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February 1 & 2, 2003 quell (kwel) The verb quell means to stop something bad. The Cambodian army was deployed to quell rioting in Phnom Penh after thousands of students stormed and set fire to the Thai embassy. No amount of scientific evidence has been able to quell European fears over the safety of GMO foods. Tear gas was used in an unsuccessful effort to quell the uprising. On the popular singer's last trip, police had to quell mobs of fans who greeted her at the airport. January 31, 2003 lateral (LAT a rul) The adjective lateral means to relate to the sides of something or moving in a sideways direction. Nowadays we are most often seeing it as part of combinations, especially unilateral (one-sided or involving only one country), bilateral (two-side or involving two countries) and multilateral (many-sided or involving several countries). Each of these adjectives can be made into a noun using the suffix -ism. "Multilateralism cannot become an excuse for inaction," My Powell said, referring to opposition to an early war among key veto-holding members of the UN Security Council. The walls require lateral support, he said. The US was often criticised for taking unilateral action against countries it accused of unfair trading practices. Dr Mahathir was the subject of western criticism when he rejected the help of multilateral international agencies to help repair Malaysia's battered economy. January 30, 2003 hushed (husht) The adjective hushed means to be very quiet. It can also mean to be quiet and peaceful. The verb form is hush and it means to stop someone from being noisy. "There needs to be a new world order," the Brazilian president told a hushed and attentive audience of thousands at Porto Alegre. The room grew hushed as she began to read out the results of the voting. A few members of the crowd shouted insults at the marchers but they were quickly hushed. The early morning was still hushed and foggy. January 29, 2003 paralyse (PAIR a laiz) The verb paralyse means to be unable to act or function properly. Paralyse can also mean to be unable to feel or use a part of the body. The work stoppage has paralysed crucial oil exports and the nation's economy, halting traffic and slowing food supplies. Driving a car his government had given him as a reward, he crashed, suffering a broken neck which paralysed him. The port area is likely to be paralysed today as thousands of dockworkers hold a protest rally. In her first trip to the French Open she was paralysed by fear and lost in the first round. January 28, 2003 collateral (ka LAT a rul) The noun collateral refers to money or property used as a guarantee that someone will repay a loan. The government recently announced a plan to upgrade land ownership papers to title deeds to allow their use as collateral for loans. Land prices fell, diminishing the value of the bank's collateral. The politicians were allegedly able to obtain loans without putting up collateral. The financial institutions seeking assistance from the fund were required to deposit their assets as collateral. January 27, 2003 prodigy (PRA da jee) The noun prodigy refers to someone who shows great natural ability for something at a very young age. Two state-run secondary schools will be chosen to provide special courses for prodigies under a scheme to promote proficiency in the English language. Although he was clearly a prodigy, his father firmly resisted his desire to become a musician. At 22, the Belgian designer is a bit of a prodigy. The English team included a trio of schoolboy prodigies. Click here to see our words in the news for the previous week. Return to our home page | Comments to Terry F. at terryfrd@ksc15.th.com | |© The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. All rights reserved 2003 | Last modified: February 3, 2003