Monday, May 19, 2008

ETYMO ALL THE WAY....

This is for all you lovers of the english language....



1)This phrase comes from a practice that was common in the British military.
•When an officer was court-martialed for some offence, the charges against him were read out for all to hear. The officer was then made to stand in front of the military band and while the charges were being read out, drummers used to tap their drums. Since the officer was facing the band and the drums were being played, this phrase came into being


Ans: To face the music/Drummed up charges
see http://www.hindu.com/edu/2004/08/30/stories/2004083000241500.htm

2) One of the popular stories running around is that this expression was introduced by the American sailors who had been to the Japanese city of yokohoma. The term may have been a sailors’ slang for a street in Yokohama that catered for what one might describe as the special needs of sailors. Thus the sailors were highly satisfied after visiting this japanese street of earthly delights.
•What term arose out of this???


ans: Hunky Dory

www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/hunky-dory.html

3)What common phrase arose out of this picture??


ans: Writing on the wall

4) When a person went to the market to buy a valuable piglet, the stall keeper played a sneaky trick on him. He handed over a carton that supposedly contained only a useless cat. Which expression came into being as a result of the person finding out this fraud…

ans: To let the cat out of the bag/Pig in a poke

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/let-the-cat-out-of-the-bag.html

5) This phrase comes from the sailors’ lingo.When the wind is blowing from behind a ship's direction of travel then it is said to be ‘Y'. Sailors have used this term for centuries.
•When the wind is in that favourable Y direction the largest square sails may be set and the ship is able to travel in whatever downwind direction the captain sees fit.
•‘X' In simplified terms means 'in the general direction of'. Sailors would say ‘to X’ is to face into the wind or within six compass points of it.
•To sail X and Y required the ability to sail not only as earlier square-rigged ships could do, i.e. downwind, but also against the wind.

ans:By and Large

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-bya1.htm

6)maybe the only good thing that this guy has done is to donate a word to the english language

ans: Quisling

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quisling

7) In olden days, the most common forms of travel and commerce were through the use of rivers and lakes. These bodies of water were the lifeblood for communities of all sizes. During the winter, they would freeze over in colder climates, making them impassable. Once spring arrived, these bodies of water would warm allowing boats to pass. This marked the beginning of the season’s activity after the winter freeze.
•Thus arose which common phrase??

ans:To break the ice

http://www.fun-with-words.com/etym_phrases.html

8)) Centuries ago, Maol was the silver which was paid in rent in Scotland. People who stole Sheep and cattle would take away the cattle and then try to legitimize the theft by threatening to keep the animals unless the owner paid them rent for the grazing, the animals had in their farms while they were stolen.
•This has hence become a very common term in English language

ans:Blackmail

http://www.trivia-library.com/b/origins-of-common-words-blackmail.htm

9) According to one of the many stories regarding the origin of this expression is this..
•Dred Scott was a slave in one of the slave states of the U.S, presumably towards the end of the slavery years in the 19th century. He had somehow managed to escape from the slave state and escaped into the free state.
•Thus arose this common phrase…

ans:To go scot free

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dred_Scott

10)The Californian Gold Rush of the mid 19th century is instrumental in bringing this phrase into the english language.
• Prospectors who panned for gold supposedly became excited when they saw something sparkle in the pan, only to have their hopes dashed when it proved not to be gold but a mere stone.

ans:Flash in the pan

The Results:

Sharmi-7

Sukrit-2

Sidharth-6

Deepak-2

Shubhendru-6

Harish-8

Arun-2

Sonjita-9

Rajiv-3

Murali-8

Leonine-6

Ankit-7

Harshitha-7

Harini-3

Sohali-4

well done nakki,Karthik

Thanks



7 comments:

Leonine said...

1) Face the music

2) Hunky Dory

3) Looking over one's shoulder

4) Letting the cat out of the bag

5) by and large

6)

7)

8) Blackmail

9) Scott free

10) All that glitters is not gold

Anonymous said...

third one is not "looking over one's shoulder" its "writing on the wall"

Unknown said...

2)geisha????
3)writing on the wall
other answers same as leonine

keep it going dude!!

Harini Rajagopalan said...

2)hunky dory
7) to break the ice
10)a flash in the pan

Nakul PS said...

2) Yahoo
3)Light at the end of the tunnel
10)fools rush in, fool's ferrous sulphide funda..

Nakul PS said...

oopsie (10) fool's gold

Anonymous said...

6) quisling