Shashi Tharoor's World of Words News

From 'asylum-seekers' to 'evacuees', here are some displacement-related terms you need to know

There remains a lot of confusion in people’s minds about the distinctions among refugees, displaced persons, evacuees, asylum-seekers and migrants. Here’s a simple primer!

From 'fishing' for compliments to 'sinking' dreams, add these 'zeugmas' to your vocabulary

A figure of speech in which a word, usually a verb or an adjective, applies to more than one noun, blending together grammatically and logically different ideas

From Dutch treats to Venetian blinds, did you know these English misnomers?

Misonomer is a term which doesn’t mean what the words themselves suggest it means

From 'resource development' to 'strategic relationship', did you know these plastic terms?

These words are frequently exploited by those in positions of authority to sway opinions, making it imperative for us to remain alert when confronted with it

From 'absurdity' to 'pneumonia', did you know these 'inkhorn' terms?

Many of these so-called inkhorn terms, such as dismiss, celebrate, encyclopedia, commit, capacity and absurdity stayed in the English language and are widely used today

'The chicken is ready to eat': How complex sentences alter meaning

Shashi Tharoor's World of Words is a weekly column dissecting English language

What English language owes to the textile industry

Shashi Tharoor's World of Words is a weekly column dissecting English language

Did you know these English words for cloth and fabric have originated from France?

The term “Chevron”, derived from the Old French word chevron, meaning “rafter”, refers to a V-shaped symbol

Did you know these English words for cloth and fabric have originated from India?

The term “fabric”, defined as “textile, woven, or felted cloth”, only came into existence in the 18th century

From 'panic button' to 'ahead of the curve': Did you know these aviation-related terms?

When someone boasts he is “ahead of the curve”, in other words performing better, earlier or faster than the competition, that expression also has its roots in flying