Relax, Refresh your English knowledge 132
559. What is the difference between "He died" and "He was killed"?
Both refer to the fact that the individual has stopped living. It's the manner in which this event happened that differentiates the meaning of the two words. `Killed' suggests that the death was not due to natural causes. For example, when you say, `The minister was killed in her sleep', it suggests the person was murdered while she was asleep. Someone did something that resulted in the minister's death - maybe the person stabbed/shot/smothered the minister while she was sleeping. `Kill' suggests that the death was caused by some external agency — it was not natural. When you say that someone `died', what you are implying is that the individual's death was due to natural causes - there was no hanky-panky involved. No one was the cause of his/her death. `Died' is not as strong as `killed'.
560. How is the word `nincompoop' pronounced?
The `in' in the first syllable is like the `ing' in `ring', `sing', and `bring'; the following `o' is like the `a' in `china'. The `oo' in the final syllable is pronounced like the `oo' in `cool', `pool', and `fool', and the stress is on the first syllable. The word is mostly used in informal contexts to refer to a foolish person. Some scholars think that the word comes from the Latin `non compos mentis' meaning `not of sound mind'. *Who is the nincompoop who forgot to put the butter back in the fridge? *Tell that nincompoop that I want three and not two plates of dosas. S. Upendran
561. What is the meaning of the word `schmuck'?
First, let's deal with the pronunciation. The `sch' is like the `sh' in `she', `sheep' and `ship', and the `muck' rhymes with `luck', `duck', and `suck'. This slang word is of Yiddish rigin and is used to refer to a man who arouses disgust in you; you find this individual repulsive. This is just one of the meanings of the word. It's a rude term of address, and therefore you should use this word with caution. *I can't believe that she is going to marry a schmuck like him. *Who is the schmuck standing there in pink pants?
A collection from the Open Page Supplement of The Hindu Newspaper
Courtesy: Sri Upendra, the writer of the above
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