Sr.

N
o.
1

WORD

MEANING

SYNONYM

Excellent

Extremely good;

Accomplished, admirable, attractive,

outstanding

distinguished, exceptional,
exemplary, exquisite, fine, finest,
first-rate, good, great, magnificent,
outstanding, skillful, sterling, superb,
superlative

Impressiv

Evoking admiration

Dramatic, exciting, extraordinary,

through size, quality

important, imposing, intense,

or skill; grand,

massive, monumental, notable,

imposing or awesome.

profound, remarkable, splendid,

superb, thrilling

Surpasse

Exceed; be greater

Beat, eclipse, exceed, outpace,

than

outperform, outstrip, outweigh, pass,

rank, top, best, better, cap, excel,
outdistance, outgo, outmatch,
outrank, outrival, outrun, outshine,
override, overshadow, overstep,
surmount, tower, transcend, trump

dispatch

Send off to a

Alacrity, celerity, expedition,

destination or for a

expeditiousness, haste, hurry,

purpose

hustle, precipitateness, promptitude,

promptness, quickness, rapidity,
rustle, speediness, swiftness

brisk

Active and energetic

Energetic, lively, quick, speedy,

spry, vigorous, alert, animated,
bustling, busy, adroit, agile, nimble,
sprightly, vivacious, zippy

predictabl

Anything that you can

Certain, anticipated, calculable,

see or know before it

expected, foreseeable, foreseen,

Sr.N
o.

WORD

reeling

MEANING

SYNONYM

happens

likely, prepared, sure, sure-fire

Wind something on to

Addled, befuddled, bemused,

a reel by turning the

bewildered, blind, blinded, dazed,

reel.

dazzled, distracted, disturbed,

dumbfounded, faint, light, muddled,
puzzled, staggered, swimming,
upset, whirling

hailstorm

A storm of heavy hail

Barrage, bombardment, rain, salvo,

shower, storm, volley, broadside,
cannonade, pelting

bizarre

Very strange or

Comical, curious, extraordinary,

unusual

fantastic, freakish, grotesque,

ludicrous, odd, offbeat, outlandish,
peculiar, ridiculous, unusual, weird

10

outlets

A pipe or hole through

Channel, aperture, avenue, break,

which water or gas

crack, duct, egress, escape, exit,

may escape. OR A

hole, nozzle, opening, orifice,

point from which

porthole, release, spout, tear, vent,

goods are sold or

safety valve, way out

distributed.
11

12

encounter

Unexpectedly be

Bear, bump into, come across, come

ed

faced with or

upon, confront, detect, experience,

experience; meet

face, find, meet, run into, suffer,

someone

turn up, close, descry, espy, front,

unexpectedly

sustain, undergo

An area or amount of

Area, farm, parcel, plantation, ranch,

land or property, in

residence, acreage, demesne,

particular

domain, dominion, freehold,

estates

grounds, holdings, territory, villa

Sr.N
o.
13

WORD

MEANING

SYNONYM

repertoire

A stock of plays,

Repertory, range, repository,

dances, or items that

reserve, stock, stockpile, store,

a company or a

supply

performer knows or is
prepared to perform
14

15

ferried

musician

Convey in a ferry or

Carry, chauffeur, lug, send, ship,

other ship or boat,

shuttle, tote, transport, bear, buck

especially across a

,convey, pack, run, move across,

short stretch of water

schlepp

A person who plays a

Artist, composer, conductor,

musical instrument,

entertainer, instrumentalist,

especially as a

performer, player, soloist, virtuoso,

profession, or is

vocalist, artiste, diva, session player

musically talented.
16

enroute

During the course of a

Advancing, along the way, bound,

journey; on the way

driving, en voyage, entrained, flying,

heading toward, in passage, in
transit, making headway, midway,
on the road, pressing on,
progressing, traveling

17

conservat

The act of conserving

Care, conservancy, control,

ion

something, in

maintenance, management,

particular

protection, supervision, attention,

custody, economy, governing,
guardianship, keeping, safe keeping,
salvation, saving, stewardship,
storage, supervising, sustentation,
upkeep

18

endanger

Seriously at a risk of

Threatened, at risk, facing

Sr.N
o.

19

WORD

MEANING

SYNONYM

ed

extinction

extinction, in danger

native

A person born in a

Endemic, indigenous, natural,

specified place or

constitutional, essential,

associated with a

fundamental, natal, original, real,

place by birth,

wild

whether subsequently
resident there or not.
20

graduate

A person who has

Alum, alumnus, doctor, grad,

successfully

recipient, baccalaureate, bachelor,

completed a course of

collegian, diplomat, holder,

study or training,

licentiate, master, Ph.D, product,

especially a person

former student

who has been

awarded and
undergraduate or first
academic degree
21

22

initiatives

coaxing

The ability to assess

Action, drive, leadership, push,

and initiate things

ambition, dynamism, energy,

independently ; The

enterprise, enthusiasm, get-up-and-

power or opportunity

go, gumption, inventiveness, moxie,

to act or take charge

originality, punch, resource, spunk,

before others do.

steam, vigor

Persuade gradually or

Cajole, entice, induce, tease, tempt,

gently to do

wheedle, allure, barter, beguile,

something

blandish, blarney, con, decoy,

flatter, get, hook, importune,
influence, inveigle, jawbone, lure,
pester, plague, press, soft-soap,
soothe, sweet-talk, urge, wangle,
worm

Sr.N
o.
23

WORD

MEANING

SYNONYM

grueling

Extremely tiring and

Arduous, backbreaking, brutal,

demanding

demanding, excruciating,
exhausting, fierce, laborious,
punishing, strenuous, tiring,
torturous, trying

24

25

desperati

A state of despair,

Agony, anguish, anxiety, desolation,

on

typically one which

despair, discomfort, fear, gloom,

results in rash or

grief, heartache, melancholy,

extreme behavior

misery, pain, sorrow, unhappiness

philosoph

The study of the

Attitude, doctrine, idea, ideology,

fundamental nature of

logic, outlook, reasoning, system,

knowledge, reality

tenet, theory, thinking, thought,

and existence,

truth, view, viewpoint, wisdom,

especially when

aesthetics, axiom, beliefs,

considered as an

conception, convictions,

academic discipline

metaphysics, ontology, rationalism,

reason, values

26

complaini

Express

Grumbling, protesting, whining,

ng

dissatisfaction or

accusing, bellyaching, bewailing,

annoyance about

charging, deploring, disapproving,

something

discontented, dissenting, fretting,

lamenting, moaning, mourning,
murmuring, regretting, repining,
weeping

27

bromance

A close but nonsexual relationship

between two men

28

charming

Very pleasant or

Absorbing, alluring, amiable,

attractive

appealing, attractive, charismatic,

Sr.N
o.

WORD

MEANING

SYNONYM
cute, delightful, elegant, engaging,
engrossing, fascinating, glamorous,
graceful, inviting, likable lovable,
lovely ,pleasant, provocative, sweet,
bewitching, electrifying, enamoring,
enthralling, entrancing, fetching,
infatuating, magnetizing, pleasing,
ravishing, seducing, tantalizing,
tempting, titillating, winning

Sr.N
o.
1

WORD

MEANING

SYNONYM

Excellent

Extremely good;

Accomplished, admirable, attractive,

outstanding

distinguished, exceptional,
exemplary, exquisite, fine, finest,
first-rate, good, great, magnificent,
outstanding, skillful, sterling, superb,
superlative

Impressiv

Evoking admiration

Dramatic, exciting, extraordinary,

through size, quality

important, imposing, intense,

or skill; grand,

massive, monumental, notable,

imposing or awesome.

profound, remarkable, splendid,

superb, thrilling

Surpasse

Exceed; be greater

Beat, eclipse, exceed, outpace,

than

outperform, outstrip, outweigh, pass,

rank, top, best, better, cap, excel,
outdistance, outgo, outmatch,
outrank, outrival, outrun, outshine,
override, overshadow, overstep,

Sr.N
o.

WORD

MEANING

SYNONYM
surmount, tower, transcend, trump

dispatch

Send off to a

Alacrity, celerity, expedition,

destination or for a

expeditiousness, haste, hurry,

purpose

hustle, precipitateness, promptitude,

promptness, quickness, rapidity,
rustle, speediness, swiftness

brisk

Active and energetic

Energetic, lively, quick, speedy,

spry, vigorous, alert, animated,
bustling, busy, adroit, agile, nimble,
sprightly, vivacious, zippy

predictabl

Anything that you can

Certain, anticipated, calculable,

see or know before it

expected, foreseeable, foreseen,

happens

likely, prepared, sure, sure-fire

Wind something on to

Addled, befuddled, bemused,

a reel by turning the

bewildered, blind, blinded, dazed,

reel.

dazzled, distracted, disturbed,

reeling

dumbfounded, faint, light, muddled,

puzzled, staggered, swimming,
upset, whirling
8

hailstorm

A storm of heavy hail

Barrage, bombardment, rain, salvo,

shower, storm, volley, broadside,
cannonade, pelting

bizarre

Very strange or

Comical, curious, extraordinary,

unusual

fantastic, freakish, grotesque,

ludicrous, odd, offbeat, outlandish,
peculiar, ridiculous, unusual, weird

10

outlets

A pipe or hole through

Channel, aperture, avenue, break,

which water or gas

crack, duct, egress, escape, exit,

may escape. OR A

hole, nozzle, opening, orifice,

Sr.N
o.

WORD

MEANING

SYNONYM

point from which

porthole, release, spout, tear, vent,

goods are sold or

safety valve, way out

distributed.
11

12

encounter

Unexpectedly be

Bear, bump into, come across, come

ed

faced with or

upon, confront, detect, experience,

experience; meet

face, find, meet, run into, suffer,

someone

turn up, close, descry, espy, front,

unexpectedly

sustain, undergo

An area or amount of

Area, farm, parcel, plantation, ranch,

land or property, in

residence, acreage, demesne,

particular

domain, dominion, freehold,

estates

grounds, holdings, territory, villa

13

repertoire

A stock of plays,

Repertory, range, repository,

dances, or items that

reserve, stock, stockpile, store,

a company or a

supply

performer knows or is
prepared to perform
14

15

ferried

musician

Convey in a ferry or

Carry, chauffeur, lug, send, ship,

other ship or boat,

shuttle, tote, transport, bear, buck

especially across a

,convey, pack, run, move across,

short stretch of water

schlepp

A person who plays a

Artist, composer, conductor,

musical instrument,

entertainer, instrumentalist,

especially as a

performer, player, soloist, virtuoso,

profession, or is

vocalist, artiste, diva, session player

musically talented.
16

enroute

During the course of a

Advancing, along the way, bound,

journey; on the way

driving, en voyage, entrained, flying,

heading toward, in passage, in

Sr.N
o.

WORD

MEANING

SYNONYM
transit, making headway, midway,
on the road, pressing on,
progressing, traveling

17

conservat

The act of conserving

Care, conservancy, control,

ion

something, in

maintenance, management,

particular

protection, supervision, attention,

custody, economy, governing,
guardianship, keeping, safe keeping,
salvation, saving, stewardship,
storage, supervising, sustentation,
upkeep

18

19

endanger

Seriously at a risk of

Threatened, at risk, facing

ed

extinction

extinction, in danger

native

A person born in a

Endemic, indigenous, natural,

specified place or

constitutional, essential,

associated with a

fundamental, natal, original, real,

place by birth,

wild

whether subsequently
resident there or not.
20

graduate

A person who has

Alum, alumnus, doctor, grad,

successfully

recipient, baccalaureate, bachelor,

completed a course of

collegian, diplomat, holder,

study or training,

licentiate, master, Ph.D, product,

especially a person

former student

who has been

awarded and
undergraduate or first
academic degree
21

initiatives

The ability to assess

Action, drive, leadership, push,

Sr.N
o.

22

WORD

coaxing

MEANING

SYNONYM

and initiate things

ambition, dynamism, energy,

independently ; The

enterprise, enthusiasm, get-up-and-

power or opportunity

go, gumption, inventiveness, moxie,

to act or take charge

originality, punch, resource, spunk,

before others do.

steam, vigor

Persuade gradually or

Cajole, entice, induce, tease, tempt,

gently to do

wheedle, allure, barter, beguile,

something

blandish, blarney, con, decoy,

flatter, get, hook, importune,
influence, inveigle, jawbone, lure,
pester, plague, press, soft-soap,
soothe, sweet-talk, urge, wangle,
worm

23

grueling

Extremely tiring and

Arduous, backbreaking, brutal,

demanding

demanding, excruciating,
exhausting, fierce, laborious,
punishing, strenuous, tiring,
torturous, trying

24

25

desperati

A state of despair,

Agony, anguish, anxiety, desolation,

on

typically one which

despair, discomfort, fear, gloom,

results in rash or

grief, heartache, melancholy,

extreme behavior

misery, pain, sorrow, unhappiness

philosoph

The study of the

Attitude, doctrine, idea, ideology,

fundamental nature of

logic, outlook, reasoning, system,

knowledge, reality

tenet, theory, thinking, thought,

and existence,

truth, view, viewpoint, wisdom,

especially when

aesthetics, axiom, beliefs,

considered as an

conception, convictions,

academic discipline

metaphysics, ontology, rationalism,

reason, values

Sr.N
o.
26

WORD

MEANING

SYNONYM

complaini

Express

Grumbling, protesting, whining,

ng

dissatisfaction or

accusing, bellyaching, bewailing,

annoyance about

charging, deploring, disapproving,

something

discontented, dissenting, fretting,

lamenting, moaning, mourning,
murmuring, regretting, repining,
weeping

27

bromance

A close but nonsexual relationship

between two men

28

charming

Very pleasant or

Absorbing, alluring, amiable,

attractive

appealing, attractive, charismatic,

cute, delightful, elegant, engaging,
engrossing, fascinating, glamorous,
graceful, inviting, likable lovable,
lovely ,pleasant, provocative, sweet,
bewitching, electrifying, enamoring,
enthralling, entrancing, fetching,
infatuating, magnetizing, pleasing,
ravishing, seducing, tantalizing,
tempting, titillating, winning

MADURAI # IMPROVE VOCABULARY

August 4, 2016 Chief Editor Leave a comment

Guts and Glory: On a Chettinad Food Pilgrimage in South India

Madurais towering temples are feats of the imagination, filled
with deities and demons draped in jewellery, armed with weapons, and often,
bearing more limbs than usual.
There are two reasons people visit Madurai: Meenakshi and mutton.
Meenakshi is Madurais feared and revered temple deity, the three-

breasted consort of Shiva, who presides over the scorching city from the
cool, stone sanctum of the Meenakshi Amman kovil. The temple is an
arresting sight, its gopuram crowded with candy-coloured angels and
demons that seem crafted from fondant. Like a gaudy, tiered confection
of mythical proportions. But I am more interested in the mutton. Madurais
no-nonsense Chettinad messes, I am told, serve every part of the goat
brain, intestine, liver, lung, tongue, hooves, and headand I intend on
sampling each one.
My hankering for the peppery flavours of Chettinad food dates back to my
schooling in Madras. Thanks to generous neighbours, classmates dabbas,
and a mother who is both curious and a wonderful cook, I am
well acquainted with the powers of traditional Tamil cooking. I know, for
instance, that a good rasam delivers not just potency but also clarity of
thought. That there is no better way to start the day than with a tumbler of
filter coffee, and no better way to end it than with a steel plate of sambhar,
rice, and ghee, preferably with pappadums. But my most treasured food
memories of Madras are dinners at Chettinad restaurants. Decades later,
recollections of that feistymutton pepper fry flecked with curry leaves
and glistening with pure coconut oil, still make me quiver.
Geographically, Chettinad is part of the districts of Sivaganga and
Pudukkottai in Tamil Nadu, spread over some 1,500-odd kilometres of
arid scrubland. Today, the region is known for its cotton saris, heritage
hotels, and antique markets. But before India became independent, and even
before the British colonised our ports, spices, and princely states, Chettinad
was part of the ancient Tamil Pandyan Kingdom. Its capital was Madurai.
The one thing that has remained constant from the 13th century is the
citys blistering weather. Our auto weaves past rickety cycle rickshaws,
ambassador cars, and ladies on mopeds, hair neatly plaited
and gleaming with oil. Were headed to Amma Mess, one the citys most
popular restaurants, known for its delicious, inexpensive fare. Within minutes
of scoring a table, were faced with seven shiny steel plates piled with food:
rabbit roast, pepper quail, dosa layered with keema and eggs, parotta
mashed with mutton, a neat mound of pigeon biryani, fish curry, and an

omelette stuffed with bone marrow. As my fianc and I lock eyes across the
table like soldiers before battle, a waiter appears. Madam he says, smiling.
Ghee?
Later that day, we meet Praveena and Mukunthan, a chatty couple who
conduct food trails, introducing travellers to Madurais markets and lesserknown culinary gems. Within minutes, we see the merits of walking with a
local. Madurais Old Town seems like a warren of rickety lanes, but Praveena
tells us its actually remarkably well planned. The streets are laid out in
concentric squares around the Meenakshi temple. Each has a different focus:
jewellery, flowers, spices, saris, kitchenware. The layout instantly becomes
easier to grasp.
Its past 9 p.m. but the market buzzes like a Mumbai railway station at peak
hour. Its warm and terribly crowded and yet, I cant wipe the smile off my
face. The scent of jasmine, the snatches of Tamil, the roly-poly script on
store-fronts, like a queue of plump ladies waiting for a bus: Like
anincantation, these sights and sounds invoke long-forgotten memories. Its
strange, the things our brains choose to save. With every recollection, the
dust clears a little more, my confidence is boosted, and soon I tentatively ask
for a bottle of waterin Tamil.
As we eat our way through the market, we learn about Madurais earliest
association with food. Madurai is named after maduram, which
means nectar in Tamil, and according to Hindu scriptures, the city was
birthed when a drop of ambrosia fell to Earth from Shivas dreadlocks. This is
why God and food are Madurais favourite pastimes, Praveena says
grinning. Egged on by our charming and enthusiastic guides, we devour
ungodly amounts of meat: chicken parottas, goats trotters, uttappam and
mutton keema, idli and fish curry.
And yet, its the vegetarian flavours that have me scribbling in my food diary.
From street carts we have slices of tender coconut tree bark, cottonseed and
jaggery payasam, and adirasam, a decadent cross between a doughnut and
a puff pastry thats deep-fried in ghee. The cottonseed payasam, Mukunthan
says, helps curb respiratory disorders and was traditionally consumed by
workers in Madurais cotton mills.

Every plate of food we eat is memorable (pigeon incidentally, tastes like

gamier chicken) but its not authentic Chettinad food, our hosts inform us.
Like the many migrant communities that moved to Madurai for work,
regional cuisines too adapt to survive, especially when theyre served in
restaurants. Recipes are tweaked for local palatesa little more oil, a little
less cooking time, maybe a dash of colourand before long they barely
resemble the original. Youll have to go to Karaikudi for the real thing,
emphasizes Mukunthan.
We round off our night with Tirunelveli halwa, a gooey, melt-in-the-mouth
dessert made from wheat, just the right amount of sugar, and far too much
ghee. Served warm, on a dried peepul leaf, it is the closest thing to maduram
I have tasted.
Oddly enough for a community that loves meat, the Chettiars were originally
vegetarians from Kanchipuram in northern Tamil Nadu. They lived there for
thousands of years before moving to a place called Kaveripoompattinam, a
small thriving Chola port town in the marshy Kaveri delta. Here, they
began trading in plump Kaveri rice and salt from the Coromandel Coast but
before long, they were travelling with fleets to Malacca, Sumatra, and Java.
Their zeal for commerce grew, and with it, their appetite for the Southeast
Asian food they encountered on their voyages. Seafood entered the Chettiar
kitchen, and soon pots of crab rasam were gently simmering in their
handsome homes.
WORD

MEANING

SYNONYMS

1. Towering

Very high or tall

Colossal, gigantic, imposing, lofty,

magnificent, massive, mighty, monumental,
prodigious, soaring, stately, tall, elevated,
sublime, surpassing

2.
Imaginatio
n

The action or process

of forming images or
concepts

Thought, artistry, awareness, fancy,

fantasy, idea, image, imagery, ingenuity,
insight, inspiration, intelligence,
inventiveness, originality, resourcefulness,
thought, vision, wit

3. Deities

A god or goddess

Divinity, idol, immortal, creator, goddess,

godhead, celestial, demigoddess, divine

WORD

MEANING

SYNONYMS
being, supreme being

4. Draped

To cover or hand with

cloth or other fabric,
especially in graceful
folds

Cloak, clothe, cover, dangle, don, dress,

enclose, envelop, fold, hang, sprawl,
swathe, wrap, array, display, droop, drop,
enwrap, line, model, roll, spread, spreadeagle, suspend

5.Revered

To regard with respect

tinged with awe;
venerate

Admire, adore, apotheosize, appreciate, be

in awe of, cherish, defer to, deify, enjoy,
esteem, exalt, hold in awe, honor, look up
to, love, magnify, pay homage, prize, put
on pedestal, regard, respect, think highly
of, treasure, value, venerate, worship

6.
Scorching

Burning very hot

Blistering, fiery, searing, sizzling,

sweltering, burning, hot

7. Sanctum

A sacred place,
especially a shrine
within a temple or
church

Altar, chancel, shrine, temple, holy place,

sacrarium, sanctorium

8. Fondant

A thick paste mad of

sugar and water and
often flavored or
colored, used in
making of sweets and
the icing and
decoration of cakes.

9.Mythical

Occurring in or
characteristic of myths
or folk tales

Allegorical, fabled, fanciful, fictitious,

imaginary, legendary, mythic, storied,
unreal, whimsical, chimerical, created,
fabricated, fabulous, fairy-tale, false,
fantasy, fictive, folkloric, invented, madeup, mythological, non-existent, pretended,
supposititious, traditional, untrue, visionary

10.Hankeri
ng

A strong desire to do
or have something

Craving, pining, yearning, ache, druthers,

hunger, itch, longing, thirst, urge, want,
weakness, wish, yen, fire in belly,
munchies.

11.Generou
s

Showing readiness to
give more of
something, especially
money, than is strictly
expected or necessary.

Acceptable, benevolent, big, charitable,

considerate, fair, good, helpful, honest,
hospitable, lavish, reasonable, thoughtful,
tolerant, unselfish, willing, altruistic,
beneficent, bounteous, bountiful, easy,

WORD

MEANING

SYNONYMS
equitable, excellent, free, greathearted,
high-minded, honorable, just, kind, kindhearted. Kindly, liberal, lofty, loose,
magnanimous, moderate, munificent,
noble, open-handed, philanthropic, profuse,
soft-touch, ungrudging, unsparing,
unstinting

12.Acquain
ted

Make someone aware

of or familiar with

Abreast, conversant, informed, advised,

enlightened, familiarized, apprised of, clued
in, familiar with, in the know, versed in

13.Potency

The power of
something to affect
the mind or body

Capability, efficacy, efficiency, vigor,

authority, birr, capacity, command, control,
dominion, energy, force, go, hardihood,
influence, juice, kick, might, moxie, muscle,
pep, potential, power, puissance, punch,
sinew, snap, sock, steam, strength, sway,
virtue, zap, zing, zip, what it takes

14.Tumbler

A drinking glass with

straight sides and no
handle or stem;

Clown, dancer, gymnast, performer,

aerialist, artist, athlete, balancer,
contortionist, funambulist, stunt person,
trapezist

An acrobat especially
one who performs
somersaults
15.Feisty

Lively, determined and

courageous

Bubbly, courageous, excitable, fiery, gritty,

gutsy, high-strung, lively, scrappy, spunky,
active, alive, difficult, enthusiastic, frisky,
full of pep, game, gutty, hot-blooded,
mettlesome, ornery, peppy quarrelsome,
sensitive, thin-skinned, tough, truculent,
zestful

16.Glisteni
ng

Shine with a sparkling

light

Bright, burnished, glassy, glazed, gleaming,

lustrous, polished, shining, shiny, silky,
sleek, reflecting, slick, smooth, brilliant,
silken

17. Quiver

Tremble or shake with

a slight rapid motion

Convulsion, flash, glimmer, glitter,

oscillation, palpitation, pulsation, shake,
shimmer, shiver, shudder, sparkle, spasm,
throb, tic, tremble, tremor, twinkle

18.Scrubla
nd

Land consisting of
scrub vegetation

Backwoods, bramble, briar, brush,

chaparral, creeper, forest, hedge,

WORD

MEANING

SYNONYMS
hinterland, jungle, outback, plant, scrub,
shrubbery, thicket, vine, wilderness

19.Blisterin
g

Intense

Fiery, heated, scalding, scorching, searing,

sizzling, sweltering, torrid, baking, boiling,
broiling, burning, roasting, blistery, intense,
broiling, burning, roasting, blistery, intense,
red-hot, severe

20.Gleamin
g

Shine brightly
especially with
reflected light

Bright, burnished, glassy, glazed,

glistening, lustrous, polished, shining,
shiny, sleek, reflecting, slick, smooth,
brilliant, silken, silky

21.Warren

A network of
interconnecting rabbit
burrows

22. Rickety

Poorly made and likely

to collapse

broken, decrepit, derelict, dilapidated,

flimsy, ramshackle, shaky, wobbly, feeble,
fragile, frail, imperfect, infirm, insecure,
jerry-built, precarious, rachitic, rattletrap,
rocky, tottering, tottery, tumble-down,
unsteady, wavering, weak

23.Buzzes

Make a low, continuous

humming sound

Hum, murmur, whisper, drone, fizz, fizzle,

hiss, purr, ring, ringing,whir

24.Incantat
ion

A series of word said

as a magic spell or
charm

Enchantment, hymn, abracadabra,

bewitchment, chant, charm, conjuration,
conjuring, formula, hex, hocus-pocus,
hoodoo, invocation, necromancy, rune,
sorcery, voodoo, witchcraft, wizardry, ala
kazam, black magic, mumbo-jumbo, open
sesame

25.Ambrosi
a

The food of the gods

Delicacy, nectar, heavenly food, immortal

food

26.Scribbli
ng

Write or draw
carelessly or hurriedly

Cacography, graffiti, graffito, griffon age,

hieroglyphics

27.Tweake
d

Twist or pull sharply

Tease, twist, jerk, pinch, pluck, pull

28.Trading

The action or activity

of buying and selling
goods and services

Commerce, deal, dealing, exchange,

industry, manufacturing, market, sales,
selling, trade, traffic, transaction, affairs,
bargaining, barter, commercialization,
contracts, game, industrialism,

WORD

MEANING

SYNONYMS
merchandising, racket, undertaking, buying
and selling, capital and labor, free
enterprise, production and distribution

29.Zeal

Great energy or
enthusiasm in pursuit
of a cause or an
objective

Ardor, determination, devotion, diligence,

eagerness, earnestness, fanaticism, fervor,
gusto, inclination, intensity, passion,
perseverance, sincerity, spirit, urgency,
verve, warmth, zest, alacrity, bustle,
dispatch, drive, enterprise, fierceness, fire,
hustle, initiative, intentness, keenness,
mania, push, readiness, vehemence, yen,
stick- to-itiveness, what it takes

30.
Simmering

Stay just below boiling

point while bubbling
gently

Boiling, heated, hot

MADURAI # IMPROVE VOCABULARY

August 4, 2016 Chief Editor Leave a comment

Guts and Glory: On a Chettinad Food Pilgrimage in South India

Madurais towering temples are feats of the imagination, filled
with deities and demons draped in jewellery, armed with weapons, and often,
bearing more limbs than usual.
There are two reasons people visit Madurai: Meenakshi and mutton.
Meenakshi is Madurais feared and revered temple deity, the threebreasted consort of Shiva, who presides over the scorching city from the
cool, stone sanctum of the Meenakshi Amman kovil. The temple is an
arresting sight, its gopuram crowded with candy-coloured angels and
demons that seem crafted from fondant. Like a gaudy, tiered confection
of mythical proportions. But I am more interested in the mutton. Madurais
no-nonsense Chettinad messes, I am told, serve every part of the goat
brain, intestine, liver, lung, tongue, hooves, and headand I intend on
sampling each one.
My hankering for the peppery flavours of Chettinad food dates back to my
schooling in Madras. Thanks to generous neighbours, classmates dabbas,

and a mother who is both curious and a wonderful cook, I am

well acquainted with the powers of traditional Tamil cooking. I know, for
instance, that a good rasam delivers not just potency but also clarity of
thought. That there is no better way to start the day than with a tumbler of
filter coffee, and no better way to end it than with a steel plate of sambhar,
rice, and ghee, preferably with pappadums. But my most treasured food
memories of Madras are dinners at Chettinad restaurants. Decades later,
recollections of that feistymutton pepper fry flecked with curry leaves
and glistening with pure coconut oil, still make me quiver.
Geographically, Chettinad is part of the districts of Sivaganga and
Pudukkottai in Tamil Nadu, spread over some 1,500-odd kilometres of
arid scrubland. Today, the region is known for its cotton saris, heritage
hotels, and antique markets. But before India became independent, and even
before the British colonised our ports, spices, and princely states, Chettinad
was part of the ancient Tamil Pandyan Kingdom. Its capital was Madurai.
The one thing that has remained constant from the 13th century is the
citys blistering weather. Our auto weaves past rickety cycle rickshaws,
ambassador cars, and ladies on mopeds, hair neatly plaited
and gleaming with oil. Were headed to Amma Mess, one the citys most
popular restaurants, known for its delicious, inexpensive fare. Within minutes
of scoring a table, were faced with seven shiny steel plates piled with food:
rabbit roast, pepper quail, dosa layered with keema and eggs, parotta
mashed with mutton, a neat mound of pigeon biryani, fish curry, and an
omelette stuffed with bone marrow. As my fianc and I lock eyes across the
table like soldiers before battle, a waiter appears. Madam he says, smiling.
Ghee?
Later that day, we meet Praveena and Mukunthan, a chatty couple who
conduct food trails, introducing travellers to Madurais markets and lesserknown culinary gems. Within minutes, we see the merits of walking with a
local. Madurais Old Town seems like a warren of rickety lanes, but Praveena
tells us its actually remarkably well planned. The streets are laid out in
concentric squares around the Meenakshi temple. Each has a different focus:

jewellery, flowers, spices, saris, kitchenware. The layout instantly becomes

easier to grasp.
Its past 9 p.m. but the market buzzes like a Mumbai railway station at peak
hour. Its warm and terribly crowded and yet, I cant wipe the smile off my
face. The scent of jasmine, the snatches of Tamil, the roly-poly script on
store-fronts, like a queue of plump ladies waiting for a bus: Like
anincantation, these sights and sounds invoke long-forgotten memories. Its
strange, the things our brains choose to save. With every recollection, the
dust clears a little more, my confidence is boosted, and soon I tentatively ask
for a bottle of waterin Tamil.
As we eat our way through the market, we learn about Madurais earliest
association with food. Madurai is named after maduram, which
means nectar in Tamil, and according to Hindu scriptures, the city was
birthed when a drop of ambrosia fell to Earth from Shivas dreadlocks. This is
why God and food are Madurais favourite pastimes, Praveena says
grinning. Egged on by our charming and enthusiastic guides, we devour
ungodly amounts of meat: chicken parottas, goats trotters, uttappam and
mutton keema, idli and fish curry.
And yet, its the vegetarian flavours that have me scribbling in my food diary.
From street carts we have slices of tender coconut tree bark, cottonseed and
jaggery payasam, and adirasam, a decadent cross between a doughnut and
a puff pastry thats deep-fried in ghee. The cottonseed payasam, Mukunthan
says, helps curb respiratory disorders and was traditionally consumed by
workers in Madurais cotton mills.
Every plate of food we eat is memorable (pigeon incidentally, tastes like
gamier chicken) but its not authentic Chettinad food, our hosts inform us.
Like the many migrant communities that moved to Madurai for work,
regional cuisines too adapt to survive, especially when theyre served in
restaurants. Recipes are tweaked for local palatesa little more oil, a little
less cooking time, maybe a dash of colourand before long they barely
resemble the original. Youll have to go to Karaikudi for the real thing,
emphasizes Mukunthan.

We round off our night with Tirunelveli halwa, a gooey, melt-in-the-mouth

dessert made from wheat, just the right amount of sugar, and far too much
ghee. Served warm, on a dried peepul leaf, it is the closest thing to maduram
I have tasted.
Oddly enough for a community that loves meat, the Chettiars were originally
vegetarians from Kanchipuram in northern Tamil Nadu. They lived there for
thousands of years before moving to a place called Kaveripoompattinam, a
small thriving Chola port town in the marshy Kaveri delta. Here, they
began trading in plump Kaveri rice and salt from the Coromandel Coast but
before long, they were travelling with fleets to Malacca, Sumatra, and Java.
Their zeal for commerce grew, and with it, their appetite for the Southeast
Asian food they encountered on their voyages. Seafood entered the Chettiar
kitchen, and soon pots of crab rasam were gently simmering in their
handsome homes.
WORD

MEANING

SYNONYMS

1. Towering

Very high or tall

Colossal, gigantic, imposing, lofty,

magnificent, massive, mighty, monumental,
prodigious, soaring, stately, tall, elevated,
sublime, surpassing

2.
Imaginatio
n

The action or process

of forming images or
concepts

Thought, artistry, awareness, fancy,

fantasy, idea, image, imagery, ingenuity,
insight, inspiration, intelligence,
inventiveness, originality, resourcefulness,
thought, vision, wit

3. Deities

A god or goddess

Divinity, idol, immortal, creator, goddess,

godhead, celestial, demigoddess, divine
being, supreme being

4. Draped

To cover or hand with

cloth or other fabric,
especially in graceful
folds

Cloak, clothe, cover, dangle, don, dress,

enclose, envelop, fold, hang, sprawl,
swathe, wrap, array, display, droop, drop,
enwrap, line, model, roll, spread, spreadeagle, suspend

5.Revered

To regard with respect

tinged with awe;
venerate

Admire, adore, apotheosize, appreciate, be

in awe of, cherish, defer to, deify, enjoy,
esteem, exalt, hold in awe, honor, look up
to, love, magnify, pay homage, prize, put
on pedestal, regard, respect, think highly

WORD

MEANING

SYNONYMS
of, treasure, value, venerate, worship

6.
Scorching

Burning very hot

Blistering, fiery, searing, sizzling,

sweltering, burning, hot

7. Sanctum

A sacred place,
especially a shrine
within a temple or
church

Altar, chancel, shrine, temple, holy place,

sacrarium, sanctorium

8. Fondant

A thick paste mad of

sugar and water and
often flavored or
colored, used in
making of sweets and
the icing and
decoration of cakes.

9.Mythical

Occurring in or
characteristic of myths
or folk tales

Allegorical, fabled, fanciful, fictitious,

imaginary, legendary, mythic, storied,
unreal, whimsical, chimerical, created,
fabricated, fabulous, fairy-tale, false,
fantasy, fictive, folkloric, invented, madeup, mythological, non-existent, pretended,
supposititious, traditional, untrue, visionary

10.Hankeri
ng

A strong desire to do
or have something

Craving, pining, yearning, ache, druthers,

hunger, itch, longing, thirst, urge, want,
weakness, wish, yen, fire in belly,
munchies.

11.Generou
s

Showing readiness to
give more of
something, especially
money, than is strictly
expected or necessary.

Acceptable, benevolent, big, charitable,

considerate, fair, good, helpful, honest,
hospitable, lavish, reasonable, thoughtful,
tolerant, unselfish, willing, altruistic,
beneficent, bounteous, bountiful, easy,
equitable, excellent, free, greathearted,
high-minded, honorable, just, kind, kindhearted. Kindly, liberal, lofty, loose,
magnanimous, moderate, munificent,
noble, open-handed, philanthropic, profuse,
soft-touch, ungrudging, unsparing,
unstinting

12.Acquain
ted

Make someone aware

of or familiar with

Abreast, conversant, informed, advised,

enlightened, familiarized, apprised of, clued
in, familiar with, in the know, versed in

13.Potency

The power of

Capability, efficacy, efficiency, vigor,

WORD

14.Tumbler

MEANING

SYNONYMS

something to affect
the mind or body

authority, birr, capacity, command, control,

dominion, energy, force, go, hardihood,
influence, juice, kick, might, moxie, muscle,
pep, potential, power, puissance, punch,
sinew, snap, sock, steam, strength, sway,
virtue, zap, zing, zip, what it takes

A drinking glass with

straight sides and no
handle or stem;

Clown, dancer, gymnast, performer,

aerialist, artist, athlete, balancer,
contortionist, funambulist, stunt person,
trapezist

An acrobat especially
one who performs
somersaults
15.Feisty

Lively, determined and

courageous

Bubbly, courageous, excitable, fiery, gritty,

gutsy, high-strung, lively, scrappy, spunky,
active, alive, difficult, enthusiastic, frisky,
full of pep, game, gutty, hot-blooded,
mettlesome, ornery, peppy quarrelsome,
sensitive, thin-skinned, tough, truculent,
zestful

16.Glisteni
ng

Shine with a sparkling

light

Bright, burnished, glassy, glazed, gleaming,

lustrous, polished, shining, shiny, silky,
sleek, reflecting, slick, smooth, brilliant,
silken

17. Quiver

Tremble or shake with

a slight rapid motion

Convulsion, flash, glimmer, glitter,

oscillation, palpitation, pulsation, shake,
shimmer, shiver, shudder, sparkle, spasm,
throb, tic, tremble, tremor, twinkle

18.Scrubla
nd

Land consisting of
scrub vegetation

Backwoods, bramble, briar, brush,

chaparral, creeper, forest, hedge,
hinterland, jungle, outback, plant, scrub,
shrubbery, thicket, vine, wilderness

19.Blisterin
g

Intense

Fiery, heated, scalding, scorching, searing,

sizzling, sweltering, torrid, baking, boiling,
broiling, burning, roasting, blistery, intense,
broiling, burning, roasting, blistery, intense,
red-hot, severe

20.Gleamin
g

Shine brightly
especially with
reflected light

Bright, burnished, glassy, glazed,

glistening, lustrous, polished, shining,
shiny, sleek, reflecting, slick, smooth,
brilliant, silken, silky

WORD

MEANING

SYNONYMS

21.Warren

A network of
interconnecting rabbit
burrows

22. Rickety

Poorly made and likely

to collapse

broken, decrepit, derelict, dilapidated,

flimsy, ramshackle, shaky, wobbly, feeble,
fragile, frail, imperfect, infirm, insecure,
jerry-built, precarious, rachitic, rattletrap,
rocky, tottering, tottery, tumble-down,
unsteady, wavering, weak

23.Buzzes

Make a low, continuous

humming sound

Hum, murmur, whisper, drone, fizz, fizzle,

hiss, purr, ring, ringing,whir

24.Incantat
ion

A series of word said

as a magic spell or
charm

Enchantment, hymn, abracadabra,

bewitchment, chant, charm, conjuration,
conjuring, formula, hex, hocus-pocus,
hoodoo, invocation, necromancy, rune,
sorcery, voodoo, witchcraft, wizardry, ala
kazam, black magic, mumbo-jumbo, open
sesame

25.Ambrosi
a

The food of the gods

Delicacy, nectar, heavenly food, immortal

food

26.Scribbli
ng

Write or draw
carelessly or hurriedly

Cacography, graffiti, graffito, griffon age,

hieroglyphics

27.Tweake
d

Twist or pull sharply

Tease, twist, jerk, pinch, pluck, pull

28.Trading

The action or activity

of buying and selling
goods and services

Commerce, deal, dealing, exchange,

industry, manufacturing, market, sales,
selling, trade, traffic, transaction, affairs,
bargaining, barter, commercialization,
contracts, game, industrialism,
merchandising, racket, undertaking, buying
and selling, capital and labor, free
enterprise, production and distribution

29.Zeal

Great energy or
enthusiasm in pursuit
of a cause or an
objective

Ardor, determination, devotion, diligence,

eagerness, earnestness, fanaticism, fervor,
gusto, inclination, intensity, passion,
perseverance, sincerity, spirit, urgency,
verve, warmth, zest, alacrity, bustle,
dispatch, drive, enterprise, fierceness, fire,
hustle, initiative, intentness, keenness,
mania, push, readiness, vehemence, yen,
stick- to-itiveness, what it takes

WORD

MEANING

SYNONYMS

30.
Simmering

Stay just below boiling

point while bubbling
gently

Boiling, heated, hot

WORD

MEANING

SYNONYMS

1.

Well-meaning and kindly

Benign, caring, compassionate,

Benevolent
2. virtue

generous, humane, philanthropic

Moral excellence; goodness;

Advantage, character, ethic,

righteousness

excellence, faith, generosity,

goodness, ideal, kindness, love,
merit, morality, purity, quality,
rectitude, righteousness, value

3.

Altruistic concern for human

Charity, generosity, alms, alms-

philanthrop

welfare and advancement,

giving, altruism, assistance,

usually manifested by

benefaction, beneficence,

donations of money, property,

contribution, dole, donation,

or work to needy persons by

endowment, fund, relief

endowment of institutions of
learning and hospitals and by
generosity to other socially
useful purposes.
4. frugality

The quality of being frugal, or

Moderation, prudence, thrift,

prudent in saving; the lack of

avarice, carefulness, conservation,

wastefulness

economy, miserliness,
niggardliness, parsimoniousness,
parsimony, penuriousness,
providence, saving, stinginess

5. wait

stay where one is or delay

Interval, down, halt, downtime,

action until a particular time

hold, interim, rest, stay

or event:
6.

Not able to fathom or

unfathoma

completely understand;

Boundless, immeasurable, infinite

WORD

MEANING

ble

incomprehensible

7.

Without previous instance;

Bizzare, extraordinary, fantastic,

unprecede

never known or experienced

miraculous, new, remarkable,

nted

SYNONYMS

singular, uncommon, unheard- of,

unique, unparalleled, unrivaled,
unusual

8. endowed

To provide with a permanent

Blessed. Enriched, equipped,

fund or source of income

graced, suppilied

9.

Restricting to one group,

Isolated, restricted, excluded,

segregated

especially exclusively on the

separated, discriminative

basis of racial or ethnic

membership
10. rife

Of common or frequent

Abundant, alive, plentiful, popular,

occurrence; prevalent; in

prevalent, rampant, replete,

widespread existence, activity

abounding, common, current,

or use

epidemic, extensive, frequent

11.

Readiness or liberality in

Goodness, hospitality, kindness,

generosity

giving

largesse, unselfishness, almsgiving, altruism, beneficence

12.

Unselfishly concerned or

Charitable, humanitarian,

altruistic

devoted to the welfare of

magnanimous, philanthropic, all

others

heart, benevolent, big, bleeding

heart, considerate, good scout

13.

Something that incites or

Encouragement, enticement,

incentives

tends to incite to action or

impetus, motivation, reason,

greater effort as a reward

stimulus, allurement, bait, carrot,

offered for increased

catalyst, come- on, provocation,

productivity

stimulant, insistence, exhortation

A person who robs (steals)

Bandit, burglar, con artist, crook,

14. robber

looter, marauder, mugger,

pickpocket, pirate, raider, rustler,
shoplifter, swindler, thief, thug,
brigand, buccaneer, cardsharper,

WORD

MEANING

SYNONYMS
cheat, chiseler, desperado,
despoiler, fence, forager, fraud,
hijacker, housebreaker, prowler,
punk, safecracker, pillager,
plunderer, operator

15. barons

A member of the lowest grade

Aristocrat, lord, peer

of nobility
16.

A statement or proposition

Conflict, difference, disagreement,

contradicti

that contradicts or denies

discrepancy, dispute,

on

another or itself and is

inconsistency, confutation,

logically incongruous

contravention, defiance, denial,

dissension, incongruity, negation,
opposite, opposition

17. radical

Of or going to the root or

Profound, basal, bottom, cardinal,

origin; fundamental

constitutional, essential, native,

natural, organic, original, primary,
primitive, deep-seated,
foundational, inherent, innate,
intrinsic, meat-and-potatoes,
primal

18.

Something by which a person

Accountability, agreement bond,

obligation

is bound or obliged to do

burden, commitment, constraint,

certain things, and which

contract, debt, duty, liability,

arises out of a sense of duty

necessity, need, promise,

or results from custom, law

requirement, right, trust,

etc.

understanding

WORD

MEANING

SYNONYM

Something that is

Display, masterpiece,

1.

Showpiece

displayed or exhibited

model, work of art

2.

Turf

A layer of matted Earth

Grass, lawn, sod, soil,

formed by grass and plant

peat, sward

roots
Vindicate, chasten,
3.

Avenge

To take vengeance or

chastise, punish, redress,

exact satisfaction for.

repay, requite, revenge

Clone, depict, duplicate,
imitate, mirror, reflect,
repeat, reproduce,

4.

Replicating

Folded, bent back on itself

simulate

A person who is expected

5.

underdog

to lose in a contest or

Dark horse, longshot,

conflict

bottom dog, out-of-towner

To affect with a sudden

wave of keen emotion or
excitement, as to produce
a tremor or tingling
sensation through the
6.

Thrilled

body

Elated, atingle
Advancing, along the way,
bound, driving, en
voyage, entrained, flying,
heading toward, in
passage, in transit,

7.

En route

On the way

making headway

8.

resolute

Firmly resolved or

Adamant, bold,

determined; set in

courageous, obstinate,

purpose or opinion

persistent, relentless,
serious, staunch,
steadfast, strong,
stubborn, tenacious,
uncompromising,
unflinching, unshakable,

unwavering, unyielding
Stalk, stomp, traipse,

9.

stride

To walk with long steps,

tramp, clump, drill,

as with vigor, haste,

march, pace, parade,

impatience or arrogance

pound, stamp, stump

Conclusive, critical,
crucial, definitive,
determined, fateful,
forceful, influential,

10. decisive

Having the power or

momentous, positive,

quality of deciding

resolute, significant
Engagement, guaranteed,
need, pledge, promise,
responsibility, charge,
committal, devoir, duty,
liability, must,

11. commitment

The act of committing

undertaking, vow, word

Forming an exception or
12. exceptionally

rare instance; unusual;

Abnormally, especially,

extraordinary

particularly

To take possession of (a

13. interceptions

ball or puck) during an

Interference, stopping,

attempted pass by an

interfering with,

opponent team

interposing
Central, climatic, critical,
crucial, decisive,

A vital or critical

essential, momentous,

14. pivotal

importance

vital

15. aerial

Reaching far into the air;

Flying, aeriform,

high; lofty

aeronautical, airy,
atmospheric, birdlike,

ethereal, lofty,
pneumatic, up above
vapours
16. of the moment

Of importance at this time

Chase, fall behind, falter,
lag, pull, dally, dangle,
dawdle, delay, dog, drag,
draggle, draw, droop,
extend, flag, halt, hang,
haul, hunt, linger, loiter,
plod, poke, procrastinate,
pursue, shadow, shag,
spook, spoor, stalk,
straggle, stream, tail,

17. trailed

To tread down or make a

tarry, tow, trace, track,

path through

traipse, trudge
Drizzle, ooze, squirt,
distill, drip, drivel, drool,
drop, leak, run, salivate,

To move (the ball or puck)

seep, slaver, slobber,

along by rapid succession

spout, trill, weep, fall in

of short kicks or pushes

drops

An account or reckoning;

Poll, total, account, mark,

a record or debit and

reckoning, score,

credit, of the score of a

summation, tab, running

19. tallies

game, or the like

total

20. suspension

Something on or by which

Break, freeze, halt,

something else is

interruption, layoff,

suspended or hung

moratorium, period,

18. dribbled

postponement, stoppage,
termination, abeyance,
adjournment, breather,

cessation, conclusion,
cutoff, deferment,
disbarment,
discontinuation,
doldrums, dormancy,
downtime, end, ending,
finish, five, intermission,
latency, letup, pause,
quiescence, remission,
respite, stay, suspense,
ten, time-out
Undaunted, unperturbed,
calm, collected,
composed, cool,
nonchalant, casual,
detached, placid, serene,
21. unfazed

Not dismayed or

tranquil, unvexed,

disconcerted; undaunted

unworried
Follow suit, imitate,
mimic, mirror, challenge,
compete, contend, ditto,
do, follow, outvie, rival,

22. emulate

To try to equal or excel;

do like, follow in

imitate with effort to

footsteps, follow the

equal or surpass

example of, rivalize

Evict, appropriate, eject,

To put( a person) out of

expel, expropriate, ousts,

possession, especially of

put of, throw into the

23. dispossess

real property

street

24. marginally

At the outer or lower

Kind of, lightly,

limits; minimal

somewhat, hardly,

requirements; almost

insignificantly, more or

less, on a small scale, to

insufficient

some extent, scarcely any

Approaching, brewing,
imminent, looming,
coming, gathering,
hovering, menacing, near,

25. impending

About to happen;

nearing, overhanging,

imminent

portending, threatening
Accompaniment, addition,
aggregate, augmentation,
balance, capacity,
completion,
consummation, correlate,
correlative, counterpart,
enhancement,
enrichment, entirety,
filler, makeweight,
pendant, quota,

26. complemented

Something that completes

remainder, rest,

or make perfect

supplement, total, totality

Central, compelling,
deciding, decisive,
essential, imperative,
momentous, necessary,
pivotal, pressing, touchy,
urgent, vital, acute,
clamorous, climacteric,
desperate, dire, hanging
by thread, high-priority,

27. crucial

Involving an extremely

insistent, on thin ice,

important decision or

searching, showdown

result; decisive; critical

touch and go

Interposition or

Interference, meditation,

interference of one state

arbitration, intercession,

28. interventions

in the affairs of other

interposition, interruption

29. misplaced

To put it in a wrong place

Gone, lost, mislaid

Appear, emerge, happen,
occur, realize, take place,
turn up, unfold, actualize,
coalesce, develop,
embody, evolve,
exteriorize, externalize,
hypostatize, manifest,
metamorphose, objectify,

30. materialized

To come into perceptible

personalize, personify,

existence; appear;

reify, substantiate,

become actual or real; be

symbolize, typify,

realized or carried out

visualize
Abuse, apply, capitalize
on, employ, handle,
manipulate, mine, profit
from, use, utilize, bleed,
exercise, finesse, fleece,
jockey, maneuver, milk,
play, skin, soak, stick,

To utilize, especially for

work, avail oneself of,

profit; turn to a practical

cash in on, get mileage

31. exploiting

account

out of

32. anxiety

Distress or uneasiness of

Angst, apprehension,

mind caused by fear of

concern, disquiet, doubt,

danger or misfortune

dread, jitters, misery,

misgiving, mistrust,
nervousness, panic,
restlessness, suffering,

suspense, trouble,
uncertainty, unease,
botheration, butterflies,
care, creeps, disquietude,
distress, downer, drag,
fidgets, flap, foreboding,
fretfulness, fuss, heebiejeebies, jumps, needles,
shakes, shivers,
solicitude, watchfulness,
willies, worriment
To try to please by
complimentary remarks
33. flattering

or attention

Complimentary, favorable
Betray, cheat,
circumvent, defraud,
delude, disappoint, dupe,
entrap, falsify, fool,
hoodwink, swindle, trick,
victimize, bamboozle,
beat, beguile, bilk,
buffalo, burn, clip, con,
cozen, ensnare, fake,
fleece, gouge, gull, hoax,

To mislead by false

humbug, outwit, rob,

34. deceive

appearance or statement

scam, screw, sell, skin

35. achievement

Something accomplished,

Accomplishment,

especially by superior

attainment, creation,

ability, special effort or

deed, effort, feat,

great courage

performance, realization,
success, triumph, victory,
acquirement, acquisition,

act, actualization,
completion, conquest,
consummation,
contrivance, effectuation,
enactment,
encompassment,
execution, exploit,
fulfillment, hit,
masterpiece, production,
stroke, tour de force
Encouragement,
enticement, impetus,
motivation, reason,
stimulus, allurement, bait,
carrot, catalyst, come-on,
consideration,
determinant, drive,
excuse, exhortation,
goad, ground, impulse,
incitement, influence,
insistence, inspiration,
instigation, motive,

36. incentive

WORD
Suicide
Medicide

Something that incites or

persuasion, provocation,

tends to incite to action or

purpose, rationale, spring,

greater effort as a reward

spur, stimulant,

offered for increased

stimulation, temptation,

productivity

urge, whip, reason why

EXPLANATION
intentional killing of oneself
suicide accomplished with the aid of a physician

Autocide

suicide by automobile

Murdersuicide

a suicide committed immediately after one or more murders

Selfimmolation
Avunculicide

suicide by setting oneself on fire, a form of extreme protest.

the act of killing an uncle

a multiple-victim homicide where a killers spouse and childre

Familicide
Filicide

slain.
the act of a parent killing his or her son or daughter
the act of killing a brother, also in military context death by

Fratricide

fire

Geronticide

the abandonment of the elderly to die, commit suicide or be

Honour

the act of killing a family member who has or was perceived

killing
Infanticide

brought disgrace to the family

the act of killing a child within the first year of its life.

the act of killing ones spouse, especially the murder of a hus

Mariticide
Matricide
Neonaticide

his wife
the act of killing ones mother

the act of killing an infant within the first twenty-four hours o

Nepoticide

the act of killing ones nephew

Parricide

the killing of ones mother or father or other close relative

Patricide
Prolicide

the act of killing of ones father.

the act of killing ones own children.

the killing of ones elderly family members when they can no

Senicide

work or become a burden

Sororicide

the act of killing ones sister

Uxoricide

the act of killing ones wife

Latin-ate Plurals
Words ending in is usually follow the original Latin form (basis/bases,
crisis/crises) for reasons of euphony.
SINGULAR

PLURAL

addendum

addenda

alga

algae

alumnus

alumni

amoeba
antenna
bacterium

amoebae
antennae
bacteria

cactus

cacti

curriculum

curricula

datum

data

fungus

fungi

genus

genera

larva

larvae

memorandum

memoranda

radix

radices

referendum

referenda

stigma

stigmas

stratum

strata

thesis

theses

vortex

vortexes

vertebra

vertebrae

OTHERS
SINGULAR

PLURAL

echo

echoes

embargo
tomato
hero
torpedo
potato

embargoes
tomatoes
heroes
torpedoes
potatoes

hrasal verb is a mix of a verb with a preposition. Today we will learn phrasal
verbs related to food.
1.

Pick At Pick at means you dont eat a lot or you eat very
little . Example- I am sick so I pick my food.

2.

Snack On When you snack on something, you dont eat a lot

of something. For instance, you might snack on your burgers or
other fast food. The food you snack on is not your dinner.
Example I am going to the theater and I think I will snack on
some popcorn.

3.

Pig Out- Pig out means to eat a lot. Example- Yesterday, I went
to a restaurant and pigged out.

4.

Polish Off- Polish off is when you have eaten everything. It is

more than pigged out. Example Anish polished off his Maggie.

5.

Live On- Live on means you eat a lot of something i.e you
actually live on it. For instance, poor people dont have much
money, so they live on onion and chapatti.

6.

Cut Down When you cut down on something it means you

have reduced the amount of its consumption. Example After
the pleura effusion, he cut down on his alcohol.

7.

Order In- Order in means you order something i.e. you order
people outside to get food from outside. Example- I ordered in
the pizza yesterday.

8.

Eat Out- It means you go out to eat something. Example- Let

us eat out, I am feeling lazy today.

9.

Dig In- Dig in means to eat. So, if you have ordered the food
and everybody is still talking, you can say, dig in.

UNIVERSITY ENGLISH # IMPROVE

VOCABULARY
October 18, 2015 Chief Editor Leave a comment

Every place has its own vocabulary, for instance, there are certain words that are
associated with university and are commonly used there. So, if you are planning to
go out and study in a University, you must know the following phrases
1.

Enroll/sign up When you take admission in University, you enroll or sign up

for some classes. Example- Avinash enrolled for a math class. This means
Avinash is going to take math class in the university.

2.

Hit the books If you study hard, it means you hit the books. Example After
Avinash enrolled in the class, he hit the books. This means he studied hard after
enrolling in the class.

3.

Hand out assignment To give assignments. Example The professor hands

out the algebra assignment to Avinash.

4.

Pull an all-nighter- Pull an all-nighter means you stay all night to complete
something. Example- Avinash pulled an all-nighter to complete his assignment.

5.

Hands in assignment/paper This means to submit it. Example- As soon as

Avinash reaches the class, he hands in the assignment.

6.

Cut class/skip class Cut class/skip class means to miss classes. Example
When Avinash got an A+ in the assignment he starts cutting classes.

7.

Fall behind in When you fall behind in something, it means you are lacking
behind. Example- Because of cutting classes, after two weeks, Avinash fell
behind in classes.

8.

Get Caught Up Get caught up means you reach to the position you should
be, if you did not missed the classes. Example Avinash is very worried about
the classes and he starts hitting the books again and gets caught up.

9.

Withdraw from the course/drop a course This means to leave the course.
Example- Avinash was not interested in withdrawing from the course.

10.

Plagiarize Plagiarize means when you dont do the work but give it to
someone else or copy someones else work. Example- Avinash goes out to pub,
but plagiarize his assignment.

11.

Expel/kick out- This means, you are thrown out of the university. ExampleThe professor finds out about Avinash plagiarizing and expels him.

12.

TYPES OF MODAL VERBS

13.
October 12, 2015 Chief Editor Leave a comment
14.
We have already talked about modal verbs. You can go
through it here.
Let us have a look at the types of modal verbs.
15.
Probability
16.
Probability verbs are used when we want to say how sure
we are that something happened / is happening / will happen.
These are also called modals of deduction or speculation or
certainty or probability.
Example 1. They should be there by now.
2. Prices can be high in London.

17.
Ability
18.
Modal verbs such as can and could to talk about skill and
ability.
Example 1. She can speak English.
2. I couldnt open the window.
19.
Obligation And Advice
20.
We use modal verbs such as must or should to say
when something is necessary or unnecessary, or to give
advice.
Example 1. I had to wear a school uniform when I was a child.
2. You shouldnt smoke so much.
21.
Permission
22.
Modal verbs such as can, could and may to ask for and
give permission. They are also used to say, something is not
allowed. Example 1. You may not use the laptop today.
2. Can I leave early today?
23.
Habits
24.
You can talk about will and would to talk about habits that
have been a part of you since a very long time or you will be
doing them in near future.
Example 1. She will always be late.
2. We would often go out for party on Saturdays.

25.

MODAL VERBS # GRAMMAR FOR IELTS

26.
October 12, 2015 Chief Editor Leave a comment
27.
Showing a varied range of grammar in IELTS helps in
scoring high band in IELTS. For today, let us have a look at one
of the most used topic in IELTS, modal verbs.
Examples of modal verbs
can

could

may

might

shall

should

28.
Modal verbs are used to show that you are certain about
something, sure that it will happen.We also use modals to do
things like talking about ability, asking permission making
requests and offers.
Modal verbs behave very differently from the normal verbs. Let
us have a look at some of its distinguishing factors
1. Modal verbs do not take s in the third form.
Example- He can speak english.
2. You use not to make the modal verbs negative, even in
simple past or simple present.
Example He should not be late
3. Modal verbs cannot used with past or future tense.
Example He will can come with us.
4. They make questions by inversion.
5. They are followed directly by the infinitive of another verb.
COLLOCATIONS # GRAMMAR FOR IELTS
October 11, 2015 Chief Editor Leave a comment

Collocations are one of the most important thing you must aim at
learning if you want to score high in IELTS. But, what are they?
Collocations are two or more words that go together or are used
together in a way that sound correct to the native speaker. Let us
look at some examples
Collocations
early days
even numbers
evenly matched
take a break
take a look

travel light
turn a corner

Learning something when you dont know its importance is weird

and difficult. So, let us find out why should you learn collocations?
Collocations make your language more understandable to
understand making you more fluent at what you speak. It also
makes you sound more natural. Collocations provide you with
alternative and better ways to express yourself, resulting in a high
score band in IELTS or for that matter of fact any english testing
exam. And the most important part is Learning vocabulary
becomes easier with collocations. This is because it is more
easier for our brain to learn chunks of words rather than single
words.
KINDS OF COLLOCATIONS
Collocations are of the following typeadverb + adjective: completely satisfied
adjective + noun: excruciating pain
noun + noun: a surge of anger
noun + verb: lions roar
verb + noun: commit suicide
verb + expression with preposition: burst into tears
verb + adverb: wave frantically
So, dont just learn words, learn chunks of words, so that you not
only know the word but also have a good command over how to use
the word.

IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT COLLOCATIONS

1. Try to notice collocations whenever you read something.
2. Make sure you regard the collocation as one single block. For
example -top priority is one single word, it is not top + priority.
3. There are two ways of learning collocations. Either you learn
them topic wise or word wise. Like, either leara collocations
related to weather( or any other topic) together or you can go
for all the collocations with take together.
So, if you want to improve your vocabulary or spoken english,
the first thing you must aim for is learning collocations. Go, get
a good grasp over them and score high in IELTS.

FASHION VOCABULARY

Fashion is an integral part of our lives. Fashion is not something that exists in
dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas,
the way we live, what is happening. And you are more likely to get some or
other kind of question related to fashion. So, let us have a look at fashion
vocabulary.

TO BE ON TREND
to be very fashionable
CASUAL CLOTHS
not formal
FASHION ICON
a person who is famous for his fashion sense

FASHION SHOW
an event at which collections of newly designed clothing are
modelled for an audience
DESIGNER LABEL
a well-known company that makes clothing
FASHION HOUSE
a company that sells new styles in clothes
DRESSED TO KILL
wearing cloths that attract admirers
FASHIONABLE
in fashion
TO GET DRESSED UP
to put on nice clothes, often to go out somewhere special
CLASSIC STYLE
a simple, traditional style that is always fashionable
TO DRESS FOR THE OCCASION
to wear cloths suitable for a particular event
HAND ME DOWNS
clothes that are passed down from older brothers or sisters to
their younger siblings
VINTAGE CLOTHES
clothes from earlier period.

A SLAVE TO FASHION
someone who always feel the need to wear the latest fashions
TO HAVE AN EYE FOR FASHION
to have a good sense of fashion
ON THE CAT WALK
the stage that modals walk along to show off the latest
fashions
OFF PEG
clothing that is hand made
TO MIX AND MATCH
to wear different styles or items of clothing that arent part of a
set outfit
FAMILY VOCABULARY
September 16, 2015 Chief Editor Leave a comment

Family is a social unit of two or more persons related by blood,

marriage, or adoption and having a shared commitment to the
mutual relationship. You will be asked to tell about your family very
often, and these are the times you have to use the specific
relationship that you share with a particular person.

IMMEDIATE FAMILY
There are two main ways to determine immediate and other family
members. They are:

Relation by blood: This means they share the same lineage or

parent, such as in the case of siblings, children or grandchildren.
Relation by marriage: This means they share a common bond
through the marriage of one member of each family, such as with inlaws or stepchildren.
PARENT
If you have children, you are their parent.
FATHER
Father is the male parent
MOTHER
Mother is the female parent
SON
The male child
DAUGHTER
The female child
BROTHER
The male who has the same parents as yours
SISTER
The female who has the same parents as yours
HUSBAND
If you get married, the man is the husband.
WIFE
If you get married, the woman is the wife.

Siblings is a collective term for brothers and sisters.

RELATIVES
GRANDPARENTS
The parents of your parents
GRAND FATHER
The father of your mother or father
GRAND MOTHER
The mother of your father or mother
GRAND CHILDREN
The children of your children
GRAND SON
The son of your son or daughter
GRAND DAUGHTER
The daughter of your son or daughter
UNCLE
The brother of your mother or father
AUNT
The sister of your mother or father
COUSIN
The child of your uncle or aunt
NEPHEW

The male child of your brother or sister

NIECE
The female child of your brother or sister

THE IN-LAWS
FATHER-IN-LAW
Father of your spouse
MOTHER-IN-LAW
Mother of your spouse
SON-IN-LAW
The husband of your daughter
DAUGHTER-IN-LAW
The wife of your son
BROTHER-IN-LAW
The husband of your sister
SISTER-IN-LAW
The wife of your brother

THE MIXED FAMILY

Step means that you are related to the person because of one
parent marrying
STEP-FATHER

The husband of your mother, but not your biological father

STEP-MOTHER
The wife of your father, but not your biological mother.
STEP-SON
The son of your new wife or husband, but not your biological
son.
STEP-DAUGTHER
The daughter of your new wife or husband, but not your
biological daughter.
STEP SISTER
The daughter of your step mother/ father.
STEP BROTHER
The sister of your step mother/father.

HALF BROTHER
The brother you have only one parent in common
HALF SISTER
The sister you have only one parent in common

RIGHT WAY OF LEARNING # IDIOMS FOR IELTS

September 11, 2015 Chief Editor Leave a comment

There is a way of scoring high in IELTS. Cramming high vocabulary

words or learning thousands of idioms or banging your head over
those often confusing grammar rules is not going to help you in
IELTS. What matters in IELTS or any other exam, is how well you can

apply the knowledge that you have. For instance, how well you can
use those vocabulary words, or those idioms in your speaking or
writing.
For this week, let us focus on five idioms and make use of them in
the various letters you write or the essays you practice or the
speaking tests you work on. By the end of this week, I will update
the various posts I have used the following idioms, hoping that you
will share the work you have done. Let us begin.
BREAK THE NEWS
SENTENCE Taylor and Calvin are going to get married next
month, but they havent yet broken the news to their friends.
MEANING to make something known.
COST AN ARM AND LEG
SENTENCE The fee of the college costed me an arm and leg.
MEANING to be very expensive
DEAD-END JOB
SENTENCE Rihanna realised that the job as a cashier was a
dead-end job.
MEANING a job that wont lead to anything else
FACE IT
SENTENCE Let us face it, Hitler will soon send us to the
chambers.
MEANING accept a difficult situation.
GIVE ONE THE CREEPS
SENTENCE That movie on zombies gives me creeps.
MEANING to create a feeling of disgust or horror
FILMS # VOCABULARY FOR IELTS

Films have become a very important part of our lives. Some of them have had
a great impact on us. For today, let us understand the vocabulary used to
describe different kinds of films.
ACTION FILMS
Action film is a film genre in which one or more heroes are
thrust into a series of challenges that typically include physical
feats, extended fight scenes, violence, and frantic chases.
COMEDIES
Comedy is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on
humour. These films are designed to entertain the audience
through amusement, and most often work by exaggerating
characteristics of real life for humorous effect
ROMANTIC FILMS
Romance films (or romance movies) are romantic love stories
recorded in visual media for broadcast in theaters and on
television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate
romantic involvement of the main characters and the journey
that their genuinely strong, true and pure romantic love takes
them through dating, courtship or marriage.
ROM-COMS
Romantic comedy films are a certain genre of comedy films as
well as of romance films, and may also have elements of
screwball comedies and stoner comedies.
ADVENTURE FILMS

Adventure film is a genre that revolves around the conquests

and explorations of a protagonist. The purpose of the conquest
can be to retrieve a person or treasure, but often the main
focus is simply the pursuit of the unknown.
MUSICAL
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the
characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes
accompanied by dancing.
DRAMAS
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth
development of realistic characters dealing with emotional
themes.
PERIOD FILMS
A period film is a film that attempts to faithfully depict a
specific time period.
REAL LIFE FILMS
These are the films based on real life incidents.
HORROR FILMS
Horror Films are unsettling films designed to frighten and
panic, cause dread and alarm, and to invoke our hidden worst
fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating
and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience.
WAR FILM
War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about
naval, air, or land battles in the twentieth century, with combat

scenes central to the drama. The fateful nature of battle

scenes means that war films often end with them.
SCIENCE FICTION
Fiction based on imagined future scientific or technological
advances and major social or environmental changes,
frequently portraying space or time travel and life on other
planets.
IMMIGRATE, EMIGRATE AND MIGRATE

Immigrate, Emigrate and Migrate are the three most often confused words.
Often people believe that these three words have the same meaning,
however, there sure is a difference. For now, let us understand the difference
between the three words.
MIGRATION
In this case, migration is the noun form, whereas migrate is the
verb. Migration has to do with seasonal movement or the
movement that is not permanent. For example- animals
migrate. There are some animals who migrate to different
locations because of temperature and go back to the original
place after the temperature changes.
A person who migrates is called migrant.
IMMIGRATION
Immigration is the noun and immigrate is the verb. It is the
movement of people only and is permanent. A place where you
immigrate, you live there forever.

EMIGRATION
Emigrate is the noun and emigrate is the verb. It is very similar
to immigration in terms that it is movement and movement of
people, also it is permanent. However, it is used when you
leave a country forever.
FESTIVALS 2 # VOCABULARY FOR IELTS

We talked about festivals lately, but then in IELTS, the more you know the
better it will be for you. Before you move forward, go have a look at what we
talked about festivals.
NEW YEAR
Sentence-: I am going to New Zealand on this New Year.
Meaning-: the period immediately before and after 31 December.
NEW YEARS EVE
Sentence-: When most people were enjoying on the new years eve,
she was still working hard to fulfill her dreams.
Meaning-: the last day of the year; in the modern Western calendar, 31
December.
PANCAKE DAY
Sentence-: I will be visiting Melbourne on pancake day.
Meaning-: Shrove Tuesday (known in some countries as Pancake Day)
is a day in February or March, preceding Ash Wednesday (the first day
of Lent), which is celebrated in some countries by consuming pancakes.
PARADE

Sentence-: One direction carried out a parade to support gay marriages.

Meaning-: a public procession, especially one celebrating a special day
or event.
RAMADAN
Sentence-: I visited my friend eram during Ramadan.
Meaning-: the ninth month of the Muslim year, during which strict fasting
is observed from dawn to sunset.
SHROVE TUESDAY
Sentence-:
Meaning-: the day before Ash Wednesday. Though named for its former
religious significance, it is chiefly marked by feasting and celebration,
which traditionally preceded the observance of the Lenten fast.
THANKSGIVING
Meaning-: (in North America) an annual national holiday marked by
religious observances and a traditional meal. The holiday
commemorates a harvest festival celebrated by the Pilgrim Fathers in
1621, and is held in the US on the fourth Thursday in November. A
similar holiday is held in Canada, usually on the second Monday in
October.
WEDDING
Sentence-: We are invited to the wedding party of Paul and Priyanka.
Meaning-: a marriage ceremony, especially considered as including the
associated celebrations.
WREATH
Sentence-: The stage was decorated with wreath, for the bride and the
groom.

Meaning-:an arrangement of flowers, leaves, or stems fastened in a ring

and used for decoration or for laying on a grave.

FESTIVALS # VOCABULARY FOR IELTS

August 29, 2015 Chief Editor Leave a comment

IELTS BAND 7 wishes everyone a Happy Rakshabandhan.

And for today let us have a look at the vocabulary related to celebrations and life
events.
ANNIVERSARY
Sentence-: I recently celebrated by parents 25th marriage anniversary.
Meaning-: the yearly recurrence of the date of past event.
ASH WEDNESDAY
Sentence-: By next Ash Wednesday, I will have learned how to fast without
getting sick.
Meaning-: the seventh Wednesday before Easter/ the day of fasting, the first
day of lent in western Christianity. It occurs 46 days before easter.
BAPTISM
Sentence-: To John, the baptism is sacred and willingly blind to religion.
Meaning-: It is the Christian sacrament of admission and adoption, almost
invariably with the use of water into the Christian church generally also a
particular church.
BAR MITZVAH
Sentence-:
Meaning-: the initiation ceremony of a Jewish boy who has reached the age of
13 and is regarded as ready to observe religious precepts and eligible to take
part in public worship.
BE BORN

Sentence-: The inventions are born out of the need to do something.

Meaning-: to start to exist
BIRTHDAY
Sentence-: I celebrate my birthday with my friends and family.
Meaning-: the day on which something comes to existence
CARNIVAL
Sentence-: I am going to the carnival, will you like to join?
Meaning-: an annual festival, typically during the week before lent in roman
catholic countries, involving procession, music, dancing and the use of
masquerade,
CELEBRATION
Sentence-: We are going to the celebration of birth of Christ.
Meaning-: the act of celebrating an important day or event
CHRISTENING
Sentence-: At the christening of prince George, the duchess of Cambridge
looked radiant in an ivory-colored Alexander McQueen ruffled suit.
Meaning-: the Christian sacrament of baptizing and naming an infant
CHRISTMAS
Sentence-: The father of our nation knew how to throw a Christmas party.
Meaning-: the annual festival of the Christian church commemorating the
birth of Jesus: celebrated on December 25 and now generally observed as a
legal holiday and an occasion for exchanging gifts.