Gerald D'Cunha

  “Don’t use a five-dollar word when a fifty-cent word would do.” Mark Twain   O ne of the advantages of being with young college-students – and also having a young son and daughter-in-law around – is, that I get to know many English words and expressions which are in vogue. I will not call them as some great vocabulary, but something that makes one feel like belonging to today’s world. Whether that word makes any sense or not is not at all important. Important thing seems to be this: Sound modern! Chalo , one such word, which I have stated ‘receiving’ from young lot is - ‘Heads-up’! I did not know at all what this word meant till quite recent days. Obviously, I first heard it from my son and some of my students… “I am giving you heads-up”… I slowly realized, that it meant: “I am telling you/informing you/warning you in advance.” Giving an advance notice, that is. For instance, while leaving for work in a hurry, this morning, my dear wife said calmly, “I have to ...

“The limits of my language are the limits of my universe.” ―  Goethe I t all started from this colourful phrase – ‘Turn Coats’. This TV anchor was referring to some Maharashtra MLAs as ‘Turn Coats’. They had been recently elected as people’s representatives from a particular political party. But, now, they were switching sides… So conveniently; rather, so brazenly! Apparently, ‘Turn Coats’ was how such characters were called traditionally. But, for many of us, a TV anchor, like this one, was needed to familiarize us with this vocabulary. So, when a young boy, who wasn’t familiar with such lingo, was asking me for the meanings of ‘Turn Coats’, ‘Horse Trading’, ‘Protem Speaker’ etc., I, suddenly, became conscious of scores of such words and phrases. Just for some fun, I scribbled them here, randomly… Hope, you will be able add many, many more… Rubber Stamp, Remote Control, Fiscal Deficit, Na...

"Moderation in all things, especially moderation.” ―  Ralph Waldo Emerson D o you and I need to have a body like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s? Or, a figure like Katrina Kaif’s? Or, a vocabulary like Shashi Tharoor’s? In other words, do you and I need to do anything in life which is ‘extreme’? I, always, think, that doing things in moderation and consistency is enough. Yes, enough to feel good about ourselves. Let’s look around us. Rather, let’s look at ourselves… Have we tried to push ourselves to the extreme in a gym, Yoga class, music class, running track, sports coaching camp, diet plan, our company’s sales target, or, even in academics… yes, only to quit soon… do nothing at all, then on… no gym, no Yoga, no diet plan, no sports, music or sales targets… just to get bogged down and give up? On the other hand, let’s look at those who have pursued the same things in moderation and consistency. They continue to do those thin...