What is the origin of the term 'earmark'?

Earmark, which we now use to mean 'to designate' or 'to set aside for a particular purpose', actually has a very simple origin. For centuries, farmers marked their livestock as their property by cutting distinctive notches in the animals' ears. Earmark in this literal sense, first appeared in English around 1591. But the use of 'earmark' in the figurative sense arose only in the late 19th century.

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What are floaters?

Floaters can be any of these things:

• Musca volitans: spots before the eyes caused by opaque cell fragments in the vitreous humour and lens of the eye;
• a debt instrument with variable interest rate tied to some other interest rate;
• a vagrant with no established residence or visible means of support;
  
• an employee who is reassigned from job to job as needed;
  
• a voter who votes illegally at different polling places in the same election;
  
• a swimmer who floats in the water;
  
• an object that floats or is capable of floating;
  
• an insurance policy covering loss of movable property (like jewellery) regardless of location.

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Word of the week that was : Summit

Meaning: The highest point; the top; the highest level or degree that can be attained; a conference or meeting of high-level leaders, usually called to shape a programme of action. Summited, summiting, summits is its verb form Etymology: Middle English somet, from Old French sommette, diminutive of som, top, from Latin summum Current significance: This is turning out to be the summer of summits. Here are two that made headlines this week

SUMMIT OF HOPE

With the world facing the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s, there was much hype and hoopla about the G 20 summit in London on April 2. Some called it the summit that would save the world, which may seem an overdone claim for a grouping of finance ministers and central bank governors. But US president Barack Obama attended and the leaders agreed a trillion-dollar stimulus for the world economy. Sections of the world's press were suffused by hope. Le Figaro lyrically said it was "The symphony of a new world”. French business paper Les Echos expressed relief the leaders had put aside divisions and egos to create a new powerful grouping, commenting "If it's not exactly a world government ... it's much more than a summit”.

SUMMIT OF SHAME

For India the week was the very summit of shame with the CBI giving Congress leader Jagdish Tytler a clean chit in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The case against Tytler, Congress candidate for the north-east Delhi parliamentary constituency, relates to a mob arson attack on a gurdwara on November 1, 1984 after Indira Gandhi's assassination. The all-clear for Tytler is seen to be the low point for the rule of law. And that's when it had started to seem things would be different with Gujarat's Maya Kodnani becoming the first government minister anywhere in the country to be arrested in connection with communal violence. Tytler, however, seems to underline Kodnani's unique status – she is more the exception than the rule.

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What is 3-G technology?

3-G technology refers to third generation of mobile telephony technology, with improved and extended facilities over the first and second generation technologies. Transfer of data in 3-G is many times faster, up to 384 kpbs.

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Who invented the speech bubble and when was it first used?

One of the earliest antecedents to the modern speech bubble was the speech scroll - wispy lines that connected first person speech to the mouths of speakers in Meso-American art. In Western graphic art, labels that reveal what a figure is saying have appeared even in the 13th century. Word balloons began appearing in 18th century printed broadsides and political cartoons from the American Revolution often used them.

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What is a staycation?

A staycation is a neologism in vogue, where a person or family stays home instead of taking expensive and stressful vacations to exotic locations. It is a new travel word and is very popular what with today's recession and high prices. It could involve taking day trips in and around the city. Such a vacation could also include activities like doing up the house and lazing around in the backyard and attending local festivals.

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What is administratium?

It is a spoof on administration. Its official definition: Administratium is the heaviest element known to science and was recently discovered at a major US research university. The element has no protons or electrons and thus, has the atomic number 0. However, it does have one neutron, 125 assistant neutrons, 75 vice-neutrons and 111 assistant vice-neutrons, which gives it an atomic mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together by a force that involves the continuous exchange of meson-like particles called morons. Since it has no electrons, administratium is inert. However, it can be detected chemically as it impedes every reaction it comes in contact with.

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What is tongue grafting?

It is a term used in grafting of plants. For the whip and tongue graft, similar cuts are made on the stock and scion. These are made with a single draw of the knife and have a smooth surface so the two can develop a good graft union.

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What is a prebituary?

A prebituary is an obituary composed or published prior to a person’s death — it is a write-up of the lifetime achievements of famous personalities to mark their 65th birthdays.

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How did the term 'yorker' originate?

Yorker’ is a cricketing term for a straight ball that passes underneath the striker’s bat, especially by pitching it right up to or just inside the popping crease. To ‘york’ means to cheat, trick or over-reach a person. It is also called so because its aim is to ‘entice’ the batsman, who, in moving forward to play it as a full toss, may be yorked as the ball passes under the bat. This style originated in Yorkshire, and was already being perfected in 1988.

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