“awry”

Pronunciation: The “a” in the first syllable is like the “a” in “about”, “amount” and “china”. The final “y” is like the “y” in “by”, “fly”, and “my”; the main stress is on the second syllable. The “w”, by the way, is silent.

When you say that something went “awry” what you are implying is that it didn’t go according to plan or along expected lines.

 Here are a few examples. * The students were upset because their carefully laid out plans went awry.* Divyashree was furious when she learned that her plans had gone awry. The word can also be used to indicate that something is not in its normal or proper position.

*The artist was upset when he found that his paintings had been hung awry.

 S. Upendran , The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, December 24, 2002 

“zero-sum game”

It is a situation where you have two people competing and when one of them wins something, the exact amount is lost by the other. In other words, when you gain, the other individual loses and when the other person gains, you lose. The important thing to remember is that the amount gained is equivalent to the amount lost.

 Here are a few examples. *The two companies are playing a zero-sum game, where both are competing for the same paltry resources. *Television has become a zero-sum game, with networks gaining audience only at each other’s expense.

S. Upendran , The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, December 24, 2002