Jargons for bombing
Dear Dr English,
Viewing newspaper headlines after the 7/7 incident in London, I saw three
different expressions that left me confused: London blasts, London bombs and
explosions in London. Do these three words have the same meaning? If not, how
do you choose between them?
Somkiat W.
A blast, a bomb and an explosion are all nouns with similar meanings. A blast refers to a big explosion caused by a bomb.
Three people were injured in the blast.
A bomb is a weapon that explodes and destroys a large area. It can also be used as a verb; to bomb a place means to attack it by exploding a bomb or bombs.
The whole of the village was damaged by a bomb.
The pilot bombed the entire village within minutes.
And an explosion is the act of causing a bomb or a similar device to explode.
The explosion at the tin mine claimed many lives.
These are their meanings in general contexts, but headlines use journalistic jargon.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Thai greetings in English
Dear Dr English,
What does the phrase ÒKeep up the good workÓ mean? And when and how to
use it?
Does it have the same meaning as Òtang jai tum ngarn naÓ in the Thai phrase? If not, how do you say it?
How do you say these Thai sentences in English?:
'Khab rot rawang nakha.'
'Rao pen gam lung jai hai ter yoo na.'
'Tang jai tum ngarn na.'
Thank you very much.
When you tell somebody to keep up the good work, youÕre telling him or her to continue doing good work. ItÕs different from telling someone to ÒTang jai tum garn naÓ, which means ÒWork hard.Ó
'Khab rot rawang nakha' means 'drive carefully.'
In the case of ÒRao pen gam lung jai hai ter yoo naÓ, it depends on whether you are with the person or not. If you are not with him or her, you say, ÒWe are with you in spirit.Ó Because you are not physically there to support him or her actively,
but you support him or her mentally. And if you can support him or her actively, it would be, ÒWe are with you.Ó
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Got a question? (drenglish_7@hotmail.com)
If your query is chosen for Ask Dr English, you will receive a Bt1,000 gift voucher.
To claim your price from Nation Educational Services, you must fax a copy of your ID card to (02) 317-2057.
|
