Relax, Refresh your English knowledge 120
523. What is the meaning and origin of "wool-gathering"?
When someone says that you have been wool-gathering, what he means is that you haven't been concentrating on your work; you have been daydreaming. *The professor's talk was really boring. I found myself wool-gathering. *Divya, your exams start the day after tomorrow. Stop wool-gathering. This is an expression that has been around for several centuries. As for its origin, it comes from the world of sheep farming. In the old days, when farmers allowed their sheep to graze, they always sent a couple of women or children along with the animals. When sheep grazed, sometimes tufts of wool got caught in the bushes and on the branches of trees. It was the job of the women/children to gather the wool and hand it over to the farmer. The original `wool gatherers' were actually gathering wool! Since the job of wool gathering didn't require much concentration, it was possible for the individual to let his mind wander — in other words, he could afford to daydream! Hence, the activity of `wool-gathering' became associated with daydreaming!
524. What is the difference between "impel" and "compel"?
When you compel someone to do something, you force him to do it. The individual has no choice about the matter. Whether he likes it or not, he has to do it. *Ravindran's parents compelled him to take English literature. *The children were compelled to return by five o'clock. When you are "impelled" to do something, you feel that you have to do it. In this case, the desire to take action comes from within. No one is forcing you to do it. *The detective felt impelled to investigate further. *Looking at him, I felt impelled to offer him more money.
525. What is the meaning of "reminisce"? How is the word pronounced?
The "e" in the first syllable sounds like the "e" in "set", "bet" and "met". The "i" in the second and third syllable is pronounced like the "i" in "hit", "sit", and "knit". The final "sce" is like the "s" in "sit", "sip", and "sat", and the main stress is on the third syllable. When you reminisce you dwell on your past; your focus is on the good times you had. You talk or write about them with great pleasure. The word is generally used in formal contexts. *When the two friends met, they reminisced about their college days.
*Sarita says that she doesn't like to reminisce because it makes her feel old
A collection from the Open Page Supplement of The Hindu Newspaper
Courtesy: Sri Upendra, the writer of the above
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