THIS week it is linguistic capers again. Let’s start straightaway.

I Underline the word which is closest in meaning to the first three words in each line.

1. Love, like, enjoy

hope, hate, adore, raise

2. Deceive, fool, cheat

lose, drop, swindle

3. Request, beg, ask

assure, entreat, require, wish

4. Brave, plucky, bold

moody, feeble, strict, valiant

5. Wealthy, rich, prosperous

affluent, noble, mean, destitute

II Match the words in column A with the related words in Column B.

1. aristocracy

2. bureaucracy

3. timocracy

4. autocracy

5. gerontocracy

6. gynecocracy

7. kakistocracy

8. ochlocracy

9. plutocracy

10. theocracy

a) one person with absolute power.

b) officials and administrators

c) religious officials

d) women

e) mob

f) principle of love of honour

g) ‘best’; privileged class

h) worst men

i) elders

j) wealthy

III Replace the words within brackets in the following sentences with a suitable colloquial expression from the given list. Cheesed off, as right as rain, get on like a house on fire, pig-headed, hold one’s tongue, an out-and-out, pulling someone’s leg, get butterflies in one’s stomach, for a song, let the cat out of the bag.

1. Leela always — (feels nervous) before an interview.

2. I really like Sumedha. We ___________ (have a really good relationship).

3. Rajan bought a vintage car the other day __________ (very cheaply).

4. I believed Raghav when he told me he’d lost his job, but I later found out that he was only ___________ (joking).

5. You look a bit __________ (fed up), Arun what’s the matter?

6. Sunny, just keep Kabir at home today and he’ll be (perfectly all right) by tomorrow.

7. I must say that I found it hard to _______ (remain silent) when he started criticising foreigners.

8. Pankaj and Sheel were hoping to keep their engagement a secret but Pankaj’s mother _________ (told everyone about it).

9. Shakun will never admit that she’s wrong even when she knows she is. She’s so __________ (stubborn).

10. Our holiday was _______ (a complete) disaster because just about everything went wrong with it.

Answer key

I 1 - adore, 2 - swindle, 3 - entreat, 4 - valiant, 5 - affluent.

II 1 - g, 2 - b, 3 - f, 4 - a, 5 - i, 6 - d, 7 - h, 8 - e, 9 -j, 10 - c.

III 1. Gets butterflies in her stomach.

2. get on like a house on fire.

3. for a song.

4. pulling my leg.

5. cheesed off.

6. as right as rain.

7. hold my tongue

8. let the cat out of the bag.

9. pig-headed.

10. an out-and-out.

— Brinder Aulakh