Language Love

High 5 Vocab: Enhance your Vocab from the Time of India editorial page

2022-09-30T15:28:00.006+05:30

Responding to complaints that the doctoral thesis screening isn’t rigorous enough, UGC had mooted regulations like mandatory publication of research papers. But doing away with this can cut both ways. A doctoral student can focus on the thesis rather than a research paper but mandatory publication in a quality Scopus-indexed journal could prod the scholar to aim higher. A UGC study of 2,500 research scholars at a top-ranked central university and an IIT found 75% of the university submissions weren’t in Scopus journals, but the opposite was true for IITs. This may be partly explained by the fact that there are around 30,000 Scopus-indexed journals in STEM and related fields against 14,000 for humanities and social sciences. The moot point is that the same yardstick shouldn’t apply across disciplines. A PG degree may be important in some disciplines before a PhD and not so much in others. UGC must tread carefully.

Source: TheTimes of India

Word Meanings

Rigorous (adj): done very carefully and with great attention to detail
Synonym: Thorough
बहुत सावधानी और बारीकी से किया गया

Moot (verb): to suggest an idea for people to discuss
Synonym: propose, put forward

अपने सुझाव प्रस्तावित करना

Prod (verb): to push somebody to do something

दूसरे व्यक्ति को कार्य करने के लिए बाध्य करना

Moot point (idiom): a matter about which there may be difference of opinion or a lack of understanding.

ऐसा मुद्दा जिसके बारे में लोगों के अलग अलग विचार हो सकते हैं

Tread carefully (idiom): to be very careful about what you do or say

सावधानीपूर्वक अपना अगला कदम उठाना या अपनी बात कहना

Words in the News: What is a Humvee?

2022-07-26T15:55:00.005+05:30

A large and strong military vehicle used for travelling over rough ground. It was developed in the 1980s to replace the Jeep for the US military. Technically. it is a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, colloquially known as Humvee.

कठिन जमीन पर यात्रा करने के लिए इस्तेमाल किया जाने वाला एक बड़ा और मजबूत सैन्य वाहन।

Example:

Taliban fighters have stood aboard captured Humvees as they prepared for a parade of plundered US military hardware in their southern Afghan heartland. --The Guardian

Vocabulary in the News: Foiled, Sinister

2020-07-26T20:46:00.004+05:30

"India's brave forces foiled Pakistan's sinister plans in Kargil: PM"

Source: The New Indian Express

1. FOIL [ foil ]

(Verb)

Meaning: to prevent the success of

किसी के गलत प्रयास को असफल कर देना

Synonym: thwart

Customs officials foiled an attempt to smuggle the paintings out of the country.

2. SINISTER [ sin-uh-ster/]

(adjective)

Meaning: seeming evil or dangerous

मनहूस, भयावह

Synonym: ominous

There was something cold and sinister about him.

We needn’t assume that there was a sinister motive for what she did.

Let's Talk About Trolls

2017-04-26T16:57:00.000+05:30

To troll someone is to make a deliberately offensive or provocative online post with the aim of disturbing someone or eliciting an angry response from them. The word can also be used to refer to the person who sends such a message or the message itself. In folklore, a troll is an ugly cave-dwelling creature depicted as either a giant or a dwarf.

Examples:
I’ve been called names and slurs not worth repeating.Trolls are sexist, judgmental and violent. They want to threaten and intimidate women with opinions into silence. - Sonam Kapoor, HT

The trolls are particularly taking a dig at Kejriwal's claim that the EVMs used on the polling days were rigged. - India Today

@htTweets is marking April26 as #AntiTrollingDay. Change your DPs, join us in voicing disapproval against online abuse #LetsTalkAboutTrolls

What does 'Godspeed' mean?

2016-12-31T15:53:00.000+05:30

When John Glenn lifted off in the space capsule Friendship 7 in February 1962, making the first U.S. manned orbital flight, a voice from mission control spoke the same words that were used in NASA's announcement of his death: “Godspeed, John Glenn.”

Godspeed, meaning "a prosperous journey," comes from the Middle English phrase God spede you ("God prosper you"). It was originally used to wish success to someone, like saying, “May you prosper.”

These days it's more often used to express hopes for a safe trip. It's a formal and old-fashioned word that makes it particularly appropriate for official voyages with a sense of risk.

What is CAMEO in a movie?

2016-11-27T08:09:00.001+05:30

Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan has denied that he is playing a cameo in Gauri Shinde's latest movie Dear Zindagi. He's playing the role of a life coach to a young lady (played by Alia Bhatt) going through emotionally disturbing relationships in her life.

A cameo is a small role in a movie or play performed by a well-known actor.

The original meaning of cameo was to create a small gem by cutting away the background so that a figure stands out in relief.

What is Black Friday?

2016-11-21T19:49:00.001+05:30

Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving Day in the United States (the fourth Thursday of November). Since 1932, it has been regarded as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season in the U.S., and most major retailers open very early (and more recently during overnight hours) and offer promotional sales.

Word Shots: Misogyny and Xenophobia

2016-10-06T16:41:00.000+05:30

There were mixed reactions in the social media circles regarding the selection of Antonio Guterres as the new UN chief. Maxim Eristavi a Civil Rights Activist from Russia tweeted:

"In times of rising xenophobia, misogyny, racism, UN fails to elect a woman as new head. Utterly tragic."

Word Watch:

Xenophobia: dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries.

Misogyny: strong dislike or hatred for women.

© Language Love 2016

What is a skullcap?

2016-09-13T09:20:00.001+05:30

A skullcap is a small, round hat that fits closely on the top of the head. It is used by Muslims mainly used for prayer purpose and is also referred as a “prayer cap”. Skullcaps are also worn by religious Jewish men and high ranking Roman Catholic priests.

Taqiyah is the Arabic word for the Muslim cap used in Saudi Arabia. In Pakistan and India, the prayer cap is called a topi. Topi means cap in the Hindi/Urdu language. In Pakistan, men usually wear the topi with salwar kameez. In Bangladesh it's known as tupi.

What does 'freaky' mean?

2016-09-11T17:13:00.001+05:30

Freaky [ Pronounced free-kee ]is an adjective which can be described to used to describe a person, thing or occurence who/which is quite odd or strange. Like the one described above. It could be a 'freaky weather' or 'freaky coincidence' as well. The other forms of the word are freakier and freakiest. (Pic: Poster of the movie)

Power Proverbs: Fools rush in (where angels fear to tread)

2016-08-27T12:55:00.003+05:30

The iconic quote “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread” is a line from a poem published in 1711 by English poet Alexander Pope. It has been quoted by many famous people from Abraham Lincoln to B.R. Ambedkar. It means people with little experience try to do the difficult or dangerous things which more experienced people would not consider doing. people without good sense or judgement will have no hesitation in tackling a situation that even the wisest would avoid.

Examples:

The BCCI should be careful in confronting a judicial verdict and not validate what Shakespeare said, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. - Hindustan Times

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Captain Amarinder Singh today said what Bhagwant Mann did in the parliament and his unconditional apology has only vindicated and validated the public perception about him and his party. The Congress leader said that Mann is not fit to hold the position he has occupied. "It is a classic case of fools rush in where angels fear to tread", he remarked, while referring to his live streaming of the activities in the parliament. - India Today

Olympics: What does the word Rio de Janeiro mean?

2016-08-05T16:14:00.000+05:30

The host city of the 2016 Summer Olympics starting today, Rio de Janeiro (pronounced ree-oh dey zhuh-nair-oh) or simply Rio is the second-most populous city in Brazil. It is a Portuguese word which means river of January.

Scrabble Answer

2016-07-20T12:48:00.001+05:30

The answer for the scrabble is 'coup'.
At least 6,000 people detained after failed military COUP to oust Turkish leader Erdogan : Sunday Times

Coup (pronounced Koo, 'p' is silent ) or Coup d'état, in this context means a 'sudden overthrow of government illegally or by force'.

The word coup also means 'an impressive victory or achievement that usually is difficult or unexpected.'

Scrabble Riddle:

2016-07-17T18:53:00.001+05:30

Rearrange the following letters to form a meaningful word to fill up the blank. The word has been hitting international news headlines for the past few days.

P O U C

At least 6,000 people detained after failed military _ _ _ _ to oust Turkish leader Erdogan : Sunday Times

Pic. Courtesy: NBC

Quick Word: Media Trial

2016-07-12T23:39:00.001+05:30

Trial by media or media trial is a phrase used to describe the impact of television and newspaper coverage on a person's reputation by creating a widespread perception of guilt or innocence before, or after, a verdict in a court of law.

Example:
I'm shocked at the media trial on me: Zakir Naik, controversial preacher and TV Evangelist

Two weeks ago, I addressed a letter to the Chief Justice of the Mumbai High Court protesting against the trial by media in the Sheena Bora murder case. I was pleasantly surprised at the reactions to it. When it became known that I had protested against the incursions by the media, many journalists called to support my stand.
- DNA; Pic: Live Law

Vocab in News: Google's DeepMind to PEEK at NHS eye scans for disease analysis

2016-07-05T17:43:00.001+05:30

One million anonymised eye scans from Moorfields Eye Hospital will be used to train an artificial intelligence (AI) system from Google.

Machine learning algorithms will scour the images for signs of diseases such as macular degeneration and diabetes-related sight loss.

Moorfields is teaming up with Google's AI division DeepMind during the scheme.

Previously, DeepMind faced criticism over a little-known data sharing agreement with three London hospitals.
(News from BBC; Pic: Think Stock)

Word Watch

Peek: take a brief look; glance

Anonymised: to hide the personal details of the people involved

Artificial Intelligence: the capability of a machine to imitate intelligent human
behavior.

Algorithm: a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or accomplishing some end

Scour:
1. to examine minutely
The police scoured the country for the fugitive.
2. clean with hard rubbing.
She scoured the child's back.

A word that means fear of long words

2016-06-19T10:44:00.001+05:30

One of the longest words in English, hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia means fear of long words. Ironically, the spelling of the word itself can scare many.

The word is a combination of four words:

Hippopotamus (abridged)

Monster (abridged)

Sesquipedalian: given to using long words

Phobia: irrational fear

Interestingly, 'sesquipedaliophobia' which is related to this word, also means the same and used in formal writing.

Example:
Lalit suffers from hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia so he seldom uses words of more than three syllables.‎

Vocab in News: Helmets for PILLION RIDERS must from today

2016-06-08T23:37:00.001+05:30

DEHRADUN: If you own a two-wheeler, make sure you buy an additional helmet immediately as pillion rides on two-wheelers have to compulsorily wear helmets from today in Uttarakhand with transport department on Friday issuing notification in this regard. (Text/Pic:TOI)

Word Watch

Pillion: a seat behind the rider of a two wheeler or horse

Pillion rider: a person who travels in a seat or place behind the rider of a motorcycle, scooter, horse, etc.

Vocab in News: Fire at Vizag Bio-Diesel Plant

2016-04-29T11:20:00.001+05:30

Fire Breaks Out at Bio-Diesel Plant in Vishakhapatnam

thequint(dot)com | April 27 05:10 AM

A fire broke out at Biomax Fuels Limited in Vishakhapatnam at 7:30 pm on Tuesday. Around 40 fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the fire.

A Navy Dornier conducted an aerial recce during the wee hours of the morning and confirmed that eight tanks were still ablaze. Meanwhile, medical teams and quick reaction teams continue to be on standby on site. (Pic: morningcable)

Word Watch

Douse: extinguish

Recce: a shorter word for reconoissance; meansapreliminarysurveytogain information. Originated from French language meaning recognition.

Wee hours: very early hours of morning

Vocab in News: Chief justice BREAKS DOWN

2016-04-24T17:52:00.001+05:30

After Chief Justice breaks down, PM proposes a closed-door meeting

NEW DELHI: After the Chief Justice of India (CJI) broke down in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday on the issue of the overworked judiciary, the PM proposed a closed-door meeting with him to discuss manpower issues and judicial reforms.

The PM's invitation came in response to CJI TS Thakur's impassioned speech at a conference on Sunday of chief ministers and high court justices, during which he urged the government to refrain from criticizing the judiciary because judicial reform was in the hands of the executive - and the executive hasn't kept its part of the bargain. -Text: TOI
Pic: India Today, A teary CJI, Mr. T.S Thakur

Word Watch

Break down: to lose control of one's emotions and start crying

Impassioned: filled with strong emotions

Refrain: to avoid; abstain

Vocab in the News: twisted, creeps

2016-04-17T14:48:00.001+05:30

Just when you thought Shah Rukh Khan is losing his edge, he makes a comeback. And how? Going back to his early acting days, where twisted characters gave him his big break, Bollywood’s king of romance still has what it takes to give you the creeps. (News clip/pic : HT, 17 April, 2016)

Word Watch
Losing his edge: to lose one's winning margin, over the rivals

Make a comeback: to be successful again
Twisted: morally corrupt

Creeps: a pleasurable sensation of fright; chill

Vocab in News: Vijay Mallya’s Rs 4,000 cr proposal was a SMOKESCREEN ; he offered ZILCH to the banks

2016-04-07T18:58:00.001+05:30

New Delhi - Vijay Mallya had made an offer of repaying a little over Rs 4,000 crore to lenders through a convoluted set of transactions, which were ultimately rejected by them.

It seems as late as last night, his lawyers reiterated that the offer should be accepted but made no changes to the initial offer. The consortium of banks stuck to its resolve, however, and rejected it again at a hearing in the Supreme Court this morning. (Pic/Text: First post)

Word Watch

Smokescreen: something designed to confuse or mislead

Zilch: zero; nothing

Convoluted: difficult and complicated

Reiterated: to repeat one's statement to emphasize

Consortium: a group of companies; association

Vocab in News: 60 houses set afire in 'revenge' arson

2016-03-22T09:52:00.001+05:30

Around 60 thatched houses, set afire by unidentified persons today, were gutted at Adivasi Sahi under Sadar police limits in Odisha's Khurda district, police said.

The arson is suspected to have been done to avenge the murder of a stone crusher unit owner two days ago.

(Text/Image Source: DNA)

Word Watch

thatched house:
a house with roof made of dried plant material (called thatch)

gutted:
destroy the inside of

arson: [aa(r)son]
burning of property with an intention to harm

British and American Vocabulary (Part III)

2016-03-16T15:43:00.000+05:30

Here’s the third list of common words used in British English along with their American English counterparts:

British English American English

1. Chemist Drug Store/Druggist

2. Sweets Candy

3. Crisps Potato Chips

4. Starter Appetizer

5. Bill (at a restaurant) Check

British and American Vocabulary (Part II)

2016-03-16T14:53:00.000+05:30

Here’s the second list of some common words used in British English along with their American English counterparts:

British English American English

1. Maths Math

2. Petrol Gas / Gasoline

3. Pavement Sidewalk

4. Petrol Station Gas Station

5. Diversion Detour