“I heard your father is back. Did he enjoy his trip to Goa?”
“How could he? He went to attend a conference. He said the conference was good, but the organisers made him share a room with a person he didn’t know. He didn’t...”
“At his age, I’m sure your father found it difficult to room with someone he didn’t know.”
“Room with someone? Does it mean to share a room with someone?”
“Yes, that’s right! When I went to my aunt’s house, I had to room with Mohan.”
“Nowadays, kids don’t want to room with anyone. They all want a room of their own.”
“That’s true. My cousin in Moscow is looking for someone to room with. Tell me, which is correct? Peter is coming from Russia or Peter comes from Russia?”
“In terms of grammar, both are correct. Their meaning, however, is very different. When you say, ‘Peter comes from Russia’, what you are suggesting is Peter is from Russia.”
“In other words, he is a Russian.”
“Exactly! ‘Peter is coming from Russia’ suggests that Peter is travelling to India via Russia. Perhaps, he is taking a flight from some city in Russia. He may or may not be a citizen of Russia.”
Pencilled in
“I see. Tell me, how are you feeling? Did you manage to see the doctor yesterday?”
“Couldn’t get an appointment. The good news is, he’s pencilled me in for tomorrow.”
“Pencilled you in? Does it mean you have an appointment for tomorrow?”
“It means I may have an appointment for tomorrow. It’s a tentative appointment, not a definite one. The doctor may see me tomorrow or he may choose to cancel the appointment.”
“When you write in pencil, it’s not permanent. You can erase what’s been written.”
“Exactly! Similarly, when you pencil something/someone in, you’re making a temporary arrangement — something that can be changed. Ishant has been pencilled in as Umesh’s replacement.”
“Why don’t you pencil me in for a movie and dinner for Friday?”
“Don’t think so. We have our board meeting on Saturday. Are you all set for this evening’s cultural programme?”
“I’m not really sure. I’m planning to pencil in another rehearsal before the...”
“I wouldn’t rock the boat by making any last-minute changes, if I were you.”
“Rock the boat? Does it mean to do something that will create problems for others?”
“That’s right! When you rock the boat, you do or say something to upset other people’s plans or feelings. You are creating unnecessary problems for others... and for yourself.”
“How about this example? You can do whatever you want, Seema, as long as you don’t rock the boat.”
“Sounds good! The expression is mostly used in informal contexts. The new manager wanted to make sweeping changes. The CEO asked her not to rock the boat.”
“My cousin Gayathri isn’t very diplomatic. At family get-togethers, she has the tendency to rock the boat.”
“Every family has someone who rocks the boat.”
“Some families have more than one.”
* * * * *
A conference is just an admission that you want somebody to join you in your troubles. —
Will Rogers
The author teaches at the English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad. upendrankye@gmail.com
