Relax, Refresh your English knowledge 95
447. "Hey, where are you off to so early in the morning?" "To the station. Have to pick up my uncle Balu." "I remember your uncle Balu! Isn't he extremely tall and good looking?" "He is tall, but the rest of him has gone to seed, I am afraid." "You make your uncle sound like a plant. What does `gone to seed' mean?"
448. "When you say that someone has gone to seed, what you mean is that they are not as good looking or as healthy as they once were. For example, most actors go to seed once they quit the film industry." "That's true. I ran into my former physics teacher the other day. He seems to have gone to seed." "Sounds good. It is also possible to say, `run to seed'. My neighbour is running to seed." "Is it OK to use this expression with things as well?" "Yes, it is. According to some of my friends, the economy has gone to seed." "My friend has a farmhouse. When he bought it, it was great. But now it's gone to seed." "Unfortunately my uncle's old farmhouse is running to seed as well." "That's too bad. Tell me, why is your uncle coming to see you?" "He's planning to start a new business, and he's looking for some seed money." "Why would a man running to seed ask for seed money?" "That's a good one! Seed money is money that you give someone to help them start a business or a project. My friend was willing to give me 20 lakhs as seed money." "I don't believe you. No one in his right mind would give you seed money. You are incapable of starting your own business." "That's true. Even if I did start one, it would probably run to seed pretty quickly." "I am sorry to hear that your uncle isn't doing well. The man is so energetic and so full... ." "... .yes, he is a real go-getter all right. At least he was." "Haven't a clue what you are talking about." "When you refer to someone as a `go-getter' what you mean is that the individual is very energetic. He is full of confidence and has the will to succeed. For example, my cousin Kunthala is a real gogetter. I wouldn't be too surprised if she becomes a General Manager very soon." "The only way to turn this company around is to replace the dead wood with some young gogetters." "If my uncle heard you say that, he would go ballistic." "When you `go ballistic' you become very angry, don't you?"
"That's right! When you go ballistic, you lose your cool easily. You become extremely angry about something. For example, when Raju heard that Ganesh was not ready with the report, he went ballistic." "There are times when Amrit goes ballistic for no reason at all."
449. "Everyone was shocked when Saurabh went ballistic during the meeting." "Saurabh went ballistic! That must have been a sight to behold. But tell me, why would your uncle go ballistic if I said that we must replace the dead wood with go-getters?" "It's simple. According to him, it was the go-getters who ran the company to seed." "I see. So, are you going to give your uncle seed money?" "I don't think so. If I did, my parents would go ballistic!" ***** ***** ***** "She tells enough white lies to ice a wedding cake." — Margot Asquith
449. "Everyone was shocked when Saurabh went ballistic during the meeting." "Saurabh went ballistic! That must have been a sight to behold. But tell me, why would your uncle go ballistic if I said that we must replace the dead wood with go-getters?" "It's simple. According to him, it was the go-getters who ran the company to seed." "I see. So, are you going to give your uncle seed money?" "I don't think so. If I did, my parents would go ballistic!" ***** ***** ***** "She tells enough white lies to ice a wedding cake." — Margot Asquith
450. What is the difference between "sentimental" and "emotional"?
Both words have more to do with "feelings" than "reason". In both cases, the individual's heart rules his head. When you respond to a situation "emotionally", you do what your feelings tell you to do. You don't really think things through. In most cases, it is a knee-jerk reaction. When someone advises you and you react emotionally, you can either shout at the individual or you can begin to cry. *The chairman became emotional and accused the accountant of fraud. A sentimental person is easily affected by emotions like sadness, love, etc. Unlike an emotional individual, a sentimental one does not express himself loudly or strongly. The feelings that he expresses are much more tender and somewhat exaggerated. Sentimental often carries with it the sense that the feelings expressed are not genuine. Unlike "emotional", "sentimental" has a negative connotation. *Latha is very sentimental. She cried when she heard that the school dog was missing.
A collection from the Open Page Supplement of The Hindu Newspaper
Courtesy: Sri Upendra, the writer of the above
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