Cabin Fever

a woman in brown coat looking outside the window

People are going stir-crazy nowadays. Many of us have been compelled to stay indoors for nearly three months now. Initially, we enjoyed the experience. But, after a while, we started to get restless. Some of us got irritated. Children were also forced to stay indoors and many of them generated a feeling of restlessness or depression because …

A Laid-Back Person

woman in white dress shirt and black pants

Have you ever heard this word before? Does it mean a lazy person? or someone who doesn’t really care about anything? That’s not what it actually means. A laid-back person is someone who doesn’t get upset about things very easily. He seems very calm and relaxed all the time. In simple words, A person who …

Homeric Laughter ?

People laugh differently. Some laugh silently, while others tend to guffaw. ‘Homer' is a Greek poet who is believed to have written the Iliad and the Odyssey, and not the leading character in the well-known television show, ‘The Simpsons'. ‘Homeric laughter' refers to laughter of the ROFL (Rolling on Floor, Laughing). The individual laughs loudly …

What is the difference between ‘intolerable’ and ‘intolerant’?

When you say that the situation that you are in has become ‘intolerable’, what you are suggesting is that it has become unbearable; you find it extremely difficult to deal with. The word can be used with both people and things. For example, when you say that the movie was intolerably boring, what you are …

When there is no electricity, we use the word ‘blackout’. Is there a word to describe a situation when the voltage is low?

Low voltage is a common problem in India — especially during the summer months. When this happens, the tube lights keep flickering, and some of the other bulbs burn rather dimly. The Americans have a term for this dip in voltage — they call it ‘brownout’. Arun never uses any of his electrical appliances during …