is normally associated with dancing. *As the singer shimmied across the stage, the audience went wild. In American English, the word is also used in informal contexts to mean, "vibrate or shake". *The front wheel of Velu's scooter shimmied. ***** "Law of Telephone: When you dial a wrong number, you will never get an engaged tone." — Unknown
A collection from the Open Page Supplement of The Hindu Newspaper
Courtesy: Sri Upendra, the writer of the above
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