'Know Your English'

How is the word `naïve’ pronounced?

Sunil Jose — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:06:27 +0000

The word consists of two syllables. The `a’ is pronounced like the `uy’ in `guy’ and `buy’; the `i’ that follows sounds like the `ee’ in `fees’, `bees’, and `sees’. The final `e’ is silent, and the stress is on the second syllable `iv’. This is just one of the ways of pronouncing the word.

When you say that someone is `naïve’, what you mean is that the person is very trusting. He is very inexperienced, and as a result, he doesn’t know very much about the ways of the world. He willingly believes everything that people tell him.

*Jai is naïve enough to believe that politicians are really interested in helping people.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) -March 23, 2007

`dark horse’

Sunil Jose — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 18:38:54 +0000

In the context of sports, when you say someone is a dark horse, what you mean is that very little is known about the person’s ability. Since people don’t know how well the individual plays, chances are, he may end up surprising his opponents — he may even end up winning the tournament!

*According to my favourite columnist, there are two or three dark horses in the tournament. *Sanjay is a dark horse for a medal in the 200 metres event.

The expression comes from the world of horse racing. I understand that when placing a bet on a horse, punters (people who bet on horses) take into account the animal’s lineage and its win-loss record. If this information is not available, then the bettors have no way of knowing what the strengths and weaknesses of the animal are. They are kept in the `dark’ about the capability of the animal. Such a horse is known as a `dark horse’. The expression was first used by Disraeli in his novel, `The Young Duke’.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – Mar 19, 2007

`white paper’

Sunil Jose — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 19:37:53 +0000

A `white paper’ is an official report, in which the government outlines its policy on an issue of current concern. The report is usually not very bulky, and it is made available to the public. Such a report began to be called `white paper’ because it was bound in paper of that colour. A couple of weeks ago, a judge said that corrupt individuals must be hanged from lamp posts. Since there are some people of questionable reputation in Parliament, it would be interesting to see if the government brings out a white paper regarding this matter.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – Mar 19, 2007

Is it OK to say, `It was a good movie indeed’?

Sunil Jose — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:57:41 +0000

We often hear sentences like this. People who are fond of grammar, however, would frown at such a sentence. They would argue that the sentence would have been grammatically acceptable if the word `indeed’ had come immediately after the verb `was’ – `It was indeed a good movie’. Similarly, it is OK to say, `The behaviour of the students was indeed bad’, but not `The behaviour of the students was bad indeed.’ If you wish to have `indeed’ at the end of these sentences, then you need to put the word `very’ in front of the adjective good/bad.

*It was a very good movie indeed.

*The behaviour of the students was very bad indeed.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – Mar 19, 2007

What is the opposite of `feminist’?

Sunil Jose — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:31:57 +0000

A feminist, in simplistic terms, is someone who advocates equal rights for women. A man who believes that men should have the same rights as women is called a `hominist’. This is not a new word. George Bernard Shaw coined it in 1903 in his preface to `Man and Superman’. Another word that is commonly used now is `masculinist’.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – Mar 19, 2007

Difference in meaning between `sicken at’ and `sicken of’?

Sunil Jose — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:31:41 +0000

Sometimes, the very thought of something makes you sick; you are horrified or repulsed by it. That’s what the expression `sicken at’ means.

*The children sickened at the idea of having to clean public toilets.

When you `sicken of’ something, you get bored or tired of it. In other words, you get sick of it. It is also possible to sicken of a person.

*Many students were beginning to sicken of the strike.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – Mar 12, 2007

What is the reply to the question `You didn’t’ like him, eh?’ Should it be `No, I didn’t’ or `Yes, I didn’t'?

Sunil Jose — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 18:31:04 +0000

If you would like to agree with the speaker, and say that you did not like the person, then the standard reply to the question is, `No, I didn’t’. You do not say, `Yes, I didn’t like him.’ If you wish to indicate agreement with a negative statement, you normally say, `No’, and not `Yes’.

*Your sister is not an easy person to work with, is she? No, she isn’t.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – Mar 12, 2007

`nook and cranny’

Sunil Jose — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:54:14 +0000

The word `nook’ rhymes with `hook’, `book’, and `cook’. Since the 14th century, the word has been used to refer to a remote corner or secluded spot. The `a’ in `cranny’ is like the `a’ in `apple’, `ant’, and `add’. A `cranny’ is a crack or an opening of some kind — for example, a crack in the wall can be referred to as a `cranny’. When you say that you have looked for something in every nook and cranny, what you mean is that you have looked for it everywhere.

*The children looked for the ball in every nook and cranny, but they couldn’t find it.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – Mar 12, 2007

`brusque’

Sunil Jose — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 09:28:51 +0000

Pronunciation: There are different ways of pronouncing this word. The Americans pronounce the `u’ like the `u’ in `cut’, `hut’, and `but’, while the British pronounce it like the `oo’ in `cool’, `fool’, and `pool’. The final `que’, in both cases, is pronounced like the `sk’ in `mask’, `task’, and `flask’. When you say that someone’s behaviour is `brusque’, what you mean is that the person is rather curt — in other words, rude or rough. The person doesn’t say much, but when he speaks, he sounds rude.

Example: Don’t worry! I’m not going to be put off by his brusque replies.

The word `brusque’ comes from the Italian `brusco’ meaning `sour’ or `sharp’. The same word was also used to refer to a prickly plant (`butcher’s broom’). Perhaps it was in this sense that `brusque’ was used when it was borrowed into English — someone as disagreeable as the butcher’s broom.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – Mar 12, 2007

`murfing’

Sunil Jose — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 08:32:44 +0000

Very often when we surf the Net for information, we end up visiting sites that we don’t really need to. We spend a lot of time moving from one site to another because we find the contents rather interesting — though they may not provide us with the information that we actually need! This aimless surfing of the Net that we indulge in is called `murfing’.

Examples: Uma spent the afternoon murfing `diabetes’, and ended up learning more about dowry deaths.

Today, the word has taken on an additional meaning. `Murfing’ is seen as a combination of `mobile’ and `surfing’. With advances in technology, it is now possible to surf the Net on your mobile phone

Note: The columnist’s comments were published in 2007 when the Mobile surfing was just emerging…

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – Mar 12, 2007