In a world of growing inequalities, there is no dearth of snobs. We are surrounded by them, as if we were back in the days of aristocracy and feudalism. But who would have ever thought that the word snob itself meant quite the opposite, in its early days. That's not all. Ivor Brown, in his… Continue reading Owl About Words: The Snobbery of ‘Sn’s
The conversation these days is all about restarting the economy. Whether in India, or elsewhere in the world everyone is preoccupied with ways of getting the economy restarted. And one word that invariably comes up in such discussions is "engine" as in engines of growth. How did the word engine come to mean something that… Continue reading Owl About Words: Wit or Wily?
As we deal with the rising number of Covid cases in India and across the world, let us spare a thought for all those down with the infection, and families of millions of others who have succumbed to it. In fact, let us also think about all those who might have lost their jobs and… Continue reading Owl About Words: Finding Poetry in Loss
As we slowly return to what used to be our normal life - not so long ago, remember? - with masks, hand sanitiser, et al, intact, we probably know at the back of our minds that the world of social distancing is here to stay. We take gingerly steps towards the new Covid-imposed world, but… Continue reading Owl About Words: In These Cautious Times
Covid-19 has been a time of turning inward, of withdrawal from the world. But it's also been a time of binge-watching, binge-streaming, binge-listening and more online. Now that lockdowns are being relaxed, people have already begun talking of binge-shopping. I am not so sure about that yet, but it's just the time to discuss the… Continue reading Owl About Words: Made for Post-Lockdown
Peripatetic Perch 