Know your english

What is the meaning and origin of ``flea market''?

(B. C. Koshy, Palakkad)

If a fish market is a place where you go to buy fish, then a ``flea market'' should be a place where you go to buy fleas! Makes sense, doesn't it? Luckily this is not the case. Nobody has become desperate enough to buy fleas. The expression ``flea market'' was originally used to refer to a place where second- hand goods were sold. In order for a place to be called a ``flea market'', the goods sold had to be 'second hand' and they had to be sold outdoors - out in the open air, not indoors. The assumption being that the second hand goods would attract not only customers, but also fleas! Nowadays, a flea market does not necessarily have to sell only second hand goods; nor does it have to sell its products out in the open air. We have indoor flea markets as well.

Why is the word ``number'' abbreviated to ``No.'' (M. Murugan, Tiruvannamalai)

The word ``number'' comes from the Latin ``numero''. Since the first and last letters of the word are ``n'' and ``o'' respectively, the word is often abbreviated to ``no.''

What is the difference between ``nickname'' and ``pseudonym''? (S. Sheela, Mysore)

A nickname literally means ``additional name''. All of us have a registered name, but at home we may be called something else. A ``Chaithanya'' in college may be called ``Baboota'' at home. When I was in school, I had a friend named Sekhar, but my friends and I never called him by that name. Instead we used to call him ``Fats''. Fats became his nickname. A nickname is a name given to a person by someone else; it could be someone from within the family or outside.

A pseudonym means more or less the same thing as ``nickname''. It is an additional name that someone has. But unlike a ``nickname'' which is usually given by someone else, one can choose one's pseudonym. Writers often choose a fictitious name to write under. For example ``Mark Twain'' was the pseudonym of Samuel Clemens and similarly ``Lewis Carroll '' was the pseudonym of Charles Dodgson. When you use a pseudonym, you do not always use it to hide your identity; you may use it because it sounds fancier than your registered name. Perhaps it is easier to remember than your real name. Movie actors very often make use of pseudonyms. Unlike the word ``alias'', which was discussed in this column several weeks ago, pseudonym and nickname do not have a negative connotation.

A word about the pronunciation. The first syllable ``pseu'' is pronounced like the word ``sue''; the ``p'' is silent. The ``o'' in the second syllable is like the ``a'' in ``China'', while the final ``y'' is like the ``i'' in ``hit'', ``bit'', and ``sit''. The stress is on the first syllable.

* Don't call Karthick by his nickname. He doesn't like it.

* My friend Bala is thinking of writing under a pseudonym.

What is the past tense of ``telecast''? (P. Rathna, Chennai)

We often hear people saying ``broadcasted'' and ``telecasted'' in their daily conversation. These words do not exist. The past tense of broadcast and telecast are broadcast and telecast.

* The programme was broadcast by AIR last week.

* The game was broadcast live.

* I understand that the movie was telecast last week.

* The programme that was telecast yesterday was boring.

What does ``a.k.a'' stand for? (T. Krishna Kumar, Alwaye)

This is an abbreviation which we usually find when we are reading about missing persons. ``Rajan, a.k.a, Goldie has been missing since....''. The letters stand for ``also known as''. ``Goldie'' could be the person's nickname, pseudonym or his alias.

What is the meaning of ``cross one's fingers''? (Neela, Visakhapatnam)

Which fingers do you normally cross? Usually when you cross your fingers, you cross your middle finger over the pointer, often referred to as the ``index'' finger. When you cross your fingers, you are hoping that things will go according to plan and that you will succeed in whatever it is you are doing. The expression has more or less the same meaning as ``touch wood''. In both these cases you would like divine intervention-in other words, God - to help you. According to some scholars the expression ``cross one's fingers'' has been part of the English language for over a century. It is connected to the belief that when you made the sign of the cross you kept bad luck away. Here are a few examples:

* We are keeping our fingers crossed and hoping it won't rain during the picnic.

* If I get this job all our problems will be solved. So keep your fingers crossed.

* She'll win a million dollars if she answers the next question. Keep your fingers crossed.

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``In Paris they simply stared when I spoke to them in French; I never did succeed in making those idiots understand their own language.'' - Mark Twain

S. UPENDRAN

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