Relax, Refresh your English knowledge 101
465. What is the meaning and origin of "to leave no stone unturned"?
When someone says that he will leave no stone unturned what he means is that he will do everything he can in order to achieve something. In other words, he will try every possible means to get the desired results. *The Chief Minister has said that he would leave no stone unturned to find the culprit. *Both countries claimed that they would leave no stone unturned to find peace. In 477 B. C, General Polycrates defeated General Mardonius in a battle. According to rumours, the Persian general, Mardonius had a lot of treasure hidden under his tent. But when Polycrates and his men searched the tent, they found nothing. The disappointed General went to an oracle in Delphi and told him his problem. The oracle instructed him to return to the place where the battle had been fought and to look under every stone for the treasure; he asked him to leave no stone unturned. Polycrates went back and searched under the stones, and sure enough he found the treasure. S. Upendran
466. Where did the word "hijack" come from?
Nowadays, this word is usually associated with airplanes. When you hijack a plane what you are doing is taking control of it and forcing it to go to a destination of your choice. In the process you make the passengers aboard the aircraft your hostage. It is not only planes that you can hijack, but also other vehicles — cars, trucks, boats and ships. "Hijack" has another meaning as well. It also means to steal goods from vehicles, especially from trucks. Did you know that the original hijacker was someone who stole from other criminals? He specialised in robbing bootleggers — people who sold illicit liquor. According to some scholars, the "hijacker" got his name from the command he gave the people he was about to rob. Apparently, he used to point his gun at his victim and say, "Stick them up high, Jack." In other words, he wanted his victim to raise his hands above his head. Since "Jack" is a very common name in the U.S., he called all his victims "Jack". From "high" and "Jack" we get "hijack".
467. What is the difference between "life assurance" and "life insurance"?
There is no difference; some companies call themselves "life insurance" companies, while others call themselves "life assurance" companies. They both do the same job. I understand that the term "Assurance Company" is mostly used in countries where English is not spoken as the first language — for example, in countries like Germany, Egypt, and the Philippines. There is, however, a difference in meaning between "assurance" and "insurance". One normally "assures" against something that will definitely happen — for example death. No matter how important we are, none of us can escape death. It is inevitable. You usually "insure" yourself against something that may or may not happen — for example, fire, burglary and flood. Not all of us will have our house destroyed in a fire accident. But some of us do buy "fire insurance" and "flood insurance".
A collection from the Open Page Supplement of The Hindu Newspaper
Courtesy: Sri Upendra, the writer of the above
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