Your take on something is your personal opinion on a given subject, whether that opinion is based on facts or on sentiment.
Example: "My take on health care is that everyone should have access to it for a reasonable price."
One might reply that this is easier said than done.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Needed Like A Hole In The Head
A hole in the head is the expected result of a gunshot to the human head. As most people have better things to do than to be shot and murdered, needing something like a hole in the head means to not need something at all; for something to instead be unwelcome in the extreme.
The expression may be an expression of British sarcasm, but it has long been used in American discourse. It is probably out of date in the United States.
Example: Chris Keates, general secretary of one of the United Kingdom's main teachers union, said to British media:
This is saying that British teachers do not want a review of the national educational curriculum whatsoever. It is as unwelcome as random murders of teachers by masked gunmen.
One might think that this is a wild exaggeration, but fights between teachers and governments about what teachers should be required to teach in schools, and if they should be required to teach more "hard subjects" with more math, more history, and more language, are extremely fierce nonetheless.
The expression may be an expression of British sarcasm, but it has long been used in American discourse. It is probably out of date in the United States.
Example: Chris Keates, general secretary of one of the United Kingdom's main teachers union, said to British media:
“Teachers want another curriculum review like a hole in the head. This is a pointless review when ministers have already determined that children should have a 1950s-style curriculum."
This is saying that British teachers do not want a review of the national educational curriculum whatsoever. It is as unwelcome as random murders of teachers by masked gunmen.
One might think that this is a wild exaggeration, but fights between teachers and governments about what teachers should be required to teach in schools, and if they should be required to teach more "hard subjects" with more math, more history, and more language, are extremely fierce nonetheless.
Dumbing Down
To simply something is to make something simpler. To dumb something down (the process known as "dumbing down," the past tense being "dumbed down") is to make something simpler by making it less intelligent.
Example: A frequent theme when discussing education in Western countries is whether the education curriculum has been dumbed down in favor of "trendy" and flashy subjects. It is argued that this leaves students of the current generation less prepared for academic life and employment once out of high school.
To simplify has a positive connotation. Dumbing down always has a negative connotation. "Dumbing down" or "dumbed down" is never intended as a compliment.
Example: A frequent theme when discussing education in Western countries is whether the education curriculum has been dumbed down in favor of "trendy" and flashy subjects. It is argued that this leaves students of the current generation less prepared for academic life and employment once out of high school.
To simplify has a positive connotation. Dumbing down always has a negative connotation. "Dumbing down" or "dumbed down" is never intended as a compliment.
Monday, January 10, 2011
A Blue Rose
In times past, a blue rose was an expression signifying the impossible, the unattainable, something that exists in fantasy alone, not in nature.
Perhaps it can still be said that blue roses do not exist in nature. Once, white roses were dyed blue; now, blue roses can be produced thanks to genetic engineering. In spite of this, blue roses continue to hold their old meaning.
As a result of their "main" meaning, blue roses signify romantic feelings, love at first sight, and hope that things that seem unattainable at first (like love with a particular person, or prosperity in the future) are indeed attainable. This is an optimistic spin but remains part of the message that the flower can be used to send.
Of course, a person may use "a blue rose" to describe something extremely rare or normally impossible.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Slashing A Budget
A slash is a swift, violent cut. As a result of being swift and violent, the wound created by a slash is longer and deeper than a shallow surface cut. To slash has therefore come to mean making deep cuts.
It is in this sense that we use it in the expression, slashing a budget. That is, rather than making small cuts, or gradual cuts, slashing a budget means making deep, dramatic cuts, ones that affect the near future greatly.
The noun form would be a budget slash (singular) or budget slashes (plural).
Example: On January 6, 2011, the Internet news portal The Drudge Report characterized this article on Pentagon spending cuts that would result in a reduction of U.S. active duty military troops as "Pentagon Budget Slash: Obama To Cut Troops On Active Duty". As is customary with this tabloid-like news site, the headline is intended to dramatize; after all, instead of "budget cut" we have "budget slash," implying a violent, damaging process.
Whether this characterization is accurate or not, this is how the writer wishes us to read and understand his headline. In that context, this is a good example of how "slashing" is used in a budgetary context.
It is in this sense that we use it in the expression, slashing a budget. That is, rather than making small cuts, or gradual cuts, slashing a budget means making deep, dramatic cuts, ones that affect the near future greatly.
The noun form would be a budget slash (singular) or budget slashes (plural).
Example: On January 6, 2011, the Internet news portal The Drudge Report characterized this article on Pentagon spending cuts that would result in a reduction of U.S. active duty military troops as "Pentagon Budget Slash: Obama To Cut Troops On Active Duty". As is customary with this tabloid-like news site, the headline is intended to dramatize; after all, instead of "budget cut" we have "budget slash," implying a violent, damaging process.
Whether this characterization is accurate or not, this is how the writer wishes us to read and understand his headline. In that context, this is a good example of how "slashing" is used in a budgetary context.
Budget Cuts
To cut a budget means to eliminate (cut) spending from a budget. The items being eliminated are "cut out" of the budget.
Example: Mary was spending more on food than she should have, so she cut an expensive brand of ice cream out of her budget. By reducing a luxury, she was able to bring her food expenses budget into line.
The noun forms represent the act of cutting a budget. Singular: a budget cut. Plural: budget cuts.
Example: Mary was spending more on food than she should have, so she cut an expensive brand of ice cream out of her budget. By reducing a luxury, she was able to bring her food expenses budget into line.
The noun forms represent the act of cutting a budget. Singular: a budget cut. Plural: budget cuts.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
A Lame Duck
In politics, and sometimes business, someone in a powerful position who everyone knows will be leaving office at a particular time, but who is still in office, is called a lame duck. This is "lame" not in the sense of uncool, but in the sense of powerless due to injury.
In other words, the lame duck is unable to exert power over others because the knowledge he or she will be departing - and therefore, has less and less power to punish others for defiance with each day that passes - reduces the psychological and leadership power of that person.
Note that while being a lame duck is related to an impending departure, many people only call someone a lame duck when that person's power enters pronounced decline, a little like "jumping the shark."
Example: An American President in his second term eventually experiences an erosion in his ability to make Congress do what he wants, losing influence with even members of his own party. Due to strongly established tradition and the great difficulty of changing the constitution, the limit to two terms of four years is virtually unchangeable. Therefore, members of Congress know as a fact that the President will be departing. When the President reaches this point of limited influence, he begins to be called "a lame duck."
Also, the term "lame duck session" (relating to Congress) is a little different. This is the result of two accidents of the American system: 1) members being officially in office even after an election, until the following January (much like Presidents); 2) a modern habit of not completing budgetary business (in the trillions of dollars) within the normally scheduled time.
In 2010, legislating in the "lame duck session" between the November election and the end of 2010 reached new heights, with major pieces of legislation passed, although a giant budget bill was forced to be abandoned (and this is, I must point out, an extremely rare event). Some have questioned the propriety of legislators who have been voted out of office - and are thus "lame ducks" themselves - voting on issues of such importance, but this lack of consequences (they already lost!) has been used to great advantage by the Democratic Party in 2010.
Thus, the lame duck session is so called because departing Congressmen and Senators who are "lame ducks" are still able to use the full power of their offices... which is, again, a kind of accident of the American political system. Traditionally, they are not well regarded.
In other words, the lame duck is unable to exert power over others because the knowledge he or she will be departing - and therefore, has less and less power to punish others for defiance with each day that passes - reduces the psychological and leadership power of that person.
Note that while being a lame duck is related to an impending departure, many people only call someone a lame duck when that person's power enters pronounced decline, a little like "jumping the shark."
Example: An American President in his second term eventually experiences an erosion in his ability to make Congress do what he wants, losing influence with even members of his own party. Due to strongly established tradition and the great difficulty of changing the constitution, the limit to two terms of four years is virtually unchangeable. Therefore, members of Congress know as a fact that the President will be departing. When the President reaches this point of limited influence, he begins to be called "a lame duck."
Also, the term "lame duck session" (relating to Congress) is a little different. This is the result of two accidents of the American system: 1) members being officially in office even after an election, until the following January (much like Presidents); 2) a modern habit of not completing budgetary business (in the trillions of dollars) within the normally scheduled time.
In 2010, legislating in the "lame duck session" between the November election and the end of 2010 reached new heights, with major pieces of legislation passed, although a giant budget bill was forced to be abandoned (and this is, I must point out, an extremely rare event). Some have questioned the propriety of legislators who have been voted out of office - and are thus "lame ducks" themselves - voting on issues of such importance, but this lack of consequences (they already lost!) has been used to great advantage by the Democratic Party in 2010.
Thus, the lame duck session is so called because departing Congressmen and Senators who are "lame ducks" are still able to use the full power of their offices... which is, again, a kind of accident of the American political system. Traditionally, they are not well regarded.
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