Word of the Day – Martinet

We’re starting a new section that’ll explore the byways and gullies of the English language to cull out interesting words, their origins and usage. Let’s get started with Martinet. Our Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (11th edition) defines Martinet as a strict disciplinarian or a person who stresses a rigid adherence to the details of forms and […]

An Adult Approach to ….

Adult approach? Oh yeah, we can see all ye priapic desis salivating at the prospect. Yes, from our vantage point we can even see your hands inching down to the zipper and …… Well, if you think we’re going to be titillating you about 38D, how-to-increase-your length or Sports Illustrated bikini babes, sorry buddy, this […]

So Many Different Ways to Fire Employees

A few minutes back as we were going over a Nokia announcement (Nokia Streamlines Operations in Several Units and Functions) that’s actually about firing another 1,700 employees worldwide, we couldn’t help but wonder at the flexibility of the English language in dealing with what’s a straightforward issue – laying off or kicking out employees. Here […]

Bailout is 2008 Word of the Year

The folks at dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster Inc have announced bailout as 2008 Word of the Year. Apparently, the selection of bailout was based on the highest intensity of lookups over the shortest period of time in the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary and Online Thesaurus. Bailout  is defined in the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (11th edition) as ‘a rescue from financial […]

Being Proactive on English

A dozen vocabulary guides, hundreds of books and thousands of magazines later, we are still flummoxed by the English language. So the dictionary and thesaurus are our constant companions. Lately, we’ve noticed that the word proactive is being wrongly used here (by at least two comment-posters). It’s being incorrectly used as a synonym for useful. The […]

What do you Smell?

The word smell is part of several English phrases. Here are some of them: Smell blood -discern weakness in an opponent. Smell a rat – suspect treachery or deception. Smell the roses – enjoy or appreciate the small things of life.