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IF you are in school or college, you probably spend the better part of the day being told by your parents and teachers to be good. It probably gets so tiring at times that good doesn’t appear to be so good anymore. But when you see how much the word has added to our vocabulary, perhaps you will change your mind. A good deal: often, a lot. His work requires him to travel to the USA often and he has seen a good deal of the country. A good few/many: quite a lot, several. Ever since the slimming centre has opened, a good many people have visited it hoping to shed a few kilos. Good riddance!: said to show relief when one gets rid of an unpleasant person or completes a tiresome job etc. Our neighbours have shifted to another locality — and good riddance! Their loud music used to keep us awake all night. The good old days: a time in the past that is considered to be better than the present. I am 90 and I often look back at the good old days when people had more time for each other than they do now. As good as: almost certain, for all practical purposes. The interview went off so well that he is as good as selected. As good as one’s word: true to one’s promise, reliable. If my father says he will reach a place at a particular time, he will. He is as good as his word. For one’s own good: for one’s own advantage or benefit. Children don’t like being told not to watch too much TV, but they should realise this is for their own good. Good for (+noun): have the necessary energy, abilities, qualities etc to provide something or survive. Everyone tells me that my computer is hopelessly outdated, but I think it is still good for another few years. In good company: in the same situation as someone else. This is usually said to encourage, comfort or agree about something. I know I am short but then so was Napoleon, so I am in good company. In someone’s good books: in favour with someone. He carries his teacher’s books to the staff room everyday hoping to remain in her good books. Do someone good: be good for someone’s health, state of mind etc. Priya has been somewhat unwell lately. I think it would do her good to take it easy for a while. Give someone a good telling-off: criticise someone. I got a good telling-off from my teacher when she found out that I had not completed my assignment. Good for nothing: a person who has no good qualities and is worthless. I don’t want my daughter to marry Sahil. He is good for nothing. Exercise Answer the following question: If a good many people came to your birthday party, would you need a big cake? When your best friend goes back home do you say goodbye or good riddance? Do you think that when you are told not to have too much Coke it is for your own good? If you wanted to be in your mother’s good books would you do whatever she asked you to do? If your friend is as good as her word, will you believe her when she offers to help you? Would you be happy if your father told you that you were good for nothing? Interesting origins The idiom to be in someone’s good books has come into being as a converse of the phrase to be in someone’s bad books, which is a modern version of black books. In the earliest times black books were official documents which were so called because of the colour of their binding. For instance, the Black Book of the Admirality contained rules compiled during the reign of Edward III. However, in the 1530s, when Henry VIII was the king, a black book was used to list crimes that took place in monasteries. These monasteries were subsequently dissolved and from that time a black book became associated with punishment. From this sense emerged black list, which refers to people considered deserving of punishment, and bad books, a variation of black books. Good books, expressing the sense of being in favour, is a converse of bad books. (Reference: English
Idioms by Jennifer Seidi and W. Mcmordie and A Concise Dictionary
of Phrase and Fable) |
