VOCABULARY FROM NUMBERS

The festival of light Deepawali that is celebrated throughout the length and breadth of India and in the countries where Indian population reside falls on Tuesday.  I was about to write an article on the festival but due to some time constraints, I could not write the same, possibly I was afraid I could not have finished the same as my research materials were varied and extensive.  And to web those materials to a garland might have cost me a day or two as that would have been at the cost of my official assignments and my family time.  Further, recently I marked that articles written in a hurry to meet a deadline are usually infested with minor grammatical and sometime silly mistakes that should not have happened.  No software is full proof and can weed out mistakes completely from an article.  Hence, manual weeding out is the only option available though it is both time consuming and strenuous.   One cannot avoid this option as it has no alternative. Recently, I had to edit one of my published articles for several times that cost my valuable time and inclination.  And some of keen observers of this blog might have noticed the mistakes and hated this blogger.  But English is such a language that needs massive proof reading and editing before final publication of anything.  Therefore, I decided not to write the article on Deepawali though it pains me for not being able to write the article.  But that is life of a blogger. 

Instead, I have collected these expressions that may be useful to you or you might be using some of these expressions in your daily writing or speaking.  A majority, close to 45 percent of the readers of this blog, come from the United States. Interestingly, Indians only come second though I am an Indian.  I express my deep gratitude to my fellow bloggers who have tolerated this blog and me called Sudam.  On this occasion of Deepawali, I wish all the readers and followers of this blog, elated and blissful years ahead.  I wish success and materialization of their dreams and Miles of Smiles to these illustrious peoples.  Let your lips blossom to distribute your happiness and spread the message of Knowledge and satisfaction there-from after acquisition of knowledge.     Happy deepawali and Haloween ahead.   So come on, cruise along on the shore of light and knowledge.

From untruth to Truth,

From Darkness to Light,

From ignorance to Knowledge,

From worry to Bliss,

From Wrong to Right,

Let’s make journey,

Towards these paradisiacal sites.

WORDS/EXPRESSIONS	MEANING/USES
First footer	The person to enter a house in the New Year
First Lady	Wife of the president of the US or the Chief executive of a State.
First night	The first night of a performance.
First string player	The most skilled player.
Oner	An expert, a unique person or thing.
One horse town	A small Old fashioned and boring town.
One liner	A short joke, a funny remark.
One night stand	An occasion/ Person that you have sex with only once.
Look after number one	To look after oneself and not worry about others.
Second banana	A person in a subservient position.
Play second fiddle	One that plays a supporting role.
Second sight	Intuition
Second string	A substitute when somebody else is unavailable.
Two faced	Double dealing, false.
To two time	To deceive somebody, have a secret relation.
Two way street	A situation which depends on the co-operation of two persons.
Third degree	The use of exhaustive questioning by the police.
Third man	A mediator
Third world	Undeveloped countries of Africa and Asia.
Three ring circus	A confused situation due to too many activities.
Three line whip	A short written order for MPs or MLAs to order to vote for something.
Fourth Dimension	Time.
Fourth Estate	The press. (Clergy. The lord and The commons are other three Estates)
Four eyes	One who wears glasses.
Four flusher	Someone who cheats others.
Four letter word	A rude offensive word.
Fifth column	A group of people who work secretly for the Army.
Fifth wheel	One who is superfluous or burdensome.
High five	Palm to palm joining to celebrate victory or to greet.
To take five	To stop working for a few minutes.
Sixth sense	Intuition.
At sixes and sevens	In utter confusion or disorder
In seventh heaven	To be extremely happy.
Seven year itch	The desire for extra marital sex.
Behind the eight ball	In a highly dangerous position.
On cloud nine	To be extremely happy.
Nine day’s wonder	A great sensation for only a few days.
Dressed (up) to the nines	Wearing the best or most formal clothes.
Ten to one chance	Very probably.
Be ten a penny	To be very common, not unusual.
Ten strike	A stroke of great success, very profitable bargain.
Eleventh hour	At the last possible moment, just in time.
Talk nineteen to the dozen	To talk very quickly without stopping.
Thirty something	Someone in his 30s, educated, rich and well placed.
Forty winks	A short sleep after dinner.
Wife in a thousand	A perfect wife
64 thousand $ question	A hard question to answer, crucial one.
Look like a million dollar	To look very attractive.

You can slap me, hate me, kick me, love me, mail me or in extreme cases can subscribe me or leave your comment on the post.  Lol.  If you have no interest then I don’t press you as you are the steersman of your blog boat towards Light.  It’s bye, bye from you all. 

DESPITE CONSTRAINTS: MUSING THOUGH.

• Bill was suffering from cold. 
• Bill attended office as usual.

These two sentences express two different opinions. 

• As Bill was ill Bill should not have attended office. 
• Bill was ill but he didn’t stay away from office. 
• Bill was ill however he didn’t stay away from office.

In the above sentences, there are no two opposing ideas rather the first idea supports the second.  In other words speaking, the second idea is the result of the first idea. Actually, the end result should have been like the above.  But here result was the other way round. 

When two sentences express two opposing views you generally use ALTHOUGH, THOUGH, EVEN THOUGH etc to combine two opposing ideas in sentences. Mark the common subject ‘Bill’ in both sentences.  If the subject is same and the statements relates to the same subject we use the following kind of sentence constructions.  This is nothing but maintaining the contrast and emphasizing the contrast. 

• Even though Bill was ill, he attended office.
• Though Bill was ill, he attended office as usual.
• Although Bill was ill, he attended office as usual.
• Despite Bill’s illness, he attended office as usual.
• In spite of Bill’s illness, he attended office as usual.
• Bill was ill still he attended office as usual.

There is Even although that is also used to combine two opposing ideas and retaining the ideas intact.  But at present ‘Even although’ seems to be going out of use as not many writers tend to use the expression.  But here this blogger cannot issue a death certificate to the expression.  Lol. 

Remember, although is generally used interchangeably with though, though it is seen that ‘Though’ is generally the preferable expression of the masses.  Similarly, ‘Despite’ can be replaced with ‘In spite Of’ but Despite is not followed by ‘Of’ as we cannot say “Despite of his illness he attended office as usual.”  But you can write this sentence like this: “In spite of his illness he attended office as usual.”

In spite of/ Despite + Noun/Pronoun/ …ing

Despite his job related constraints this blogger has adhered to his schedule and has written this small but grammatical post for you only.  Although, this blogger has tried his best to make this post error free still he hopes that you will forgive him for any mistakes.  Despite his preoccupation, this blogger has searched many grammar books and has presented you some easily digestible grammar lessons.  This blogger believes that you will not leave this post without commenting despite/in spite of your time crunch and haste to leave this blog. 

This is only a paragraph written to show the use of the above expressions and not a factual presentation related to this blogger.  Got it? Come on, you got it.  So, it is bye, bye from you till next meeting with new lessons or articles.  Ciao friends.

SACHIN TENDULKAR: A LIVING CRICKET LEGEND

Venue:  Mohali Cricket Ground

Team: India versus Australia

Game: 2^nd Test.

Activity: Cricketing history rewritten. 

State: Chandigarh, India.

Date: The 17^th October, 2008.

History was written once again by the world’s one of the greatest willowers.  Yes he was none other than India’s darling of the cricket lovers Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.  India as a cricketing country and Indians as cricket lovers feel proud to have a batsman of his genre, class, aggression and temperament who not only entertains the crowd but also brings innumerable laurels for his country and the game.  Mohali and its spectators had waited for their darling to eclipse the record.  Ricky Ponting and his battery of pacers led by Bret Lee had different strategy to block Tendulkar from achieving the great feat but the margin was too less to allow them any level playing field to disallow him surpassing the record.

What happened confused?  I know, you know this if you are a cricket lover.  Anyway, let me come to the point straight away.  The cricketing world had heard a lots about Brian Lara and Sachin’s on field rivalry.  And there are but lots of speculations on this issue.  But again Sachin proved that he is the great in both forms of the cricket-the shorter version and the longer version of the game.   Sachin became the highest run getter in Test cricket as he scored the fifteenth run of his innings of 88.  The stadium seemed to be dancing to Samba beats. 

Highest run getter in both form of cricket, highest century maker in both form of cricket. These records tell much about the legend whose name is Sachin Tendulkar.  Sachin really is the best and it is but a proven fact.  I’ve seen him playing since his debut way back in 1989 in Pakistan against the pace batteries of Pakistan like Washim Akram and Imran Khan.  At that time he was only a boy and the standard pad was blocking his thigh.  And Pakistani cricketers and media were laughing and criticizing the inclusion of Sachin in the squad and branding him as boy on milk. But he proved all of them as wrong and smashed the spin legend Abdul Qadir so ruthlessly that Qadir himself patted and praised him.  In his hey day, Abdul Qadir was unplayable like Muthaiya Murali Dharan of Srilanka and Shane Warne of Australia.  It was but a feat to smash 27 runs off an over of this legendary bowler.  It was during this series he came to be named as Little Master.  

Ever since his debut there is no looking back and all cricket lovers and india’s Cricket Board supported him blindly.  He came, he saw and he conquered the phrase suitable fits to Sachin Tendulkar.  He has conquered cricketing peaks after peaks and minds after minds.  God only knows how many more records would be made and rewritten till he retires from active cricket. Today he is such a legend that peoples respect and love him as a cricketing hero. 

As a willower he is unparalleled and unstoppable.  His hunger for runs is still there as fresh as the hunger of a lion.   Not only is he a willower but he has served his Captain as a part time bowler and baffled many established batsmen of the world with his unorthodox genre off-break bowling.  And he has proved his mettle in both forms of game-batting and bowling. 

He has served the cricking world without any break barring injuries.  Today’s international cricket is so demanding and exhausting that not every one is able to maintain a standard health to play for long without any discernible breaks between games.  But Sachin is great and his health and mind has supported him that has allowed him to rule for such a long time.  His contemporaries have either retired or gone out of picture after some years of active cricket. 

Every bowler cherishes his wicket and celebrates if one happens to trap him playing.  But Sachin is such a great cricketer that he has ruined the careers of many bowlers upsetting their statistics and averages as he bats without any mercy and accurate aggression.  When he would come to the crease supporters would dance and applause.  His each and every run is celebrated by clapping and sometimes by crackers though crackers are banned now.  His ruthlessness towards bowler is enjoyed by all and sundry.  His aggression provides joy and ecstasy enough to return more than the value of match ticket.  In other words speaking, he is a drug that every one wants to be addicted! As long as he happens to be on the crease, the noise level seems to be high thanks to Sachin’s penchant to score runs and hit the balls to the fence round the oval. 

On his way to eclipse Brian Lara’s record he missed his 40^th ton by a bare margin of 12 runs as he was caught while he was on 88 runs.  The cricket world would remember Sachin Tendulkar after his retirement and everything would be compared with him and his feats, as he is a standard now.  Let’s this cricketing legend play quality cricket at his fag end of his career and set many more records for the posterity to break and emulate.  In Google a search of Sachin Tendulkar hit backs 1,580,000 pages in 0.08 seconds.  This amazing search result shows his popularity and legendary status.  Let this legend live long and serve the game of cricket actively either off field or on field.  Let all cricket lovers and Indians pray for his longevity of life.  Amen!

Vocabulary: My way

So you are ready to learn some new words that can be helpful to you in your day to day speaking and writing.  I know you are always ready to know about more and more words.  But, before going on such a good mission, you should keep some vital points in view.  English vocabulary is not only rich but varied as you know.  One can find a lot of words to describe a particular situation.  A professional will describe a situation in different words but a layman will describe similar situation in different words.  This differences of work cultures and involvements, lead to the development of Jargon Words.  Jargon is a word or concept that is developed by a particular community of workers for easy understanding by similar peoples involved in similar profession.  In other words speaking, jargon can be said as words by professionals by professionals, isn’t it?

Plainly speaking, first know what vocabulary you require at this moment. The need of vocabulary changes according to time and situation.   A student would like to learn some cute words to converse with his/her friends especially with girl friends, isn’t it? Ha…ha.  Remember, college students converse with their own jargons applied to a particular campus.  An economist would like to learn jargons related to his field.  Similarly, politicians also learn the jargon of parliament.  But generally, people learn some words that cannot be said purely as jargon and can be used in all situations.  It can be said that a college student fresh from the oven, seems to have more words than a professional.  This blogger does not emphasize this fact from statistical point of view as there is no study or research on this aspect of vocabulary by different peoples.  A layman acquires many words of different genres.  But a professional, after some years of active service tends to forget the layman’s words for his excessive involvement and association with the jargons related to his field.  This is only an observation and not opens for debate. 

What I want to emphasize here is that, at first learn some general words.  First you will need some daily use VERBS.  And to polish and beautify your verbs you will have to learn some ADVERBS. Of course you will have to learn some NOUNS as you will need them while conversing.  And of course to beautify your NOUNS you will need some ADJECTIVES.  Verbs, adverbs, nouns, adjectives are really, the vital parts of speech.  Of course, there are so many parts but here let me confine myself to the vocabulary aspect.

So, when you learn a Verb try to convert it to an Adverb.  Then make it a Noun and of course to an Adjective.  Your Positive Verbs can be turned into Negative and vice-versa by joining or deleting some Prefixes to/from a word.  You can search the Antonyms of a Word.  You can search synonyms of that word as well.  Ah, another point try to learn the uses also, as very often meaning of some words changes completely according to the contexts.  In this way you can acquire a commendable level of word power should you stick to your mission.   

So, from today set out on a mission to browse a good offline dictionary and at least try to make yourself familiarize with one word a day.  The one word per day roughly means more than 75 words including the antonyms, synonyms, various uses, nouns, adjectives and adverbs.  With day passing, make it a hobby to browse dictionary and increase the one word limit to two words and so on according to your time and requirement.  Remember, don’t try to learn unnecessary words that cannot be put to use once in a year.  I have learned a word gobbledygook that I have not used once since learning because ‘Jargon’ helps me.  Recently, a blogger came to this blog and wrote ‘Fixe’ following the comment link.  But, frankly speaking friend, before this I had not heard this word and the question of using did not arise.  Even still today, I am yet to figure out for what reason he used the word ‘Fixe.’  Anyway, I have nothing to do with the word but my point is that, use those words that can be easily understood by others.  Unless, a listener understands one, there are chances of communication gap and being misunderstood or ignored.  So, better use those words that are easily understood by all and sundry.

Book (N):  A binding creation of written papers.

Booked (V):  Reserved.

Un-booked (Antonyms): That is not reserved.

Bookie (N): A book maker.

Bookish (N): Who loves book very much or who befriends with books.

Image via Wikipedia

Bookmark (V) Come on, you know it.  

Book case, Book-keeper, Bookplate, Bookworm (a, b).  All these are related words of book.

Each and every word can be parsed and expanded in this way.  This enhances one’s vocabulary level. 

A Wrap Up:

• Read periodicals, Newspaper.
• Watch Useful English language programs.
• Watch programs of Your Vernacular language and compare the meaning with the English vocabularies. 
• Learn Less Jargons or conceptualized words and more general words.
• Use your Vocabulary with Your friends and in your writings.
• Make free use of Suffixes and Prefixes.  
• Search for Antonyms and Synonyms,
• Convert words to Adverbs, Adjectives and Nouns etc.
• Convert Positive words to negative not by the use of ‘Not’ and vice-versa.
• Make it a habit to browse an Offline dictionary even if you browse ‘Online dictionaries.’

Friends, my small daughter (Eleven months old) Sophie seems to be calling me in her own language.  I will return with new resources on English grammar.  Do follow me.  If you like this post then, don’t forget to subscribe this blog and if possible bookmark this post wherever you like following the links given.  

Till next, it's Ciao from me and do take care of your Personae.  Bye, Bye.  

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VOCABULARY: THE PREFIX WAY

The English vocabulary is rich and diversified, solely for its flexibility and broadness in taking freely from other languages.  It has not only contributed the development and evolution of other languages of the world but also has enriched its own vocabulary base. The process of this development is still on, as every day a lot of new words are being added to the vocabulary base.  Not that, only new words are being added but some words are going out of fashion and fast losing currency.  This process of interaction between languages is still on and in the interaction; the benefit is highly tilted towards the English language. 

 

Vocabulary is one of the important aspects of any language and people with amazing vocabulary base are gifted orator, as for their rich vocabulary they never stumble while speaking and writing.  A rich vocabulary base keeps the speaking and writing in flow. There are many ways to increase the vocabulary base without much effort.  Remember, rich vocabulary is not an item sold in any online store.  One has to do a lot of hard works to gather some new and essential words.  Scour dictionaries after dictionaries, hop from site to site, read periodicals and magazines to collect some words.  But all these efforts are time taking though essential. But apart from all these there are so many less important but essential techniques to enrich your vocabulary or word power. 

 

Am I straying around? Don’t worry I am coming to the point.  Yes, it is the FIXING.  No, no way related to match fixing, rest assured.  In English language, you might have known about the terms PREFIX AND SUFFIX.  You know it, I am sure.  Yes, in this series let’s discuss some Prefixes which are essential to further your word power.  Pre means before and fix means affix or paste or join.  In other words speaking, prefix is a small two or three or more letters expression or word which is added Before a root word to make a new word, similar or different in meaning from the original word.

 

Let’s discuss some Prefixes and their uses. 

 

 

PREFIXES	ORIGIN	CONSEQUENCE	EXAMPLES
A, An	Greek	Without, not, opposite to	Amoral, Atheist, asexual, agonistic
A	Old English	On	Abed, Abroad, Afoot, Alive
Ab (a, abs)	Latin	From, Away	Aversion, avert, abdicate
#Ad	Latin	To, Towards	Adore, advise
Aero	Greek	Air	Aero plane, aeronaut
After	Old English	Compounds of after	Afterlife, after though, use- to separate
Agro, agri	Greek	Field	Agriculture,     agronomy
(1) Am, Ambi	Latin	Around, About	Ambient, amputate
(2) -	-	Both	Ambidextrous
# This prefix generally assimilates before, b, c, f, g, l, n, p, r, s, t and converts into abbreviate, accident, accord, accuse, accede, affirm, affix, avow.

 

This is only a typical list and there are a lot of prefixes that you use without your knowledge.  So, go ahead scour some old grammar books of your grandpa and collect as much prefixes as possible.  Also it is important to know about their uses and master the same.  And lo, you acquire a rich treasure which comes with the Anti Theft Technology that denies a burglar to sneak in.  Lol.  Wish, you mastered them all and make words after words to help yourself and others.  Remember in enriching your vocabulary the role of others cannot be ruled out.  In fact the others who may be your parents, your friends, your teachers and well wishers, help in a varied way in enriching your vocabulary base as they give you chances to use your vocabulary with them.  So, never leave them.  Use the newly created in your writing and check their correct uses.  In this your teachers, peers and your elders can help you in rectifying your mistakes.  And last but not least don’t fear to commit mistakes.  Should you mind the small scratch then mind you, you cannot learn cycling.  In other words speaking, in your effort to learn new words you’re bound to falter and commit mistakes in using them.

 

Follow me and rest assured for some most clumsy, idiotic, un/in fantastic, unfamiliar gram-lessons.  Ha Ha. 

 

Courtesy:  ENGLISH SPELLING RULES by G Hoston.  This article is calibrated, following the afore-mentioned grammar book. 

SUFFIXES FOR AGENTS

In your daily writing or speaking you always form doers or agents from verbs.  And without your knowledge your memory and processor (brain) supplies the suffixes and form the agents and enrich your vocabulary bank.  Read on please.

 

He is the owner of this large estate.  He employs some 100 laborers to maintain the estate and the farm around the estate.  Tax collectors of the city know him personally as he was a consultator in the income tax office before becoming the inheritor of his father vast property. 

 

Notice the suffix ~er, ~or, ~eer.  There are some suffixes which are used to make agent from Verbs and Nouns.  Generally, apart from the afore-mentioned suffixes you use ~ary, ~ar, ~ier are used to make agents or doers. 

 

Uses of suffixes enrich one’s vocabulary and one should master the uses of various suffixes to make words from words. 

 

 

WORDS	DOER/AGENT
Own	Owner
Travel	Traveler
Examine	Examiner
Orate	Orator
Collect	Collector
Revolution	Revolutioner
Translate	Translator
Lie	Liar
Sail	Sailor
Geography	Geographer
Profit	Profiteer
Auction	Auctioneer
Report	Reporter
Visit	Visitor
Bank	Banker
Navigate	Navigator
Law	Lawyer
Buy	Buyer
Make	Maker
Mine	Miner

 

 

 

Should you like the post please leave your valuable comment.  In the event of your dislike also feel free to mail me with your review as that will guide me in future while posting new materials.  Your sincere criticism or commendation (If any) is highly solicited.  Bye for now.