Relax, Refresh your English knowledge 139
580. How is the word `disparage' pronounced?
The `i' in the first syllable and the `a' in the final syllable are like the `i' in `his', `miss', and `fish'; the following `a' is like the `a' in `act', `pact', and `fact'. The final `ge' is like the `j' in `jam', `juice', and `jute'. The main stress is on the second syllable. When you `disparage' someone, you ridicule him; you speak of the individual in a manner that makes it plain to the listener that you don't think very highly of him. The word is mostly used in formal contexts. * I would like to submit my resignation now. I have no wish to be disparaged by the Board. * Please refrain from making disparaging comments about my favourite teacher.
581. Some men grow their hair long in order to cover their bald spots. Is there a word for this?
Yes, there is — `combover'. It's called a combover because what these men usually do is to allow the hair on one side of their head to grow long and then they proceed to comb it over the top of their head to hide their baldness. The billionaire Donald Trump, the man you see in the series "The Apprentice", has a combover.
582. What is the meaning of `stay the course'?
When President Bush talks about the situation in Iraq, one of the sentences that he repeats very often is, "We must stay the course". When you stay the course, you continue to do what you have been doing all along. No matter how difficult or time consuming the task may be, you keep at it till you complete it. You stand firm in pursuing your goal. So what the American President is saying that the U.S. must stay in Iraq till there is some semblance of peace in the country. *Listen Rajesh! Giving up smoking is not going to be easy. You must stay the course. *The diet my wife has put me on is killing me. But I need to lose weight. So I have decided to stay the course. According to some scholars, the `course' refers to the racetrack. In this case, it's the horse that stands firm to reach the finish line — hopefully in a winning position! "How can he already have a headache? I just got here!" — Dennis the Menace
A collection from the Open Page Supplement of The Hindu Newspaper
Courtesy: Sri Upendra, the writer of the above
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