“darned”

“Darned” is a word that is normally used in speech to emphasise how good or bad something is. It is mostly used in informal contexts to mean “extremely”. Most people use it as a substitute for “damn”.

*The movie that I saw yesterday was darned good. *The darn fool is always late. *Marrying Narender was a darn stupid thing to do.

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, July 29, 2003

“many a”

“Many a” means the same thing as “many”. The only difference is that “many a” is considered to be somewhat literary. Unlike “many” which is always followed by a plural noun, “many a” is always followed by a singular noun.

Here are a few examples. *Many a student was absent today. *Many students were absent today.

*Many fans were disappointed that the star didn’t show up. *Many a fan was disappointed that the star didn’t show up.

*Rita, I have told you many a time not to keep your stuff in my cupboard. *Rita, I have told you many times not to keep your stuff in my cupboard.

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, July 29, 2003

“eavesdropping”

When you eavesdrop on someone what you are doing is overhearing his/her conversation with another person. You achieve this without being caught. An individual who eavesdrops is an eavesdropper.

*Jayant eavesdropped on his children’s conversation. *I don’t want you eavesdropping on anyone. *The eavesdropper was Krishna.

Nowadays, most houses have flat roofs. In the old days, most roofs were slanted. The “eaves” are the lower edges of the roof that project beyond the walls of the house; their purpose is to throw off the rainwater that falls on the roof. The “eavesdrop” was the word used to refer to the place around the house where the water from the eaves dripped.

An “eavesdropper” was therefore someone who stood in the eavesdrop area outside the house and listened to the conversations taking place inside. Nowadays, the word has come to mean listening secretly to someone’s conversation. One needn’t be outside the house to eavesdrop; it can be done from the inside as well

And thanks to electronic gadgets, one needn’t be in the same town or country in order to eavesdrop on someone! Beware, Big Brother may be eavesdropping on you!

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, July 29, 2003