Know your English

WHAT IS the meaning of ``have the blues''? (A. B. Sankaran, Vizag)

The ``blues'' is a kind of music; it is usually slow and sad. This type of music was first made popular by the Blacks who lived in the Southern states of America - the states where slavery was common. I understand that the original blues songs were about the lives of slaves. Nowadays, in most blues songs the singer sings about how terrible his life is or how unlucky he has been in love - not very different from our Indian film songs! When you say that you have the blues, it means that you are in a sad or depressed mood. It is also possible for one to ``get the blues''. Here are a few examples.

*Rahul has had the blues ever since his wife walked out on him.

* A wet day like today always gives me the blues.

*Shanthi gets the blues whenever she watches ``Love Story''. Another expression, which means more or less the same thing, is ``feeling blue'' If you feel blue, you feel sad.

*Prakash has been feeling blue since yesterday.

*Rainy days always make me feel blue.

*I don't know why, but I am feeling blue this morning.

Which of the following sentences is correct? ``Neither Mohan nor Geetha is going home'', or, ``Neither Mohan nor Geetha are going home''. (S. Janaki, Hospet).

Careful users of the language prefer the use of the singular verb ``is''. In writing, you would be better off using ``is''. In speech, however, it is quite common to hear even native speakers use the plural ``are''. There is a tendency to use the plural verb in speech. This however is not considered to be grammatically correct. The verb that you use will depend on the noun which precedes it. Here are a few examples:

* Neither the father nor his children were willing to go home.

* Neither the children nor the father was willing to go home.

What is the difference between ``biannual'' and ``biennial''? (E. Shyama Sundar, Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh)

An event that is held ``annually'' takes place once a year. The word ``bi'', pronounced ``by'', means ``two''. So an event which is held ``biannually'' is one that is held twice a year. Here is an example.

* The Chairman decided to make the Board Meeting a biannual event.

In this case, the Board will meet twice a year - perhaps every six months.

A ``biennial'' event, on the other hand, is one that takes place once in two years.

* The Chairman decided to make the Board Meeting a biennial event.

In this case, the Board will meet once every two years. If it meets this year, its next meeting will be in 2003.

The stress in both words is on the second syllable. The ``e'' in ``biennial'' is like the ``e'' in ``set'', ``bet'', and ``get''. One of the ways of pronouncing the second ``i'' is like the ``y'' in ``yes'', ``yellow'', and ``young''. The final ``a'' is like the ``a'' in ``China''.

How is the word ``creche'' pronounced? (P. Laxman, Secunderabad)

The first ``e'', which has an accent mark on it, sounds like the ``e'' in ``set'', ``get'' and ``bet''; the second ``e'' remains silent. It is also possible to pronounce the first ``e'' like the ``ay'' in ``day'', ``bay'', and ``say''. The final ``ch'' sounds like the ``sh'' in ``ship'', ``sheet'', and ``shoot''. A ``creche'' is a place where babies are looked after while the parents are away at work.

What is the opposite of ``feminist''? (M. Pradeep, Madanapalle, AP)

Most people that I asked this question to, said that the opposite is ``chauvinist''. While surfing the Net, I came across a word which has been part of the English language for nearly a century. The word is ``hominist''. A ``hominist'' is someone who advocates equal rights for men. The ``o'' in the first syllable is like the ``o'' in ``hot'', ``pot'', and ``got'', and the ``i'' in the following two syllables is like the ``i'' in ``bit'', ``hit'', and ``sit''. The main stress is on the first syllable.

*After meeting several feminists, Satish decided to become a hominist.

*Narayan, the General Manager, is a vocal hominist.

*His students say that Bala is a self proclaimed hominist.

The word, I understand, was coined by G. B. Shaw in the preface to his play ``Man and Superman''. While all dictionaries include the word ``feminist'', very few include ``hominist''. Wonder why! (By the way, what do you think is the opposite of ``feminist''? Please do write in.)

When I get a telephone call and the person wants to speak to my mother or father, can I say ``Excuse me'' to mean ``Please wait''? (J. Rajesh, Chennai)

There are several expressions that one could use when asking the person at the other end of the telephone to wait. Some of these are ``Please hold on'', ``Could you please hold on'', ``Hold on, please'', ``Hang on a minute'', ``Just a minute'', ``He/she will be with you in a minute''. You do not say, ``Excuse me'' to the caller. You could however use the expression with the person being called - in this case, your father or mother. You could say ``Excuse me, father. There's a call for you.'' You are using the expression ``excuse me'' to draw the attention of your parent.

``If feminists are `women' trying to be men, I suppose `men' trying to be women are `hominists'.'' - R. Brooke

S. UPENDRAN

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