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Black is a colour and also the nickname for a brand of whisky; but what about "blackout'?

Early in the month we saw a piece of news concerning a World Cup "blackout" and during a storm a few weeks ago I had a blackout in the neighbourhood.

So, what does "blackout" mean in these cases?

You might have noticed already that the noun "blackout" used in different contexts describes different situations. So let's see how many meanings this noun has:

a) In the headline "World Cup Blackout", the word describes a situation where the reporting of a particular event is prevented, as shown in the lead paragraph of the article:

"A day before the opening of the showcase tournament, the world's leading news agencies suspended coverage yesterday of the Rugby World Cup in a dispute with the sport's governing body over media restrictions."

Here is an example of this noun in a sentence:

The military government had ordered a news blackout.

This meaning also covers the broadcasting of a TV or radio programme.

The blackout of all media had caused confusion and panic among the public.

b) When I mentioned in the second paragraph that I had a blackout in my neighbourhood, I was talking about a time when there is no electricity in an area, which if it happens at night, makes the place dark or "black".

The main generator at the electrical plant had exploded causing a blackout in many areas of the city.

c) My parents used to tell us children about wartime blackouts to avoid air raids. All of Bangkok would be dark, making it difficult for the pilots to spot targets.

During the war we regularly had blackouts for safety reasons.

d) I also experienced a blackout during my lifetime, but it was a different kind of experience. I was simply unconscious for a few minutes due to sudden shock, but luckily my boyfriend was there to help me.

Laura was sent to the infirmary after she had a blackout.

Identify which meaning of "blackout" is used in each sentence

1. In the darkness of the blackout, the children huddled together nervously hoping that their town would not be the target of destruction.

2. The media blackout had aggravated the situation and brought people out on the streets leading to an unfortunate political situation.

3. Grandma experienced blackouts three times in the last few weeks; she needs to see her doctor as soon as possible.

4. I could not e-mail you last night because of the blackout in my area after a big storm.

5. The blackout by the National Broadcasting Committee caused a lot of financial damage to the organisers of the event; since the show was not on air, all advertisers cancelled their contract.

Answers: 1. c, 2. a, 3. d, 4. b, 5. a

By Parnsap Yomanage