English Matters

Discussion in 'Education & Personal Growth' started by Ansuya, Dec 20, 2008.

  1. Uttaraa

    Uttaraa Platinum IL'ite

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  2. Kamla

    Kamla IL Hall of Fame

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  3. knot2share

    knot2share Gold IL'ite

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    I am shocked to no end - I still remember the password to IL!!! While I struggle on a daily basis wondering where I left my keys or the hairpin or even - what did I do just now?? .... this comes as a pleasant surprise. 2013 has offered me some splendid array of challenges that I am still battling (won't give up till the end - 31 December 2359 hrs), this password is just one tiny little beacon that saves my ageing grace.

    Apologies for not keeping up with this thread AT ALL. Solitude and Isolation are my thickest friends. I am not sure what it is that I'm seeking, but Rumi uncle appears regularly in my dream and says - 'You are what you seek, my child' - Which just goes to say that I still do not know what or who I am!! Only a few more strands left to be powder-coated with snow. Will I find who I am at least at the end of it!!!

    Having read a few posts to catch up ( sorry, it was meant to be "catch-up"), each seem like a dish for the King, I tell you! Wonderful to see and sometimes read the exchanges here with your word nerds. I can fill truck loads of oozing envy by just reading your posts. Thank the almighty one sitting up there on his recliner, that I have not met any of you in person!

    Here is something that caught my attention - a statement made by Ansuya - The way we write should be different to the way we speak, in any language.

    I can't do that - write differently to the way I talk. And on top of that, I have this phobia for big words - even as big as something like 'allude' or 'prudent' or 'reminiscent' ......to name a few. When someone comes up with a statement drizzled with these phobia stricken words, I quickly check with Aunty Google to understand and immediately re-construct the sentence with a more common-place word to understand. Which I suppose is good practice, but I immediately forget the original word (as if it never existed!). I am intimidated with 'big' words. I suddenly feel so insignificant when someone bombards me with them and wonder how on earth am I going to respond to something like that. How do I change my attitude towards something like this? How do I force myself to embrace phobia stricken words into my diction?? I am not in my prime (age or healthwise), but I begin this day with a hope that it is never too late for anything!

    Help!!
     
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  4. Srama

    Srama Finest Post Winner

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    K2S! Let me be the first one to invite you back and let you know how happy I am to see you here. There must be some cosmic connection. The first thing I want to tell you is, as long as you are here and remember the password, please check out this awesome thread by Uttaraa - it is so you and your inputs will be awesome. http://www.indusladies.com/forums/education-and-personal-growth/239982-round-the-table-discuss.html You have been in my thoughts since the thread started!

    Speaking of big words, I am with you. I run, read understand and forget. I think Ansuya meant more as the way we form sentences than we speak but I will let her explain that when she gets back from her hopefully smaller break.
     
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  5. Uttaraa

    Uttaraa Platinum IL'ite

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    I saw a phantom streak through, no it can't be. The spectre was perceptible but not tangible! I did not believe my sight and continued surfing. There was a creaking noise, faint yet sharp, something was looming, someone flapped through the door and perched majestically. AND WHAT DO I SEE ....

    KITS! Where in Hades underbelly have you disappeared?! Pinch me no scratch me no hit me hard..is that really you? What a long awaited appearance you make!

    I don't know what you wrote, I didn't bother to read some aunty and trucks you were signalling . I can't express how overwhelming it is to MEET you HERE! Kits, I can't say it was as if you never left, it is as if you I never left you and missed you so-o-o-o-o-o much here!

    <<<<<<<HUG>>>>>>>>>

    P.S: And that like signifies - missed you, really missed you, welcome back, good to see you, awww lovely, but ..er...I mean ..and all the other flurry of emotions running I can't express on seeing you today.
     
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  6. knot2share

    knot2share Gold IL'ite

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    Hey Srama - Thanks for that link! You know the beauty of that Round The Table ?? It has been started by somebody who can sit on all the chairs one by one and 'discuss' topics on behalf of all of us!!

    Utts babe - I wonder what went through the creator's mind while your mould was being set!!
    It was not just a creaking noise, but a loud thud bang thud bang on the floor. I am always known to walk very unlady-like as the better-half puts it. Nothing majestic about it. Almost like an anti-climax scene that I remember from a Sreedevi-Anil Kapoor movie (sheeeesh! I forget the name). And now stop all that emotional stuff. gigglingsmiley

    Oh, nearly forgot the smilies! Good to see you all dear bumble bees!! friendssmiley
     
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  7. Radhai

    Radhai Platinum IL'ite

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    religiose... hmmm is it only for someone being religious or someone religiously posting non stop about someone? quick quick... i have a golden opportunity to cross reference this word in another forum! now is the time to pay me back for all those 'likes' I gave you senior female ilites. laugh1smiley
     
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  8. Ansuya

    Ansuya Platinum IL'ite

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    Knotty, great to see you back here! I am breaking my self-imposed exile from this thread to welcome you back. I hope your troubles are not as dire as your post has led me to believe, but if they are, at least they expire, pumpkin-like, at midnight at year's end. I'm glad, too, that you have found Uttaraa's wonderful new thread. It is an intellectual feast.

    By the way, I don't like big words, and try to avoid using them. A lot of the time, I find it alienates my audience, and sometimes, it just sounds pompous. A rule of good, clear writing is to not use a big word where a smaller one will do nicely. And I'm too old for learning things just for the sake of learning things. All my rapidly-dwindling brain cells need to be engaged in matters of survival! So, maybe you don't need to beat yourself up quite so much about this, and take a leaf out of Srama's book ;)

    "Contrary to what some people seem to believe, simple writing is not the product of simple minds. A simple, unpretentious style has both grace and power. By not calling attention to itself, it allows the reader to focus on the message"--Richard Lederer and Richards Dowis, Sleeping Dogs Don't Lay, 1999. More Words of Wisdom

    Radhai, I am wondering myself what special powers some of us are supposed to have. Or, more precisely, if others (the "seniors") are sitting around on velvet thrones, sipping Dom Perignon (courtesy of IL) and counting their likes, while I am just plodding through my pedestrian day... I am glad that in some small way, English Matters has helped you out. You never know when you'll need a word to come to the rescue ;)

    Now, people, must you all be so bloody interesting and fabulous all the time? I'm trying to stay away from here and get some other things done...
     
  9. knot2share

    knot2share Gold IL'ite

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    Lovely to see you too, Ansuya!! We have always said that EM sits well in your hands!

    I am just floored by that quote. "By not calling attention to itself, it allows the reader to focus on the message" - just fabulous! Now if that doesn't put my mind at ease, then what will!! Many many thanks with all sincerity. I too am old to start adding/learning stuff. But sometimes I do succumb to pressure (undue).

    Not sure if I can be calm and collected like Srama in everything that she does. I am certainly trying!

    Sorry to pull you back from your self imposed break! We can't help ourselves!bie1
     
  10. Kamla

    Kamla IL Hall of Fame

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    What's happening? Looks like one by one, the rugrats are gathering here!:)

    Knotty, must say it is nice to see you here. As long as I am here, you need not worry about graying strands and forgetfulness. Mein tho teri baap hoon (errr..ok, maa hoon!) in such matters. After all, I am the proverbial Methuselah and you are all still kids as long as I am around.....

    Now, coming to the matters of English, I see you like to keep it simple and Ansuya's encouragement about using simple words no doubt adds hope to people like us! So I am editing your lines...
    I am intimidated with 'big' words= I am afraid of 'big' words.
    I suddenly feel so insignificant when someone bombards me with them= I suddenly feel little when someone hits me with them
    !!!!!!!!!!!

    Fun aside, I too am discovering these very interesting pages pretty late and feel I have surely lost out on some good stuff! Well, better late than never!

    I look forward to some really interesting exchanges both in this and the other thread started by our own dear smarty pants!

    L, Kamla
     
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