Know your English
“Tabloid (K. V. Ramana Murthy)”
“‘Tabloid’ is a newspaper of which two pages make up one printing plate and which contains news in condensed form and much photographic matter. It is also used to mean anything in a compressed or concentrated form. Tabloid is also used as an adjective.
I do not like the tabloid style.
Tabloid journalism has its own special characteristics. ‘Tabloid’ does not have a good connotation. Tabloids are not respectable as they are considered sensational and rather vulgar. The word tabloid is from Tabloid, the proper name of a medicine sold in tablets.”
“Success, Victory (Padmapriya)” “Victory also means ‘success,’ but it is success of a special kind. Victory is ‘the overcoming of an enemy or antagonist.’ It also means ‘an achievement of mastery or success in a struggle or endeavour.’
Each candidate claimed victory in the election.
He led the army to victory.
This book contains stories which deal with the victory of good over evil.
‘Conquest,’ ‘triumph,’ ‘mastery’ are some synonyms for ‘victory.’
Pyrrhic victory is victory won at great cost. Pyrrhus, King of Epirus, won a war at Asculum in 279 B.C. at a heavy price. He lost many of his best officers and men. He said, ‘One more such victory and we are lost.’ ‘Pyrrhic’ rhymes with ‘lyric’; ‘h’ is silent. An indisputable, notable victory is a ‘resounding’ victory’.”
“Presently (S. Ramanathan, Tumkur)” “The original meaning of ‘presently’ was ‘now, at present.’ This meaning became obsolete in the 16th century and the word came to mean ‘immediately.’ Shakespeare used it in this sense. There has been a shift in the meaning of the word since the 19th century. It means ‘soon, after a short time.’
I will see him presently.
The original meaning of the word ‘now, at the moment’ became established in American and Scottish English. Now the word is more frequently used in the sense of ‘currently, at present’ in British English also. Some grammarians disapprove of this but they are fighting a losing battle. Presently, ‘presently’ has two meanings: (a) soon, shortly, (b) now, at present.
Presently he got up and left the room.
Here the word means ‘soon.’
Presently he is working on his autobiography.
Here the word means ‘at the moment’. It is the context that will determine the meaning. More and more people are using the word in the sense of ‘now.’ Before long the other meaning may become obsolete.”
“To give the cold shoulder (M. Gomathi)”
“It means ‘to display indifference, to ignore or snub.’
I went to seek his help but he gave me the cold shoulder.
One can also ‘get the cold shoulder.’
I got the cold shoulder when I went to him for help.
It is believed that in the past the cold shoulder of meat was served to unwelcome guests to discourage them from further visits! This idiom has been in use since the 18th century”
Published in The Hindu on July 9, 1991.