Co-brother ? Is there a word like co-brother?
X : Is there a word like co-brother? SVK : I have come across many people , mainly from south India, using the word ‘Co-brother’ to mean ‘ the husband of one’s wife’s sister. If there were a word like co-brother, there should be a word like ‘Co-sister’ to mean the feminine gender. I haven’t come across people using the word ‘co-sister’. The following dictionaries will enlighten you on the matter with more details. 1. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English. 2. Longman Dictionary…
Affection vs. Affectation
Affection = gentle lasting love like that of a parent for child. He has a deep affection for his old friends. She doesn’t show any affection for him. They showed a great amount of affection and gratitude for a small favour done by us. An affectionate hug/child. Affectation = behaviour which is not one’s natural manner. She is sincere and quite without affectation. I wore sunglasses and people thought it was an affectation. The way she speaks reeks of affectation. Affected = (adjective) pretended, not…
Housewife, househusband, homemaker.
Housewife =(female) a married woman who doesn’t have a full-time job outside the house. She doesn’t want to give up her job and become a housewife. Most women in Kerala don’t necessarily give up their jobs and become housewives when they get married. Househusband =(male) a husband who stays at home and cleans the house, cooks meals etc while his wife goes out to work. He married a well-qualified nurse working abroad with good salary and perquisites (perks) and now he is a happy househusband. Now-a-days…
Grocery vs.Provisions
Grocery/groceries = items of food sold in a grocer’s shop such as flour ,sugar, tinned food etc. Green grocer = shopkeeper selling vegetables and fruit. Related usages : to the grocer/to the grocer’s = to the grocer’s shop. He has gone to the grocer’s. Similar usages : to the baker/ to the baker’s Are you going to the baker/to the baker’s? to the butcher/to the butcher’s to the doctor/to the doctor’s. Provisions = (plural) supplies of food and other necessary things such buckets,…
Useful Idioms – part 5
(1) Loom large = If something looms large it becomes very important and often causes worry. The thought of a third world war looms large in the minds of the humanity. Fear of failure loomed large in his mind. . (2) won’t budge an inch = will not move, change or shift in any way at all. Once my brother gets his mind made up, he won’t budge an inch. So don’t bother trying to reason with him. I can’t believe how tight this bolt…
Personal vs. personnel
Personal = (adjective) belonging to or affecting a particular person. I don’t want to interfere in her personal matters. He takes personal interest in her progress. Pilgrims are warned to keep their personal belongings with them. . Personnel = (noun , ( sing or plural verb) staff, persons employed in any work, especially public undertakings and Armed Forces. There were 10 airline personnel on the plane when it crashed down. Personnel Manager is one who is in charge of relationship between individual employees, their problems, grievances…
Judicial vs. Judicious
Judicial = relating to the legal system and to judgement made in a court of law. When a lawyer argues in a court of law, it should be within the parameters of judicial system. The protesters demanded a judicial inquiry into the allegations. A decision can be taken only after the judicial proceedings are over. . Judicious = wise, sensible, prudent, logical etc. She was mature enough to make judicious use of the scarce resources. A responsible minister should use public funds judiciously. He made…
Reminder vs. Remainder
Reminder = something( eg . a letter) that helps someone to remember something; prompting. She hasn’t paid me that money yet – I must send her a reminder. Granny sometimes needed the old reminder. He’ll forget to call the doctor, if I don’t remind him. His stomach growled a reminder that he hadn’t eaten breakfast. His reminder of her failure left a bitter taste to her mouth. . Remainder = (1) the rest ,balance, what is left when a part is taken away. Fifty members…
Obsolete vs. Obsolescent
Obsolete = no longer used ; completely out of date. If a company wants to remain competitive , it should replace all its old and obsolete equipment. Old technology is becoming obsolete because of the dramatic pace of development in the field. Technological advancements can render some jobs and even the whole industry obsolete. . Obsolescent = becoming obsolete; going out of use/fashion. The planned obsolescence or built-in obsolescence ( a management terminology used for making a preplanning in such a way that the existing product becomes less attractive…
Ventilation vs. Aeration
Ventilation = the movement of fresh air around a closed space or the system that does this. Our kitchen has poor ventilation and in summer it becomes unbearably stuffy. Use car ventilation system for fresh air circulation. Good ventilation helps to reduce indoor pollution but this is not always possible. Aeration = the process by which air is circulated through , mixed with or dissolved in a liquid or substance. Aerate the soil by digging. Blood is aerated in the lungs. Aerated water. Earthworms help…