“Hey, Happy New Year! Good to see you. When did you get back from your trip?” “Around seven last night. How have you been?”
“Pretty good, actually. So, how was your trip? Where did you go? Did you manage to find a place that was off the beaten track — and the peace and quiet you were looking for?”
“Peace and quiet, no. A couple of my colleagues and I went to a small town about a hundred kilometres from here. We had a blast. The hotel...”
“There was a blast? I didn’t read about any blast in the newspapers. When was this?”
“I said that my friends and I had a blast, meaning that we had a very good time. We went trekking every morning, and in the evening, played cricket with the kids.”
“I see. So, when I say I had a blast, it’s another way of saying that I really enjoyed myself. That I had a really good time!”
“That’s right! It’s an expression mostly limited to informal contexts. Last night, my cousins had a blast going to different parties and sampling different types of food.”
“Your cousins are foodies, I guess. How about this example? The kids had a blast playing with the rabbits and the puppies.”
“Sounds great! Did you have a blast at the party last night?”
“I didn’t go this time! I was feeling extremely tired. Did you?”
“No, I didn’t either. I’ve decided no more New Year parties. People are just keen to show that they can drink me under the table.”
Drink me under
“How can anyone drink you under the table? What are you talking about?”
“When you tell someone that you can drink him under the table, what you’re suggesting is that you can drink more alcohol than him and still remain sober.”
“In other words, you’re challenging the person.”
“That’s right! Most of the people I know can probably drink me under the table.”
“That’s because you don’t have more than one drink when you go to parties. So, how are you feeling after the trip? Tired?”
Right as rain
“I was last night. But after a good night’s sleep, I feel right as rain.”
“Right as rain? Does it mean you’re feeling better now?”
“When you say that you feel right as rain, what you’re suggesting is that you’re feeling perfectly all right. Earlier you weren’t feeling so good.”
“I see. When Jyothi broke her leg, she worried if she’d ever play tennis again. But after a couple of months of rest, followed by intense physiotherapy, she was right as rain.”
“That’s a good example. There’s nothing seriously wrong with the car. Once you change the spark plug and the air filter, she’ll be as right as rain.”
“She? Don’t you mean ‘it’? Does one refer to a car as ‘she’?”
“It’s common among native speakers of English to refer their car as ‘she’ — especially, if they’re extremely fond of the vehicle. For example, this is my old Maruti 800. She’s been with me for nearly 15 years.”
“The new car that my dad has is really good. She gives nearly 20 kilometres per litre.”
“That’s great!”
* * * * *
This New Year’s, I resolved to lead a better life. Now all I have to do is find someone who will trade lives with me.
— Melanie White
The author teaches at the English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad. upendrankye@gmail.com
