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Sunday 27 May, 2007
ANNOUNCEMENT
Fear, Panic, Alarm, Dread…
Wordsmith / FRANK KRISHNER
I was just listening to a film review on the BBC. It was all about a new film that tells a story about zombies taking over London. It sounds like an unpleasant film, but thousands of people go to horror films every week to get their much needed dose of fright and fear.
Fear is familiar to most people. It is an upsetting and unpleasant response to danger. Sometimes fear causes a person to lose courage. Sometimes we use fear to mean only a mild concern or worry about something, for example, you may fear that rain may spoil the picnic, or fear that you will not make it to your friend’s birthday bash.
Fright is sudden fear, it may not last for a long time. A sudden sharp sound may give you a fright and make you jump.
Alarm also means sudden fear. You feel alarm when you suddenly become aware of danger nearby.
Apprehension is a fear or concern about something bad that may occur. The Bihar government move to the Bihar Electric Supply Corporation has caused apprehension among the workers . They fear they may lose their jobs.
Dread is an intense fear of something that may happen. It suggests fear of facing whatever is coming. Usually dread also means loss of courage. The thought of returning to the empty house filled her with dread. His dread of going to the dentist made his toothache disappear.
Panic is sudden and extreme fright, which results in unreasonable and frantic activity. It was the driver’s panic that caused him to step on the accelerator rather than the brake after his car went over the side of the bridge.
Panic is often used to describe the fear felt by a group, not just one person. A shout of ‘bomb’ in a crowded multiplex caused a panic.
Terror is extreme and intense fright. It has a numbing affect on people. The approaching flood brought terror to the villages along the Baghmati river.
Learn-a-word
Causeway
A causeway is a road that is built up across a body of water. It is a raised road, not to be confused with a bridge. A bridge is a construction that spans two ends of a water body, such as a river.
I was just listening to a film review on the BBC. It was all about a new film that tells a story about zombies taking over London. It sounds like an unpleasant film, but thousands of people go to horror films every week to get their much needed dose of fright and fear.
Fear is familiar to most people. It is an upsetting and unpleasant response to danger. Sometimes fear causes a person to lose courage. Sometimes we use fear to mean only a mild concern or worry about something, for example, you may fear that rain may spoil the picnic, or fear that you will not make it to your friend’s birthday bash.
Fright is sudden fear, it may not last for a long time. A sudden sharp sound may give you a fright and make you jump.
Alarm also means sudden fear. You feel alarm when you suddenly become aware of danger nearby.
Apprehension is a fear or concern about something bad that may occur. The Bihar government move to the Bihar Electric Supply Corporation has caused apprehension among the workers . They fear they may lose their jobs.
Dread is an intense fear of something that may happen. It suggests fear of facing whatever is coming. Usually dread also means loss of courage. The thought of returning to the empty house filled her with dread. His dread of going to the dentist made his toothache disappear.
Panic is sudden and extreme fright, which results in unreasonable and frantic activity. It was the driver’s panic that caused him to step on the accelerator rather than the brake after his car went over the side of the bridge.
Panic is often used to describe the fear felt by a group, not just one person. A shout of ‘bomb’ in a crowded multiplex caused a panic.
Terror is extreme and intense fright. It has a numbing affect on people. The approaching flood brought terror to the villages along the Baghmati river.
Learn-a-word
Causeway
A causeway is a road that is built up across a body of water. It is a raised road, not to be confused with a bridge. A bridge is a construction that spans two ends of a water body, such as a river.
Americans also use the word to mean a raised path alongside a road.
We usually call such paths ‘pavements’.
wordscore: unscramble these words [they all have something in common]
PETLAN SCOOMS AXGALY TESLATELI
[Last week’s solution: Economics, Politics, Geography, Arithmetic]
wordscore: unscramble these words [they all have something in common]
PETLAN SCOOMS AXGALY TESLATELI
[Last week’s solution: Economics, Politics, Geography, Arithmetic]
Tuesday 22 May, 2007
Delicious, Mouth-watering, or just Palatable?
Wordsmith / FRANK KRISHNER
The wedding season is on, and that means invitations to groaning buffet tables loaded with fragrant, delicious food. If you are looking for interesting and accurate words to describe your future mother-in-law’s cooking, try some of these.
Delicious describes something that is pleasant and appealing. Silence is delicious if you are trying to sleep. Usually delicious is used to describe the good taste of food. May I have some more of that delicious chocolate cake? The chicken biryani smelled so delicious that I could hardly wait to eat. Food that has little taste or flavour is insipid.
Luscious means extremely delicious. It usually suggests that there is a special quality about something that makes it super delicious. The sight of luscious chilled mango salad makes my mouth water. By the way mouth-watering is another word for extremely delicious and appetizing.
Delightful and delectable can mean delicious. We had a delightful meal at Rohit’s house last night. Something is delectable, when it is finely flavoured or delicately constructed, like a plate of Sushi.
One meaning of delicate is delicious. Many delicious foods have a delicate flavour. Mushrooms and whipped cream are two such foods.
Appetizing and savoury can both mean agreeable or pleasant. Food that looks and smells good is appetizing. Savoury is often used to describe highly seasoned or spicy foods. That tea-stall serves up savoury samosas. Both appetizing and savoury can be used for things other than food. Ramesh’s report gave an appetizing introduction to J.K. Rowling’s new Harry Potter novel. The winter air was filled with the savoury smell of burning leaves.
Tasty means appetizing or pleasing to the taste. Hot chocolate on vanilla ice-cream is tasty.
Palatable is not really a synonym of delicious, but you can use palatable when you mean that something is acceptable. That wasn’t the best mutton curry I’ve eaten, but it was palatable. His mother’s suggestion that he clean his room was unpalatable to Hari.
Fragrant is not a synonym of delicious, but it can be used to describe something that has a pleasant or sweet odour, such as food. The fragrance of cooking Basmati rice filled the hut.
Learn-a-word
Controversial
The wedding season is on, and that means invitations to groaning buffet tables loaded with fragrant, delicious food. If you are looking for interesting and accurate words to describe your future mother-in-law’s cooking, try some of these.
Delicious describes something that is pleasant and appealing. Silence is delicious if you are trying to sleep. Usually delicious is used to describe the good taste of food. May I have some more of that delicious chocolate cake? The chicken biryani smelled so delicious that I could hardly wait to eat. Food that has little taste or flavour is insipid.
Luscious means extremely delicious. It usually suggests that there is a special quality about something that makes it super delicious. The sight of luscious chilled mango salad makes my mouth water. By the way mouth-watering is another word for extremely delicious and appetizing.
Delightful and delectable can mean delicious. We had a delightful meal at Rohit’s house last night. Something is delectable, when it is finely flavoured or delicately constructed, like a plate of Sushi.
One meaning of delicate is delicious. Many delicious foods have a delicate flavour. Mushrooms and whipped cream are two such foods.
Appetizing and savoury can both mean agreeable or pleasant. Food that looks and smells good is appetizing. Savoury is often used to describe highly seasoned or spicy foods. That tea-stall serves up savoury samosas. Both appetizing and savoury can be used for things other than food. Ramesh’s report gave an appetizing introduction to J.K. Rowling’s new Harry Potter novel. The winter air was filled with the savoury smell of burning leaves.
Tasty means appetizing or pleasing to the taste. Hot chocolate on vanilla ice-cream is tasty.
Palatable is not really a synonym of delicious, but you can use palatable when you mean that something is acceptable. That wasn’t the best mutton curry I’ve eaten, but it was palatable. His mother’s suggestion that he clean his room was unpalatable to Hari.
Fragrant is not a synonym of delicious, but it can be used to describe something that has a pleasant or sweet odour, such as food. The fragrance of cooking Basmati rice filled the hut.
Learn-a-word
Controversial
Something that is controversial causes a lot of disagreement and angry argument, especially in the newspapers, or on radio and television etc. Railway minister Laloo Prasad is famous for his controversial statements and actions.
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wordscore: unscramble these words [they all have something in common]
TECHOCOLA LAANVIL AWRYBERSTR COAPRIT
[Last week’s solution: Exercise, Sport, Jogging, Skipping]
Sunday 13 May, 2007
All about the Blues
Wordsmith / FRANK KRISHNER
Colours play a vital part in the way we express ourselves.
Today let’s look at some idioms built around the colour ‘blue’. The newspapers in India talked about the ‘boys in blue’. Who are they? Now, any Indian cricket lover would say, “They’re the Indian cricket team, silly! In England and America, the ‘Boys in blue’ are the policemen. ‘Blue’ refers to the colour of the uniforms.
Our team looked blue when they didn’t win their matches. Indian cricket fans felt rather blue as well. When you look depressed or discontented or feel the same way, you look blue or feel blue.
A bolt from the blue means unexpected bad news, like a bolt of lightening from a blue sky. You can expect lightening if the sky is grey, not when it’s blue and cloudless. When Bangladesh defeated India, it was a bolt from the blue.
To happen out of the blue is to happen unexpectedly. Pakistan Coach Bob Woolmer was murdered. It happened out of the blue. I was feeling lonely and blue, but a long forgotten friend appeared out of the blue with two tickets to the Bob Dylan concert.
Rahul Dravid is no longer the blue-eyed boy of the Indian selectors. A blue eyed boy is a man or a boy who is a favourite. The expression is usually used in a critical sense, with negative overtones, to describe someone who has been singled out for special favours or attention by someone in authority.
A blue moon is a second full moon day appearing in the same month. That’s rare. If you get on a plane and just happen to be seated beside Shah Rukh Khan, it’s an experience that happens once in a blue moon. Now, if you haven’t taken some evidence of your encounter with him, your best friend may not believe you. You may try to tell her it’s true till you’re blue in the face, but she won’t be convinced. Blue in the face means to make a huge [but useless] effort to win a person’s agreement.
Learn-a-word
Offensive
Offensive words, jokes , or actions are not only impolite, they make people angry because they show no respect for people’s values, or moral or religious beliefs. His racist jokes are offensive. To find something offensive means to think it is offensive. Some listeners may find the language some Bhojpuri songs offensive.
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wordscore: unscramble these words [they all have something in common]
ERECSEXI OSTPR GOGGIJN PINKSPIG
[Last week’s solution: Tiger, leopard, Panther, Jaguar]
Colours play a vital part in the way we express ourselves.
Today let’s look at some idioms built around the colour ‘blue’. The newspapers in India talked about the ‘boys in blue’. Who are they? Now, any Indian cricket lover would say, “They’re the Indian cricket team, silly! In England and America, the ‘Boys in blue’ are the policemen. ‘Blue’ refers to the colour of the uniforms.
Our team looked blue when they didn’t win their matches. Indian cricket fans felt rather blue as well. When you look depressed or discontented or feel the same way, you look blue or feel blue.
A bolt from the blue means unexpected bad news, like a bolt of lightening from a blue sky. You can expect lightening if the sky is grey, not when it’s blue and cloudless. When Bangladesh defeated India, it was a bolt from the blue.
To happen out of the blue is to happen unexpectedly. Pakistan Coach Bob Woolmer was murdered. It happened out of the blue. I was feeling lonely and blue, but a long forgotten friend appeared out of the blue with two tickets to the Bob Dylan concert.
Rahul Dravid is no longer the blue-eyed boy of the Indian selectors. A blue eyed boy is a man or a boy who is a favourite. The expression is usually used in a critical sense, with negative overtones, to describe someone who has been singled out for special favours or attention by someone in authority.
A blue moon is a second full moon day appearing in the same month. That’s rare. If you get on a plane and just happen to be seated beside Shah Rukh Khan, it’s an experience that happens once in a blue moon. Now, if you haven’t taken some evidence of your encounter with him, your best friend may not believe you. You may try to tell her it’s true till you’re blue in the face, but she won’t be convinced. Blue in the face means to make a huge [but useless] effort to win a person’s agreement.
Learn-a-word
Offensive
Offensive words, jokes , or actions are not only impolite, they make people angry because they show no respect for people’s values, or moral or religious beliefs. His racist jokes are offensive. To find something offensive means to think it is offensive. Some listeners may find the language some Bhojpuri songs offensive.
------
wordscore: unscramble these words [they all have something in common]
ERECSEXI OSTPR GOGGIJN PINKSPIG
[Last week’s solution: Tiger, leopard, Panther, Jaguar]
Saturday 5 May, 2007
This is really heavy!
Wordsmith / FRANK KRISHNER
Every year, just as the school-year begins, you will hear parents talking about the heavy loads that their children have to carry to school. You may also complain about heavy homework!
Heavy is the opposite of light.
Every year, just as the school-year begins, you will hear parents talking about the heavy loads that their children have to carry to school. You may also complain about heavy homework!
Heavy is the opposite of light.
Something is heavy if it weighs a lot.
Movers lift and carry heavy furniture and heavy boxes.
Coolies at railway stations carry heavy loads on their heads.
Heavy can also mean more than usual. Then it is the opposite of slight or thin. The heavy traffic caused us to come to a standstill. The heavy rainfall floods most of North Bihar. Heavy can also mean having great density. Her heavy hair needs to be trimmed.
We can also call something heavy if it is difficult or hard to bear. You can speak of a heavy responsibility and a heavy duty. They are not trivial. Her heart was heavy with grief. Heavy-hearted means unhappy or depressed.
Cumbersome means heavy and awkward, hard to carry or move. The cumbersome statue was finally brought into the museum.
Ponderous describes something that is not only heavy but very large, massive, or dull. Many old pieces of furniture are ponderous. Many students say that the novel “War and Peace” is ponderous.
Weighty and burdensome mean very heavy. Weighty can also mean or very serious or important. Packages can be weighty. A judge’s words may be weighty. The President delivered a weighty speech to the nation.
Thick can describe something that is heavily built or something that is very dense. Thick is the opposite of thin. A baseball bat is thicker at one end than the other. It would be hard to push your way through a thick crowd. The artist painted a picture of a thick forest.
[Send your feedback or questions to wordsmith.patna@gmail.com]
Learn-a-word
Heavy -handed
Heavy can also mean more than usual. Then it is the opposite of slight or thin. The heavy traffic caused us to come to a standstill. The heavy rainfall floods most of North Bihar. Heavy can also mean having great density. Her heavy hair needs to be trimmed.
We can also call something heavy if it is difficult or hard to bear. You can speak of a heavy responsibility and a heavy duty. They are not trivial. Her heart was heavy with grief. Heavy-hearted means unhappy or depressed.
Cumbersome means heavy and awkward, hard to carry or move. The cumbersome statue was finally brought into the museum.
Ponderous describes something that is not only heavy but very large, massive, or dull. Many old pieces of furniture are ponderous. Many students say that the novel “War and Peace” is ponderous.
Weighty and burdensome mean very heavy. Weighty can also mean or very serious or important. Packages can be weighty. A judge’s words may be weighty. The President delivered a weighty speech to the nation.
Thick can describe something that is heavily built or something that is very dense. Thick is the opposite of thin. A baseball bat is thicker at one end than the other. It would be hard to push your way through a thick crowd. The artist painted a picture of a thick forest.
[Send your feedback or questions to wordsmith.patna@gmail.com]
Learn-a-word
Heavy -handed
A person is heavy- handed, when he or she is clumsy or oppressive. A heavy handed person is not tactful. A heavy-handed headmaster may expel a student for not doing his homework. From this expression comes the modern use of ‘heavy’ to describe a villain or antagonist in a play or movie.
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wordscore: unscramble these words [they all have something in common]
GITRE OPLREAD PAERNTH GUAJAR
[Last week’s solution: Danger, Peril, Menace, Hazard]
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