What is the difference between demise' and death'?

(R. Sangeeta, Bangalore)

While both words mean end or ending of life', demise is mostly used in formal contexts to refer to the death
of someone or something very important or well known. One usually talks about the demise of a Prime
Minister or a celebrity; the word is seldom used with ordinary people.
*The sudden demise of the Prime Minister created a political vacuum.
The word can also be used to indicate the failure of an enterprise.
*The demise of the well-known company had many investors worried.
Death' is a much more general term, and unlike demise', can be used with things and animals.
*Neelam became very upset when she heard about the death of her puppy.
*It was the death of all her plans.
What is the meaning and origin of windfall'?
(V.S. Mahesh, Chennai)
The amount of money that you win or receive from someone rather unexpectedly is called windfall'. It's a
sudden stroke of luck.
*When Gayathri visited her uncle after her marriage, she got a windfall of Rs. 75000.
Fruit that falls down from a tree because of heavy wind is also called windfall. In this context, we can also
say windfalls'.
*Sameer's garden was covered with windfalls.
In the old days in England, landowners were not allowed to cut down trees which were on their property.
The law stipulated that all trees were the property of the Royal Navy, and the wood was to be used in the
building of ships. If however, heavy wind made a tree fall, the windfall' became the owner's property. Since
in the old days such windfall' was not common, the word began to mean unexpected good fortune.
Is it okay to say, bouquet of flowers'?
(Eswar Prasad, Faridabad)
Some people would argue that of flowers' is unnecessary because bouquet means an attractive
arrangement of flowers. But there is nothing wrong in saying bouquet of flowers'. The ou' in the first
syllable, by the way, is like the oo' in fool', cool', and school'. The following q' is like the k' in king' and
kiss', and the final uet' rhymes with say' and bay'. The word is pronounced boo-KAY' with the stress on
the second syllable.
******
I read a part of it all the way through. Sam Goldwyn
What is the meaning and origin of `turncoat'?
(M. Kanchana, Vizag)
In India, when a politician is denied a `ticket' to contest in an election, he usually quits the party, and joins
another. People who switch allegiances or change their opinion radically whenever they find it convenient to
do so are called `turncoats'. The word is mostly used to show disapproval.
*Why would you want that political turncoat to preside? In the old days in Europe, people used to wear
reversible coats. When one side of the coat became dirty, the owner turned the coat inside out and wore it.
According to one story, it was the Duke of Saxony who made the word `turncoat' popular. This individual
lived very close to the French border, and therefore made it a point to keep both the Saxons and the French
in good humour. The Duke's reversible coat was blue on one side, and white on the other. Traditionally, blue
was the colour of the Saxons. Whenever a Frenchman visited his place, the Duke was seen wearing a white
coat. When he wanted to please the Saxons, the Duke turned the coat inside out, and wore the blue side
What is the difference between `nervous' and `edgy'?
(S.P. Ramachandran, Hyderabad)
A person who is nervous or edgy is tense or worried about something. Of the two, `nervous' is the more
general term. Someone who is nervous need not necessarily show that he is worried about something. He
may be outwardly very calm, but on the inside, he may be extremely agitated. A person who is `edgy'
shows he is worried; the tension is there for all to see. He is anxious and is therefore very irritable. Small
things set him off; he may argue or fight with those around him.
*Gayathri said she was nervous, but she certainly didn't look it during the presentation.
*The soldiers were edgy as they waited for their orders from the Captain.
How is the word chauffeur' pronounced?
(S. Bhupendra, Noida)
There seem to be different ways of pronouncing this word of French origin. One simple way is to pronounce
the first syllable chau' like the word show', and the er' in the second like the a' in china'. The British
pronounce the word SHOW-fe' with the stress on the first syllable. A chauffeur' is someone who drives a car
for rich people. When used as a verb, the word means to drive someone around.
*The Ambanis went to the airport in a chauffeur-driven limousine.
*The mother spent the afternoon chauffeuring her son from one mall to another.
The word chauffeur', which in French means stoker', was in use long before automobiles came into being. A
stoker was someone who worked in the engine room of a ship, and his job was to shovel coal into the boiler.
The first automobiles did not run on petrol, but on steam. The engine had a firebox and a boiler, and one of
the functions of the driver was to keep the fire in the engine going.
What is the difference between momentary' and momentous'?
(S. Shanthi, Chennai)
Something that is momentary' lasts for a very short period of time. The word is pronounced MO-men-tri'
with the stress on the first syllable.
There was a momentary pause before the child started screaming again.
The word can also be used to mean constant' or present at every moment'.
Revathi lived in momentary fear of being found out.
Momentous', on the other hand, means very important. When you make a momentous decision, you make
one which has serious consequences.
The signing of the treaty was a momentous occasion for both countries.
The word is pronounced me-MEN-tes' with the stress on the second syllable.
How is the word quixotic' pronounced?
(B.S. Laxman, Chennai)
There seem to be different ways of pronouncing this word. One way is to pronounce the first syllable like the
word quick', and the final syllable like the word tick'. The o' is pronounced like the o' in pot', got', and
hot'. The word is pronounced kwik-SO-tik' with the stress on the second syllable. The word comes from the
title of a satirical novel that Miguel de Cervantes wrote: Don Quixote'. The main character, Quixote, is a
slightly eccentric individual who decides to become a knight in shining armour and save the world. He has
romantic notions of performing chivalrous deeds. Unfortunately for the ageing hero, the goals he has set for
himself are so lofty that they are practically impossible to achieve. Every time he attempts to perform a
chivalrous deed, it ends in disaster. After several misadventures, the hero returns to his village a dejected
man. When you refer to someone's ideas or plans as being quixotic, you mean they are not practical.
The members of the secret society lived by a quixotic code of honour.