What is the meaning and origin of ‘month of Sundays’? (T Harish, Salem)
This is an expression mostly used in informal contexts to mean a long, indefinite or unspecified period of time. It could range from a few months to a few years. The expression can also be used to suggest ‘never’.
I haven’t seen a Rajini movie in a month of Sundays.
Not in a month of Sundays will I hire a dunce like Govind.
According to some scholars, during the 19th century, not everyone looked forward to Sundays. This day was set aside as a day of prayer. One was expected to go to church, and then spend the rest of the day reflecting on life. Playing and other fun activities were prohibited. For some people, time just seemed to crawl by on Sundays. Imagine 30 successive days like this! It is similar to the children’s situation today. Due to the lockdown, every day is like a Sunday for them but, because of restrictions, they are forced to stay indoors, and are unable to enjoy themselves.
What is the difference between ‘furlough’ and ‘laid off’? (RS Janaki, Dindigul)
Ever since COVID-19 became a pandemic, companies across the world have either furloughed or laid off some of their employees. The two syllables in ‘furlough’ are pronounced like the words ‘fur’ and ‘low’. The word is pronounced ‘FUR-low’ with the stress on the first syllable. It comes from the Dutch ‘verlof’ meaning ‘permission’, and its use was limited to the military. When a soldier went home for a short period of time to be with his family, he was said to be ‘on furlough’. Once the leave was over, he was expected to report for duty again. Nowadays, ‘furlough’ is being used in all contexts, not just the military. When a company ‘furloughs’ an employee, it is asking the person not to show up for work. This could be because the company is experiencing financial difficulty. A person who has been furloughed will not be paid for the period he/she does not work; but will, however, continue to be on the payroll of the company. When the company’s problems are sorted out, he/she can return to his/her old job. When a person gets ‘laid off’, he/she is asked to leave, and ceases to be an employee of the company. He/she is unlikely to be rehired.
During the second week of the crisis, the company furloughed 300 people.
Dilip is in a bad mood because he got laid off.
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The chief obstacle to the progress of the human race is the human race. Don Marquis
The writer teaches at the English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad. upendrankye@gmail.com
