“let the chips fall where they may”

This is an expression that is mostly used in American English. When you say `let the chips fall where they may’, what you mean is, do whatever you have to do without worrying too much about the consequences of your action. In other words, do the right thing and don’t worry about the fallout. Let things happen naturally; do not make an attempt to try to control everything.

*The minister said that he would speak from the heart, and let the chips fall where they may.

The `chips’ has nothing to do with the chips we normally eat. This idiom comes from the world of logging. When you chop down a tree using an axe, every time you hit the tree, pieces of wood (chips) scatter. While you are cutting, you do not worry about the various chips flying around; you don’t really care where they land. As a cutter, you remain focussed on the task at hand — which is to chop down the tree.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ (The Hindu) – January 29, 2007

Difference between `backward’ and `backwards’?

In terms of meaning, there is no difference. For example, you can say, `The absent minded professor had put his shirt on backwards.’ It is also possible to use `backward’ in the sentence. The British generally tend to use `backwards’, while the Americans use `backward’. It is very much like the use of the words `toward’ and `towards’. Americans prefer `toward’, while the British favour `towards’. When used as an adjective (that is when used before a noun), however, you can only use `backward’. In the sentences given below, we cannot use `backwards’.

*The children walked out the cave without a backward glance.

*Sandhya took a couple of deep breaths before doing her three backward flips.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ (The Hindu) – January 22, 2007

Which is correct? `Enter a room’ or `Enter into a room’?

When you walk into a room, you `enter’ it. You do not `enter into’ it. You normally `enter’ a room, building or country.

Examples: As usual, Chandru entered the room with a smile on his face. *The student wasn’t allowed to enter the country without a valid visa.

`Enter into’ is normally used in relation to `conversation’, `agreement’, `discussion’, etc. This is just one of the ways of using the expression.

Examples: After three days of fighting, the two companies entered into an agreement. *I hope to enter into a discussion with the leaders of the strike.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ (The Hindu) – January 22, 2007

`to curry favour’

When you `curry favour with someone’ you try to gain a person’s approval by making use of flattery. You attempt to win the individual’s support by talking to him rather politely, very often resorting to insincere praise. The expression is normally used to show disapproval.

Example: Prakash is trying to curry favour with his uncle again.

The `curry’ in the expression has nothing to do with the curry we eat. This curry comes from the world of horse riding. People who take care of horses make use of a `curry-comb’ to rub the animal down. It is from this, that we get the expression `to curry’, meaning `to groom a horse’. In other words, the verb `to curry’ means to rub down a horse. The word `favour’ in the idiom has got nothing to do with the favour we know. It is, in fact, a corruption of the French name `Favel’ (also spelt `Fauvel’). Favel is the name of a cunning centaur that appears in a French story written in the 14th century. A `centaur’, as you probably know, is an animal that is half man and half horse. In the story, people who wanted to be on the good side of the evil Favel, used to flatter him and also rub him down. In other words, the characters in the story used to `curry Favel’. In fact, the original expression was `to curry favel’. Since `favel’ sounded like `favour’, native speakers of English started saying, `to curry favour’.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ (The Hindu) – January 22, 2007

`affability’

First, let’s deal with the pronunciation. The first `a’ is pronounced like the `a’ in `cat’, `bat’, and `hat’. The `a’ in the second syllable is like the `a’ in `china’; and the final `bility’ is like the `bility’ in `ability’, `capability’, and `stability’. The main stress is on the third syllable `bi’. A person who is `affable’ is very pleasant and friendly. Such a person is usually very courteous whenever he talks to someone.

Example: Many students find the new teacher’s affability very irritating.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ (The Hindu) – January 08, 2007

Is it correct to say, `come to here’?

No, it isn’t. You generally say, `Come here’, and not `come to here’. There are a number of common words in English, such as `here’, `there’, `home’, `up’, `down’, `upstairs’, and `downstairs’ which are not preceded by the word `to’.

Examples: The children ran upstairs/downstairs. (Not `ran to upstairs/downstairs’) *The CEO asked us to come here. (Not `come to here’)

Source: ‘Know Your English’ (The Hindu) – January 08, 2007

`murder’ and `manslaughter’

In both cases, you perform an illegal act; you end up taking someone’s life! When you `murder’ someone, the act of killing the individual is deliberate or intentional. Usually, it is planned, and is carried out in a cold-blooded manner. It is for this reason that the punishment for murder is very severe. In the case of manslaughter, the act of killing may or may not be intentional. You could end up killing someone quite accidentally. If your kill your aunt or uncle because you want their property, then it is murder. If you run over a pedestrian, it is manslaughter. When you kill someone in self-defence, it is manslaughter, and not murder.

*The murders in Noida have upset many people in our country.

Source: ‘Know Your English’ (The Hindu) – January 08, 2007