Relax, Refresh your English knowledge 138
577. When somebody says `Sorry', we usually respond by saying `Never mind'. Are there any other alternatives?
Yes, there are. It's very common to hear people say, `It's all right', `It's OK', `No problem', `No big deal', and `Don't worry about it'. These are just a few of the alternatives. "Always go to other people's funerals. Otherwise they won't come to yours." — Yogi Berra
578. What is the difference between `extempore' and `impromptu'?
Most people use the two words interchangeably to mean `spontaneously'. Careful users of the language, however, maintain a distinction between the two. The word `extempore' is normally associated with public speaking. When you give a speech extempore, you give it with no notes. There is no memorisation involved either. You stand before the audience and talk, but this doesn't mean that you haven't given the subject matter any thought. You may have been given your topic a month in advance, and you come so well prepared that you choose to speak without notes. The word `impromptu' is normally used with musical performances. In this case, the performer does not play a piece that he has rehearsed; instead, he creates the music as he goes along. When the word is used in relation to public speaking, it suggests that there is no planning or premeditation involved. An impromptu speech is one when you are asked to speak all of a sudden, without any prior warning. In this case, you have little or no time to prepare; you make up your speech as you go along. Many people do not maintain this subtle distinction between the two words nowadays.
579. What is the meaning of `sexing up a document'?
Though this expression has been around for some time, it became popular when Dr. Kelly accused the Blair Government of having "sexed up" its report on Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction. When you `sex up' a document you make changes in it so that the content is much more interesting or exciting to read. In other words, things are hyped up or spiced up. The expression has a negative connotation. * My boss wants me to sex up the document for the media.
A collection from the Open Page Supplement of The Hindu Newspaper
Courtesy: Sri Upendra, the writer of the above
Courtesy: Sri Upendra, the writer of the above
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