Words, idioms and expressions that empower language skills
English is used as a lingua franca among the people of many countries across the world. Its importance as a foreign language, especially in the current milieu of the globalized world, cannot be easily gainsaid. The mastery of English refines the personality and facilitates the success. Let us perfect the knowledge of English to accomplish the dreams of our life.
Choose the closest meaning of the words given in the capital letters -
1. QUIXOTIC
(A) chimerical (B) refusal
(C) disgusting
2. WOBBLE
(A) to reside (B) to deprive
(C) to quiver
3. ACQUIT
(A) to exonerate
(B) to disagree
(C) to reimburse
4. SAVOR/SAVOUR
(A) evidence (B) taste
(C) trick
5. SCHISM
(A) melee (B) rupture
(C) separate
6. RUMINATE
(A) to imply (B) to change
(C) to muse
7. SANGFROID
(A) saturated (B) silky
(C) phlegm
8. STERILIZE
(A) to sanitize (B) to reserve
(C) to rely
9. SAVAGE
(A) fierce (B) beautiful
(C) marvellous
10. SCABROUS
(A) rough (B) hot (C) intense
Answers: 1.A 2.C 3.A 4.B 5.B 6.C 7.C 8.A 9.A 10.A
Let us know the usage of these idioms
Rule of thumb – a general principle based on experience and common sense. (As a rule of thumb, you must labour hard and do mock practices for the success in all the competitive examinations.)
To ring in one’s ears or head – to linger something for longer time in one’s memory or mind (The crying of the helpless lady still rings in my ears.)
To do a roaring trade – to do very good business of something or to sell very large quantities of something in a business (The ice cream industry has been doing a roaring trade in this summer season.)
To make a rod for your own back – to do something which is likely to create problems for yourself later on (The government has ultimately given in to the demands of the people today that will make a rod for its own back in the later years.)
To rule someone or something with a rod of iron – to govern someone or something very strictly and harshly (The previous governments have ruled the country with a rod of iron.)
To strike at the roots of something – to attack the basic causes of a problem or situation. (The government has launched the schemes to strike at the roots of the problems like those of poverty and unemployment.)
To ride roughshod over – to completely ignore the feelings of other people. (The opposition parties have been accusing the government of riding roughshod over the agricultural reforms. The government rode roughshod over the fundamental rights of the people.)
Royal road to – an easy way to achieving something. (Hard labour and consistent practices are essential for successes in life. There is no royal road to them.)
To ruffle someone’s feathers – to cause someone to become annoyed, to upset, disturb or offend someone. (The minister’s racial remarks have ruffled the people’s feathers.)
To pull the rug (from under someone) – to suddenly withdraw support from someone. (The supporting parties pulled the rug from under the government on various burning issues of the common masses.)
In the saddle – in a position of control or responsibility. (She has now been back in the saddle of the company after so much struggle. He has been in the saddle after long gap of his recovery of health.)
Good Samaritan – a compassionate person who helps the needy people.
Packed/ squashed like sardines – extremely crowded.
To save someone’s skin – to rescue someone from danger or difficulty.
To shake the dust off one’s feet – to leave a place disdainfully.
On the shelf - 1. No longer useful. 2. (of a woman) beyond the age when she could expect to have the chance to marry. 3. (of a film or music albums or records)expecting release for the public show or sale in the market.
Let us know these phrasal verbs
To hand out/ to hand something out – to give something, especially money or food.
To flick something off – to switch something off quickly.
To jostle for something – to compete forcefully with others to get something. (The people were jostling for the best rank in the race championship.)
To flood back – to remember something like thought or memory suddenly. (I came across my old friend today and all the memoires of the childhood flooded back to me.)
To fog up – to become covered with water drops or steam. (My car windscreen heavily fogged up in the extreme cold of yesterday.)
To hold something back – to stop oneself from expressing (She could not hold back her tears when she met her childhood friend. I could not hold back my laughter.)
To hurry on to something – to continue speaking without allowing anyone to interrupt. (The guest hurried on to the next topic to the next topic.)
Words wield power
QUACK – noun, impostor, charlatan, fake, fraud.
QUAIL- to recoil, to flinch, to wince, to feel or show fear.
QUAINT – adjective, strange, queer, erratic.
QUAKE – verb, to shake, to tremble.
QUANDARY - noun, predicament, dilemma.
QUALM – noun, compunction, regret.
QUELL- verb, to suppress, to quench, to quash, to extinguish.
QUERY- noun, a question, to ask question
QUIVER – to shake, shiver, to shudder.
QUOTIDIAN –adjective, daily, diurnal, circadian.
RABID – adjective, furious, wild, extremely violent, enraged, incensed, infuriated, affected with rabies.
RANCID – adjective, fetid, putrid, offensive.
RANCOUR – noun, bitter ill will, bitterness, animosity, hostility.
Word of the week
SACRILEGIOUS - adjective, showing lack of respect for a sacred place, person or anything which is considered as sacrosanct. (The lady’s behaviour on the occasion of the inauguration of the temple seemed to be a sacrilegious act.) Synonyms – blasphemous, profane, impious.
(The author is Principal, PM Shri School Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Garhbanaili, Bihar)
