“in loco parentis”

It means “in place of a parent”. When you are in loco parentis, you are acting as the guardian of a child. You are taking on the responsibilities of a parent.

* I certainly don’t want to stand in loco parentis to Jai’s son Harish. * Since Sujatha was the teacher, she was made in loco parentis.

The “o” in the first and second syllable of “loco” are pronounced like the “o” in “go”, “so”, and “no”. The “a” in “parentis” is like the “a” in “china”, while the following “e” is like the “e” in “set” and “pet”. The main stress is on the second syllable of “parentis”.

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, June 24, 2003

“Amid” and “among”

The two words are used interchangeably by a lot of people. Most books on usage point out that the word “amid” is normally used with things that cannot be separated or counted.

For example, The little boy stood there amid the ruins and cried. * The children looked for the button amid the gravel.

“Among”, on the other hand, is normally used with countable nouns. When you are “among” something you are usually surrounded by a single group of objects that can be separated or counted.

For example, We found the tape among the books. * She looked among her clothes for the diamond ring.

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, June 24, 2003

Which is correct, “Everyone has his way of doing things” or “Everyone has their way of doing things”?

Everyone has a different opinion about how to treat “everyone”! Those who have had an overdose of grammar books argue that since “everyone” is singular, it should be followed by “his”. Of course, this makes the feminists angry. Why should it be “his” and not “her”? So in order to keep everyone happy, careful users of the language use both “his” and “her”. They would argue that the correct sentence is, “Everyone has his/her way of doing things”. Many people however consider such a construction to be very clumsy. Instead they prefer the use of the plural “their”. The use of “their” is becoming very common these days- both in speech and writing.

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, June 24, 2003

“horses for courses”

A test captain usually has 16 players to choose from. So how does he decide who is going to play and who is not? Well, one of the things he usually does is to look at the pitch. He tries to figure out if it is going to be conducive to pace or spin. If he thinks it is going to turn, he will opt for a spinner instead of a pace bowler. This is what we mean by the idiomatic expression “horses for courses”; choosing the person ideally suited for a particular job on hand. This individual may not be the best person on the team, but he is the best person for the job on hand. He has the required skills that you are looking for.

* Lalitha was better qualified, but we were looking for someone who had lived abroad. It was horses for courses as far as we were concerned. * There are many good dictionaries in the market; choosing the right one is a matter of horses for courses.

The expression, as you have probably guessed by now, comes from the world of horse racing. Racing pundits believe that some horses are better suited for certain types of courses. I understand that some horses run well on tracks that are wet, while others do well on dry tracks.

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, June 24, 2003

“been there, done that”

This is a slang expression that is frequently used in American English. If someone is talking about trekking in the Himalayas and you respond by saying “Been there, done that”, what you are implying is that you have already had the experience. When you use this expression what you are saying is, “I have been there and I have done that”. Since you have already experienced it, you would like to move on to another topic — the one under discussion doesn’t really interest you.

*I don’t want to do another PhD. Been there, done that! *Climb Mount Everest again? No way. Been there, done that.

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, June 17, 2003

“Drink in” and “drink down”

When you “drink something down” what you are doing is drinking it.

*The doctor asked Prithi to drink down the medicine. *Sammy, drink this down. It will make you feel better.

When you “drink something in” what you are doing is absorbing it. When you read an article, you drink in the information. Similarly, when you visit new places, you drink in the sights.

Here are a few examples. *Vishnu made it to the top of the mountain and drank in the beautiful view. *Darshana spent two hours drinking in the information in the article.

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, June 17, 2003

“Amuse” and “bemuse”

When you are “amused” by something, you find it funny or entertaining. It makes you laugh or smile.

*Renu was amused by the boy’s antics. *Rahul, I don’t find your comments very amusing.

“Bemuse”, on the other hand, has nothing to do with humour. When you are “bemused” by something, you are confused or puzzled.

For example, *Srividya was bemused by the Chairman’s comments. *When Malar saw the question paper, there was a bemused expression on her face.

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, June 17, 2003

“to be on one’s high horse”

When someone “gets on his high horse” he behaves in a proud and arrogant manner. He thinks that he is morally superior to you; hence he treats you with utter contempt.

Here are a few examples. *A lot of people think it’s about time that President Bush got off his high horse. *Whatever you do, don’t get on your high horse and refuse to answer questions. *If I were you Desai, I would get off your high horse and mend your ways.

In England, in the old days, a person’s rank was determined by the size of the horse he rode. If you were a noble or a person of some importance, you invariably rode a “high horse”. These horses were usually much taller than the horses ridden by the common man. Riding such high horses began to be equated with superiority.

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, June 17, 2003

Whipping boy

A “whipping boy” is a scapegoat; someone who is punished for another person’s mistakes.

Since everyone is intent on being politically correct these days, “whipping person” is slowly replacing “whipping boy”. This means that the person being punished can be a woman as well.

Here are a few examples. *Poor Raju. He is the whipping boy for the entire office. *Ever since Naila quit, Namratha has become the whipping person. *Anand is the usual whipping boy whenever Sunita becomes upset.

A “whipping boy” was usually a boy of ordinary birth who kept a prince company. He was given good food, good clothes and was educated along with the prince. But whenever the prince did something wrong, it was the whipping boy who was punished. He was the one who received the whipping! Royals couldn’t be touched, you see.

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, June 17, 2003

vicissitudes

The “i” in the first three syllables like the “i” in “bit”, “hit”, and “sit”. The final syllable “tude” rhymes with “cued”, “nude”, and “feud”. The “c” is pronounced like the “s” in ’sit” and “set”, while the final “s” is like the “z” in “zero” and “zip”. The main stress is on the second syllable.

“Vicissitudes” is a word that is mostly used in formal contexts. It means the constant changes and unexpected difficulties that crop up during one’s life.

Here are a few examples. * Sunita’s parents have continued to support her through all her vicissitudes. * Listen Gopal, losing your job is just one of the vicissitudes of life.

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, Jun 10, 2003