How well do we know our dance? 💃

29th April is celebrated every year as the International Dance Day.

I have always felt that dance is like meditation. Just like in meditation, you have to focus on one thought, so also, in dance your mind must be totally focused on your steps, to dance perfectly.

India, our country, has been a leader in meditation and also in dance. Each classical dance of India, is bound by a strict set of rules, gestures and postures ( mudras and abhinaya). It is a carefully researched subject, having its origin from the Vedic age. The first treatise on dance was by Bharatmuni – The Natyashastra .

I am sure you all are aware all of the classical Indian Dances. The Sangeet Natak Akademi recognises the following as Indian Classical Dances-

Bharatnatyam
Kathak
Kuchipudi
Odissi
Kathakali
Sattriya
Manipuri
Mohiniyattam

The Ministry of Culture also recognises Chhau as a classical dance.

Most of us have seen these dances, many of us have learnt these too.
But, I have always wondered about the dance forms from outside India.
We do hear and know about some of them like- waltz, tango, salsa etc. Let’s know about some of these dances in detail. 😊💃

Ballet

A type of dancing where carefully organized movements tell a story or express an idea, or a theatre work that uses this type of dancing.

Ballet originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia.

Here is a you tube link to a Ballet performance- The dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy😊

https://youtu.be/Wz_f9B4pPtg

Breakdancing

A form of dance with very energetic movements.

Breaking, also called breakdancing or b-boying/b-girling, is an athletic style of street dance from the United States , originating from New York City.

Here is a link to see a breakdance battle 😊
https://youtu.be/9tG-xwv0kw0

Cancan

A fast dance, originally performed in France in the 19th century, in which a row of women on a stage kick their legs high and lift their skirts.

Cancan is a lively and risqué dance of French or Algerian origin, usually performed onstage by four (or more) women.

Here is a link to see a cancan performance 😊
https://youtu.be/QvccyANdjnk

Fandango

A lively Spanish or Spanish-American dance that is usually performed by a man and a woman to the accompaniment of guitar and castanets (castanets- small concave pieces of wood, ivory, or plastic, joined in pairs by a cord and clicked together by the fingers as a rhythmic accompaniment to Spanish dancing.)
Music for this dance is also called Fandango.

Here is the link , for your to enjoy😊
https://youtu.be/yCWE8DX95uM

Flamenco

Flamenco dance is a highly-expressive, Spanish dance form. The flamenco is a solo dance characterized by hand clapping, percussive footwork, and intricate hand, arm, and body movements. The dance is usually accompanied by a singer and guitar player.

Here is the link 😊
https://youtu.be/QLnEjHuMFsA

Haka

A traditional war dance of the Maori people of New Zealand , sometimes performed before a sports event by the New Zealand team.

You must see the dance- here is the link😊
https://youtu.be/QUbx-AcDgXo

Lambada

A dance, originally from Brazil , in which two people hold each other closely and move their hips at the same time.

See it for yourself 😊
https://youtu.be/6IzWHGrjz0E

Mazurka

A fast dance from Poland , or a piece of music that can be used for this dance

Here is the link to this beautiful dance 😊
https://youtu.be/Q2vfnA_1pjk

Rumba

A type of dancing, originally from Cuba , or the music for this.

Best known for the dancers’ subtle side to side hip movements with the torso erect, the rumba is danced with a basic pattern of two quick side steps and a slow forward step.

Here is the link 😊
https://youtu.be/LCszIfVPdtM

Salsa

A type of South American music with a strong beat, or a dance done to this music.

‘Shape of you’ on salsa 😉
https://youtu.be/jH6TbgHoHMQ

Samba

Samba is a lively, rhythmical dance of Afro-Brazilian origin. Samba was created by African people in Brazil from the music and dance culture they brought from Africa.

Some samba for you😊
https://youtu.be/jUiELRWdY4U

Tango

Tango is a partner dance, and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay.

Famous saying-

“It takes two to tango“

Meaning:

• both people involved in a situation are equally responsible for it.
• actions or communication need more than one person

The phrase refers to tango dance,  which requires two partners to perform. It originated in a 1952 song Takes Two to Tango by Al Hoffman and Dick Manning and subsequently gained prominence as an expression.

See it for yourself 😍
https://youtu.be/xAaPkOYiQWc

And at the last;

Waltz

A formal dance in which two people holding each other move around a large room, turning as they go, or a piece of music with three beats in a bar written for this style of dancing.

Waltz, ( from German walzen, “to revolve” ), highly popular ballroom dance, evolved in the 18th century.

A beautiful ball dance from Cinderella ❤️
https://youtu.be/2QGGbT5HGxY

I guess that covers a lot of dance forms from around the World.

I am sure you would have enjoyed them.😊
Why not learn some of them?


Staying at home, of course! 😄

Au Revoir!🙋🏻‍♀️💃😊

Sensory Words And Onomatopoeia

Aargh….


That headache again!

It’s as if a huge clock is thumping at my temples. I have so much work to do, but my limbs are feeling all wiggly-wobbly .


I push aside my thoughts and concentrate on my walking shoes which are looking at me beckoningly.I put them on and am out in a jiffy.The smell of rain lingers in the air.


A fluffy squirrel, scrambles up the tree. I realise that the regular hubbub of the traffic is missing, as I watch the sun rays play with the golden leaves. The cool air soothes the headache, and I find myself smiling.

Can you visualise this?

That’s because of the sensory details.

Sensory language helps readers and listeners experience your words, almost as if they’re present, right in the middle of your story. Sensory details add personality and flavour to boring content.

Sensory words are more powerful and memorable than ordinary words because they make your reader see, hear, smell, taste, or feel your words.

When reading non-sensory words, your brain processes text. But when you read sensory words, different areas of your brain light up.💡


Your brain processes sensory words as if you taste a sweet cake🍰, as if you see a dazzling display of colors🌈, as if you feel a rough texture🦔.

Writers know that using the senses is a great way to make stories come alive.



# Words related to sight indicate colours, shape or appearance. For instance: gloomy, dazzling, bright, foggy, gigantic.

# Words related to touch describe textures. You can use them to describe feelings and abstract concepts like; gritty, creepy, slimy, fluffy, sticky.

# Words related to hearing describe sounds. For instance: crashing, thumping, piercing, tingling, squeaky. Often these words mimic sounds- that’s when they are called onomatopoeic.

# Taste and smell are closely related. Most taste and smell words are easy substitutes for bland words like good, nice or bad. For instance: zesty, tantalizing, sweet, stinky, stale.

Remember my blogpost a few days back? We had read about various ways to praise a delicacy. (09/01/2020 Scrumptious confusions)

# Motion is sensory too. By using active words or describing movement, you hello your audience to experience your words. For instance: vibrating, soaring, mind-boggling, staggering, bumpy.

• 

In this post we would be dealing with words relating to sound. The rest we would take up in later posts.

General words describing sounds:-

Audible/inaudible
Broken
Monotonous
Hushed- a sound that is quiet
muffled – a sound that is not easy to hear because it is blocked by something
rhythmic- in a clear regular pattern
plaintive – a sound that has a sad quality
staccato – a sound where each word or sound is clearly separate.

Words describing Pleasing Sounds:-

dulcet – soft and pleasant
lilting – a sound that has a rising and falling pattern
mellow – a soft, smooth, pleasant sound
melodic
musical
pure – a clear, beautiful sound
rich – a sound that is strong in a pleasant way
soft – quiet and peaceful
sonorous – a sound that is deep and strong in a pleasant way
sweet

Words describing Unpleasant Sounds:-

at full blast – as loudly as possible
almighty – used for emphasising loud and big
brassy – a sound that is loud and unpleasant
deafening – a sound so loud you cannot hear anything else
ear-splitting – extremely loud
explosive – a sound that is loud and unexpected
howling – a continuous, low, loud noise
insistent – a continuous, loud, strong noise
loud
noisy
percussive – a sound that is short, like someone hitting a drum
piercing – a sound that is very loud, high, and unpleasant
pulsating – strong, regular pattern
raucous – rude, violent, noisy
resounding – a sound that is loud and that continues for a while
riotous – lively and noisy
roaring – a deep, loud noise
rowdy – noisy and causing trouble
sharp – a sound that is sudden and loud
shrill – a sound that is loud, high, and unpleasant
thundering – extremely loud
thunderous – loud
tumultuous – a sound that includes noise, excitement, activity, or violence
uproarious – extremely noisy

Words That Help You Show And Not Tell

You have to use the five senses when you write or speak. The audience wants to experience what your characters see, smell, hear, taste, and touch. Using the senses is one of the best ways to learn how to show and not tell.

Many of the words that help you show and not tell are examples of onomatopoeia. These words imitate natural sounds. It creates a sound effect that mimics the thing described, making the description more expressive and interesting.

Here are some examples:

The bees buzzed outside my window.
The wind sighed.
The leaves crackled and crunched under his feet.

The words we use to describe the noises that animals make are all onomatopoetic, such as a dog’s “bark,” or ” bow-wow”, a cat’s “meow,” or a cow’s “moo”.

Here are some categories of words, along with examples of each:

Machine noises —honk, beep, vroom, clang, zap, boing, clank

Animal names based on the sound that they make —cuckoo, whip-poor-will (check out its sound on you tube https://youtu.be/LTYih_bvpS8), whooping crane, chickadee

Impact sounds —boom, crash, whack, thump, bang

Sounds of the voice —shush, giggle, growl, whine, murmur, blurt, whisper, hiss

Sounds of nature —splash, drip, spray, whoosh, buzz, rustle, babble

I’ll give you a longer list of onomatopoeic words some other time.

Let me end this post with a onomatopoeic example from our literature.

Right from Shakespeare to modern day, novelists, poets, writers have used this to convey a more graphic visualisation of their work .

“Hear the loud alarum bells,
Brazen bells!
What a tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells!
In the startled ear of night
How they scream out their affright!
Too much horrified to speak,
They can only shriek, shriek,
Out of tune…
How they clang, and clash, and roar!
What a horror they outpour
On the bosom of the palpitating air!
Yet the ear it fully knows,
By the twanging
And the clanging,
How the danger ebbs and flows…”

(Excerpt from “The Bells” by Edgar Allen Poe)

Edgar Allen Poe’s famous poem “The Bells” is one of the most onomatopoetic works of literature in history. He describes four different types of bells, including the “loud alarum bells” from these excerpts, as well as the “silver bells” on sledges, the “mellow golden bells” of weddings, and “iron bells.” In each stanza, Poe uses vastly different onomatopoetic words to mimic the sounds of the different bells.

And

Onomatopoeia every time I see ya
My senses tell me hubba
And I just can’t disagree.
I get a feeling in my heart that I can’t describe. . . . It’s sort of whack, whir, wheeze, whine
Sputter, splat, squirt, scrape
Clink, clank, clunk, clatter
Crash, bang, beep, buzz
Ring, rip, roar, retch
Twang, toot, tinkle, thud
Pop, plop, plunk, pow
Snort, snuck, sniff, smack
Screech, splash, squish, squeak
Jingle, rattle, squeal, boing
Honk, hoot, hack, belch.

(“Onomatopoeia” by Todd Rundgren)

This fun poem by Todd Rundgren uses many different examples of onomatopoeia to describe the ineffable feeling he gets in his heart when seeing a love interest.

So sometimes when words seem inadequate, Onomatopoeia comes to the rescue!😊

See you soon! 😊🙋🏻‍♀️

Then Earth smiled….

It was one of those mornings when the Earth seemed happy. She breathed a sigh of relief. It was almost fifteen days now. Everything was seeming normal.

For ages Matron Mother Nature had been complaining- and Earth had been giving chances. Ultimately it had to be done. The most unruly student of the School of Life had been grounded! It had been a very, very difficult decision. The most unruly student was also the most intelligent student of the school and Earth’s favorite. But sadly as they say even the moon has spots. So had he.

Dirtying the premises, teasing the other students, bellowing smoke from his numerous experiments, throwing trash in the water tank, and making life really miserable for Matron Nature were just a few of his shortcomings.

The other students, troubled by these antics, had slowly started leaving the School.
That was unacceptable.

Earth had to take a decision.

So it had decided to ground him.
Till he learnt a lesson.

And it was a life changing decision for everyone!

The sky seemed bluer, the air cleaner, the premises quieter, the water sparkling, the other students calmer and above all, Mother Nature seemed happier!
She had actually smiled yesterday, a wee bit of a smile, but a smile it was!

The cool breeze broke the train of thoughts. The fluffy squirrel scrambled up the tree, as the sun rays played in the golden leaves. The birds were chirping and the refreshing smell of the rain lingering in the air soothed the nerves.

Then Earth smiled! 😊

Animal Instincts

3rd March is celebrated as the World Wildlife Day 🦚🦩🐯 all over the globe to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora. Fauna refers to animals, and Flora refers to the plant kingdom.🐘🌳

The evolution curve, started with the tiniest microorganisms, went on to create a full fledged green revolution, witnessed the mightiest and largest animals- dinosaurs,🦕 evolved and emerged at the right angle to form us – human beings!

We, humans, are supposedly the most intelligent beings in the world or maybe even in the universe, until proven otherwise.

We, have discovered the use of fire, wheel, electricity, we have discovered language, we have understood the importance of science, arts, culture, we have sent men on the moon, we are forever outshining our achievements, we are indeed great!

But are we really so great?🤔

We act in certain stupid, irresponsible ways too. We do not respect the flora and fauna of our beautiful world, we waste the water of our blue planet, we pollute the environment, we forget the importance on our ecosystem.

Our Earth is our home, we must protect it, nurture it, respect it.

And as the most intelligent inhabitant of Earth , this is the least we can do.

On this World Wildlife Day, we should pledge to safeguard our flora and fauna.

And in this context, today we would discuss about certain descriptive words which the Animal Kingdom has bestowed upon us.

These words relate to certain physical traits or behavioural characteristics of various animals.

🐇🐀🐁🐩🐕🦮🐕‍🦺🐈🐅🐆🐖🐎🐄🐂🐃🐑🐏🐘🦒🦏🦘🐒🦍🦥🐪🐫🦔🐿️🦦🦨🦇🦉🦅🐦🦜🕊️🦢🦩🦚🦃🦆🦆🐧🐓🐔🐣🐤🦐🦞🦀🦑🐙🦪🦂🕷️🐚🐌🦗🦟🐝🐞🦋🐛🦠🐾

DOGGED🐕‍🦺🐕‍🦺🐕‍🦺

DOGGED🐕‍🦺🐕‍🦺🐕‍🦺

# persistent in effort; stubbornly tenacious

# Some action marked by stubborn determination.

Referring to the absolutely determined and persevering nature of Dogs.

This can be used both negatively, (somebody who doesn’t know when to give up) and positively (somebody who doesn’t give up inspite of adversity)

Example: Her dogged efforts eventually paid off.

DOG-EARED🦮🦮🦮

DOG-EARED🦮🦮🦮
adjective

(used about a book or piece of paper) in bad condition with untidy corners and edges because it has been used a lot.

A dog ear is a folded down corner of a book page.

The name arises from the fact that the ears of many breeds of dogs flap over.

Example: In a few months we shall regard the price lists as tatty and dog-eared mementoes of a former age which we do not quite understand.

BADGER 🦡🦡🦡

BADGER🦡🦡🦡

1. Noun:
A badger is a wild animal which has a white head with two wide black stripes on it. Badgers live underground and usually come up to feed at night.

2. Verb:
If you badger someone, you repeatedly tell them to do something or repeatedly ask them questions.

We are here concerned with the verb here.”to attack persistently, worry, pester,” from badger (n.), based on the behavior of the dogs in the medieval sport of badger-baiting, practiced till late 19c. England.

A badger was put into a barrel, and one or more dogs were put in to drag him out. When this was effected he was returned to his barrel, to be similarly assailed by a fresh set of dogs.

The badger usually made a most determined and savage resistance.

So the badgering here is referred to the action of the ever persistent dogs!

Example: Every time we go into a shop, the kids badger me to buy them sweets.

APE 🦍🦍🦍

APE 🦍🦍🦍

1. noun

a type of animal like a large monkey with no tail or only a very short tail
Chimpanzees and gorillas are apes.

2. verb

# to copy somebody/else, especially in order to make fun of them.

# to copy something or someone badly and unsuccessfully.

# to copy closely but often clumsily and ineptly

The origin of this verb meaning comes, no doubt, from the antics of the apes, noted for mimicry of human action, ( leading to the figurative usage of this word as ‘a fool’)

Example: He called the new building unoriginal and said that it merely aped the classical traditions.

WASPISH 🐝🐝🐝

WASPISH🐝🐝🐝
adjective

# readily expressing anger or irritation.

# likely to make sharp, slightly cruel remarks; having a slightly angry and unpleasant manner:

# resembling a wasp in behavior
especially : snappish, petulant

# resembling a wasp in form
especially : slightly built

This adjective is used no doubt due to the painful sting of the wasp.

A wasp is an insect with wings and yellow and black stripes across its body. Wasps have a painful sting like a bee but do not produce honey. Wasp nests, made in or near houses, such as in roof spaces, can present a danger as the wasps may sting if people come close to them.
Stings are usually painful rather than dangerous, but can prove to be life threatening in rare cases.

Example: She had a waspish tongue which could hurt.

SLOTHFUL🦥🦥🦥

SLOTHFUL🦥🦥🦥

adjective

# sluggardly, indolent, lazy

Lazy: suggests a disinclination to work or to take trouble.
Indolent: suggests a love of ease and a dislike of movement or activity.
Slothful: implies a temperamental inability to act promptly or speedily when action or speed is called for.

Slothful refers to Sloths- present day arboreal (residing on trees) mammals noted for slowness of movement and for spending most of their lives hanging upside down in the trees of the tropical rain forests of South America and Central America.

Example: His overly lax managerial style has resulted in a department that is slothful and unproductive.

That brings us to the end of today’s article.

Hope you liked it. 😊🦋🐌

Legend, Fable, Folktale or Fairy tale?

One of my favorite places since childhood have been the bookstores! Kolkata boasts of a great reading culture and trips to the bookstores are considered mandatory. Stories have fascinated me all along, I mean who doesn’t like listening to stories? Right from the awesome stories heard on my father’s lap to the opening of the wondrous world of books it’s been stories all along!

One of my favourite childhood memories is listening to the story of Cinderella as told by my father. I knew all along that it is a Fairy tale. There’s a fairy godmother in it, remember?

But the trips to the bookstores, unravelled that all stories are not fairy tales. Its a whole world out there – fables, legends, myths, folktales, epics, historical fiction etc. And it’s really a fine line that separates one from the other.

Let us try to understand the distinction between these types- how is a fable different from a legend? Is a myth different from mythology? What’s an epic? What’s a saga?

So, here it goes!😊👍🏻

Myths, legends, fables and folktales are types of stories originally passed by word-of-mouth since generations.

They vary in their subject matter, from explaining the natural world and delivering life lessons, to exaggerated events and people grounded in history.

But the common quality that they share are being excellent tools of learning and entertainment.

History

What is history?

History is the study of the human past as it is described in written documents left behind by humans.
History is a true account of what occured in the past. (History: from Greek- historia meaning inquiry)
Historical fiction is defined as a story set in the past and sometimes borrows true characteristics of the time period in which it is set. Historical fiction means that the book is very accurate under the time period, but the story is not true.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald falls under the Historical Fiction genre.

Fables

Fables are short tales that usually feature animals (real or mythical) given human-like qualities to deliver a specific moral or lesson. Fable followed the oral tradition and are present in all cultures.

The stories from Panchatantra and Jataka tales can be classified as fables.

Some of the most famous fables have been attributed as written by a Greek slave Aesop in 560 BC. One of his most popular fables is the story of the tortoise and the hare; the moral being, ‘Slow and Steady wins the race’.

Folktales

Folktales also stem from an oral tradition, passed down by the ‘folk’ who told them. The term ‘folktale’ is often used interchangeably with fable, since folktales can also have a lesson at the end.
Folktales are different from fables because they feature people as their main characters.

All cultures have folktales and many countries far and wide share similar folktales.

The story of the ‘ Stone Soup ‘, for example, is one told all over the world.

Folklore

Folklore refers to the traditional beliefs and stories of a community in particular. The various superstitions, stories, beliefs of people in accordance with a culture all add up to the creation of folklores. Music, art, poetry, ballads, stories all make up folklore.

An example can be –

# Many families have Christmas traditions, which originate from their ancestors- some incident which occured in the past could have given arise to certain beliefs and superstitions

# Folklore has it that if you visit the Jagannath Temple at Puri in Odisha, India, your worship/prayer would not be considered complete, until and unless you do visit the nearby Sakshi Gopal temple (20 kms away). This is the place where Lord Krishna had come as a witness in a trial for his ardent devotee. Hence the name, Sakshi Gopal. (Sakshi: witness)

Legends

Legend is a traditional story or group of stories told about a particular person or place.

Formerly the term legend meant a tale about a saint. Legends resemble folktales in content; they may include supernatural beings, elements of mythology, or explanations of natural phenomena, but they are associated with a particular locality or person and are told as a matter of history.

Many local legends are actually well-known folktales that have become attached to some particular person or place. For example, a widely distributed folktale of an excellent archer who is forced to shoot an apple, hazelnut, or some other object from his son’s head has become associated with the Swiss hero William Tell.

Myth

As per Finnish Folklorist Laura Honko-
“Myth, a story of the gods, a religious account of the beginning of the world, the creation, fundamental events, the exemplary deeds of the gods as a result of which the world, nature and culture were created together with all parts thereof and given their order, which still obtains.”

“A myth expresses and confirms society’s religious values and norms, it provides a pattern of behavior to be imitated, testifies to the efficacy of ritual with its practical ends and establishes the sanctity of cult.”

While myth and other folklore genres may overlap, myth is often thought to differ from genres such as legend and folktale in that neither are considered to be sacred narratives . Main characters in myths are usually gods, demigods or supernatural humans, while legends generally feature humans as their main characters.

Mythology

Mythology usually refers to the collected myths of a group of people. For example, Hindu Mythology, Greek mythology, Roman mythology all describe the body of myths retold among those cultures.

Fairy Tales

The term fairy tale, if taken literally, should refer only to stories about fairies. However a fairy tale is normally used to refer to a much wider class of narrative, namely stories (directed, above all, at an audience of children) about an individual, almost always young, who confronts strange or magical events; examples are Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella,and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Fairy tales tend to be placed in a setting that is geographically and temporally vague and might begin with the words “Once upon a time….

Sagas, Epics and Parables


Saga

The word saga is often used in a generalized and loose way to refer to any extended narrative, re-creation of historical events. A distinction is thus sometimes drawn between myths which are set in a semi-divine world and sagas set in more realistic and specific historical settings.
Example: Iliad and Odyssey


Epic

Epic is similar to saga in that both narrative forms look back to an age of heroic endeavour. But the difference of epics from saga is that epics are almost always composed in poetry.
Example: The Mahabharata.

Parables

Parables are narratives with the explicit purpose of the illustration of a doctrine or standard of conduct.

Example: The parables of the New Testament.

Many a times we are confused with these nomenclatures – epic, legend, myth and we tend to often inadvertently use one for the other. I sincerely hope that my effort today has clarified some of these confusions.
It surely helped me for a better understanding of these terms.

Looking forward to more learning together!😊

After all, as per the moral of the story The Stone Soup–

Sharing benefits everyone who contributes.

Is it War or Marriage? 😄

The other day I was invited for lunch at a friend’s place. The easy banter over lunch, very naturally veered towards the latest movies and their reviews.
Quite naturally a discussion started about the latest Oscar nominated movie, Marriage Story. Someone said, “It is a movie based on martial…no no! marital problems!” I could sense a ‘scrumptious confusion’ here!😄😄😄
The very commonly confused words martial/marital have different meanings but some people may be of the opinion that both can be interchanged!😉So, for all of us, another edition of ‘confusing words’ is imperative!

Here it goes!

1. Martial/ Marital

Martial 🤺
Martial is pronounced like marshal and means relating to war , warlike.Mars was the Roman God of War. He was responsible for everything military, from warriors to weapons to marching music.
Martial arts are skills of combat and self-defense also practiced as sport.
When martial law is declared, a country’s armed forces take over the functions of the police.
And a court-martial is a military court or trial.

Marital 👩‍❤️‍👨
Marital is pronounced with three syllables, MARE-ih-tul, and means relating to marriage.
Originates from latin maritus, meaning marriage.
The error, when it occurs, is always good for a laugh.
Ex. They’ve been having marital problems.

2. Meter / Metre

Both words are nouns.

Meter
A meter is a measuring device, like a gas meter.

Metre
Metre is a metric unit or a type of rhythm in verse.



3.Grisly / Grizzly🐻

Grisly
adjective
Refers to something that inspires great horror or fear; also something that inspires disgust or distaste.
The word originates from ‘grislic’, which is related to an Old English verb meaning “to fear”

Ex: The jurors saw grisly photos of the crime scene.


Grizzly
adjective
Grizzly comes from a word meaning “gray or grayish.”
A beard could be described as grizzly. Grizzly means “sprinkled or streaked with gray.”
Although grizzly bears range in color from very light tan (almost white) to dark brown, they apparently acquired their name from explorers who saw grayish specimens. In other words, the grizzly bear got its name because the hairs of its brownish coat usually have silver or pale tips, creating a grizzled effect, and not because it causes terror.
The misperception that the bear’s name reflects its reputed fierceness probably contributed to the confusion of “grizzly” with “grisly.”
Ex: A grizzly bear rushing toward an unwary camper would be a grisly sight. 🐻😱

4. Conscience / conscious 🧠
Conscience
noun
refers to the sense of right and wrong in an individual.
Ex: She could not, in all conscience, remain silent.

Conscious
adjective
that means to be “aware of”, to be awake
Ex: She didn’t seem conscious of the danger




5. Hanged / Hung
verbs in past tenseHanged
When hang means, “to execute by suspending a person by the neck,” the preferred forms are hang, hanged, (has) hanged.
Ex: “The murderer was sentenced to be hanged by the neck until dead.”

Hung
When hang refers to suspending an inanimate object or a person without intent to execute, the forms are hang, hung, (has) hung.
Ex: “The housekeeper hung the laundry in the garden.


6. Hoard / Horde
Hoard 🍑
The word hoard is used as both noun and verb. As a ‘noun’, a hoard is an accumulation of something valuable to the hoarder.As a ‘verb’ , to hoard is to put away something of value for preservation or future use.The verb usually has a negative connotation, implying that the person doing the hoarding is being selfish (in the context of scarcity) or has a disorder (in the context of an inability to part with unneeded possessions).
Ex: A squirrel’s hoard of nuts.

Horde
The noun horde originally referred to a tribe of Asiatic nomads. Now it can also mean a large gathering of people or animals . The word usually bears a connotation of ferocity.
Ex: The child fled from a horde of angry geese.

So that was today’s dose of confusing words.


Coming back to my luncheon discussion, I observed that movie was almost always described as good or bad or at most ‘ a one-time watch’.

Even when we want to describe or rather praise a book, we hardly move away from the oft repeated adjectives , good or bad or at best ‘readable’.

So as a parting note I am listing below the most wonderful, meaningful adjectives that you can use to describe a movie or a book. 📚📚📚

1. Readable/Watchable
   It’s a very readable account of the history of this great city.
   It’s probably not his best movie but it’s very watchable.
2. Entertaining
   It’s not a great novel/movie, but it’s fairly entertaining.
3. A good read
   a book that is very enjoyable may be described as a good read.
4. Absorbing
   Absorbing is used for a movie or book that is so interesting, it completely holds your attention.
5. Engrossing
   This is stronger than absorbing.
   The movie was completely engrossing from start to finish.
6. Intriguing
   means very interesting in a way that is unusual or mysterious.
   I found the storyline so intriguing – I had absolutely no idea what was going to happen next.
7. Gripping/Riveting
   meaning very exciting
   You’ll love the novel/movie – it’s riveting stuff.
8. Compulsive/Compelling
   used to describe movies and books that are so exciting, you cannot stop watching or reading them. The adjective is often used in the phrases (for movies, shows, etc) compulsive viewing and (for books) compulsive reading:

      His latest book is compulsive reading.     The adjective compelling means the   same
      I found the whole series very compelling

9. Unputdownable
   (informal)
   For a book, so exciting, you cannot stop reading it (you cannot ‘put it down’)😊

I hope you liked today’s post.
And I also hope that you would now be more creative while appreciating movies or books, releasing yourselves from the clutches 🔗of the good, the bad and the ugly! 😄😄😄

Spice Day – Thursday 🌶️🌶️

Recently an elderly neighbour visited us. She insisted on making her version of a tea concoction which would make everyone feel invigorated and comfortable in the intense cold, here at Delhi. The tea was exhilarating. I looked at her recipe carefully, it was an exact mix of the various wonderful spices that made it so special.
Spices are the identifying factor of Indian cuisine. Spices, like gossip, make our food more interesting and delicious.
I am originally from Maharashtra but grew up in Kolkata. So my palate has perfectly adjusted, infact loves, the varied tastes of both Marathi and Bengali cuisine. The quintessential aroma of the ‘phodni’ (Marathi) or the ‘panch phoran’ (Bengali) makes me excited. With time and marriage I discovered the various spices used in Kannada cuisine and of course the spices used in making lip-smacking north Indian food.

So, to cut it short, spices are something which we Indians are exposed to from childhood. But the fact is that we know their Hindi names or names in our mother tongues. But open any cookbook now or watch any food show on tv, they invariably mention the English names of these spices.
For example: Kesar or Zaffran is Saffron, Elaichi is Cardamom, Laung is clove and Hing is Asafoetida.

*Today you have to tell me the English names some of the spices, used very commonly, in our everyday life.*
But there is a twist- you have to first solve the simple riddles given below, guess the name of the spice in *Hindi* and then also give the *English* name of the same!

So when you post your answers to me you would have to give me both the Hindi and English names of these popular spices.

*Activity*-

*1.* A very popular Hindi ‘muhavara’ – Unt ke muh mein ….. refers to this spice.🐪
meaning something so small that it’s unnoticeable …. referring to its size.🍕

*2.* Its good for your tummy
It has a sort of a ‘jawan’ in its name
Its a must in parathas.
In English it rhymes with a game!🍲

*3.* Almost everyone has had it
in restaurants at the end.
It freshens up the mouth ,
Aids digestion as a friend.🥘
(PS: rhymes with cough)😊

*4.* Pretty in black, looks fabulousness on a naan,
‘Tommorow-on-ji’ in Hindi, find out if you can🍪
(PS: The name of a popular food show host)🍜

*5.* ‘Put some sugar’ says its name
Apple pies love it, it has international fame.🍎🥧

*6.* Winter is the season when its had the most,
dainty and white, it has jaggery as its dost! 🍥🍮

All the Best! 🌶️😊

Scrumptious Confusions

Hola Everyone!♥️

Thursday comes, and I sit with a squeezer to sqeeze out some creative ‘write ups’ for all of you.

As you all probably know, I love cooking! 🍳 I feel its therapeutic and very relaxing. 💆🏻‍♀️
I also love tavelling.✈️🧳
Another activity that I sincerely enjoy is putting aesthetic pictures of my creations and travel on Instagram (devyani_sriram) and then watch out 🧐eagerly for all my friends’ comments. 📸👍🏻

One of these days I got a comment from someone that my cake was looking *scrumptious* . Is it sumptuous or scrumptious? – I started wondering.🤔 I checked out the thesaurus to get the right answer.
And I actually had opened the Pandora’s box!
There are so many words in our dear English language which we confuse and misuse and are very, very ignorant about their meanings.

For example: very common – affect/effect, advice/advise, forward/foreward, ensure/insure.

Today we would be discussing about certain words (newer than the above examples) which are commonly confused for each other and utterly mistreated in their usage.
Lets start with the first two words which had me confused 😊

1. *sumptuous/scrumptious*

The word sumptuous derives from the Latin verb sūmĕre – to take, consume, spend. From the verb comes the Latin adjective sumptuosus meaning anything costly, expensive, luxurious, magnificent.
A sumptuous meal is an expensive meal but it may not necessarily mean a ‘palate-pleasing’ meal. It will have numerous courses made up of a wide variety of dishes and drinks. But these dishes may or may not be tasty! 🤨

*Scrumptious* is thought to be an altered form of sumptuous. It is used especially to mean *delicious* food.
Also means anything delightful, excellent.😋👌🏻
Initially, expensive or luxurious things were described as scrumptious as in “a scrumptious house.” Then, scrumptious became a general term of enthusiastic praise – “That portrait is really scrumptious!”
Finally, because it must have often been applied to food, scrumptious came to mean delicious.

2. *aisle/isle*

nouns
Pronunciation: “a-i-l”

*Aisle*
An aisle is a passageway between rows of seats, shelves, or other fixtures or obstacles that people need to move between.
Also used in the popular phrase ” to walk down the aisle” meaning “to get married”👰🤵
Here the aisle refers to the middle passage between the two sides of rows of seats in a church.

Example: “The musical had the audience dancing in the aisles”

*Isle*
An isle is an island- especially a small one.

Example: Robinson Crusoe was stranded on a desert isle.

3. *bated / baited*

*bated*
adjective
# in great suspense; very anxiously or excitedly
bate
# to reduce the force or intensity of, restrain.

The error with these words occurs in the idiom “with bated breath.” The error is to write ‘baited’ for ‘bated’. In the context of the idiom, bated means “in great suspense.”
Example: He waited for a reply to his offer with bated breath.

*baited*
verb
bait:
# to intentionally make a person angry by saying or doing things to annoy them,
# put bait on (a hook) or in (a trap, net, or fishing area) to entice fish or animals.
Example: The hook is baited with a worm.

4. *clench /clinch*

*Clench* : to close or hold something very tightly, often in a determined or angry way.

Example: The old man clenched his fist and waved it angrily at us.

*Clinch* quite simply means to finally get or win something.
It may also mean-
# grapple at close quarters, especially (of boxers)so as to be too closely engaged for full-arm blows.
# colloquially it means to embrace
# the position two people are in when they are holding each other tightly in their arms, when fighting or showing love.

Example: He finally clinched the deal to buy the land he wanted.

Although both words share their origin, in modern usage they are not interchangeable. You clench your fist or teeth, but clinch a deal or a victory.

5. *discreet / discrete*

*Discreet*

adjective
# careful and prudent in one’s speech or actions, especially in order to keep something confidential or to avoid embarrassment, judicious.
# intentionally unobtrusive.

Example:
A discreet friend can be trusted not to tell all he knows about your private affairs.
A discreet cough.

*Discrete* :
adjective
# individually separate and distinct
# not continuous
Example:
Charles Dickens published his novels in discrete parts that could later be fused as an uninterrupted whole.

6. *denote /connote*

*Denote*
verb
# be a sign of; indicate.
# stand as a name or symbol for.
( It indicates some fact)
Example:
A squiggly red line under a word in a corrected essay denotes a misspelled word.
The level of output per firm is denoted by X.

*Connote*
verb
# imply or suggest (an idea or feeling) in addition to the literal or primary meaning.
# (of a fact) imply as a consequence or condition.
(It implies a feeling)
Example:
Words like Mother and home connote warmth and comfort.👩‍👦‍👦🏡
To me, chocolate connotes pleasure and indulgence.😋🍫

There are many more such confused words in our heads. I have noted down a few and will continue on this subject once every month.

In the meantime lets get back to the beginning of this scrumptious conversation.😊
The next time you want to comment on your friend’s culinary expertise please do not limit yourself to the regular, mundane ‘yummy‘! Here is a list of adjectives which you can use to describe good, tasty food-

delicious
delectable
mouthwatering
appetizing
tasty
flavourful
toothsome
palatable
succulent
luscious
scrumptious
and many more 😍😋

See you next week!😊
Do treat yourself to some finger-licking food during the weekend!🍔🍕🌯🌮🍨🍦🍰

Adios!🙋🏻

Is This GOAT? 🐐😄

Thursdays are for learning something new, especially for me. When I wrote the article on FOMO and other new words, my daughter came up with a few more of such terms which are new and very much in use in the present times.
Enjoy the words and start using them to impress! 😊👍🏻

*BAE*
BAE is an acronym for “before anyone else” and refers to a person’s boyfriend or girlfriend.“I’m going to hang out with my bae.”

*SIDE-EYE*
You all must have at sometime given someone a disapproving look with sideways glances of your eyes – This is called giving someone the *side-eye* to show you’re annoyed and don’t approve of them or their behavior.”I had good reason to give him the side-eye. He just kept annoying me with his irritating behaviour!”

*STAYCATION*
Sometimes you plan a vacation but sadly cannot fix up a destination or just want to relax at home. Well, in such a scenario, spend your vacation at home and have a staycation (stay + vacation).”Everyone was surprised that I’m having a staycation this holiday.”

*MIC DROP*
The term describes an act of intentionally dropping the microphone (also called a mic for short) after an impressive performance. In its metaphorical meaning, it means leaving a discussion after you achieve an absolute victory.“Mic” is pronounced like the English first name “Mike.””Her presentation was so successful. It was the ultimate mic drop!”

*GOLDILOCKS* adjective
This one has nothing to do with porridge. Now, Merriam-Webster recognizes it as astronomers’ description of a planet that isn’t too hot or cold and can support life.
Goldilocks (usually initial capital letter): not being extreme or not varying drastically between extremes, especially between hot and cold.
1540–50: from the fairy tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears, in which the golden-haired Goldilocks rejects uncomfortable extremes, as porridge that is too hot or too cold.”A Goldilocks planet such as Earth.”

“Mx. (noun)”
Mx. is used instead of Mr. or Ms. or Mrs. when a person avoids specifying their gender or prefers not to identify as male or female. The gender-neutral title is pronounced Mix or Mux.“The university’s application form also offered Mx. as a title.”

*CLAPBACK*
a quick, sharp, and effective response to criticism
“We all love a good clapback. It’s a comeback but with that extra oomph.”

*LIT*
Lit has been used as slang for over a century, but it used to be slang for “drunk.” Now, “lit” has taken on a new slang meaning describing something that is *”exciting or excellent.”*
“That party was lit!”

*JOMO*
JOMO is an acronym standing for the expression joy of missing out, and it simply refers to the gratifying feeling you get when you break away from the (real or virtual) activities of your social group and spend time doing exactly what you most want to do.

That’s all for today folks. This may not be GOAT – Greatest of all times but I hope you enjoy 😊

PS: GOAT: Greatest Of All Time: used to refer to or describe the person who has performed better than anyone else ever, especially in a sport or performance or activity.

Have you got a FOMO?

Thursday Greetings to all! ♥️😊🌟

I am a self confessed movie/series addict. If I like a particular series on the Net, I binge-watch it till the end! Otherwise I get a very strong FOMO!
And I am always on a BOLO for good, interesting and exciting dramas!😄 Come on… I am writing in our new age language, which is full of new words, phrases and acronyms! Make your teenager read this and all this will be as lucid to him/her as the clear blue sea.
English language is ever evolving. A phrase like ‘binge watching’ was unheard of in our childhood as 24 hours tv was an alien concept for most of us! Today, with the world coming closer, we get to hear many phrases and words which originated in one part of the world but are now used more rampantly in the other part! We are going to know about some of these new age words and phrases which have gained prominence in the recent times, so much so, that they are now a part of the English language.
Every year, hundreds of new words are added to the English dictionary. Of course, not all new words make it into the dictionary. The ones that do are those that’ve been used frequently in a wide range of contexts and are found to be useful to English communication.
New English words may come from foreign words that’ve been adapted into the English language over time. (Sriracha : Spicy Thai sauce)
Some new words are actually old words that’ve been given new or additional meanings. (Ghost)
New words may also be formed from the blending or shortening of certain words or phrases. For example:
FOMO: Fear of missing out
BOLO: Be on the lookout
EVOO: Extra virgin olive oil

Let’s learn some more: 😊

1. *Binge Watch* 📺

To binge watch is to watch many episodes of a TV series one after another without stopping. The word binge by itself means to overdo something.

Example: I spent the whole weekend binge watching the TV series with my roommate.

2. *Ghost*👻👻👻

The meaning of the word ghost (noun) that most of us are familiar with is the spirit of a dead person, like we often see in movies. The new meaning has to do more with disappearance than appearance.

Used as a verb, ghost means to suddenly cut off contact completely with someone (usually a romantic partner) by not answering their phone calls and text messages.

You’ll often hear it used in the past tense (ghosted)… since you don’t know you’ve been ghosted until it’s too late!😄👻

Example: She had stopped answering my calls and messages. She has absolutely ghosted me!

3. *Youthquake* 🏃🤸🏼‍♀️🕺👫

It’s defined as a significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people. (youth+earthquake)

Example: People quickly attributed the party’s success to a “youthquake“.

4. *Hangry* 🍜

Hangry (hungry + angry) is when you’re in a bad mood and feeling frustrated because you need to eat right now.

Example: I haven’t eaten anything since breakfast. I’m hangry and you’re not going to like me very much.😠

5. *Froyo* 🍨

Here’s another new word that has to do with food: froyo – frozen yogurt, a cold dessert that’s similar to ice cream but a bit healthier.

Example: On a hot day, you can call me up for a froyo any time.☀️🍨

6. *Manspread*

Have you noticed- some men sit with their legs so wide apart in public places that they take up more than one seat?

This behavior, commonly observed on public transportation such as trains and buses and in public waiting areas, is known as manspreading (man + spreading).

Example: It would be nice if people would be more considerate about manspreading during busy times of the day.

7. *Photobomb* 📸

Remember the time you posed for that perfect photo (or so you thought!) only to find that someone spoiled it by appearing in view when the photo was taken?

That’s a photobomb. The unintended person is a photobomber. They could be either a random stranger just walking by, or a prankster deliberately photobombing you.

Example: It’s absolutely impossible to avoid photobombers on the beach! 📸🏖️

8. *Facepalm* 🤦

Facepalm (can be separate too -face palm) is a new word that describes the act of covering your face with your hand when you’re in difficult or uncomfortable situations. It’s a pretty natural thing to do when we’re feeling embarrassed, frustrated or very disappointed.

Example: He had to facepalm when his boss pointed out typos in his report after he’d checked it three times.🤦🏻‍♂️

9. *Mansplain* 🕺

Mansplain (man + explain) refers to how some men explain things to a woman in an condescending (superior-seeming) way that sounds like he’s either better than her or he knows more than her.

Example: Whenever he starts mansplaining, all the women in the room roll their eyes and stop listening. 🙄🙄🙄

10. *Fitspiration* 🚴

We all know the theory- if we exercise we remain fit. But we require constant inspiration from our idols.

Fitspiration (fitness + inspiration) refers to the people, pictures and social media posts that inspire us to keep pushing ourselves and staying committed to our fitness goals.

Example: My co-worker has stuck a picture of Chris Hemsworth on his office wall for fitspiration.

Who’s your fitspiration? 🏋️ My fitspiration are my own pictures from earlier days! Best utility of Thursday Throwback, what do you say? 😉
For the uninitiated, Thursday Throwback
is a trend among social media sites such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook wherein users post or repost older photographs (often from their childhood) with the hashtag #ThrowbackThursday or #TBT.

So long then folks! See you on next Thursday. 🙋🏻‍♀️♥️