Relax, Refresh your English knowledge 129
550. What is the meaning and origin of `keep your powder dry'?
The powder in the idiom refers to gunpowder and not talcum powder — not the `gunpowder' that we eat with our idlis either! This is the real thing. In the old days, gunpowder and a steel ball had to be pushed down the barrel of a gun, before it could be fired. The powder had to remain dry for the gun to fire. If it got wet, the gun couldn't be fired. People carrying guns took precautions to keep the powder dry. When you tell someone to keep his powder dry, you are asking him to remain calm and be ready for action. Sir Oliver Cromwell is believed to have coined this expression. Before crossing a river to attack his enemy, he told his troops: "Put your trust in God, but be sure to keep your powder dry." *The soldiers were asked to keep their powder dry and await orders. *Don't panic, you understand? All I am asking you to do is to keep your powder dry.
551. What is the difference between `traveller' and `passenger'?
A traveller is someone who goes from one place to another. This could be from one city to another or from one country to another. An individual moving about the city in which he lives cannot be called a traveller. A traveller can get from one place to another by different means — an aeroplane, a ship, a car, a bullock cart, a horse, etc. The traveller may even choose to walk from one place to another all alone; after all, that's how a lot of people travelled in the old days. A passenger, on the other hand, is someone who is never alone; he always travels in the company of others. Furthermore, a passenger never walks; he is always in something that is manmade — car, plane, train, ship, cart, etc. Two people sitting on a horse cannot be called passengers; they are both riders. But two people sitting in a coach being pulled by horses can be called `passengers'. When you say that someone is the passenger, what it implies is that the individual is not the driver. You can be a passenger in your hometown.
552. An unmarried man is called a `bachelor'. What is an unmarried woman called?
A woman who is young and still single is called a `bachelorette'. In fact, there was a reality show in the United States by that name. You will not find this word in most dictionaries. The word `spinster' is used to refer to a middle aged or an old woman who has never married. Unlike `spinster', `bachelorette' does not have a negative connotation.
A collection from the Open Page Supplement of The Hindu Newspaper
Courtesy: Sri Upendra, the writer of the above
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