Relax, Refresh your English knowledge 124
535. How is the word "puerile" pronounced
The first syllable is pronounced like the word "pure" and the second rhymes with the words "file", "pile" and "mile". The main stress is on the first syllable. The word has a negative connotation. If you refer to someone as being "puerile", you mean that the individual is being silly or childish. The word can also be used to talk about an individual's action. *The newspapers said that the plot of the new movie was puerile. *The participants didn't laugh at my joke. They said it was puerile.
536. What is the meaning of "Big Apple"?
The term "Big Apple" has been used to refer to the city of New York since the 1920s. There are many theories as to how the city got this name. Here is one. It is believed that African American stable boys working in the racetracks of New Orleans were the first to refer to New York as "Big Apple". Many of the important horse races were held in New York and it was the dream of most jockeys and boys working in stables to get there. If you managed to make it to New York city, you had arrived; you had made it "big". A sports reporter, John Fitzgerald, liked the term so much that he called his popular racing column, "Around the Big Apple". In his introduction to the column on 18 February, 1924, he wrote, "The Big Apple. The dream of every lad that ever threw a leg over a thoroughbred and the goal of all horsemen. There's only one Big Apple. That's New York."
537. Is it okay to say, "Sandhya always prefers to pay by cash"?
Whenever you buy something, you usually pay "in cash" and not "by cash". For example, *Since Mala paid in cash, she got a big discount. *Sorry, we don't accept cheques. You need to pay in cash. It is also possible to say, "to pay cash". *Since Mala paid cash, she got a big discount. The expression "pay by" is normally used with credit cards and cheques. *If you don't mind, I'd prefer that you pay by credit card. *Sorry, you can't pay by cheque. You'll have to pay cash. "I don't worry about terrorism. I was married for two years." — Sam Kinison
A collection from the Open Page Supplement of The Hindu Newspaper
Courtesy: Sri Upendra, the writer of the above
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