Relax, Refresh your English knowledge 148
612. What is the meaning of `chatterati'?
`Chatterati' is a combination of `chatter' and `literati'. The word `literati', as you probably know, refers to the educated people who take a great interest in literature. `Chatterati' is a term used by journalists to refer to people (columnists, talk show hosts, self-proclaimed pundits, etc) who love letting the world know what their opinion on something is — it doesn't really matter to these people whether or not they know anything about the subject being discussed! Needless to say, the word is used to show disapproval. *What does the chatterati have to say about the new policy? "Asking a working writer what he thinks about critics is like asking a lamppost how it feels about dogs." — Christopher Hampton
613. What is the meaning and origin of the expression `to curry favour'?
When you `curry favour with someone' you try to gain a person's approval by making use of flattery. You attempt to win the individual's support by talking to him rather politely, very often resorting to insincere praise. The expression is normally used to show disapproval. *Prakash is trying to curry favour with his uncle again. The `curry' in the expression has nothing to do with the curry we eat. This curry comes from the world of horse riding. People who take care of horses make use of a `curry-comb' to rub the animal down. It is from this, that we get the expression `to curry', meaning `to groom a horse'. In other words, the verb `to curry' means to rub down a horse. The word `favour' in the idiom has got nothing to do with the favour we know. It is, in fact, a corruption of the French name `Favel' (also spelt `Fauvel'). Favel is the name of a cunning centaur that appears in a French story written in the 14th century. A `centaur', as you probably know, is an animal that is half man and half horse. In the story, people who wanted to be on the good side of the evil Favel, used to flatter him and also rub him down. In other words, the characters in the story used to `curry Favel'. In fact, the original expression was `to curry favel'. Since `favel' sounded like `favour', native speakers of English started saying, `to curry favour'.
614. Which is correct? `Enter a room' or `Enter into a room'?
When you walk into a room, you `enter' it. You do not `enter into' it. You normally `enter' a room, building or country.
*As usual, Chandru entered the room with a smile on his face. *The student wasn't allowed to enter the country without a valid visa. `Enter into' is normally used in relation to `conversation', `agreement', `discussion', etc. This is just one of the ways of using the expression. *After three days of fighting, the two companies entered into an agreement. *I hope to enter into a discussion with the leaders of the strike.
A collection from the Open Page Supplement of The Hindu Newspaper
Courtesy: Sri Upendra, the writer of the above
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