Relax, Refresh your English knowledge 157
How is the word `naïve' pronounced?
The word consists of two syllables. The `a' is pronounced like the `uy' in `guy' and `buy'; the `i' that follows sounds like the `ee' in `fees', `bees', and `sees'. The final `e' is silent, and the stress is on the second syllable `iv'. This is just one of the ways of pronouncing the word. When you say that someone is `naïve', what you mean is that the person is very trusting. He is very inexperienced, and as a result, he doesn't know very much about the ways of the world. He willingly believes everything that people tell him. *Jai is naïve enough to believe that politicians are really interested in helping people. What is the difference between `hat' and `cap'? Both are used to cover the head of an individual. Caps usually fit tightly around the head, and they don't have a brim — a flat edge that goes all around a hat. A cap is usually made of soft material, and is equipped with a visor in the front. Hats, on the other hand, are grander than caps. They vary in shape and are usually worn on formal occasions; caps are never worn to official functions such as state dinners. Both men and women have been wearing hats for a long time. In fact, a couple of centuries ago, a married woman had to wear a hat when she went out — this was to let people know that she was married. Single women, on the other hand, were allowed to go hatless.
How is the word `naïve' pronounced?
The word consists of two syllables. The `a' is pronounced like the `uy' in `guy' and `buy'; the `i' that follows sounds like the `ee' in `fees', `bees', and `sees'. The final `e' is silent, and the stress is on the second syllable `iv'. This is just one of the ways of pronouncing the word. When you say that someone is `naïve', what you mean is that the person is very trusting. He is very inexperienced, and as a result, he doesn't know very much about the ways of the world. He willingly believes everything that people tell him. *Jai is naïve enough to believe that politicians are really interested in helping people. What is the difference between `hat' and `cap'? Both are used to cover the head of an individual. Caps usually fit tightly around the head, and they don't have a brim — a flat edge that goes all around a hat. A cap is usually made of soft material, and is equipped with a visor in the front. Hats, on the other hand, are grander than caps. They vary in shape and are usually worn on formal occasions; caps are never worn to official functions such as state dinners. Both men and women have been wearing hats for a long time. In fact, a couple of centuries ago, a married woman had to wear a hat when she went out — this was to let people know that she was married. Single women, on the other hand, were allowed to go hatless.
What is the difference between `hat' and `cap'?
Both are used to cover the head of an individual. Caps usually fit tightly around the head, and they don't have a brim — a flat edge that goes all around a hat. A cap is usually made of soft material, and is equipped with a visor in the front. Hats, on the other hand, are grander than caps. They vary in shape and are usually worn on formal occasions; caps are never worn to official functions such as state dinners. Both men and women have been wearing hats for a long time. In fact, a couple of centuries ago, a married woman had to wear a hat when she went out — this was to let people know that she was married. Single women, on the other hand, were allowed to go hatless.
What is the meaning of `out of kilter'?
The expression, mostly used in British English, has several different meanings. When you say that a machine is out of kilter, what you mean is that it is not in proper working order. It is malfunctioning. *Our TV has been out of kilter for the past two weeks. Other expressions which have more or less the same meaning are `on the blink' and `out of whack'.
*Our old tape recorders are out of whack. They need to be replaced. When you say that someone's opinion is `out of kilter', what you mean is that it is different from those of others. *The president's views were out of kilter with public opinion. As for the origin, well, no one is really sure where the expression comes from.
A collection from the Open Page Supplement of The Hindu Newspaper
Courtesy: Sri Upendra, the writer of the above
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