snag - obstacle,difficulty;
juxtapose - put side by side,compare,oppose;
captivating - capturing the attention by beauty,excellence etc.
enchanting - charming,fascinating.
anoint = rubbing with oil for ceremony.('Karate' Thyagarajan to be anointed tomorrow.)
excruciate = intense body/mental pain.(NBA activists' fast was excruciatingly stretching
beyond 3 weeks.)
capsize = overturn/upset especially of a boat.(40 people had a miraculous escape when
a boat capsizes in the Dikhoumukh river in
Assam.)
Outrageous,
flagrant,
atrocious, = having the nature of doing great injury or wrong;evil character or wicked;
heinous.
escalation = gradual & steady increase;
pedigree = record of ancestry.
introvert - neutral term, a person who may like to talk, but not, since he is shy or afraid.
( sushma prefers introverts to extroverts. )
taciturn - not a neutral term; a person who does not like to talk, even if he talked it would
not be friendly.
( Sita's response were taciturn.she answered in monosyllables. )
Teutonic resilience - Germans quality of bounce back or spring into normal shape;
Asian exuberance - Asians were abundant with high/overflowing spirits.
( Asian exuberance Vs Teutonic resilience = S.korea Vs Germany at the
semifinals of 2002 worldcup football match.)
preposterous - absurd or silly or something uncommon to normal i.e laughable;
( It was a preposterous idea. )
swashbuckler
blusterer, - a person violent in action or speech.
swaggerer
(** From the review on 'Thenkasipattanam' )
************************************
dote = a person with foolishness or weak-minded because of old age;
a person with excessive or foolishly fond on;
(Uma is the sister whom the two dote on.)
overtures = propose or introduce oneself;
( she rejects his overtures.)
fracas = brawl;noisy fight.( initial fracas love does not lead to melodrama. )
melodrama = sensational or romantic play ;(Unarchimayamaana naadagam.)
caricature = imitation of a person in which his mannerisms or style are exaggerated for
satirical effect;
( Sarala & Delhi Ganesh are unwanted caricatures that arrive & disappear
without warning. )
penchant = liking or inclination;( Suresh Peters' penchant for percussion is evident
throughout. )
(** Review on 'Ezhumalai' )
*********************
naive = a person with simple,genuine character with lack of worldly experience;
( The hero is naive yet brave. )
cantankerous = quarrelsome;( Warm to the good & the kind & fearsome to the cantankerous &
cruel. )
prancing = jumping or skipping like that of gallop of a horse.( prancing movement. )
( Mumtaz prancing around for glamour. )
abominable = very bad,highly unpleasant;
( The old school of thought about the dress code of widows sounds
absolutely abominable. )
(** Review on "The Count of Monte Cristo" )
**********************************
galling = annoying,irritating;
( Edmund has the beautiful Mercedes as his fiancee are most galling for
Fernand. )
fiancee - nichaikkapatta penn; girl who is engaged to be married ;
(*** Case of cultural handicap )
*************************
ambivalence - state of conflicting feelings towards a person or thing as of
love or hate.
( 'The Guardian',newspaper of UK,calls Bombay Dreams as "ambivalence". )
shoddy - inferior imitation; anything of less worth or quality.
( shoddy glamour. )
( *** Hindu )
*****
incumbent - currently in office; officially or obligatorily or necessarily;
( The centrepiece of the proposed reshuffle remains the percieved
need to have a new finance minister in place of the "incumbent" ,
Yashwant Sinha. )
(** Metro plus )
**********
twilight - period between sunset/sunrise to dark (or) dawn;
( Those twilight years... = article about old ages. )
idyllic havens - pleasant or romantic refuge;
( The campuses of Loyola & MCC are idyllic havens. )
Sylvan - forest like or wooded area;
( Students escape the summer heat in the sylvan grounds. )
twaddle, - (foolish or empty) (talk or writing;)
footle, ( Life indeed would be meaningless when we twaddle/footle around with
flatulent. nothing to do. )
** Friday Review - 40 Days & 40 nights
************************************
crass - a person with tasteless,stupid,unrefined,materialistic(money grubbing) attitude;
( His crass roommate(involved in bet) even goes around with a special
detector. )
platonic - love without sex; idealistic ( impractical,unrealistic );
( Matt won't progress beyond a platonic relationship. )
scantily clad - insufficiently dressed or clothed;
avant-garde, - leader in a new or unconventional movement; ultra modern or new fashioned;
vanguard ( Dot com companies seem fun places with avant-garde decor,
shapely,scantily clad women. )
snappy - active,lively,smart;
droll wit - joke with intelligence;( Rob perez with his snappy,droll wit does make
the 90-odd minutes of viewing,amusing. )
odd - a thing i.e separated from a series of set; occasional;
( *** Hindu )
parochial - limited,narrow, or provincial;
[ Parochial force might reap benefit from this tension.]
Politburo - the executive committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
and of certain other nations ;
[ CPI[M] Politburo, in session here, today demanded that centre
call a meeting of the inter-state council. ]
stalemate - deadlock; any unresolved situation in which further action is impossible
or useless; deadlock; draw
[ In the face of stiff opposition and stalemate over the decision
to bifurcate the Eastern Railways,... ]
narcotic - opium or drug;
[ Victim had appeared in many narcotic control cases. ]
anonymous - unknown; unidentified;
[ The senior official said on condition of anonymity. ]
apprehend - to capture; to act with anticipation and anxiety;
[ It is learnt that no one took any step towards apprehending the culprit. ]
wean - to get accustomed to new habit esp. for a child in changing from breast milk
to normal diet; remove;
[ Military govt. wean away the fence-sitters in the Pakistan. ]
fence-sitters - person with weak nature,vacillator;
vacillator - a person who is not strong in his decision like me in case of Non-Gate;
feud - long continued quarrel in a family or clan;
clan - set of people or a group or cliques;
( ** Magazine - The dilemmas of teaching history. )
************************************
accord - agreement;come into harmony.
( Paris peace accord began a process of reconcillation. )
perpetuate - continue; preserve from oblivion or fading;
( Reassessment shows how science had perpetuated racial sterotypes was
painful. )
cliches - an expression or idea which was fresh and novel once,
had become weak and dull today.
( Israeli textbooks were full of racist cliches towards goyim(Non-jews). )
allegiance - duty of a citizen to the government;
loyalty or devotion towards a person/cause;
( Japanese occupied Koreans pledged allegiance to the Japanese emperor. )
folklore - study & scientific investigation of a tradition,customs etc. of a culture;
( Russians have begun to teach chidren the old forgotten folklore,traditions
and dialects. )
dialect - type of a language belonging to a specific group and it is differing from standard
language interms of pronounciation, syntax etc.
( Madurai dialect, nellai dialect,chennai dialect belongs to the standard
language,'Tamil'. )
fester = (n) small sore filled with pus.
(v) to decay; grows angry/bitterness.
( Different interpretations of history fester for a long while,breeding
a hatred and animosity spanning generations. )
( ** Magazine - Reviving the past. )
***********************
theology - study of religious doctrine dealing with God,Human & Universe.
antiquated - obsolete;out-moded;
( The antiquated and authoritarian teaching methods had to undergo changes. )
authoritarian - dictator;
albeit - although/eventhough;admitting.
( As the 20th century came to a close,Germany was albeit slowly
& painfully,settling down to a common educational-system. )
unsavoury - unpleasant/offensive;
( The appetite for unsavoury history was meagre. )
glean - collect; ( Today's youth can no longer complain of lack of sources to
glean information from. )
( ** Magazine - A mystic journey. )
**********************
[ In the heart of the jungles of northern Kerala lies the Tirunelli Perumal temple. ]
trinket - small,inexpensive.
( There is a trinket shop(potti kadai) and a loud music systems that hurts
the ears. )
expiatory - sacrificing/compensation for a cause.
( Parasurama and Jamadgni held expiatory rites in papanasini. )
exalted - to rise in status/dignity.
( Amla tree and fruit hold an exalted and sacred position in the hindu tradition. )
exhilarate - to cheer up / stimulate.
( Walking down the slopes the heady fragrances,sounds and colours of nature
exhilarated the Brahma. )
disembodied - free from bodily existence; immaterial;magic.
( A disembodied voice confirmed his insight and told Brahma to install the vishnu idol. )
vestiges - a trace that shows the existence of something that was now disappeared.
( Vestiges of a large village can be seen at Pakshipatalam, a few kms from Tirunelli. )
( ** Opportunities - Call centre calisthenics. )
**************************************
calisthenics - the art of developing bodily strong by means of exercises such as
push-ups and sit-ups; simple gymnastics.
sit-ups - an exercise in which a person lying flat on the back rises to a
sitting position without using the hands.
ubiquitous - present everywhere at the same time/universal;omnipresent.
( Today the ubiquitous call centre has permeated every part of our life. )
engenders - produces/causes;
( Good service engenders good customer response. )
( ** Dravid on verge of milestone. )
*********************
partisan - a person who is blindly devoted to work for a person/cause.
( There were partisan who believed that the selectors were unfair in not
blooding 23-year old in 1996 world cup. )
short shrift - Lack of attention/care towards a person who committed a sin;
Brief time given to a person for repenting, who committed a sin, before the
execution;
( He was dropped from the team, but batsman of his class could not be given
short shrift too long. )
demur - oppose/complain;
( Dravid has accepted without demur to fill in temporary roles as defined
by the team. )
baton - the short, light rod passed from one runner to the next in a relay race ;
( Wicket-keeping baton has been passed onto Dravid, not out of logical
conclusion that he is capable of taking the extra workload,but as a
compromise to create an extra place for the 7th batsman. )
( ** Metroplus -Mindless massacre. )
************************
marauder - a person who is wandering about from place to place in search of robbery/plunder;
Robber,thief;
( The marauders of Nature slaughter sell for a handfull of silver. )
poach - Hunting of animals illegally especially by means of tresspassing.
( In the south,poaching of elephants poses a challenge to all wildlife lovers. )
poacher - hunter;(Glen Mcgrath was an ace poacher of the Australian team. )
haul - something obtained especially of loot;
( Last year we had a major haul in Nagapattinam when we confiscated 400 skins. )
confiscated - captured/seized;
consignment - goods sent in a ship to dealer for sale;
( The consignments in sacks came from Rajasthan but it was not possible to
detect culprits. )
statutory - legally/judicially;
( Statutory warning: Cigarette is injurious to health. )
wryly - mockingly/satirically/ironically.
( It is difficult to believe that so many feathers are shed 'naturally',
wryly add animal lovers. )
denuded - to make bare/naked;destroy of plant/animal life;
( Recently the body of an elephant was denuded of tusks found by tribals. )
( ** Metroplus - Limousine in the sky. )
**************************
limousine - olden day's automobile with closed compartments seating 3 or more passangers
with front portion protruding;
( Despite the fact that there are no. of luxury cars, limousine still
holds the pride place in terms of comfort and price. )
cramming - to prepare for examination in a hurried manner;to be full beyond normal capacity;
( Outings for house guests were welcome slots for cramming. )
unobtrusive - humble,unnoticed,unassuming,modest.
( Studying had to be an unobtrusive,late night secret. )
( ** Open page - The right choice. )
*******************
mind-boggling = confusing/overwhelming.
( We live in a world of mind-boggling diversity. )
conked out - fallen asleep;
( I tried to keep awake,but I conked out after midnight. )
( ** Metroplus. )
********
travails - very hard work/toil; labor pains/pains of child birth;
( The travails of being a raja at the box office sometimes hamper the daily
life of a star. )
flaunt - to show gaudily;(Pagataaga)
( Stars love to flaunt the latest Mercedes SLK class but Ajith is an actor
who moves around on a bike! )
slapstick - crude comedy in which humor depends on violent activity.
( In India, only the slapstick variety of comedy works,never the satire,
especially the verbal type. )
perpetrator - a person behind the cause;
( Noone took legal action against the perpetrator. )
( ** Metroplus - A religious fervour for pugilism. )
******************************************
pugilism - boxing/fighting sport.
amateur - a person indulging in art,science,sport etc. only for pleasure & not for
money.Therefore he is unprofessional/unskillfull.
( YMCA ring has played a pivotal role in promoting amateur fighters. )
pivotal - central/key/crucial (pivotal role. )
grouse - complaint/bird.
( Perhaps their only grouse is that there are no more professional bouts
that made them go bonkers over weekends in the 1950s and 1960s. )
bouts - match/struggle/fight.
bonker - to go mad/crazy.
( ** Metroplus - Bracing for an uphill task. )
************************************
bracing - stimulating/refreshing/invigorating.
mentor - teacher/guide/coach.
( She was in awe of her mentor during that match. )
awe - a feeling of fear or great respect/proud due to a person/thing producing immobilising
effect.
( *** Hindu. )
*****
fazed - embarassed;troubled/disturbed.
( An unfazed and belligerent MDMK general secretary was arrested. )
cowed - intimidated/afraid;
( The MDMK would not be cowed down by the "repression" let loose by the
"fascist" Jayalalitha. )
fascist - dictator/authoritarian;
repression - suppress/control;
pre-empt - seized/to gain control by forcibly/suddenly;obtain/acquire.
( The move was taken to pre-empt an influx of visitors from the
southern districts to the Madurai prison. )
influx - continual coming in persons or things.
unwarranted, - improper/illegal;unjust.
untoward ( NDA termed Vaiko's arrest as "unwarranted". )
presidium - a standing committee empowered to act for a larger body.
( MDMK presidium chairman,L.Ganesan was taken into custody. )
picket -(v) strike/boycott.
(All of them would be released as the party had planned a picketing
programme. )
obstinate - stubborn/not easily subdued.
( They go obstinately proclaiming that they will continue to support
the LTTE. )
( ** quest. )
*****
nuance - slight/delicate variation in color,tone,meaning etc; difference.
( A great teacher has a clear knowledge & understanding of the nuances
of the language being used. )
empathy - ability to share/understand in another's emotions, thoughts, or feelings; insight.
( A great teacher has an unlimited supply of empathy. )
humility - absence of pride & self-assertion.
( To say "I don't know" takes courage and humility from the teacher. )
brunt - heavy blow/attack/impact.
( It is the children, more than anything else, who bear the brunt of the
unpredictable economic conditions in Ladakh. )
smug - a person with narrow minded & self-satisfied with one's own possessions.
( I had no cavities & had merely come for my yearly dental check up.
Of course I felt superior & smug as I settled down in the dentist's chair. )
gloat - to gaze/think with exultation;malicious/evil-minded pleasure.
( I let him know who his previous patient was and gloated. )
exultation - act of celebration/rejoicing.
rudder - steering portion of a ship/aircraft.
( Life without discipline is like a boat without a rudder. )
pestle - a tool for grinding,pounding,stamping & pulverising.
( Told to sleep upon the nest,the crow exclaimed that the pestle
would grind him. )
larder - a place where food supplies of the house were kept; store-room.
( Finally the crow slept in the larder. )
( ** Young World. )
***********
waffle - a batter cake but crisper since baked in a waffle iron.
batter - fluid mixture of flour,milk & eggs.
( The humble breakfast waffle provided Bill Bowermann's company, a new
pair of shoes with waffle-soles. )
cathedral - church,temple.
( Where ordinary people notice nothing more than spectacular than a pile of
stone, a creative person visualise a cathedral. )
infuriating - make a person very much angry.
( The US Congress recently recognised Antonio Meucci as the inventor of the
telephone infuriating fans of Alexander Graham Bell in the process. )
nap - short sleep.
ravenous - very much hungry.
quavering - trembling in fear.
( ** Metroplus. )
*********
winnowing - threshing i.e to separate waste particles from rice by forced flow of air or
by swinging movement of sulavu.
( Packaging rice in plastic bags has made it unnecessary for housewives
to spend precious minutes poring over a winnowing basket filled with rice to pick out
the wastes every morning! )
proliferation - increase/reproduce rapidly.
( Plastic's proliferation is a telling commentary on our runaway and unplanned
market-driven economy, which pays little attention to the product's quality and
waste management. )
roost - a place for resting,sleeping etc.
( It looks as though plastic will rule the roost. )
heed - to pay careful & close attention.
( Indeed, 230 out of 300 Japanese expatriates in Chennai heeded the request to
fly back home,as south asia braced itself to face a possible war. )
expatriate - a person who has left/withdrawn from his native land.
dearth - scarcity/deficiency.
( Though there is a lot of poverty in the sprawling slums,there is no
dearth of smiles and happiness. )
sprawling - irregular/awkward position such as spreading the limbs to an unnatural position.
( ** Hindu. )
*****
glitch - mishap,error.
( Though the computer glitch was fixed an hour later, long queues were snaking
down at the Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg. )
incognito - the true state not revealed,i.e in disguise.
( P.C.Sreeram's actors were present at the launch of the film ' '
on Monday,but were mostly incognito,part of the crowd. )
obsession, - a peron who is persistant with his desire,emotion & passion that cannot be get
fanatic rid by reasoning.
( Sreeram's obsession with his character is incredible. )
glitz - showiness,gaudy.
( An all-star group will be in Kuala Lumpur & Singapore taking the glitz of
the Chennai showbiz with it. )
( ** Metroplus. )
*********
aghast - horrified,shocked.
( "The rest of my family was aghast at my decision" - Shaam. )
crockery - earthernware pots, dish,jars etc. ( Manpaanai,Manaal seiyapatta vessels. )
( Shaam's father was involved in crockery and glassware business. )
denizens - citizen; a person who is frequently visiting a particular place.inhabitant.
( The advent of Call Taxi is a Godsend for the much-harassed denizens of
Chennai Metropolis. )
vouchsafe - condescend to give or grant.
( I can easily vouchsafe that Call Taxi service has added new dimensions
to customer comfort. )
comprehend - to grasp mentally/understand.
( Teachers assist the students by reading out information,which they
cannot comprehend. )
trove - any valuable discovery/treasure-trove;
boasts - to talk proudly about one's abilities,deeds etc.
( The library at BVB,with its trove of 10,000 books ranging from
encylopaedias to fiction,boasts of the collection that belonged to former President
V.V.Giri. ) BVB - Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
( ** Friday Review - Where's Mona darling? )
************************************
wail - sound that expresses pain,sorrow & cry.
shimmering - glittering,sparkling & bright.
sequin - tiny ornaments/metal works woven on fabrics.
navel - central part of abdomen; thoppul.
tantalising, - charming,tempting.
heaving - swell or bulge out; a stretch of up and down.
bosom - women's breasts.
luscious - sweet,tastier,palatable & delicious.
scarlet - a very bright red with orange tinge.
drip - drop by drop of water from tap.
seduction - illicit/unsanctioned sexual intercourse.
( To the smoky wail of a saxophone, the camera pans up the leg to a breathtaking
expanse of shimmering,sequined hip,up again past a quivering,eager navel,over a
tantalising waterfall of heaving bosom and finally to luscious scarlet lips half-open
to drip seduction and cigarette smoke in equal measure. )
temptress - seductress/vamp,women who seduces a man.( Luscious temptresses. )
replete - plentiful,enough,filled full.
lurid - violent,offensive,unusual. ( a lurid tale - a tale characterised by violent
passion or crime. )
( The villain's den,satisfyingly replete with panels of lurid flashing lights signifying
high-tech villainy. )
faux - artificial/false.
( Boss' evil laugh booms off the faux rock walls. )
cymbal - circular brass plate used as percussion instrument producing variety of metallic
sounds/gong.
( Suddenly,a drum roll,the clash of a cymbal.)
hussy,strumpet - prostitute.
brassy - person decorated with brass materials.
blonde - a blond woman/girl.
blond - a person with fair skin and hair + blue/grey eyes.
doom - destiny/fate.
( The half-naked hussy's hair but brassy blonde, a blue-eyed strumpet lures
innocent men to their doom. )
indispensable - necessary,vital,that cannot be neglected;
( In a lot of cuckoo's films,her role was just a song but its impact was so
electrifying that distributors considered it almost as indispensable as the heroine. )
catapult - a type of launcher that provides the force to hurl/throw an aeroplane,missile etc.
from a deck providing initial hi-speed.
( The film "Howrah Bridge" catapulted Helen out of the chorus into the spotlight. )
wriggle,writhe, writhing
waggle,wiggle,wobble,squirm - to move to and fro with a twisting/jerking movement;
( Nice girls do roles where they had to wriggle their hips - however tastefully. )
baulk - demur,hesitate,refuse,oppose/complain.
( Heroines began to wear clothes that even vamps would probably baulk at wearing. )
ho-hum - boredom,dull.
cleavage - the hollow between a woman's breasts, as made visible by a low-cut neckline;
split/division/fracture.
( Today the glory has gone.Maybe it's because miniskirts and cleavage are
so much ho-hum and with a flick of remote,you can catch heaving,half-naked,
writhing bodies on any channel from MTV to Udaya,on any body from Brittney to Sonali. )
( ** "Yeh! Nee Romba Azhaga Irukae" )
****************************
scorn - a person who regards someone as inferior & low and showing disrespect towards them.
( When he turns down her overtures,the woman (Jaya Ray) scorned goes all out
to destroy his future. )
desolate - isolated,deserted,wretched.
( Bharat (Rajiv Krishna) is a desolate lover,whose sweetheart forsakes him. )
forsake - abandon,leave/renounce;
jilted - woman who rejects her lover after accepting him.
( Even if you are a jilted lover,life should go on as usual because a violent
end is not worth of it. )
veracity - trustworthy,truthful.
( The natural reactions - nobody is totally bad or completely good - have a
veracity about them. )
contrived - too obvious; not spontaneous/artificial.
( The way Vassant begins,you think there's something really hard-hitting
and strong coming your way but some where down the line things stagnate and
become predictable - the contrived climax to name one. )
( ** "Samurai" )
*******
stumble - to walk or go in a unsteady/awkward manner;slip,fall;
( Corrupt VIPs are abducted and the police force is clueless - until an astute
and upright police officer ( Nasser ) stumbles upon the truth. )
abducted - kidnapped.
martyr - a person who suffer/die rather than not giving up his faith/principles.
( The story has traces of "Gentleman" and touches of "Citizen".When your
hero is a Robinhood, a martyr and a socially-conscious fighter similarities are
inevitable. )
monologue - a long speech by a person esp. one who monopolises the conversation.
( The monologue in the climax is a bit too much to take - many heroes indulge
in it and it is now Vikram's turn. )
cameo - a minor but well-defined role in a play, movie, etc., esp. when performed by a
notable actor; role.
( Jayaseel in a cameo has scope to perform which she does well. )
( ** " Bend it like Beckham " )
********************
riveting - interesting,engrossing;
( The football scenes are riveting as well - excitingly choreographed and captured. )
intrigue - a secret evil project/scheme/love affair.The details of which is carefully worked
out; plot.
( The script of "Mugavari" is chokful of fine details such as romance,familial love
and movie industry intrigue. )
( ** Incredible charisma on screen. )
*****************************
charisma - a special charm or allure that inspires fascination or devotion.
( the film star's charisma. )
resplendence - magnificiently,glittering,brightly.
rage - violent in action & speech; uncontrolled anger; strong emotion emotion,desire
or passion.
( Lord Siva rescues the poverty stricken poet Dharmi with resplendence & rage. )
sterling - anything of hi-quality & standard.
aural - sense of hearing; auditory.
( Endowed with sterling voice,Sivaji excelled in histrionics of aural splendour that
beautifully brought to the fore the glory of the Tamil language. )
inflect - change of tone,pitch of the voice/modulate.
( Sivaji inflect an infinite range of expressions from royal majesty to rustic
simplicity. )
lilt - a song with light,swinging & graceful rhythm.
( Viswanathan-Ramamoorthy's lilting music made Sivaji's songs a perennial delight. )
stupendous - miraculous,breathtaking,atonishingly great.
( Sivaji is the only Indian actor who leaves us awestruck by the stupendous scale of his
achievement and makes us curious about the source of his genius. )
( ** Metroplus - Tryst with tuskers. )
*******************************
tusker - an animal with tusks.
( An average tusker is 4 tonnes. )
vet - veterinarian,doctor;
( " I love elephants and they love me ", says the veteran vet who has treated thousands
of elephants in his 45-year old career. )
pachyderm - any thick-skinned animal such as elephants,rhinoceros,hippopotamus.
( The expert feels optimistic about the pachyderm picture. )
captive - imprisoned,captured,under control;
( "Captive elephants have better chance of survival. We have to release captive
elephants for breeding/reproduction." says the veteran Dr.V.Krishnamoorthy. )
sedate - to make one less excited,anxious/ quiet,calm using medicines.
( "Only when necessary do I have to sedate them(elephants).Not a single elephant has
died at my hands during darting." )
darting - to move with hurried or quick manner.
mahout - elephant driver/keeper.
( Tribals make the best mahouts in the world.It is a hereditary calling that even the
the children of mahouts help in bathing and feeding of the animals. )
earmarked - to set aside for a special purpose.
( Tribals survive on minor forest produce but we have earmarked this for the animals
and in most states, tribals are kept out of the sanctuary. )
citation - award in honour of achievement; trophy.
( He recieved a citation and certificate of merit for outstanding conservation of the
Asian elephants. )
mammoth - genus of extinct elephants with long tusks and hairy skin; gigantic,very huge.
( A person whose achievements are mammoth in proportion surely deserves better than
this. )
( ** Magazine - Waking up to death. )
*****************************
( AIDS is part of our human condition today,urging us to be more supportive and thoughtful
to those who suffer from it. )
penurious - poverty-ridden,unwilling to part money/possessions or stingy.
( My friend Suzi Curtil, whose apartment was christened La Chatram because she
lodged so many Indians who passed through the city,told me that she was inviting a
gay couple over for dinner. )
gay - happy, livehearted,joyous.
delirious - uncontrollable wild excitement showing happiness or nervousness.
( Suzi was 65 years old then and deliriously happy helping people in small ways. )
flutter - confusion,state of excitement,tremble etc./flap the wings of birds rapidly to fly.
( That evening I was even more in a flutter than her,although i tried not to show it. )
prudent - wise,careful/cautious.
( Jean didn't drink any wine over dinner and I assumed he was medically prudent. )
voyeur - person who views sexual activity/disrobing( removing off clothes. ) either
furtively(secretly) or habitually.
( Suzi and I were both voyeurs without consciously wishing to be,but we meant well
and wanted to do the right thing. )
milieu - environment esp. of social/cultural background.
( Contracting AIDS through sexual intercourse is percieved as utterly dishonourable in
our cultural milieu. )
dusky - dark/black/shadowy in complexion.
( Neelamma was a dusky beauty who, far from being dejected and hopeless, appeared
to be bright and beaming. )
propensity - inclination,liking,penchant.
( I was probably disappointed at what I saw due to a not uncommon male propensity to
feel tenderly towards a helpless woman and be moved by her vulnerability. )
skirting - avoiding controversy/lie on the border or edge of something.
( He said "Men are drawn to women because women try to seduce them"; " If you are not
faithful to your partner or do not practise safe sex, you may be at risk," Nirmala
replied,skirting his opinion.)
dissemble - pretending/concealing the true state; hypocritic.
facade - front portion of something esp. for concealing the true state.
propriety - accepted standards of behaviour in a polite society / proper manners.
pandemic - a disease which is prevalent in larger area/universal/widespread ; epidemic
disease.
( The more we dissemble behind a facade of propriety,the more difficult it is to deal
with the pandemic. )
cloister - a place where people who have withdrawn from world lives/ resides for relegious
reasons.
Monastery - cloister for Men (monks).
convent - cloister for Women (nuns).
( On a trip I visited a small AIDS monastery outside the city. )
Emaciated - elumbum tholumai; weak person who is lean and had lost flesh / much strength.
inmates - persons living in the same building. For ex. prisoners, patients were inmates.
( Emaciated and weak inmates,afflicted by a variety of opportunistic illnesses
because their immune system had collapsed , were devotedly cared for by
Phra Phongthep. )
veiled - insinuate, implying/suggesting something in a indirect way.
barb - mul, sharp projections / thorn; cutting remarks.
( Not only she had to bathe,cook and feed him but she also had to face the
veiled barbs from her husband's family. )
propitious - favourable, encouraging, promising.
( The neighbours suggested Neelamma give him a glass of milk to drink, a
propitious ritual before death. )
frail - easily broken / damaged ; fragile .
( Ramaiah took only a couple of sips from the glass before his frail body
slid to the ground. )
( ** Friday Review - Om Jai Jagdish. )
******************************
inane - empty/vacant; lacking sense/meaning.
( This has to be Anupam Kher's way of getting back at Bollywood for making him
mouth inane dialogue all these years.His revenge comes in the form of "Om Jai
Jagdish" )
maudlin - sentimental/emotional.
( It has a cliched story(not much of it anyway) plenty of maudlin dialogues,
situations that you'll want to snigger at. )
snigger - laugh.
veejay - a person who conducts/hosts a musical show in TV program or in a club.
( An MTV veejay(Mahima choudhry) who turns coy and abiding,once married. )
coy - bashfull(koochamulla),shy; silent,reserved.
abiding - continue without change,permanent,enduring, lasting.
hunky-dory - alright,fine.
( Jai goes much to the delight of the others back home and all is hunky-dory
till he marries Neetu(urmila). )
dogged - stubborn,not giving in readily/easily.
( The rest of the film goes to prove that there is nothing like dogged love,
optimism and realising impossible dreams to restore things. )
semblance - appearance/representation.
( Most disjointed in the first half;the film shows some semblance of picking
up once troubles beset the family. )
turquoise - greenish blue in colour.
( Abhishek could be a dark horse provided he is not made to dance or wear
turquoise-coloured pants and jacket. )
undermined - weakened.
( As for Waheeda, it is such a pleasure to see her on screen,but her great
capacity to perform has been considerably undermined thanks to the characterisation. )
( ** "Sri" )
***
doom - one's appointed end,fate/destiny.
( Sankara Iyer (Vijayakumar) hates his son,who he feels is the cause of his
daughter's death and hence his family's doom. )
beacon - a person/thing which provides encouragement and guidance; any light providing
guidance.
( Sri becomes a beacon light to the hopeless lot in society. )
mayhem - great bodily injury,violence/destruction.
( Unwarranted violence leads to bloodshed and mayhem at that point. )
lingo - a special vocab. that one is not familiar with it; dialect/slang.
( While the rest of the family speaks a typical Brahmin lingo,Sri alone sounds
different from the begining. )
turmoil - confusion,commotion,uproar.
( Why does 'Thalaivaasal' Vijay have to get so unnaturally emotional,even as
he begins to talk about Sri's turmoil? )
( ** "Youth" )
*****
stoical - unmoved/showing indifference to both joy & sorrow;calm/serene.
( The hero Shiva(Vijay) is almost stoical and unruffled even when humiliation
and dissapointment come his way. )
unruffled - not disturbed/agitated;calm/smooth person.
mundane - ordinary,everyday,commonplace.
( But just as you settle down to watch the happenings with interest, things
get mundane. )
unrequited - uncompensated,unpaid,not rewarded.
( "Youth" is again a tale of unrequited love - so typical of Vijay. )
wastrel - a person who wastes money/anything carelessly/wastefully; rascal;
loafer(wastes time)
( Shiva's fiancee elopes with a selfish wastrel on the day of the wedding. )
pandemonium - any place/scene characterised by wild disorder,noise and confusion.
( There is pandemonium, but it is Shiva who pacifies everyone around. )
profound - intellectually/physically/emotionally deep.
( The hero's profound (!) statements,repetitive cliches and ambiguous smiles,
make listening to him a tedious exercise after a point. )
weird - supernaturally mysterious,fantastically strange,odd.
( But why does the villain sport a beard that is seen in patches and in
geometrical shapes? Weird is the word. )
dainty - delicately pretty/lovely; things pleasing to hi-refined tastes/sensibilities.
( Vijay's heroines of late seem delicate and dainty but fail to look even
faintly appealing. )
deluge - floodlike/overwhelming rush of anything.
( As "Karuthmuthu" Kandasamy his grand entry makes you think that there is
comedy deluge in store - but nothing much happens. )
( Magazine - It's simple....No Nature, no tourism )
***********************************************
at bay - cornered,captured/trapped.
( Everything seems to work well for the visitor - the food,the ambience; even
the humidity -while oppressive - is kept at bay by air conditioners that work. )
spurt - sudden brief burst of activity/energy/water.
( Kerala has its spurts of power shutdown,but it isn't as bad as it is in
Karnataka, or worse, Uttar Pradesh. )
niche - place/position held by a person/thing.
( In actuality, it was the culmination/success/conclusion of the sustained
effort of many small but inventive entrepreneurs who had carved themselves a
unique niche for offering hospitality without the trammels of the organised
industry. )
trammels - something that confines/restrains/controls.
groundswell - rapidly growing wave of particular opinion.
( This groundswell had begun back in the late 1980s. )
spillover - excess,overabundance.
( Inventive Entrepreneurs set themselves up in business with cottages on the
backwaters or in the hills that could invite a few travel agencies to bring in the
spillover tourist traffic from Goa. )
sporadic - irregular,occasional,few.
lascivious - expressing desire for bodily appetite/ excessive sexual desire.
lissom - supple,lithe,bending/moving gracefully with ease & lightness.
lass - a young woman,girl; sweetheart,maid.
( The Arab tourist was also a tourism revenue earner - remember those years
when you had these sporadic reports of lascivious Sheiks and their penchant for the
lissom lasses of Kerala? )
measly - worthless,skimpy/less in size than needed/scanty.
( From a measly 29,000 overseas tourists in 1979,the number roses to 225,000
in 2000. )
covet - expressing evil desire for want of something that another person has; long for
with envy.
( What was once a lacklustre/dull posting for an IAS officer has now become a
coveted job. )
timidity - afraid,lack of self-confidence.
herd - masses,common people.
( There is concern at the Government's policy initiatives that display the
timidity of the herd and, admittedly , a lack of sensitivity to Kerala's fragile
economic resources. )
getaway - a period of rest & relaxation esp. a short one.
lush - luxuriously growth of vegetation.
( Thenmala,a sanctuary that had remained a quiet getaway ,is recieving excessive
attention, as the Govt. is likely to develop the lush valley as a destination. )
tranquillity - free from disturbance/agitation; calm/serene/peaceful.
enclave - a territory surrounded by the territory of another country.
( Baikal's tranquillity will soon be lost but Govt. is developing the historic
town into a tourism enclave. )
exigencies - situation calling for immediate response/attention.
( The exigencies of the tourism business,and the revenue that the Govt. sees
as potential from it,is only incidental. )
sweepstakes - contest,competition,sport/event.
( The key to Kerala tourism's sweepstakes is the protection and conservation
of the bio-diversity of its amazing natural resources. )
stakeholder - contestant,competitors.
pow-wow - conversation,conference/dialogue.
( Every stakeholder in the game was invited for a pow-wow on the directions
that need to be charted. )
insouciance - calm,untroubled,treating both good and bad in equal measures.Equanimity.
nonchalant/indifferent attitude.
cynicism - disbelief in human goodness & sincerity; pessimistic.
( The Keralite's insouciance,his wit,his cynicism and his ability to
soul-search never cease to surprise any outsider who ventures into the state. )
accent - importance/emphasis/significance.
(Accent should be on facilitating cultural exchange and true exposure to
Kerala and its values. )
soft-spoken - humble,reserved.
exponent - supporter/interpretor.
( Tommy Mathews is a soft-spoken,but well meaning, exponent of refreshing and
strategically far-sighted approaches. )
symbiosis - co-operative,help,inter-dependant for mutual benefits.
( "You cannot showcase Kerala's unique symbiosis of cultures,its festivities,
its performing arts, its fragile,but resplendant, environment". )
( ** Magazine - What's all the fuss about the win at Lord's? )
********************************************************
fuss - a state of nervous & excited but it is unecessary act.
elation - a feeling of exultation joy & pride with high spirits.
(This was a match(Natwest series final) involving two of the weakest
games in one-day cricket.Yet the elation continues even as the test series
begins. )
betenoire - a person/thing feared,disliked and avoided.
( England thought they had already won the football world cup after beating
their betenoire Argentina? )
trample - to crush,destroy & hurt heavily; stampout.
( We praise our cricketers to the sky when that rare victory is achieved,but
trample on them when they resume their losing ways. )
masqueraded - to live/act in false pretense.
( Some months ago,an enterprising reporter for Outlook masqueraded as a Muslim
and went all over south Mumbai to rent a paying guestroom. )
banged - to shut/strike/hit with hard & noisely.
( Brokers refused to help and landlords in non-Muslim areas banged the door
in his face. )
( ** Magazine - Baton versus Bayonet. )
*******************************
( Toscanini is Western classical music's example of the un-faustian artist
who will not be cowed down,who resists bayonet with baton. )
bayonet - a blade which is present at the (muzzle end/front end of the [barrel)/tube
portion of the rifle] and it is detachable.
baton - a slender stick used by a conductor in directing an orchestra, choir, etc.
opera - musical drama; a play with all/most of its text set to music.
( In 1886,a small Italian opera company went on a tour of South America
under a Brazilian conductor who,it was hoped,would boost the size of their
audiences. )
cellist - a person who plays the cello/an instrument belonging to violin family.
( Italian orchestra handed the baton over to its own principal cellist. )
transpired - happened/occured.
( Subsequently it transpired he had memorised all 12 operas in the company's
repertoire, and in later years it became apparent that he could retain inside his
head whole symphonies,concertos,and every other piece of music he was asked to
conduct. )
repertoire - a stock of plays,operas that a company is familiar with and was ready
to perform; stock of special skills of a particular person.
symphony - large orchestra comprising string,wind & percussion.
concert - a program of vocal or instrumental music, usually one in which a number
of musicians perform together.
phonetic - small differences between the words spoken/pronounced but does not
changes its meaning.
( A name phonetically close to Mozart,'Maestro',came to be attached to him. )
austerity - harsh,severe showing strict self-discipline and self-denial.
interpretive - that interprets,explains.
( This first Maestro was Arturo Tosconini,whose manically un-Romantic
interpretations of music inaugrated a new tradition of interpretive austerity. )
weild - to handle/operate/exercise tool/weapon/power(influence) skillfully and with control.
( An almost exact contemporary of the Mahatma,Tosconini wielded a baton to
captivate the classical music world as profoundly and as singularly - and over the
same stretch of time - as Gandhi symbolically used his walking stick to orchestrate
the Indian peasantry. )
messiah - an expected person who can save/liberate the people of the country.In christianity,
Jesus was a messiah.
( Tosconini knew he had inherited the spirits of Beethoven and was God's messiah
in republican Italy's fight against Mussolini. )
hounded - attack relentlessly until the victim succumbs.
( The artistically eminent are either hounded out or forced to compromise. )
supine - mentally/morally inactive,sluggish and passive person.
( In later years they seem heroic or supine depending upon the nature of their
dealings with political authority. )
faust - an old philosopher who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge and power.
( In European literature there is even a Goethean myth of the Faustian artist
who,surpassing compromise, sells his soul to the devil in return for absolute artistic
power. )
mephistopheles - the devil who buys the soul and gives knowledge/power to the Faustian
artist.
( In man-centred world the devil's equivalent becomes the political tyrant:
Mephistopheles becomes Mussolini. )
tyrant - cruel,oppressive ruler; absolute ruler/king with unlimited powers.
genocide - a systemmatic killing of whole nation/ particular ethnic group.
( Mussolini and his clones relish wiping out entire populations, and to keep
their genocide going they require the support of artists,intellectuals,and the
local media. )
subservience - to be useful/helpful in inferior capacity; sycophant/submissive.
jackboot - heavy military boot that reaches above knee.
( Istvan Szabo's film "Mephisto" and Francois Truffaut's "The Last Metro"
dramatise this conflict between the artist,struggling to keep his art going, and
tyranny,which demands subservience with jackboots. )
capitulating - to surrender/yield; stop resisting.
( In Fascist Italy,the contrast exists between Toscanini and the capitulating
opera composer Mascagni. )
charismatic - a person who has divinely inspired power.
fanatic - a person who shows extreme enthusiasm,zeal & passion that it is beyond
reasonable.
( He was the most charismatic,the most fiercely republican,the most fanatically
anti-Fascist conductor of the 20th Century. )
mnemonic - helpful in assisting the memory.
( If his mnemonics reminded people of Mozart,his public hatred of monarchists
reminded people of Beethoven. )
paradox - contradictory qualities of a person/thing.
( The democrat-Maestro's relationship with his own players,paradoxically,was
so dictatorial that they felt as kicked around as footballs. )
prototype - model,pattern,a perfect example for a particular thing.
( Most dictatorial conductor of all time overcomes the prototype of Fascism
via evasive and prolonged guerilla tactics. )
evasive - obscuring,tricky,hard to grasp/catch.
( ** Magazine - The 'Bend it like Beckham' girl. )
*******************************************
( Murari recounts working with Parminder Nagra,the star of 'Bend it like Beckham',
who played the lead role in his play 'The Square Circle' at the Leicester
Haymarket Theatre. )
emote - to act in emotional/theatrical manner.
gamut - range of emotions.
( Apart from being able to emote - shyness,anger,fear,love;the whole gamut
of emotions in two acts - She would also have to be very physically fit. )
upholster - covering material for furniture/anything. such as pillow,overspread,dress,
cushion etc.
( Right from choosing the upholstery and crockery to the ambience, Tendulkar
has pitched in. )
( ** Magazine - Branding for a better life? )
*************************************
pristine - pure,primitive,earlier part of the stage.
( The pristine Dangs, a tribal area in Gujarat on the western slopes of the
Sahyadhri ranges,shot into limelight a few years ago and for all the wrong reasons. )
face-off - battle/fight between persons/group of persons.
veritable - true,genuine,actual.
( A communal face-off at its headquarters - Ahwa - had then snowballed into
a veritable Hindu-Christian conflict throughout Gujarat. )
archaic - antiquated,old-fashioned,ancient.
( The Dangis have their own ethnic solutions evolved from archaic traditions. )
beeline - straightaway,direct route,to go straight towards.
( Dangis,when afflicted with disease/infirmity,make a beeline for the nearest
bhagat,instead of a medical practicioner and surprisingly - get cured. )
baffle - to confuse and prevent from understanding,puzzled.
( It is not the cure,which would baffle a scientific mind,but the treatment,
which seems rather incredible. )
brand - a stick i.e burnt for treatment.
( For almost any ailment/disease suffered by a tribal,the cure is in the form
of branding known as 'dambh'. )
appalling - shocking,frightful,dreadful.
( Although the entire healing process seems to be appalling,the patient more
often than not gets cured. )
contort - twist,distort violently,deformation.
lesion - injury,wound.
( The burn injury contorts into a scorched lesion filled with pus and bursts
within a week. )
stark seclusion - rigidly/harsly separated/isolated from others.
( The bhagats,who live in stark seclusion from the rest of the village,are
said to possess occult powers,which enable them to exercise metaphysical control
acquired by years of yogic penance,tantra and tatrak vidya. )
occult - hidden/concealed,beyond human understanding/magical.
behest - order,command,request.
( Some of the bhagats even possess powers of summoning a spirit in woman-form
that performs incredible tasks at the behest of the bhagat. )
infidelity - adultery,unfaithfulness/disloyalty to his/her husband/wife,prostitution.
unlicensed intercourse.
( Solving personal problems, such as infidelity,martial disharmony or
for that matter,winning the heart of an unwilling partner are all child's play for
the bhagat. )
fowl - any bird such as hen,cock,chicken,pigeon,duck etc.
incantation - chanting of mantras that is supposed to perform the magic.
( Coupled with fowl and cattle sacrifices,the bhagat's ceremonies include
repetitive incantation of tantras in a local Dangi dialect and numerous yagnas
and religious rites. )
hemmed - surrounded,enclosed.
( Hemmed by Surat and West Khandesh districts of Gujarat and Nasik of
Maharashtra,...)
cosy - warm,comfortable and friendly.
( Cosy hamlets with small thatched huts made of bamboo and dried grass provide
homes for the rapidly disappearing tribes. )
uncanny - weird,mysterious,strange/supernatural.
( The origin of Dangis could well be traced back to Mediterranean times,with
historians even finding an uncanny resemblence with the Hamitic civilisation of Egypt. )
aboriginal - existing from begining,from earliest days.
( Dangs have since time immemorial been inhabited by aboriginal tribes such as
Bhils and Kunbis. )
chores - routine task of the housekeeper,job/program.
( While some of the women commence with their household chores of cleaning
their house and sprucing up the looks,others move towards the forests. )
spruce - to make neat,trim and smart.
obscure - not eaisly percieved/distinct/clear.
prying - searching closely.
( Obscured from the prying eyes of police,the Dangi tribal carry two handas
and trek thru' dense forests of teak,sag trees,confronting a wild jackal on way to
the riverbed. )
confrontation - to meet face-to-face.
banter - to make fun or tease a person in a playful manner; Kaeli pannuvathu.
( It would not be uncommon to hear the banter of intoxicated tribals, carrying
the intoxicant in hand trekking thru' marshy swamps,besides the occasional roar of a
lion in the background or the slither of a chameleon against the leaves of a sag tree. )
slither - sliding motion,crawl,creeping motion as that of a snake.
bough - branch of a tree esp. main branch.
( Light rarely reaches the ground on account of dense,tall imposing Khadal trees
branching into a web of green boughs before going on to taper into slim green twigs. )
dodging - escaping from charge,duty/question by tricks and cleverness; evasion.
( It is the relationship that the Dangi enjoys with nature,dodging deftly
the pitfalls of the pseudo-modern city bred,which is almost enviable. )
( Friday Review - A perfect solitaire but... )
******************************************
( While one is a visual treat,the other is plain sans frills. But where "Devdas"
fails "Bend it like Beckham" scores.The author says more on these lines. )
solitaire - diamond.
sans - lacking.
frills - any unnecessary ornament; superfluous thing added for show .
sacrilege - intentional dishonour/distreatment of a person/thing/idea/place/God/religion
that is considered as sacred; blasphemy.
( I suppose you could call it a sacrilege of sorts. )
akin - having similar qualities; related thru' common ancestor.
( Something akin to putting an aloo paratha(BILB) next to a perfectly cut
solitaire(Devdas) and talking about their very separate but equally compelling
beauties. )
raving - delirious.(see it.)
( It seemed that for every raving fan,the film(Devdas) was soon declared an
unconditional hit, or to quote Mr.Komal Nahata," Super hit would be a mild word to
describe it".[India Today] )
swoon - to loose consciousness/faint.
ecstatic - enthusiastic.
euphoria - high spirits/feeling.
( And as the box office swooned in ecstatic euphoria,I saw another film
- " Bend it Like Beckham " . )
sumptuous - costly, luxurious/gorgeous.
( "Devdas" is a fabulous,sumptuous,glittering tribute to the lofty ideal of
romantic love where almost every frame leaves you gasping at its immaculately,
painstaking orchestrated beauty. )
gasping - breathing with surprise/with effort.
immaculately - perfecly correct/neat without a fault.
orchestrate - to arrange/compose so as to achieve desired result efficiently.
audaciously - boldly,bravely.
opus - work,composition,piece of work,creation.
( Devdas was paraded as an audaciously magnificient opus that managed to
persuade its producer to shell out an atonishing Rs.50 crores,that too in a
commercial environment where over 90% of the films are resounding flops. )
besotted - foolish/confusing act due to alcoholic drink/shallow love/affection.
( Bhansali's "Devdas" was tragic because Shah Rukh,the consummate actor though
he is, never became the weak, besotted Devdas,Aishwarya never became Paro and
Madhuri even though she tried so valiantly to,never became Chandramukhi. )
valiantly - bravely,determined,courageously.
cockles of one's heart - deepest feelings/emotions of a person.
( "BILB" satisfies the cockles of your heart that you leave the film smiling
all the way home, that's the real magic of cinema. )
cocoon - protective cover/envelope.
( Anupam Kher is a fine,sensitive cameo of a father who struggles between keeping
his daughter in the safe cocoon of tradition and the unknown and letting her go to
find self-worth and self-respect and most of all,her heart's desire. )
( Friday Review - Food for thought. )
********************************
poignant - Sharply painful to feelings evoking pity,compassion etc; emotionally touching
or moving.
( Those of us who have watched Balu Mahendra's weekly "Kadhai Naeram",telecast
about a couple of years ago on Sun,could not but admire the ingenuity of the creator
who could present a story with a poignant message in a span of ,say 22 minutes. )
ingenuity - naive,simple & straightforward.
finesse - the ability to handle delicate and difficult situations skillfully and
diplomatically .
( The short film "Appa" with the same running time,is similar in certain aspects
though it lacks the finesse of the former. )
callous - a person with no pity,mercy etc ; stubborn and indifferent attitude.
( The callous man of the house wanders round town instilling fear in the people
around and indulging in underhand deals. )
henchman - associate,partner,assistant.
( He becomes a henchman of politicians. )
penury - lack of money, extreme poverty;
( The task is accomplished and with it the days of penury are over for Maari
and his family. )
( Friday Review - The mirror as camera! )
************************************
accentuated - to heighten the effect/importance/significance of something.
( The weather is gloomy accentuated by thunder and lightening. )
truant - a person/thing escapes from his work/duty; lazy/idle person.
( Power plays truant. )
crabby - a person who always complains and he is hard to please; ill/bad tempered.
( A crabby man finds no hope in anything. )
( FR - Again in a crisis. )
**********************
Shrug - to hold the shoulder up to show doubt,contempt/disdain.
( Sunil Dutt shrugged,smiled wryly. )
Stoop - to bent the shoulder and upper portion of the body to downwards;
to condescend oneself.
( The overall impression the tapes left was the feeling how a son of
Dutt saab can stoop to such low levels. )
trounced - to defeat soundly.
( In the Lok Sabha elections,Dutt saab was the only succeesful candidate
from Mumbai and trounced sitting MP,Madhukar Sarpotdar, a favourite of
Thackeray. )
credibility - reliable,a person who can be trusted.
( Sunil Dutt's credibility is still high. )
besmirch - defame/to bring dishonour to one's popularity.
apparently - appearing (but not necessarily) real or true; seeming to be.
wayward - disobedient,not following other's advices/orders/requests,stubborn,headstrong.
( Dutt saab apparently had powerful enemies who attacked him and tried to
besmirch his reputation through his wayward son. )
unscathed - not harmed/uninjured.
( Knowing his resilient nature,friends and admirers are certain that Dutt saab
will emerge unscathed this time too. )
( FR -The icon's cruise. )
*********************
muster - to assemble together.
( Nichole Kidman remarked with the radiant nonchalance that only celebrities can
muster, that she could now wear high heels. )
tabloid - a newspaper, usually half the ordinary size, with many pictures and short,
often sensational, news stories .
( And after the break-up,there has been increased tabloid speculation about
his (Tom Cruise) sexual leanings. )
dent - to degrade/depress one's fame.
( But it takes more than to dent the image of Tom Cruise , Hollywood icon
extraordinaire. )
dandy - a man who pays too much attention to his appearance/dress.
( Ogden Nash - eye candy is dandy,De Niro is slicker. )
slicker - rascal,tricky & cleverly deceptive person.
protagonist - a person playing the central/pivotal role in a play/drama/movie.
( So it was quite a coup for Cruise to land the role of Dr.Bill Harford,
the central protagonist of Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut". )
dyslexia - impairment of studying/reading nature of a person due to genetic defect/
brain injury.
( Tom went to 15 schools, and , not surprisingly,this disruptive routine
contributed to his childhood dyslexia. )
seminary - school/college where persons are trained to become priests/ministers.
( At one point of time,he wanted to be a priest, and even attended a
Franciscan seminary for a year. )
live-in - a person living at the residence of his/her sexual partner without being
married.
( Tom Cruise met Rebecca de Mornay with whom he had a live-in relationship
before moving on to his first marriage with actress Mimi Rogers. )
rational - ability to reason logically,common-sense.
( Tom beleives in rational and scientific cure for ailments. )
macho - a person characterised by extreme courageous, brave & aggressive; manly
( In 'Top Gun' he graduated to play macho,fighter pilot Pete 'Maverick'. )
protege - follower,pupil,a person who enhances in his career by the influence of highly
influential people.
( In 'The Color of Money' Cruise played Vincent,the too-cool player who
becomes the protege of the older,wheeling dealing Fast Eddie(Paul Newman). )
wheel & deal - to behave in flamboyant(pagataaga) and aggressive manner in
business/political dealings.
romp - to play or frolic in a boisterous, lively way .
frolic - full of fun & pranks.
( Surely working with Newman and Sorcese made the young actor realise that
acting is more than just a sweaty romp. )
autist - introvert, selfish minded person.
( In Barry Levinson's "Rain Man", Cruise played the younger brother of the
autistic Raymond(Dustin Hoffman.) Hoffman got an Oscar;Cruise got noticed. )
antithesis - the exact opposite,contrast.( Joy is the antithesis of sorrow. )
jingoistic - militaristic,patriotic.
( In the film "Born on the 4th of july" he played the antithesis of
his jingoistic role in "Top Gun". )
infidelity - adultery,unlicensed intercourse.
impeccable - without faults,excellent.
( The film "Eyes wide shut" is a haunting exploration of a couple's
infidelities, real and imagined, elicits impeccable performances from
Cruise and Kidman. )
estranged - a person who is alienated from affections & friendly atmosphere.
unfriendly.
( In the film "Magnolia" Cruise stretched his talents further,playing
the estranged son of a television producer who is dying painfully in the same
city. )
vacuous - lack of matter/purpose.senseless,dull.
( The academy gave him only nomination; it was the year of that pretentious
and supremely vacuous enterprise,"American Beauty". )
precognition - the supposed perception of an event, condition, etc. before it occurs,
esp. by extra sensory powers.
( In "Minority Report" precrime works by tapping nightmare 'previsions' of
three precogs who float in a pool with electrodes attached to their scalps. )
mercenary - designation of a soldier who is working in a foriegn army for the purpose
of money alone.
( In "The Last Samurai", a period film set in Japan,he plays an
American mercenary. )
( FR - "Minority Report" )
**********************
fabulous - fable like,imaginary,fictious,unbelievable.
boo - to make sound "boooo" expressing disapproval,scorn etc.
( Beautifully filmed with fabulous possibilities of a future world,some truly
heavyweight star power & director - all to go make saying boo to the "Emperor's
New Clothes" very difficult. )
surveillance - a close watch on a suspected person; monitoring.
( Surveillance cameras scan people's eye for identification. )
virulent - extremely poisonous,deadly,full of hate & enmity.
( Crime is possibly one of the most virulent forms of pollution. )
comatose - listless,lethargic,dull,unconscious; coma.
( Precogs are suspended in a solution of chemicals & water in a semicomatose
state & are connected to an elaborate machine that presents its visions to the
pre crime cops for prevention. )
incarcerating - imprisonment,confining.
( Pre Crime Unit is able to eliminate all murders while ignoring the questionable
practice of incarcerating people who haven't really done anything - but only thought
of it. )
blithely - cheerfully,gladly,happily.
( The possibility of someone being unfairly targeted is blithely ignored. )
fool proof - it is so simple and well designed that even a fool can never misunderstood
or damage it; perfect,reliable,infallible.
( Refusing to believe this cloudy pre murder & that he is capable of it,he
finds himself on the run - fleeing from his colleagues and a system which is
supposed to be fool proof. )
infallible - incapable of error,never wrong.
( Are the precogs and the precrime as infallible as they are made out? )
preordained - destined,to arrange beforehand.
( Soon he is on the path of discovery - a path that explores ideas about
preordained things & future ,juxtaposed with the ambiguities of a past - including
the unsolved disappearance of Anderton's six-year old son to its charmingly
utopian end. )
transcend - to go beyond the limits of,to be superior at,excel.
over shadow - dominate,command,to be more significant than by comparison.
alley - suited to one's tastes,abilities & interests; fit./ street,road.
( Cruise as Anderton rides thru' 20th century's Minority Report with
clarity - he knows he has to transcend his good looks & create a character that
threatens to overshadow the proceedings - he is happy changing his looks & even
subjects himself to a back alley eye surgery to avoid detection,a scene he handles
pretty well. )
musing - to think deeply & at length,meditate.
( As for Spielberg,one supposes he cannot resist the small boy visions of
a perfect world & happy endings with liberal doses of philosophical musings. )
( FR - "Baba" )
**********
surmise - guess,idea/opinion formed from evidence and it is neither conclusive nor
positive.
( A lot has been said (much of it on surmise) & written about the film that
even a word more could only be redundant. )
fibbing - lies.
gimmicks - a device used especially to get attention for promoting the product to
success.
( Fantasy & fun,fibbing & faith,fiction & reality,graphics & gimmicks have
all been mixed with politics & religiosity as undercurrents. )
helm - leadership of an organisation,guide.
( With Rajinikanth at the helm the project is a viable proposition indeed. )
viable - workable & likely to survive,able to root & grow.
strife - competition,contention,struggle,fighting;discord.
( It is a test by the Gods to know whether Baba would ask something for himself
& thereby continue with the cycle of birth & death or be unselfish & put an end to being
born again in this strife-torn world. )
flummoxed - confused.
( The hero himself seems undecided about his choices,"Baba" leaves the viewer
too,equally flummoxed. )
confound - to make feel confused,puzzled.
( Political overtones & philosophical strains are knit together,the result
can only confound you. )
odious - deserved hatred,hateful,offensive.
( "Baba" is director Suresk Krissna's 4th film with Rajinikanth.Comparisons
are odious but inevitable too. )
unsurpaassed - unique,matchless.
( You tend to think of "Baadsha" even as you watch "Baba" & you wonder at the
magic of the former ,which still remains unsurpassed. )
( FR - It was "Lagaan" all the way. )
********************************
auteurism - the director of the film whose work is examined closely to find distinct
& unique personal style.
( In the foreign film category the Oscar goes in for auteurship rather than
market drive. )
ritzy - luxurious,rich,exclusive.
yokel - countryman,person living in rural area.
protagonist - leading character,hero.
( Instead of ritzy designer labels it outfitted a whole company, including
the star protagonist, in asli desi yokel attire. )
ensemble - all the parts considered as a whole/put together,unity,entirety.
( The ensemble acting,with its nuances, was superb. )
nostalgia - homesickness,longing for something far away/long ago/former happy
circumstances.
( Lagaan made us nostalgic for lost innocence identified with village life
in the past. )
valor - marked courage/bravery.
( Lagaan utilised our national obsession for cricket & reminded us of
team-spirit,sportsmanship & the do-or-die valour of the genuine player in the
game or in life. )
haunting - not easily forgotten,recurring in the mind.
( Udit Narayan's songs in "Lagaan" & "Dil Chahta Hai" were reminiscent of
scores in the past when haunting melodies triumphed over catatonic rhythms. )
catatonia - gloomy,dejected.
precocity - genius,talent,highest degree of intellectual capacity.
( In this stark,bleak & convincing portrayal Shwetha avoids that cuteness &
precocity we found in some of her other features. )
offbeat - unnatural,strange,unconventional.
waif - homeless child.
( "Dany"(malayalam) stands out for its offbeat treatment of the
"biography" of an orphaned waif Daniel Thompson. )
( FR - "Men in Black-II"
**********************
freak - abnormal person/animal,monster.
( And this one is really bad.And she is a female.And a control freak. )
upstart - a person who is recently come into wealth & power & he behaves in presumptuous,
& aggressive manner.
( There is a policing force comprising Men in Black,that keeps such upstarts
in check & maintains peace in the general diversity of all beings. )
diabolical - devilish,very wicked/cruel;
( Now,the same Men in Black make a reappearance to contain the diabolical plot
of sinister Serleena,a kylothian monster,who disguises herself as a lingerie model. )
averted - prevent from happening.
( Besides,it has been 4 years since the intergalactic super cops have averted a
disaster of epic proportions. )
pug - fighter,short form for pugilist.
( The satirical quality of the computerised aliens & the world they inhabit,
& not to forget the talking pug,all go to make this film worth viewing once. )
hideous - horrible to see/hear,very dreadful,ugly.
( The quality of the creatures the makers have created,is incredibly good &
you end up warming up to some of them even if they are pretty hideous to look at. )
obnoxious - unpleasant,offensive,objectionable,hateful;
( The worms especially,which are actually the antitheis of what is expected
of a hard worker - they smoke,take long breaks, are obnoxious & are only interested
in having a good time. )
forking - division into branches,bifurcating;
( As for the creature,Serleena,her snaking,forking,multi-hands that coil
effectively around the opponent,is something to watch if one can stomach it. )
stomach - able to digest/tolerate,endure.
incredulous - unable to believe,skeptical;
( As for the others,such as irrepressible MC Biz Markie,the two headed side
kick & the other aliens that comprise this film, they just add up to the incredulous
theme without seeming too much out of place. )
( FR - "The Time Machine" )
***********************
crediblity - believable, reliable.
( The film's most obvious weakness is its lack of credibility!! )
chaotic - completely confused,disorderly condition.
( The chaotic script is a disappointment to fans of fantasy. )
( FR - Twists & turns. )
********************
gallows - an upright frame with a crossbeam and a rope, for hanging condemned persons.
( "The students of the state do not want a man to be hanged.Does he go to the
gallows? In the 2nd reel which,incidentally,will also have the climax,the truth is
revealed.But it is from here that the story moves on with twists & turns" the director
says. )
concur - to come into agreement.
( " I wanted Satyaraj to do the film & my producer Pankaj Mehta concurred
with me". )
merchandising - that part of marketing involved with promoting sales of merchandise,
as by consideration of the most effective means of selecting, pricing, displaying, and
advertising items for sale in a retail store.
( The caps of "Baba" were sold as a part of merchandising. )
( Magazine - Is she a Putin's angel? )
**********************************
kremlin - fort of Russia in which govt. offices are present.
boulevards - broad,well-made street one lined with trees,grass plots etc.
ravishing - entertaining,charming,beautiful.
smitten - loving,infatuated.
( Tongues are wagging from the Kremlin to the boulevards of Hollywood, that
the ravishing new Miss Universe,Russian policewoman Oksana Fedorova,had a little
help from the smitten president of her country. )
bikini - a very brief two-piece swimsuit for women.
( But once on the stage in her skimpy bikini at Donald Trump's beauty &
talent contest,she beat 74 other beauties from around the world. )
pageant - showy display of wealth,knowledge etc.
( Oksana,who patrols the Mafia-ridden streets of St.Petersburg,became the first
Russian girl to win the title in the pageant's 50-year old history. )
brawn - muscular strength,strong & well developed muscles.
( As well as having brains & beauty...Oksana packs plenty of brawn, too. )
flirting - a jerky movement showing love at someone without serious intentions.
a movement evoking trifling joy to oneself.
( As Billy Thornton flirts with girls young enough to be his daughter, friends
are saying he split from wife Angelina Jolie["Tomb Raider" star] because of jealousy. )
( Magazine - Bye to a reckless past.)
*********************************
reckless - careless,a person not regarding the consequencies.
( Fly-crazy superstar John Travolta was once banned for reckless flying. )
infraction - violation,breaking of law.
( Aviation Administrator said : "We found Mr.Travolta guilty of two infractions". )
on board - travelling.
( His wife,actress Kelly Preston & then 8-month -old son,Jett,were on board. )
tarmac - an airport runway,apron.
( The 7550 strip of tarmac is long enough to land the actor's 707,which he
bought from the Australian airline Quantas for 60 million pounds. )
( Magazine - A face in the crowd. )
******************************
grovel - to crawl/bend oneself for mercy/help before authority; debase oneself in a
servile fashion;
( What transformed them into cold-blooded killers,driven enough to make a
man grovel for mercy. )
stripped - to remove the outer covering of a something;to deprive of something;
to make naked.
( For surely,in challenging him with knives & swords,& forcing tears from
his eyes,they stripped the man of his dignity -- as a human being. )
snuffed - to put out/extinguish;to bring an end suddenly/destroy.
( They saw,in him,an enemy,who,if he was not snuffed out,would overwhelm
them sooner or later. )
avenging - to take vengeance/revenge on behalf of wrong/injury.
( What are they avenging? )
scabbard - a sheath or case to hold the blade of a sword.
( For the street is full of cowards,rushing about with empty scabbards,looking
into windows for sleeping children to slaughter. )
hapless - unfortunate,unlucky,poor,tragic.
grope - to feel/search about blindly, hesitantly, or uncertainly;
( The hapless school girl who is groped in a crowded bus,experiences the
horror of violence to its fullest. )
predicament - a difficult/embarassing situation.
flippant - disrespectful/rude manner.
encapsulate - in a concise/condensed manner.
( Yet her predicament is encapsulated in the rather flippant phrase,eve-teasing. )
lulled - to become quiet/calm.
( Gujarat battle is a battle between hypocrites,struggling for supremacy,
struggling for the attention of a country whose conscience has been lulled into passivity. )
squabble - to fight/quarrel over a small/petty matter.
( Saivite squabble with Vaishnavite. )
indignation - righteous anger;showing anger for injustice,ingratitude;
bonafide - official,genuine,real;
( On the other hand,is the secular group,who will have you believe in the
bonafide traditions of their indignation. )
multitude - crowd,group of people;
( Our love for humanity is most profoundly expressed not in the way we love the
multitude,but in the way we love the single human being. )
sermon - speeches.
( We reach a point where speeches,sermons & silent marches are either minimal
or no longer necessary. )
eloquently - speaking fluently in a persuasive/forcible manner.
( Mahatma Gandhi,that great Indian from Gujarat,speaks eloquently to the
violence in our hearts & in our minds. )
decapitated - to cut the head off/kill;
( Gandhiji was against inhumanity in all its forms;even a peculiarly Indian
inhumanity that had religious groups exchanging lorry-loads of decapitated bodies in a
senseless saga of vengeance. )
whim - caprice,sudden emotional act/change of mind.
( Hatred is never a private whim. )
( Magazine - Kashmir: Why the women voted. )
***************************************
disillusionment - to be free from false ideas; disappointment.
( Many Kashmiris felt the deep disillusionment with the political process. )
sullen - sad,gloomy.
( No one can ignore the sullen faces,the closed shops & deserted streets & the
mounting death toll during the last 4 weeks. )
obdurate - stubborn,hard hearted.
convulsed - to disturb violently,hysterically.
( No one but the most obdurate can fail to acknowledge (i.e everyone will
acknowledge) that the main political problem that has convulsed this beautiful
state is still a long way from being resolved. )
refrain - chorus; voluntary self-denial or the deliberate giving up of something.
( Initially they spoke about the injustice caused by the army & the word
"zoolum" was a constant refrain. )
vociferous - loud & shouting voice.
( I extend my hand to one of the most vociferous of this group of women. )
urn - bottle,vessel;
( Across the open ground was a small stream & a group of women were filling
their urns from it. )
undercurrent - an opinion/tendency i.e kept hidden & not expressed openly.
( An undercurrent of hostility prevails among Kashmiris. )
( Friday Review - "XXX" )
********************
espionage - the use of spies by the govt./companies to know the secrets of other
nations/companies.
( "XXX" is a espionage of the harsher kind. )
stale - losing interest,originality & newness.
( Had this film been strictly 'only action', it would have turned stale
very quickly - but the character that is Xander has an unexpected sense of humour
that carries the movie forward. )
demeanor - outward behaviour,conduct,attitude.
( When he is not sporting the 'what is going on' demeanour he is like a kid
acting out his fantasies about big action dreams. )
goof - to make mistake,error/blunder.
( It is refreshing to have a super spy who is straightforward enough to goof
up now & then. )
defiance - the open & bold resistance to authority/opposition.
( But then he combines defiance,toughness & vulnerability that make him
interesting & likeable. )
moll - prostitute.
( This is a departure for Argento to play Yelena,who seems neither good nor
bad & for most part appears like a moll,but appealing in her own way. )
spire - a structure that tapers towards the top like tower.
cobblestone - a rounded stone used for paving streets like pebbles.
alleyway - a narrow passageway between buildings.
( Prague,where a lot of the action also happens,is most appealing with its
historic buildings,church spires,cobblestone streets,twisting alleyways,soaring
architecture - a popular location for many films in the recent past no doubt,
but almost always has a period look. )
anarchy - a terrorist group against the govt.
( The filmakers converted a crumbling desolate church into one of the most
unique anarchy nightclubs. )
( "Unfaithful" )
***********
alley - road,lane,street.
( Papers fly away,hats roll down alleys & skirts are whipped against the
body. )
hurl - throw.
( A woman clutching her shopping finds herself hurled against a young handsome,
French man carrying a load of books. )
indiscretion - not separated in distinct parts.
( The scenario is set for an act of indiscretion that will change lives
forever. )
stray - to deviate,to wander/roam aimlessly.[stray dogs.]
( Most often we think of the man -- who has strong tendencies to stray. )
conceivable - understandable,convincing.
( However, in Adrian Lyne's, "Unfaithful",the blame falls on the attractive,
middle-aged Connie Summer who not only has every conceivable comfort provided by a
very good looking & charming husband Edward,but a very cute eight year old boy
Charlie. )
irrevocable - that cannot be repeated,unalterable,permanent.
( After that irreversible,irrevocable meeting she is unable to forget him. )
intrigued - attracted,fascinated.
carefree - free from troubles/worry.
yore - long ago,in times long past.
( Connie is intrigued by the apartment which is filled with books & a feeling
of living for the moment possibly reminds of her own carefree days of yore. )
( "The Bourne Identity" )
********************
wad - small heap/lump/bundle.
( And when he goes there ,this man presumed dead, finds wads of money - of
different currencies,several passports sporting different identities & a gun! )
genre - type,kind,class.
( In a racy,truly stylish genre of filmmaking, Robert Ludlum's popular book,
"Bourne Identity", finds visual life in this Universal Pictures venture. )
smothered - drowned,consumed,choked,to die without air to breathe.
mire - area of wet,swamp,sagathy.
( Coming as it does smothered in the mire of several big budget films,you could
have very easily missed it considering the lukewarm promos. )
taut - tightly stretched,effiecient/well-disciplined.
( The film is taut & intensely focussed.The director manages to cut every bit
of fat to make each scene essential to the plot. )
implausible - unbelievable,inconceivable.
( It's not exactly implausible that CIA would hire assassins to eliminate
political adversaries.It's not very differnt from trying to get at someone like
Osama bin Laden. )
minion - servile follower,flatterer,fawning person.
( His boss Ted Conklin & his minions want him dead. )
rapport - relationship,agreement.
instinctive - spontaneous.
( The two have a rapport that is tentative & instinctive, lost & yet at home. )
seep - to leak/drip/ooze.
( She has an earthy beauty,which also suggests European & seeps in with the rest
of the ambience. )
ferry - to carry over from one place to another.
( Marie agrees to ferry Jason to Paris for a fee & there,circumstances keep them
together as he attempts to survive the persistant attempts on his life & try to piece
together what exactly his life consists of. )
peril - danger,manace,threat.
( The use of dramatic pauses before unexpected bursts of activity,the method
of shooting & editing,makes you feel the peril & speed. )
unflappable - not excited,cool,self-possessed; non-chalant.
( The CIA agent possess unflappable personality. )
( FR - Desi spirit in Western hues. )
********************************
augur - anticipates,foretells.
( Of late a whole genre of films that showcases the life & problems of NRI has
begun making waves & the trend augurs well for cinema. )
introspect - self-examination.
philanderer - the man who is engaged in insincere love affairs/adultery.
( The woman lands as an academic in the land of freedom,exercises it with a
guy half her age,actually her student,lives to introspect,to learn,then goes back to
her own philandering man. )
verve - spirit,exuberant enthusiasm.
( The film caters to that segment of audiences who want their films to have Indian
spirit,Western verve. )
hearth - fireplace/home.
( Even if the country roads don't lead to home,even if they are not five but
hundreds of miles removed from hearth with a nice shirt on their back & a million
pounds to their name. )
( "Leela" )
*******
bewitch - to attract irresistably/charm.
( Exhilarating is the air she breathes,bewitching is the glance she casts &
enticingly vulnerable is her condition. )
smoulder - to have suppressed feelings/ to burn without flames.
( Close to 40, & far removed from her man back in Mumbai,she is a picture of
smouldering sensuality. )
pine - yearn,longing desire.
( With her poise & polish,she makes you yearn & pine. )
perfidy - deliberate breaking of faith/trust;deceit.
( Driven by the tide of time, perfidy stares her in the face. )
ode - poem.
scalpel - dissecting instrument.
( In the distance, is an ode to love, a poet's song,no surgeon yet bringing
relief,no scalpel yet helping heal. )
sniping - hunting from hidden position.(Rama did sniping against Vaali. )
( The boy walks out on sniping parents & then finds that the woman he did it
all for, may not be his. )
plausible - seemingly honest but not so.
( She is plausible as a wife unhappy in marriage but willing to make compromises
to make it tick. )
inhibition - restrained feelings.
( That is the point she lets go of her inhibitions & collapses like surging waves
of the sea against young rocks on the shore. )
denouement - climax.
( And in its final denouement,it is almost escapist. )
** Hindu
*****
Vacillating - wavering in motion/opinion,not constant in one's own opinion,oscillation thinking.
Fructify - to fertilise/to produce.
Orator - speaker,talker.
Comeuppance - deserved punishment.
Courtesy - a kind/helpful behaviour.
Compunction - regretting for bad behaviour/guilty; Penitence,qualms,remorse.
smugness - complacency,self-satisfied to annoying degree.
courtiers - sycophants;Subservients.
Obduracy - stubborn.
perverse - stubborn/ contrary,tending to contradict from normal stubbornly.
obsolescence - obsolete.
antiquity - ancient/old age,qualities of old.
exhort - to urge,impel,to persuade/encourage.
realms - kingdom.
ostensible - notable,clearly evident.
pedagogy - art of teaching,teaching methods.
appraisal - to estimate.
oblivious - absent-minded,careless.
sentinel - guard,watchman,observer.
traumatic - frightful. ( traumatic scene.)
protracted - chronic,extended,prolonged duration ( protracted ethnic conflict.)
strewn - dissipated,spreaded / scattered.
attorney - lawyer.
vicious - characterised by harmful,evil,corrupt,noxious nature. ("vicious cycle of poverty.)
noxious - harmful to health,injurious,perinicious.
perinicious - causing great injury,harm, deadly/fatal;
touted - the act of spying on racehorses & providing valuable race tips to the customers,act of advertising.
peril - danger,threat,something that may cause harm/injury.
blight - anything that destroys, prevents growth, or causes devaluation !slums are a blight on a city"
person or thing that withers someone's hopes or ambitions . (blight of Bihar.)
galvanize - to apply electric current / to stimulate.
burgeoning - increasing rapidly.
doe - female deer.
pie - a baked dish made of fruit,meat etc;
[Slang] a) something extremely good or easy
spree - a period of uninhibited activity,act of celebration;
lamb - a person easily tricked or outwitted, young sheep.
prosaic - commonplace, dull and ordinary !prosaic details of everyday life"
flat & unimaginative,mundane & dull.
overt - open,observable,clear. ( overted expressions. )
Law done openly and publicly, without attempt at concealment and with evident intent
swoon - to faint / loose conscious.
pep - liveliness,spirit,enthsiasm.
vibes - [Slang] qualities in a person or thing that are thought of as being like
vibrations which produce an emotional reaction in others.
Gorgeous
********
dejavu - psychology the feeling that one had an experience previously,although it is
actually new to him.
[ The film creates a sense of dejavu & soon we understood why.It is so similar to
100's of desi films of diehard romance. ]
tycoon - a wealthy & powerful industrialist,financier;
title applied by foreigners to the former Shogun of Japan;
shogun - any of the hereditory governors of Japan exercising absolute rule;
[ C.N.Chan is a business tycoon. ]
workout - any strenuous exercise,work etc.
[ Workouts & boxing are his passionate pasttimes otherwise he is workaholic. ]
workaholic - a person having a compulsive need to work; hustler .
yearns,pining - to be filled with longing or desire.
to feel tenderness / sympathy.
[ He yearns for her & follows her to village where all ends well. ]
[ pining,love sick hero -- Chan. ]
forte - a thing that a person does particularly well; strong point.
[ Comedy is the forte of Jackie Chan. ]
incidental - secondary / minor.
[ Most of Chan actioners love has remained incidental. ]
regression - going back.
[ Regression takes the form of pigeons carrying love notes. ]
mellifluous - sounding sweet & smooth.
[ Title music is mellifluous ]
Chuppa Rustam.
**************
Insomnia - abnormally prolonged inability to sleep.
[ The film is a sure cure for insomnia. ]
Cast Away.
**********
dishevelled - untidy & disarranged.
[ Dishevelled cast away. ]
vie - to struggle for superiority; compete.
histrionic - overacting,theatrical (naadagathanamaana);
smirk - smile in a conceited way.(tharperumai sirippu. )
[ Smirking volleyball. ]
atoll - ring shaped coral island nearly / completely surrounding a lagoon.
lagoon - shallow water separated from the main water body;
coral - hard,stony skeleton secreted by certain marine forming reefs & atolls in
tropical seas.
reef - line / ridge of rock,coral / sand lying at or near the surface of water ;
Review of 4 directors.
*********************
magnanimous - noble in mind,high souled, generous in overlooking insult;
rising above pettiness / meaness.
[ Small screen had provide magnanimous support to the upcoming directors. ]
whodunit - mystery novel,play etc.
plot - arrangement of the incidents in a play,novel,narrative poem;
[ Who-dun-it plots was exquisitely crafted & executed by Naga. ]
spate - sudden,heavy rain;
an unusual large outpouring as of words.
[ Venkat's spate of success on the stage gave him the courage to take up the
film direction. ]
yen - longing desire,hunger;
[ Venkat's yen for humour is intact. ]
pensive - thinking deeply / seriously often of sad or melancholy things.
sojourn - brief visit.
[ Naga had a sojourn into the world of corporate films. ]
embark - to begin a journey.
to engage in enterprise.
to go aboard a shio,aircraft etc.
[ He embarked on projects with KB. ]
vista - prospect,outlook;
comprehensive outlook / mental view of a series of remembered or anticipated events.
[ Satellite channels have opened many vistas. ]
travails - very hardwork; toil.
labour pain, pains of childbirth;
[ Travails & triumphs of 4 directors of the small screen was well protrayed by
Malathy Rangarajan. ]
aver - state positively, assert, affirm / allge;
Cracking info. on Quake.
***********************
perish - to be destroyed,ruined,wiped out.
to die,esp. to a violent / untimely death.
[ Perish the thought! = Do not even consider such possiblity. ]
scramble - to climb,crawl / clamber hurriedly; to scuffle or struggle for;
clamber - to climb with effort or clumsily ( by hands + feets ).
kith & kin - friends & relatives.
yeoman service - exceptionally good, useful or loyal service.
horrendous - horrible,frightful;
Hanging out in the crowds.
**************************
cliques - small exclusive circle of people.
insanity - mental illness / derangement;
psychosis,dementia,lunacy.
fragile - easily broken / destroyed.
[ Adolescents are psychologically fragile. ]
peer - a person or thing of the same rank,value,quality,ability etc.
Apostles - a person sent out on a special mission.
elate - to raise the spirits of; make very proud,happy;
outweigh - to weigh more than.
[ Downside of cliques far outweighs the advantages. ]
venturesome - involving hazardous,danger & risk.
** Hindu
*********
spellbound - affected / fascinated / amazed / entranced;
epaulet - a shoulder ornament for certain uniforms, esp. military uniforms
fleeting - passing swiftly,not lasting,having brief life / ephemeral / transient.
epilogue - a short speech or poem spoken to the audience by one of the actors at the
end of a play.
chivalry - the noble qualities of a knight was supposed to have, such as courage, honor,
and a readiness to help the weak and protect women .
eschew - to keep away from something harmful or disliked.
anecdote - a short, entertaining account of some happening, usually personal or
biographical
—SYN STORY1
chagrin - a feeling of embarrassment and annoyance because one has failed or been
disappointed; mortification ;
euphoria - a feeling of vigor, well-being, or high spirits.
** Hindu
*********
teeming - plentiful,abundant,rich. [ teeming metropolis. ]
enrapture - to be filled with great pleasure / delight, entranced;
verve - exuberant enthusiasm,overflowing spirits.
[ He enraptures with his verve. ]
brash - rude & rash behaviour with self opinionated & immature &
inexperienced / Sophomoric;
[ He has been a brash hero. ]
somber - dull,gloomy,sad & dark.
[ Abode of somber = Dwelling place of dull in nature. ]
repository - any person / place / thing where huge information / things were placed safely.
[ Museum is a repository of precious things;
Repositories of culture. ]
stalwart - strong & well built / valor,valiant / sturdy / robust.
a person supporting a cause with firm partisanship.
defuse - to make less tense / less harm by diplomacy.
tout - middleman [ Tharagar ]
Know ur English
***************
Take / Get a load off your feet - to sit down & relax.
Let the grass grow under my feet - doing nothing,simply idle.
To find one's feet - getting used to new situation.
Vote with your feet - showing your displeasure about something by walking out.
** Hindu
********
scathing - cruel,brutal. [ Scathing attack on hard-liners. ]
hard-liner - a person who is stubborn in politics & in foreign policy.
musing - thoughtful,pensive / meditative,introspection.
flagrant - glaringly bad,clearly doing harm.
[ Flagrant violation. ]
shackled - to be in restrained condition / bounded.
[ The Nation cannot remain shackled to debate. ]
entourage - a group of persons / assistants accompanying a main person;
escorts / followers.
ablaze - burning brighly.
viable - able to survive / alive.
[ Viable future seems to be dark. ]
** Hindu
********
spa - curative bath;
plush - luxurious,rich;
prozac - a drug used to treat depression.
chemotherapy - treatment of disease by medicines.
druids - prophets, a person who predicts future events & divinly inspired.
crusty - rough & outspoken,rude person.
legacy - money or property left to someone by a will.
crumb - a very small piece,bit.
delve - to dig or investigate or search for information.
impending - to be about to happen,imminent.
bully - a person who frightens others who were weak & smaller.
fiscal - financial. [ chilly fiscal year. ]
logging - the occupation of cutting down trees, cutting them into logs, and
transporting the logs to the sawmill.
In one's opinion,
get dressed - wearing clothes ordinarily.
dressed up - wearing special clothes.
ravage - act of violently destroying / attacking.
inept - unsuitable,unfit.
lob - throw,toss up.
[ Grenade lobbed by militants. ]
evict - to eject out,to expelled out.
albatross - a large bird / huge burden or distress that affects effective action.
whittle - to cut down,diminsh,lessen;
( We whittle the cost of our projekt. )
hike - to take a long,vigorous walk thru woods or country;
( Hiking is a good alternative to reduce stress. )
"Catch Me If You Can"
*********************
con - to cheat,decieve;
( The protagonist in the film is in his teens,brilliant & motivated no doubt,
does con jobs that would put veterans to shame.)
hard-nosed - stubborn,unyielding,shrewd & practical;
( And he is actually able to outsmart,on most occasions,a hard-nosed
equally bright FBI agent,hot on his trail. )
subliminal - imperceptible,not easily understood,obscuring.
( Rooms & objects in the film glow with that subliminal message that something
amazing is about to happen. )
beguiling - to mislead by cheating,trick etc; charming,entertaing,seductive.
( Leonardo Dicaprio is perfect as Frank,with his beguiling face & blue eyes,while
for Tom Hanks,after "Road to Perdition",this is a role i.e exciting & arresting. )
panache - spirits of self-confidence,flamboyance; class;
( Production designer & costume designer provides the right amount of panache
to make u believe that u are truly in the 1960s. )
"Bas Yun Hi"
**************
straggle - to wander about in irregular & dishevelled manner.
( Alright! YOU don't have anything to do! You straggle across to Coffee Day &
decide to while away some time & drink the brew in all sorts of combinations. )
brew - to prepare tea,coffee/beer by boiling/fermenting.
yuppie - a young professional who is ambitious,materialistic & modern.
( This film portrays yuppie urban youth & all that goes with them. )
kundali - horoscope.
( There is a description in his kundali of the girl he will mary. )
awry - crooked,twisted,mistake.
( The script goes awry when Veda & Rohan seem to be more of a couple. )
"My Big Fat Greek Wedding"
************************
frumpy - dowdy,slovenly,not neat or stylish in appearance.
( She is frumpy,wears glasses & dresses atrociously. )
Hindu
********
treason - the act of a person against his own country or supporting the enemies.
( The maximum penalty for treason in Zimbabwe is death. )
stave off - to put off.
( Iraqi President would have to quit Baghdad & go into exile to stave off a second
Gulf war. )
mull - to think over.
( US's closest allies were UK,Spain held a summit at Portugal to mull the next
step in the months-long crisis. )
interlocutor - speaker/talker.
( The Government's interlocutor N.N.Vohra centered on the issue of devolution. )
devolution - transfering power from the stronger body to the weaker ones & eventually
leading to degeneration.
parried - avoided,resisted.
( Mr.Advani parried questions on the next Governor for the state,J & K. )
Interjected - injected.
caveat - warning.
enjoined - oredered.
( The prescription for greater autonomy to J & K is against the BJP Government's
political philosophy,but Mr.Advani interjected a significant caveat which enjoined
the Mufti Mohammed Sayeed Government to simultaneously grant more powers to Jammu &
Ladakh regions. )
Editorial - The new face of Colonialism
***************************************
steppes - plains,ie plain region like savannahs,prairies.
( Arab region extends from Mediterranean sea in the north to the Indian Ocean & the
steppes of Central Africa in the south. )
condominium - 2 countries holding a particular region.
( Libya,Egypt,Sudan were the condominium of British & Egypt administration. )
protectorate - colony of a country.
( French protectorate. )
fraternal - brotherly liking.
( The fraternal sentiment of Islam takes the place of national sentiment. )
shibboleth - custom,practices of a particular group / sect of people.
( The old shibboleth have taken a heavy pounding. )
Pan-Islamism - comprising of all Islamists.
( Pan-Islamism lies buried in Mosul,Basra, & Baghdad. )
assiduously - industriously,hard-working.
( The notion odf a worldwide Islamic community(umma), so assiduously cultivated by
the publicists,gasps for breath. )
decapitated - to cut the head off.
( Iraqi leadership would be decapitated. )
Holocaust - large scale destruction of people.
( Yet another Holocaust is taking place before our eyes; this time it is against
the Muslims & not the Jews. )
seething - excited,boiling.
( The world is seething with anger at America's belligerence. )
belligerence - aggression,fight.
indignant - displeased.
( Several Muslim countries were indignant. )
buttressed - support.
( In the past several Arab leaders buttressed the feelings of Arab unity. )
profoundly - extremely.
( The action is profoundly disturbing. )
capitulated - surrendered,yield in.
( Iraqi might be forced to capitulate to the American might. )
legitimacy - judicially,loyally.
bolster - support.
( The absence of friends in distress,so to speak,will lend legitimacyto & bolster
the US-UK claims of liberating Iraqi's people from Mr.Hussein's regime. )
belie - mislead.
( This has belied the American propaganda. )
muezzin - crier at the minaret shouting for people to come to prayer.
minaret - a tomb present at the mosque with balconies where muezzin cries.
( The muezzin calls the faithful for prayer. )
peril - danger.
( The freedom is in peril. )
** Hindu
********
Muggle - a person who has no magical powers;
a person who lacks a particular skill/skills & he is regarded inferior in some way.
Muggle is the Harry Potter's dismissive terms for those who can't do magic.This term is included
in the Oxford English Dictionary as a new entry.
Know ur English
***************
coup de grace - to put an end to something.
( Lee administered the coup de grace by dismissing Tendulkar & Dravid in the
same over. )
to break the ice - to keep the conversation flowing.
( Rohini started with something simple to break the ice. )
brown noser - sycophants.
( The teacher knew that the students were trying to brown nose him. )
Train was on time - Train arrived exactly at 8:47 & not at 8:46 & 8:48.
Train was in time - Train arrived few minutes before the scheduled time.
( The teacher was on time for class. )
( Don't worry.I'll be there in time for the meeting. )
** Frontline
*************
recalcitrance - nonconformity,dissidence,ie not acting according to the general rules
& practices.
[ On one occasion, bureaucrats who had delayed the purchase of snow
scooters were despatched to the Siachen Glacier to atone for their recalcitrance. ]
fluff - error.
[ Had anyone been counting, these claims were just more fluff. ]
seer - Fortune teller,prophet,predictor.
[ Kanchi seer = Jayendra Sarawathi. ]
wane - Decline.
[ P. Chidambaram, another politician whose fortunes have been on
the wane in recent years. ]
pickle - awkward / difficult situation.
[ Fundamentally, the current government has got itself into a pickle
over the Ayodhya dispute. ]
*** WEB
*****
clairvoyant - fortune-teller, having deep mental insight.
[ . Playing a widowed clairvoyant with a growing son. Bipasha Basu gets into character like never before. ]
mascot - any person, animal / thing considered to be luck.
[ Barsaat has Darshan's mascot Akshay Kumar playing the hero opposite Priyanka Chopra. ]
nascent - incipient , at the begining stage.
[ "Ash is doing Santoshi's period film which is in the nascent stages." ]
brunette - dark-complexioned face with dark haired person.
blonde - fair complexioned with light coloured hair.
juvenile - youthful.
[ an awful film like Pitah went into the unexpectedly shocking territory of juvenile rape]
traumatized - injured.
[ child abuse which is peripherally brought in through Suniel Shetty's traumatized character ]
nymphomania - abnormal and uncontrollable desire by a woman for sexual intercourse.
bungle - to make things bad/worse.
[ To be fair to him, he didn't bungle either, which was a great relief to his team.]
anorexic - person having lack of appetite for food.
[ Appalled at her leading lady’s 'anorexic' figure, the director reportedly begged the actress’s husband Ryan Philippe, 'Knock her up, I want some flesh!' ]
testily - angrily.
[ "Why can't we fly to Mumbai to see the movie, mummy?" she asks testily. ]
cosmopolitanism - common to or representative of all or many parts of the world; not national or local
[ , Hyderabad and Gurgaon are at the cusp of this crossover cosmopolitanism. ]
cameo - minor but well defined role.
[ He is also writing the dialogues and doing a cameo, playing himself ]
brink - edge, steep.
[ Everyone is always on the brink, and my film will have that energy ]
insider - a person having secret / confidential information.
[ Zoya says Luck By Chance is an insider's look at Bollywood. ]
hanky-panky - dishonest,deception.
[ Kannada films are as good as any other regional films. But there's a lot of hanky-panky going on]
raunchy - sexual content,lewd.
[ You did an interview with Stuff magazine, which is quite raunchy. ]
barbecue - any meat broiled over an open fire ; a party or picnic at which such meat is served .
[ Millions of Americans would rather spend the weekend barbecuing or getting ready to return to schools and universities rather than watch movies in theatres -- unless there is a compelling film around. ]
repugnant - Distasteful , Offensive
[ As parents, we were horrified. Not just by the crime, repugnant as it is, but by the age of the perpetrators as well.]
bankroll - a supply of money,finance.
Auburn - Reddish Brown.
resplendent - Splendid, Brightly Shining.
[ Auburn-haired Dimple Kapadia looked as resplendent as a Botticelli angel in her youth but hers is the kind of beauty that gets only better with age. ]
nymph - Primitive Stage of the Metamorphosis.
[ And when she emerged nymph-like from the pool in a red bikini, Dimple, despite her puppy fat, had teenagers enthralled. ]
bod - figure.
[ Rimii on her hot, h-o-t bod!]
cast a spell - Manthirum pottu izhuthal .
[ Well Rimii, I frankly say that you have cast a spell in Dhoom in which you have a gorgeous body ]
divulge - reveal, disclose.
[Katrina is sworn to secrecy and won't divulge anything about her role]
spooky - mysterious, frightening.
[Peeya who played a small role in Ramu's spooky Bhoot. ]
