“Rapprochement”

The vowel in the first syllable sounds like the “a” in “rat”, “bat”, and “sat”. The “o” in the second syllable and the final “e” are pronounced like the “o” in “hot”, “pot”, and “got. Some people pronounce the “o” like the “o” in “pole”, “sole”, and “hole”. The “ch” is like the “sh” in “ship”, “sheet”, and “shoot”. The following “e” is silent, while the final “nt” sounds like the “ng” in “sing”, “bring”, and “ring”. The main stress is on the second syllable “pro”.

Any idea what the word means? Rapprochement is a word that is normally used in formal contexts. It is used to indicate the establishment of a good relationship between two countries after they have been hostile towards each other for some time. The word can be used with groups of people as well.

 Here are a few examples. *The article argues that there are signs of rapprochement between the two parties. *There are no signs of rapprochement between the United States and Iraq.

S. Upendran , The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, Feb 04, 2003

Can the word “heart throb” be used with woman?

The dictionaries define a heart-throb as an actor or a singer who is very popular with women. The word is generally not used with women. Brad Pitt, for example, is usually referred to as a heart-throb. Actresses and female singers who are very popular with the opposite sex are usually called “sweethearts”. Julia Roberts, for example, is always referred to as “America’s sweetheart” by the popular media. The word “sweetheart” can be used with men as well.

S. Upendran , The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, Feb 04, 2003

“to pour oil on troubled waters”

When you pour oil on troubled waters or water what you are doing is calming things down. You are bringing about an end to a quarrel by making use of diplomacy. You are getting people’s temper under control.

Here are a few examples. *We need Anand. He is the kind of person who will pour oil on troubled waters.*That wasn’t a nice thing to say to Bharath. It certainly didn’t help pour oil on troubled water.

I understand that when the sea is rough and you pour oil on it, the waves do calm down. In the old days, captains who were in charge of whaling ships often ordered the crew to pour whale oil during stormy weather. How times have changed. Earlier, people used to pour oil to calm things down. Nowadays, people are willing to go to war for the sake of oil. Anyway, the expression comes from a story told by Bede. In this story, a priest is requested to accompany the bride-to-be of King Oswy. Before he sets sail to where the queen is, he is warned by Bishop Aidan, an Irish monk, that there will be a violent storm while he is out at sea. The monk gives the priest a bottle of oil and tells him to pour the contents of the bottle into the sea when the waters get rough. While the priest and the future queen are returning, sure enough there is a big storm. The priest then pours the oil into the sea, and it becomes calm. Reminds you of some the miracles that we see in our movies, doesn’t it?

S. Upendran , The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, Feb 04, 2003

“lengthy” and “long”

Careful users of the language make a distinction between the two. When you say that a movie is long, what you are talking about is the duration of the movie. Similarly, when you say that a report is long, what you are talking about is the length of the report. You are saying is that the report has run into many pages. You are not talking about the quality of the movie or the report.

The word “lengthy” on the other hand, has a negative connation. When you say that a movie was lengthy, what you are implying is that it was too long; that it lasted longer than you had expected it to or wanted it to. You are suggesting that it was boring. Similarly, when you talk about a lengthy document what you are saying is that it was heavy going; that it was difficult to read.

Here are a few examples. * If you want to get a membership, there is a lengthy and complicated procedure. * They arrived at a settlement after a lengthy negotiation.

 * My boss had a long telephone conversation with his wife. * We had a long discussion after you left.

S. Upendran , The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, Feb 04, 2003