Relax, Refresh your English knowledge 106
480. What is the difference between "hoard" and "horde"?
Both words are pronounced the same way. They rhyme with "board", "ford", and "sword". "Hoard" is normally used to describe the accumulation of something for future use. When you hoard something, you generally store it as a precautionary measure. The thing that is hoarded could be money, food, etc. The important thing to remember about hoarding is that it is done in secret. Not many people are aware of the fact that you are putting something away. The use of "hoard" shows disapproval; it often suggests miserliness. The word comes from the Old English "hord" meaning "a secret store". A person who hoards is called a hoarder.
*Merchants who were caught hoarding rice were sent to prison. *The police found the miser's hoard and distributed it among the poor. In informal contexts, the word "hoards" can be used to mean "a very large amount." *We have hoards of time to complete the project. The word "horde" was first used to refer to nomads — i.e., wandering tribes. Gypsies, for instance, were referred to as hordes. Nowadays, the word is used to talk about any disorganised crowd. *Hordes of football hooligans walked into the club singing loudly. *I didn't enjoy my vacation. There were hordes of people camped around the lake. According to some scholars the word comes from the Turkish "ordu" meaning "camp". They maintain that it is from this Turkish word that we get "Urudu".
481. What is the meaning and origin of "Barkis is willing"?
The expression first appeared in Charles Dickens' well-known classic "David Copperfield". Barkis is the name of one the characters in the novel. He keeps sending a message through David to Clara Peggotty, the maid of David's mother. The message that David is to give Clara is "Barkis is willing". In other words, Barkis is willing to marry Clara. The expression is used nowadays to indicate one's willingness or readiness to do something
482. What does "bells and whistles" mean?
Many people when they go shopping for a computer look for a model that contains the essential features. There are others, however, who are interested in the little extras. They want to have a model which contains many fancy features; add-ons which are good to look at, but which serve very little purpose. These rather attractive but inessential features that you buy along with a gadget are called "bells and whistles". *You don't need the bells and whistles. They will double the cost. *Ramesh likes to buy gadgets with all the bells and whistles
A collection from the Open Page Supplement of The Hindu Newspaper
Courtesy: Sri Upendra, the writer of the above
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