How is word `cuisine’ pronounced?

The first syllable `cui’ is pronounced like the `qui’ in `quit’, `quiz’, and `quick’. The `s’ that follows is like the `z’ in `zip’ and `zoo’; and the final `ine’ is like the `een’ in `seen’, `teen’, and `keen’. The main stress is on the second syllable.

The word comes from French and is mostly used to talk about a particular style of cooking – the way in which an item is prepared. When you refer to the cuisine of a restaurant, you are talking about the different varieties of food served there.

Example: The new restaurant on M.G Road offers excellent traditional Thai cuisine.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – July 24, 2006

`hornet’s nest’

A hornet is a large insect which has a relatively large sting. When you refer to a problem as being a hornet’s nest, what you mean is that it is one that causes people to become angry. When you `stir up a hornet’s nest’, you are asking for trouble; you say or do something controversial which results in a lot of commotion.

*The teacher’s article in the local paper stirred up a hornet’s nest. *The Minister’s remarks about the striking students stirred up a hornet’s nest.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – July 24, 2006

`stuck up’

This is an informal way of calling someone `snooty’ or `snobbish’. A person who is `stuck-up’ thinks he is more important than others, and as a result, is often very unfriendly towards them.

Examples: What’s got into Hamsa? Why is she so stuck-up? *When I met the star, I was pleasantly surprised. He wasn’t at all stuck-up.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – July 24, 2006

‘send someone on a guilt trip’ and `lay/put a guilt trip on someone’

When you send someone on a guilt trip, you try to make the person feel very guilty about something.
Example: My parents always try to send me on a guilt trip for not calling them often enough.

It is also possible to say, `lay/put a guilt trip on someone’.
Example: Madhu put the guilt trip on all of us for not helping her during her time of need.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – July 17, 2006

Collective nouns

There are vast range of collective nouns, some are used for many animals or groups like herd, while some are specific to particular group.
So lets first look at the common nouns, common to many groups:
herd - herd can be used of all grass eating animal groups mainly, eg. cattle, elephant, asses, buffalo, caribou ( a type of reindeer) ,

troop - baboon, apes, dogfish ( a dogfish is a small bottom-dwelling shark with a long tail)

colony - auk ( a short winged seabird) , beavers, ant, badgers ( a mammal from weasel family) , bats,

‘Lip gloss’

When somebody tells you something, and you dismiss it as being lip gloss, what you mean is that the person is exaggerating.  The term can be used to mean to lie or exaggerate.

Examples: “Don’t believe anything that the Registrar said during the meeting. His words are just lip gloss.” * According to Dharmendra, everything Gayathri says is just lip gloss. The woman is a born liar.

The expression `lip gloss’ is mostly used in informal contexts.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – July 17, 2006

‘Barnburner’

When you say that an event was a barnburner, what you mean is that it was excellent or very exciting.  In other words, something that is a barnburner arouses a great deal of interest.

Examples: “I thought that the match between Federer and Nadal would be a barnburner. I was thoroughly disappointed.” * “When India and Pakistan play an ODI, it’s always a barnburner.” * Many of the commentators said World Cup final was a barnburner.

The expression `barnburner’ is mostly used in informal contexts.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – July 17, 2006

‘It’s spitting’

When you say it’s spitting, what you mean is that it is raining very lightly.
Examples: We managed to complete our game because it was only spitting. * When it started spitting just before the women’s singles final, the organisers became somewhat worried.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – July 17, 2006

`hue and cry’

First, let’s deal with the pronunciation of `hue’. The `hu’ is like the `hu’ in `human’ and `huge’, and the vowel that follows is like `oo’ in `cool’, `pool’, and `school’.
When a politician is caught with his hands in the cookie jar, people raise a hue and cry about corruption. In other words, they complain about it rather noisily; sometimes, there is a public protest. This outcry or noisy protest is referred to as `hue and cry’.
Example: There was a hue and cry when the Government decided to increase taxes.

Dictionaries define `hue’ as colour. What does colour have to do with noise? Nothing. The `hue’ in the expression is from the French `huer’ meaning, `to shout after’. `Hue and cry’ is a legal term used in the 13th century to refer to a group of people running after a thief. What do people do when they run after a thief? They shout and create all kinds of noise to attract attention!

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – July 10, 2006

`mull over’

When you `mull over’ a problem or plan, you think about it for a long time before arriving at a decision.
Example: Shashi has been mulling over the problem for several weeks now.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – July 10, 2006

How is the word `schism’ pronounced?

There are different ways of pronouncing the word. Some people pronounce the `sch’ like the `sch’ in `school’, `scholar’, and `scheme’. Others pronounce it like the `s’ in `sit’, `sip’ and `sat’. The `i’ is like the `i’ in `bit’, `hit’ and `sit’, and the following `s’ is like the `z’ in `zip’, `zoo’, and `zero’. The sound that follows the `s’ is like the `a’ in `china’, and the final `m’ is like the `m’ in `monkey’ and `money’. The main stress is on the first syllable.

Schism is a word mostly used in formal contexts. In India, we often see political parties splitting into two. This breaking up of a party or organisation due to differences in beliefs is referred to as `schism’. The word was originally used to refer to a split within the church.

Example: This report says that differing views caused a schism among the members.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – July 10, 2006

Is it OK to say, `I am crazy after English’?

No, it is not. You are usually `crazy about’ something, and not `crazy after’ something. When you are crazy about something, you like it very much. You go after it because you are very interested in it. It is also possible to say, `mad about’ something.

Example: Most students in my class are mad about cricket.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – July 10, 2006

`top brass’

Many reporters just love this expression; they use it all the time. Any time the top people of an organisation are present during a press conference, the reporter says/writes that it was attended by the `top brass’. The expression is considered to be informal, and is mostly used in British English.
Example: The minister has said that there will be a reshuffle of the army’s top brass.

The expression `top brass’ was first used in the Army. `Brass’ referred to the gold braid found on the hats of military officers — it indicated the individual’s rank. The word `brass’ is actually a shortened form of `brass hat’, and this was the term used by enlisted men in the late 19th century to refer to their commanding officers. It was during World War II that `brass hat’ became `top brass’. As time went by, the expression began to be used in non-military contexts; important individuals of an organisation began to be called `top brass’. The term `the brass’ can also be used to refer to such people.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – July 10, 2006

‘to throw in the towel’ / `throw in the sponge’

When you thrown in the towel, you decide to stop doing what you have been attempting to. You decide not to pursue the matter. You just give up. In other words, you quit doing what you were doing.
Examples:  Although Nadal lost the first two sets, he didn’t throw in the towel.* Amru has been working on the problem for two days now. He refuses to throw in the towel.

It is also possible to say, `throw in the sponge’. Example: When things didn’t go according to plan, she threw in the sponge.

The idiom `throw in the towel’ comes from the world of boxing. During a fight, the boxer’s trainer/manager stays with him. In between rounds, he gives the fighter water, tells him what his opponent is doing, wipes the sweat and blood off the boxer’s face, and he uses a sponge or a towel to do this. If he feels that his fighter is taking too much punishment, he may decide to call the fight off. This is to prevent any serious injury. In order to stop the fight, what the trainer/manager does is to throw the towel or sponge into the ring. This is a signal to the referee that he wants the fight to be stopped.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – July 03, 2006

“Verbal diarrhoea”

A person who has verbal diarrhoea talks continuously. Talks non-stop.
Siddhu has verbal diarrhea. * If you ask me, many of our politicians have a serious case of verbal diarrhoea.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – July 03, 2006

How is the word `poignant’ pronounced?

The `oi’ is like the `oy’ in `boy’, `toy’, and `joy’; the following `g’ is silent. The first syllable `poign’ therefore rhymes with the word `coin’. The sound following the `n’ is like the `y’ in `yes’, `yell’, and `yellow’. The `a’ that follows is like the `a’ in `china’, and the main stress is on the first syllable.
When you say that something is `poignant’, what you mean is that it affects you very deeply and makes you feel rather sad.

Please change the channel. I am not in the mood to watch a poignant love story.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – June 26, 2006

”you are a toast”

When you tell someone that he’s toast, what you mean is that he’s in big trouble.
Examples: When Jai’s mother found out that he had broken her favourite flower vase, he was toast. ”When the Principal walked into the classroom looking really angry, I knew we were toast.”

When somebody says, `I failed to complete the project’,  you may respond by saying, `You’re toast, my friend’.
The expression is used in informal contexts.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – July 03, 2006

`idiot box’ (and ‘idiom’ )

It is not the box which is the idiot, but the people watching it. Have you ever observed people watching their favourite programme? Their eyes remain glued to the television set, and on most occasions they have no clue what is going on around them. When you ask them questions, they either tell you to keep quiet, or don’t take the trouble to answer you. The only time they come alive is during the commercial break; otherwise, they remain passive. They keep staring at the `box’ as if they were a bunch of idiots; the TV turns them into one.
By the way, did you know that the words `idiot’ and `idiom’ are related? Both come from the Greek `idios’, meaning `peculiar’. Why is an idiom peculiar? Because the meaning of an idiom is not the sum of the meaning of all the words of the idiom. For example, whenever it rains heavily, we say, `It’s raining cats and dogs’. It doesn’t mean that cats and dogs are actually falling from the sky.
Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – June 26, 2006

`buy someone off’

When a policeman stops us for a traffic violation, what is it that we normally do? We try to talk our way out of paying the fine. Sometimes we plead with the officer, at other times, we try to bribe him so that we don’t have to pay the full penalty. This act of bribing someone so that he turns a blind eye to the wrong that we have done is referred to as `buying someone off’.

The businessman succeeded in buying off some of the income tax officials.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – June 26, 2006

“How are you?” and “How do you do?” ( and ‘hi’)

In British English, `How do you do?’ is normally used when you are introduced to someone for the first time. It is a way of greeting someone, and the standard response to this expression is, `How do you do?’ You normally use this expression only once with a person. The next time you meet him, you can say, `How are you?’ This expression is used with people you already know. Unlike `How do you do’, `How are you’ is intended to find out how the individual is doing — both emotionally and physically. `How do you do?’ does not carry this meaning.

Did you know that the word `hi’ is actually from `how are you’? When `how are you’ is said very fast, it sounds like `hiya’. So instead of saying, `how are you’, people started saying, `hiya’. Later on, `hiya’ was reduced to `hi’. Therefore when you meet someone and say, `Hi, how are you?’, what you are actually saying is, `How are you? How are you?’.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – June 26, 2006