“in apple pie order”

This is an idiom that has been around for several centuries, and contrary to what many people believe, it is not of American origin. When you say that something is “in apple pie order”, what you mean is that it is in perfect order. Everything has been neatly organised; things are in their proper place.

*Bala puts his desk in apple pie order every evening.

According to many scholars the idiom is a corruption of the French “nappe plie” meaning “folded linen”. But the popular story doing the rounds is that the expression became popular thanks to a Colonial (that’s what Americans were called before they got their independence) wife who lived in New England.

The story goes that this lady was in the habit of baking seven apple pies every Sunday — one pie for every day of the coming week. Once the pies had been baked and cooled, she would then proceed to place them on different shelves. The pie that was to be eaten on Monday was placed on the first shelf, the one to be eaten on Tuesday on the shelf next to it, and so on and so forth. The story goes that this lady was so meticulous that she made sure that all the pies were lined up just right. Hence the expression, “apple pie order”. Interesting story, isn’t it? But then, that’s all it is, a story.

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, October 4, 2004

“Blackball”

If someone wishes to join your club and you blackball him, what you are doing is voting against him. You are informing the members of your club that you do not wish this particular individual to become a member of your club.

The expression goes back to a practice that was followed in ancient Greece. Admission to a club/society was determined by all members of the club/society. All members had to vote; they had to indicate whether the new individual should be let in or not. The voting was done in secret. Each member had to drop a pebble in the shape of a ball into a box. The pebbles were usually of three colours — red, white and black. If all the pebbles that were put in the box were either white or red, then the candidate was admitted. But if there was even one black pebble, then the candidate was not let in.

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, September 20, 2004

“meanderthal”

The word meanderthal is a combination of “meander” and “Neanderthal”. A Neanderthal is someone who lived in Europe thousands of years ago. When you call someone a “Neanderthal”, what you are implying is that he behaves in an uncivilised manner. As you probably know, the word “meander” has different meanings. When a person meanders, he never gets to the point; he talks aimlessly.

The word can also be used to refer to someone who walks slowly and aimlessly. Therefore when you refer to someone as being a “meanderthal” it could mean one of two things. It could mean someone who walks around slowly and aimlessly. Very often when we are in a hurry, we get stuck behind a meanderthal! A person who talks aimlessly and never gets to the point can also be called a meanderthal. Do not use this word with people you do not know.

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, September 20, 2004

“blitzkrieg”

The “i” in the first syllable is pronounced like the “i” in “bit”, “pit”, and “hit”. The two vowels in the second syllable sound like the “ee” in “fee”, “see”, and “knee”. The “z” is like the “s” in “sit”, “sip”, and “sin”. The main stress is on the first syllable. In German, “blitz” means lightning or flash, and “kreig” means war.

“Blitzkrieg” refers to an intensive military operation which catches the enemy by surprise. The aim of such a ferocious attack is to subdue the enemy very quickly. “Blitzkrieg” is a word the world became familiar with during the Second World War.

Initially, the word was only used in military contexts. But nowadays, the word is beginning to be used in general contexts as well. The constant ferocious attacks that we sometimes see in newspapers against an individual or a political party can also be called a “blitzkrieg”. So can an advertising campaign for the launching of a new product. It is from “blitzkrieg” that we get the word “blitz”.

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, September 20, 2004

“Shilly-shally”

When a person is unable to make up his mind about something, then he is said to be shilly-shallying. It is a word that is mostly used in informal contexts, and when used, indicates disapproval.

*I think it is about time that you stopped shilly-shallying. *Rekha shilly-shallied for two months. It drove Amitabh up the wall.

Any idea where this word comes from? What is the question that we normally ask ourselves when we are undecided about something? It is, “Shall I? Shall I?” It is from this that the word “shilly shally” comes from. With the passage of time “shall I, shall I” changed to “shill I, shall I?” Later, the “I” became part of “shill” and “shall”, and we finally ended up with “shilly-shally”.

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, September 06, 2004

“Face the music”

When you decide to do something on your own and everything goes completely wrong, how do people react? Usually they criticise you; sometimes, they even punish you. When you “face the music”, you accept the criticism or punishment that is in store for you. In other words, you take responsibility for your mistakes.

*The partners ran away and poor Venu was left to face the music. *Listen Meera, sooner or later you will have to face the music.

There are several explanations as to the origin of this idiom. According to some scholars, it comes from a practice that was common in the British military. When an officer was court-martialed, the charges against him were read out for all to hear. The man was made to stand in front of the military band and while the charges were being read out, drummers used to tap their drums. Since the prisoner was facing the band and the drums were being played, he was literally “facing the music”. This practice of tapping the drums while the charges were read out gave rise to another expression as well — “drummed up charges”.

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, August 30, 2004

“square meal”

A square meal, as you probably know, is a nutritious meal; one which is big enough to satisfy your hunger. In India, we are often told that we must have three such meals every day! The origin of the expression dates back to the 18th century when living conditions on ships were terrible. British sailors were given very little to eat. Breakfast and lunch consisted of a few slices of bread and a beverage. Dinner, however, was something more substantial; it included meat and a few other items. Unlike breakfast and lunch, dinner was served on a tray. Guess what the shape of the tray was? Yes, it was square. Hence the expression, “square meal”. This is one of the theories going around.

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, August 23, 2004

“Keep it under your hat”

When someone tells you something and then follows it up by saying, “keep it under your hat” what he wants you to do is to keep the information to yourself. The information is to be kept secret; if the secret stays under your hat, it stays in your mind.

*I have some interesting news. I’ll tell you, if you promise to keep it under your hat. *Raju has been fired. But keep it under your hat.

In the old days in Britain, both boys and men used to wear hats. Some of the hats had secret compartments in them. Whenever a man carried something important, he invariably hid it in them. For example, when a man wanted to send a letter to his beloved, he hired a small boy from the streets. The boy was given the letter and it was his job to give it to the girl without her parents being aware of it. In order to ensure that he didn’t lose the letter and was in a position to give it to the girl without her parents finding out, the boy used to hide it under his hat!

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, August 16, 2004.

“netizen”

We all know what “citizen” means. Well, a “netizen” is a citizen of the Internet; he is a citizen of the Internet community. The word was coined by Michael Hauben in 1992. Another word which has the same meaning is “cybercitizen”.

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, August 09, 2004.

“pie in the sky”

If you come up with a plan and someone says that it is nothing more than pie in the sky, what he means is that though the plan looks good on paper, it is unlikely to succeed. In other words, your plans will never be realised. A pie in the sky is the reward that you are hoping to get some time in the future. Chances are that it will not happen. This is an expression mostly used in informal contexts.

*Rajeev’s plans of setting up his own business are nothing more than pie in the sky. *Jai’s ideas about reforming the tax system are nothing more than pie in the sky.

It is believed that the expression was made popular in the U.S. by the radical labour union organiser, Joe Hill.

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, August 09, 2004.