Know your English

WHAT IS the difference between ``The mango is too sweet'' and ``The mango is very sweet''.

(P. Velayudham, Tiruvannamalai)

The first sentence has a negative meaning. When you say that the mango is too sweet, it implies that the mango is so sweet that you have problems eating it. In other words, it is excessively sweet. Similarly, when you say, ``The candidate is too smart'', it has a negative connotation. Indirectly, you are saying that the candidate should not be hired because he may cause a lot of problems for the company. You are implying he is much too intelligent for the job and you foresee problems dealing with him.

If, on the other hand, you say, ``The mango is very sweet'', you are paying a compliment. The degree of sweetness is just right; it is not excessive. You are saying that the mango is excellent; and maybe you can eat one if not more. Similarly, when you say, ``The candidate is very intelligent'', it has a positive ring to it. You are saying that the candidate should be hired because he'll be good for the company. Here are a few more examples. Can you make out the difference between the following pairs?

The pickle is very hot.

The pickle is too hot.

I thought the movie was very realistic.

I thought the movie was too realistic.

What is the meaning and origin of ``Pandora's box''?

(K. Veena, Chennai)

This expression has its origins in Greek mythology. Zeus, the King of Gods, was fed up with mankind. (So what's new? The Gods are always angry with us!) In order to teach them a lesson, Zeus created a woman - Pandora. The King of Gods then asked all the other gods to shower gifts on her; gifts which would bring about the downfall of man! (By the way, that's how Pandora got her name; ``pan'' in Greek means ``all'' and ``dora'' means ``gifts''.) The gifts given by the gods were put in a beautiful box, and Zeus presented it to Pandora warning her never to open it. If somebody gave you a beautiful box loaded with gifts and said don't ever open it, what would you do? Well, Pandora did the same thing. She opened it and saw to her horror all the evils of this world escape. According to the story only ``Hope'' remained. You may ask, if the box contained all the bad things that the gods could think of, why was Hope inside? Ask Zeus!

When you say that something is a ``Pandora's box'', it implies that it is a source of complication, something that will create many new and unexpected problems. The idiom commonly used these days is ``open a Pandora's box''. Here are a few examples.

- The Finance Minister's reforms opened a Pandora's box of industrial problems.

- The Vice Chancellor refused to discuss the matter as he didn't want to open a Pandora's box.

By the way, there are different versions of this story. According to some scholars, it wasn't Pandora who opened the box, but her husband, Epismetheus, who did. Very convenient wouldn't you say? Now men can accuse women of being the cause of all their problems, and vice versa.

What is the meaning of Adam's ale?

(M. A. Gopalkrishnan, Tirupati)

Most animals in this world drink Adam's ale. Any idea what it is? It's nothing but water! ``Adam's ale'' is a term humorously used to refer to water. You could say, ``Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of Adam's ale!'' By the way, did you know that many of the hard drinks that some of us are addicted to actually mean water? The word ``whisky'', for example, comes from a Gaelic word meaning ``water of life''. The French word ``eau-de-vie'' meaning brandy also means ``water of life''. Any idea what the Russian drink ``vodka'' means? It means ``little water''! If your boss or your father ever asks you whether you drink, you can look him straight in the eye and say, ``I have a little water once in a while!''

What is the difference between ``preserve'' and ``conserve''?

(N. Seetha, Hyderabad)

When you ``conserve'' something, you ensure that you make use of it wisely. You make sure it is not wasted. There is a suggestion that if you do not make careful use of it, then chances are it will be impossible to replace the commodity. During the summer, the government always tells us to conserve power and water. (It's okay to waste them during the winter months, but not during the summer!) When you conserve something, you do not wish to waste or deplete any of the available resources. You attempt not to change anything drastically.

- The Minister asked the people in cities to conserve water.

- The fast bowler conserved his energy by shortening his run up.

- During the summer, theatre owners conserve energy by switching off the AC!

Preserve, on the other hand, suggests that you make attempts to keep something as it is, without making any changes. In other words, when you preserve something you keep it intact. You keep it safe, protecting it from danger.

- Our government doesn't do a good job of preserving our monuments.

- We must make an effort to preserve our forests.

- This is a beautiful old house. We must preserve it.

``Colleges teach the dead languages as if they were buried and the living ones as if they were dead.'' - Frank Moore Colby

S. UPENDRAN

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