Oh –Language!- a changing scenario -2
Quite a relaxed attitude pervades our efforts to use language. Though
named ‘language’, what destroys the elegance is the inappropriate term[s]
brought to play in conversation. Curiously, such inadequacies are rampant in
speech while these are far more restricted in the written version. Possibly,
‘writings’ have interventions from knowledgeable who amend those
inadequacies. My submission is, speech
mode is not immune to enjoy unfettered freedom in employing irrelevant terms.
The irrelevance ruins the context by inserting a sense not intended. How does
it come about? The user comfortably assumes a meaning while the word [s]he uses
means something else. Such occurrences of utterances are expanding to the
status of syndrome. It can be traced to the culture of practising of ‘adopting’
what someone else said. Using terms without
assessing / verifying their
relevance wreaks havoc to say the least. Some such common usages of
‘misconception’ are considered here and now.
ASSAULT: The term means ‘attacking’ or lending blows. Many use this term
[assault] to refer to instances of person[s] revealing casual approach.
BIT : The term relates to a small piece of matter . But in our daily life
the word is [wrongly] used to signify 3 different situations.
Bit as prevalent students is a reference to a piece of paper
clandestinely carried on person to examinations for copying from.
Another occasion is to indicate ‘carrying of tale’ or letting out
information about a wrong-doer ; the act is said to be ‘drop a bit’.
The third situation is unauthorized insertion of short stretches of lewd /obscene
pictures into a movie. The matter spreads through the town that the movie house
is showing ‘bit’. It serves a bait to draw crowds.
COOK, CHECK and COACH are different functions like preparing food,
verifying data or document and training persons to attain a certain level of
proficiency in a function or game /sport. Of these the one who checks for
verification is a checking inspector. Not bothering about the valid expression
people take liberty to call a checking inspector –a checker and a coach-a
coacher, though such names are non-existent. Some go that far to name a cook –a
cooker reducing the person to the state of a gadget.
CHAT: The term as meant by English lexicon is ‘casual conversation,
wandering over varied topics. These days ‘chat’ is used to indicate eatables
using certain combinations of spices /condiments under the name ‘chat masala’. Actually
it is [‘chaat’],a Hindi term, rhyming with ‘fought’], “chaut masala” is a
specially formulated spicy powder [dry] sprinkled on to light food just prior
to serving. Another funny expression is ‘Chit-chatting’-an all –too Indian expression
but a non-existent term referring to casual conversations
ENCOUNTER: The term really suggests ‘meeting’ or coming face to face’ or
facing something. We encounter problems in our daily life. But often
‘encounter’ is used to mean killing of persons in police action. By itself a
polite state of facing [encounter] is now used more as a reference to use of
fire arms by police.
ITEM: The term merely means an object or an event on an occasion. Of late, different purposes are indicated by
this term [item] in the Indian scenario. In our movies some exclusive dance
sequences are presented as an element of glamour /entertainment. These are
named ‘item dances’. The usage has such a decadence that sometimes presentable
women are wrongly referred to as items which sounds derogatory
OP -POIL:
Op poil : Has any one heard such a word?
It is a common sight across Tamil Nadu, but-a merciless mutilation of
‘half boiled’. Even that is a misnomer, as it is applied to ‘Omelette’- that is
pan-fried [not boiled]. It is an obvious mistake by half-baked conception to call
it half-boiled that too “op-poil”.
“PUNCTURE WILL BE DONE HERE”
The above was a sign found in a 2-wheeler service shop trying to say
punctures in vehicles are corrected here. But, it reads a dynamic warning
“please do not park your vehicle here as “puncture will be done here”; it would
frighten anyone who conceives the meaning from the statement. Some of us are
highly organized in being disorganized. Oh language!
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