The bailout was the last hope

What is the difference between ‘bailout’ and ‘bale out’? (Prabhu Kumar, Arakkonam)

It is also possible to spell ‘bale’ as ‘bail’. The phrasal verb ‘bail/bale out’ has several different meanings. When a pilot ‘bails out’, he jumps out of the plane wearing a parachute; he does this because there is something seriously wrong with the aircraft. The expression also has the meaning, to help someone who is in trouble. When you bail someone out, you help them get out of the jam they are in — usually, financial. When you ‘bail someone out of jail’, for example, you pay money for his release. The expression can also be used to mean to go back on your word; to go back on something that you had committed to — you do this in order to avoid a problem or some difficulty. These are just some of the meanings of the expression.

The aircraft went down very quickly. The pilot didn’t have time to bail out.

Nitin promised to lend me the money, but at the last minute bailed out.

You get into trouble all the time. I am not going to bail you out of the next one.

The word ‘bailout’, on the other hand, is mostly used as a noun to refer to the money or financial assistance usually given by the government to organisations/industries, that are on the verge of going bankrupt. This is usually done in the hope that the loan will help the company recover. A ‘bailout’ can be given to a person, an organisation and to countries as well.

Unless there is a government bailout, the textile industry will fold.

How is the word ‘consummate’ pronounced in ‘consummate liar’? (K.Janani, Bengaluru)

There are several ways of pronouncing this rather formal word. One way is to pronounce the first syllable like the word ‘con’. The vowels in the second and third syllables can be pronounced like the ‘a’ in ‘China’. The word is pronounced ‘KON-se-met’ with the stress on the first syllable. It comes from the Latin ‘consummatus’ meaning ‘complete’ or ‘perfected’. Dictionaries define the word as ‘perfect or complete in every way’. The word can also be used to refer to someone who displays a great deal of skill at doing something. When used as a verb, the final syllable is pronounced like the word ‘mate.

Don’t believe a word that Vikram says. He is a consummate liar.

After her retirement, Nina led a life of consummate happiness.

Do the two sentences ‘I won’t work for just anybody’ and ‘I won’t work for anybody’ have the same meaning? (C.Devender, Chennai)

No, they do not; they have different meanings. When you say, ‘I won’t work for anybody’, what you are suggesting is that you are not willing to work under someone. Perhaps, you want to be your own boss. Whatever the case may be, you are unwilling to work for or under someone. The second sentence, ‘I won’t work for just anybody’ suggests that you are willing to work under someone, but the person — your potential boss — has to be good at what he or she does. He or she needs to be someone who is well known or has a good reputation. You will not work for any Tom, Dick or Harry.

After 20 years in the field, I’m not going to work for just anybody.

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Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can’t, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it. Robert Frost

The author teaches at the English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad. upendrankye@gmail.com