Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Proverbs - Equal and Opposite


Similarly, every proverb has an equal and an opposite proverb!
There always exists two sides of the same coin.

YOU be the judge..


All good things come to those who wait.
BUT
Time and tide wait for no man.

The pen is mightier than the sword.
BUT
Actions speak louder than words.

Wise men think alike.
BUT
Fools seldom differ.

The best things in life are free things..
BUT
There's no such thing as a free lunch.

Slow and steady wins the race.
BUT
Time waits for no man.

Look before you leap.
BUT
Strike while the iron is hot.

Do it well, or not at all.
BUT
Half a loaf is better than none.

Birds of a feather flock together.
BUT
Opposites attract.

Don't cross your bridges before you come to them.
BUT
Forewarned is forearmed.

Doubt is the beginning of wisdom.
BUT
Faith will move mountains.

Great starts make great finishes.
BUT
It ain't over 'till it's over.

Practice makes perfect.
BUT
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

Silence is golden.
BUT
The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

You're never too old to learn.
BUT
You can't teach an old dog new tricks

What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
BUT
One man's food is another man's poison.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
BUT
Out of sight, out of mind.

Too many cooks spoil the broth.
BUT
Many hands make light work.

Hold fast to the words of your ancestors.
BUT
Wise men make proverbs and fools repeat them.

Courtesy: Internet, FWD

Friday, November 7, 2008

W o W - Week of Words - October

This section covers words based on a monthly theme, hope you enjoy them and keep your feedback coming.




The “W o W” word

Renaissance (ri’neys(aa)ns) (noun): The period of European history at the close of the Middle Ages and the rise of the modern world; a cultural rebirth from the 14th through the middle of the 17th centuries; the revival of learning and culture.

A bridge between the Middle Ages and the Modern era...

The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth"; Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere "be born")was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe.

As a cultural movement, it encompassed a revival of learning based on classical sources, the development of linear perspective in painting, and gradual but widespread educational reform. Traditionally, this intellectual transformation has resulted in the Renaissance being viewed as a bridge between the Middle Ages and the Modern era. It is perhaps best known for its artistic developments and the contributions of such polymaths as Leonardo da Vinci (picture above) and Michelangelo, who inspired the term "Renaissance men".

[More Info] : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance / http://www.answers.com/Renaissance

The “W o W” word

Conquistador (kon-KWIS-tuh-dawr) noun:

A conqueror, especially one of the 16th-century Spanish soldiers who defeated the Indian civilizations of Mexico, Central America, or Peru.

The Daring Adventurer

Conquistador is the name given to any one of the Spanish soldiers, leaders, explorers, and adventurers who took part in the gradual conquest of large parts of the Americas, bringing them under Spanish rule between the 15th and 19th centuries. The term is also commonly used to describe the Portuguese explorers and conquerors of Brazil, though the proper term for "Conquistadors" from Portugal is Bandeirantes. Francisco Pizarro, the conqueror of Peru, and Hernán Cortés, the conqueror of Mexico, were the greatest of the conquistadors.

The name is frequently used to mean any daring, ruthless adventurer.

The “W o W” word

Silk Road: An ancient trade route between China and the Mediterranean (4,000 miles); followed by Marco Polo in the 13th century to reach Cathay.

In the footsteps of Hsuan Tsang…

The Silk Road, or Silk Route, is an extensive interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world, including North Africa and Europe. The routes enabled people to transport trade goods, especially luxuries such as silk, satins, musk, rubies, diamonds, pearls and rhubarb.

Hsuan-Tsang traveled between 627-643 AD. His detailed account provides the first reliable information about distant countries, terrain and customs. He traveled over land, along the Silk Road west toward India.

[More Info] : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_Road

The “W o W” word

Samurai ('samû`rI) noun:

The warrior class of feudal Japan. Their strict code, bushido which stressed courage, loyalty, self-discipline and simple living. As a symbol of their rank, they wore two swords.

Elite Indian Warrior

Rani Laxmibai (of Jhansi)'s courage, deeds of valour and heroics against the British have become the theme for many a folklore and ballad in the country. When both, her husband Raja Gangadhar Rao of Jhansi and her only son died in 1853, she adopted a son and made him the heir to the throne. The British Governor General Dalhousie refused to recognize her adopted son as heir to the throne and ordered annexation of Jhansi into British Raj. Rani Laxmibai refused to part with Jhansi. A fierce fight ensued; The Rani fought the British undauntedly leading her forces from the front and showed great courage and skill.


Wednesday WordPlay - October

This section covers certain roots which, by their use as prefixes, suffixes and syllables, make up the majority of English language words. Remembering these words will help you in figuring out the meanings of words including new ones you come across every day.



| -scend|

Meaning: to climb, to scale.

Origin: scandere (Latin) "to climb"

Example Words:

tran·scend: trans- "beyond" + scandere

conde·scend: com + "together" + de "down" + scandere

as·cend: ad- "to" + scandere "to climb."

More Words with same origin: descend, scale, scan, scansion.

| -mit, -mise|

Meaning: to put, send or release

Origin: mittere "let go, send."

mettre "put"

Example Words:

manu·mission: manus "hand" (here - "power of a master") + mittere

- to free from bondage (e.g slavery)

trans·mit: trans "across" + mittere

- to send accross

inter·mission: inter "between" + mittere

- a break or an interval

com·mit: com "together" + mittere

- to do something with intension of not reverting

de·mise: des "away" + mettre

- termination of existence, to dismiss, to go or put away

More Words with same origin: submit, admit, omit, permit, missive, demise, dismiss, message, emit, missile, premise , promise, mission

|-tain, ten-|

Meaning: to hold or to keep up

Origin: tenere, tenir "to hold"

Example Words:

main·tain: manus "hand" + tenere

- to practice habitually or keep in certain state.

con·tain: com- "together" + tenere

- to hold together, enclose

sus·tain: sub "up from below" + tenere

- hold up, endure

enter·tain: entre "among" + tenir

- or amuse (originally: to keep up, maintain)

More Words with same origin: pertain, retain, tenant, obtain, tenure, tenacity, tenable, tenement, detain, tenet, tenacity, tenacious

|-tone|

Meaning: refers to the right sound or pitch

Origin: “tonos”, “tonus”: a sound, tone, accent

Example Words:

cata·tonic: kata "down" + tonos

- stiff and not moving or reacting, as if dead. Condition found often in schizophrenics

mono·tony: monos "single, alone" + tonos

- wearisome uniformity or lack of variety

More Words with same origin: intone, tone, tenet


[Word Powers] Daily Words - October


Transcend (tran-SEND) (verb):

To go beyond, rise above or be more important or better than something, especially a limit.

The best films are those which transcend national or cultural barriers.

Condescend (kon-duh-SEND) (verb):

1. To descend to the level of one considered inferior; lower oneself.

I wonder if Michael will condescend to gambling?

2. To deal with people in a patronizingly superior manner. To treat someone as if you are better or more important than them.

He explains things without condescending to his audience.

Temerity (te·mer·i·ty) (noun): Unreasonable, rash or foolhardy contempt of danger or opposition

It is notorious temerity of the authorities in charge of the Titanic to venture into the Atlantic with far less lifeboats to accommodate all the people onboard, in case of an emergency.

Tenacious (tuh-ney-shuhs) (adjective):

1. Holding or tending to hold persistently to something, such as a point of view.

2. Holding together firmly; cohesive: a tenacious material.

Marcus, the dog had such a tenacious grip on the bone that he refused Jack to snatch it from him.


Rivulet (RIV-yuh-lut) (Noun): A small stream or brook; a streamlet.

There was a rivulet of scummy water heading for his highly polished black shoe

Hinterland (HIN-tur-land) (Noun):

1. A region situated inland from a coast.
2. A region remote from urban areas; backcountry.
3. A region situated beyond the major metropolitan or cultural centers.

Cities did nothing for me. It was the hinterlands that made me.

Bequeath (bi-kweeth, -kweeth) (verb):

  1. To dispose of (personal property, esp. money) by last will: She bequeathed her half of the company to her niece.
  2. To hand down; pass on.

Jon’s father bequeathed his entire estate to his mother.

Bereft (bi-reft) (adjective):

3. To deprive and make desolate, esp. by death (usually followed. by of): Illness bereaved them of their mother.

4. Obsolete. to take away by violence.

His family was bereft of food and shelter following the tornado.

Surmise (ser-MAHYZ) (verb):

1. (verb) to think or infer without certain or strong evidence; to conjecture orguess.

2. (noun) a conjecture or guess.

The police surmised that the robbers had fled the country.

Remit (ri-MIT) (verb):

1. To transmit or send (money, a check, etc.) to a person or place, usually in payment.

He worked as a builder in Chicago and remitted half his monthly wage to his family in the Philippines.

2. To slacken, reduce or relax

Jack’s prison sentence was remitted from five years to two.

Serein (se*re in) (noun): Fine rain falling from an apparently cloudless sky, typically observed after sunset.


The phenomenon serein may be explained by the evaporation of cloud particles following the formation of rain droplets, or by the movement of cloud away from the overhead position as the rain approaches the ground.

Serene (su’reen) (adjective):

5. Not agitated; without losing self-possession.

6. Completely clear and fine.

A quiet conscience makes one so serene. — Lord Byron (1788-1824), English poet.

[INFO]: Serene is a new mobile phone produced as a joint venture between Samsung and Bang & Olufsen. It was released in the last quarter of 2005 in Europe. It is available in select stores throughout the world and costs $1275 (~€1000).Bang and Olufsen and Samsung are currently working on the successor, a touchscreen phone named the Serenata.

Numismatist (noo-miz-muh-tist) (Noun):

1. A specialist in numismatics.

2. A person who collects numismatic items, esp. coins.

Numismatists even study civil engineering. After all, we pay for public transportation with tokens, tickets and cards

Philatelist (fi-lat-l-ee) (Noun):

1. The collecting of stamps and other postal matter as a hobby or an investment.

2. The study of postage stamps, revenue stamps, stamped envelopes, postmarks, postal cards, covers, and similar material relating to postal or fiscal history.

Over 110 countries worldwide have a sort of society for philatelists.

Abstain

(ab-STEYN) (verb):

1. To hold oneself back voluntarily, especially from something regarded as improper or unhealthy (usually followed by from)

2. To refrain from casting one's vote.

He took a vow to abstain from alcohol and smoking.

Tenor (TEN-er) (noun):

1. In Music, a male singer with a high voice, or (especially in combinations) a musical instrument which has the same range of notes as the tenor singing voice. a tenor saxophone

2. The course of thought or meaning that runs through something written or spoken; purport; drift.

The tenor of his one hour speech was time management.

Busker (BUS-kur) (Noun): A person who entertains (as by playing music) in public places.

A busker who simultaneously plays the drums, cymbals, bells and a mouth organ.

Scion (SY-uhn) (Noun): A descendant; an inheritor; an heir

Prince william, scion of a British royal family, never needs to earn his living.

Tendentious (ten-den-shuhs) (adjective):

Having or showing a definite tendency, bias, or purpose: a tendentious novel.

The local news channels are infamous for the tendentious opinion polls before the general elections.

Tempestuous (tem-pes-choo-uhs) (adjective):

1. characterized by violent emotions or behavior; "a stormy argument"; "a stormy marriage"

2. tumultuous; turbulent: a tempestuous period in history.

The tempestuous Mediterranean sea has drowned many lives over the past one year.

Nadir (ney-der)(Noun):

1. Astronomy. A point on the celestial sphere directly below the observer, diametrically opposite the zenith.
2.
An extreme state of adversity; the lowest point of anything

The nadir of their fortunes.

Zenith (zen-ith) (Noun):

1.The point on the celestial sphere that is directly above the observer.
2.The upper region of the sky.
3.The highest point above the observer's horizon attained by a celestial body.

The zenith of his career.




Accost uh-kawst, uh-kost)(Verb):

1. To confront boldly
2. To approach, esp. with a greeting, question, or remark.

Though Vipin was normally quite calm, when the waiter spilled soup on him for the fourth time, he stood up and accosted the man.

Acumen (uh-kyoo-muhn, ak-yuh) (Noun): keen insight; shrewdness: remarkable acumen in business matters.

Because of his mathematical acumen, Larry was able to figure

problems in minutes that other students took hours.

Tonic

(TON-ik) (verb):

1. (noun) An agent, such as a medication, that restores or increases body tone.

2. (adj) Invigorating physically, mentally, or morally. Promoting health.

His cheerful greeting was a real tonic.

Baritone (also barytone) (BAR-i-tohn) (noun):

1. In Music,

a. A male singer or voice with a range higher than a bass and lower than a tenor.

b. An instrument that sounds within this range.

c. A vocal or instrumental part written in this range.

2. A valved brass instrument similar to but larger than the euphonium.

She played the baritone in the marching band.

Trenchant (tren-chuhnt) (adjective):

1. Incisive or keen, as language or a person; caustic; cutting: trenchant wit.

2. Clearly or sharply defined; clear-cut; distinct.

John Gunther Dean’s trenchant views on American foreign policy, Israel and Lebanon won him enmity in high places.

Truculent (truhk-yuh-luhnt) (adjective):


1. Fierce; cruel; savagely brutal.

2. Brutally harsh; vitriolic; scathing: his truculent criticism of her work

Hitler’s reputation as a truculent dictator far precedes any.

Civilization (sivull’zeyshun) (noun):

1. A society in an advanced state of social development (e.g., with complex legal

and political and religious organizations).

2. The social process whereby societies achieve an advanced stage of development

and organization.

à "Civilization is the lamb's skin in which barbarism masquerades."

- Thomas B. Aldrich

à The Indus Valley Civilization (Mature period 2600–1900 BCE), abbreviated IVC, was an ancient civilization that flourished in the Indus River basin. Primarily centered in Pakistan (Sindh and Punjab provinces) and India (Gujarat and Rajasthan), it extends westward into the Balochistan province of Pakistan.

[More Info] : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus_Valley_Civilization / http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilization / http://www.answers.com/topic/civilization

Dynasty (dinustee) (noun):

1. A sequence of powerful leaders in the same family

2. A family or group that maintains power for several generations.

à The first Mughal King, Babur, established the Mughal dynasty in the Indian Subcontinent.

àA ruler in a dynasty is sometimes referred to as a dynast.

[More Info] : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynasty / http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mughal_dynasty

Doctrine (DOK-trin) (noun):

1 A principle or body of principles presented for acceptance or belief, as by a religious, political, scientific, or philosophic group; dogma.

2 A rule or principle of law, especially when established by precedent.

The Monroe Doctrine is a U.S. doctrine which, on December 2, 1823, stated that European powers were no longer to colonize or interfere with the affairs of the newly independent states of the Americas.


Embargo (em-BAHR-goh) (noun):

1. An order of a government prohibiting the movement of merchant ships into or out of its ports.

2. A restraint or hindrance; prohibition.

The US, the biggest oil supplier for Japan at the time, imposed the oil embargo on Japan in July, 1941, for its attack on China. It helped the Japanese to make up their minds to fight against the Americans and was followed by attack on Pearl Harbor.


Chamberlain (cheym-ber-lin) (noun):

1. An official charged with the management of the living quarters of a sovereign or member of the nobility.

2. An official who receives rents and revenues, as of a municipal corporation; treasurer.

The Finance Director of the City of London is called Chamberlain.

Serf (surf) (noun): A person in a condition of servitude, required to render services to a lord, commonly attached to the lord's land and transferred with it from one owner to another; A slave

The serf's house was a place actually owned by the king or noble because it was part of the manor, on the king's land, and the king owned all the land.

Emaciate (i'meyshee`eyt) (verb):

Extremely thin, especially because of starvation or illness, thin, withered

Gautama, practiced austerities (The trait of great self-denial) for six years in the area of the Niranjana river near Bodhgaya. He became weak and emaciated.

Emancipate (i'mansu`peyt) (verb):

  1. Free somebody from restrictions or conventions, liberated
  2. Give equal rights to; of women and minorities

Finally understanding that this (austerities) could not lead to emancipation, Gautama abandoned his austerities by taking some milk.