“I understand that your cousin is house hunting in Mumbai.”
“Not anymore. He found a place he liked and signed the lease there and then.”
“There and then? Shouldn’t you ...”
“When you say that you did something ‘there and then’, it means that you did it immediately. In this case, it means my cousin signed the papers on the spot. I needed some time to think about things, but Anita wanted me to decide there and then.”
“I know what the expression means. But I’d always thought it was ‘then and there’ and not ‘there and then’. You see ...”
“Both are right. You can use either. Dictionaries list both.”
“I see. I asked my father if he could talk to the students in my class. He agreed then and there.”
“That’s a good example. So, how is life? Enjoying your classes?”
“Not really. But tell me, where will your cousin be staying in Mumbai?”
“I have no idea, actually. I know nothing about Mumbai. He tells me the place he has found is handy for the station.”
“Handy for the station? What do you mean by that?”
“It means it’s close to or near some railway station.”
“So can I say, my cousin’s house is handy for the beach?”
“You certainly can!”
“If your cousin is staying near a station, it must be quite noisy.”
“Must be. That’s why I told him to keep a bottle of aspirin handy.”
“In other words, you told him to keep a bottle close to him.”
“That’s right! When you tell someone to ‘keep something handy’, you are telling him to keep the thing nearby so that he can access it easily. If you live in an area with a lot of flies, keep a swatter handy.”
“But, tell me, what’s the difference between ‘keep something handy’ and ‘come in handy’?”
“When you say that something will come in handy, it means that it may prove to be useful later on. Take some extra money with you. It may come in handy.”
“Take a knife with you when you go on the trek. It’ll come in handy.”
“I’ll tell you what comes in handy when you go to the cinema these days. Cotton!”
“That’s true. I’m sure your cousin will keep some at hand in his new apartment! Why don’t you ask him to find another place?”
“Too late for that, I’m afraid. He’s paid the advance. He’s crossed the Rubicon.”
“Crossed the Rubicon? What are you talking about?”
“It means there is no going back. You cannot undo what you have done.”
“So, the person has reached the point of no return. The only way to go is forward. There is no question of going back.”
“Exactly! The decision you have taken is irreversible. You are committing yourself to a course of action. Rajeev knew that he would be crossing the Rubicon by testifying against his boss.”
“But what is this Rubicon?”
“It is a river. During Roman times, it served as a boundary between Italy and France. Julius Caesar crossed it in 49 BC to wage war against Rome.”
******
“I can give a headache to an aspirin.” — Unknown
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