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February 15 & 16, 2003 ban The verb ban means to officially declare that something must not be done, shown or used. The noun form is also ban. Primary and secondary schools are now banned from making and selling traditional wines such as satho. Efforts to reach a compromise over a move to ban all trade in ivory were underway last night. American beef producers contend that there is no scientific basis for banning beef from cattle fed growth hormones. US and British flyers actively enforce a ban on Iraqi aircraft in the so-called "no-fly zones". February 14, 2003 scrap As a verb, scrap means to get rid of, particularly something which is no longer useful, possible or wanted. As a noun or adjective scrap refers to old or used material. The noun form can also refer to a small, usually irregular, piece of something. Southern farmers have asked the government to scrap lease contracts with private firms on use of degraded forest areas and turn those plots into reformed land for the poor. Just when the controversial practice of gene therapy was about to be scrapped over treatments that do more harm than good, two new breakthroughs have revived hope that it will some day fulfill its great promise. Phairin Phanlert, 43, an experienced scrap collector from Kanchanaburi, said he earned 1,000 baht after the election selling campaign posters. Scraps of clothing and a few shredded pieces of paper with Arabic script indicated that this had once been the site of some kind of al-Qaeda camp. February 13, 2003 float The verb float commonly means to lie on the surface of a liquid or hang freely in the air. But there are other meanings. Float can, for example, mean to suggest something for others to consider; or it can mean to sell shares in a company to the public. In the case of currency, float means to let the value move freely in relation to other currencies. The interior minister said that the idea to pay cash rewards to helpful Burmese troops was floated by the prime minister himself. Clinton reportedly floated suggestions for military action several times, but dropped them after the allies objected. The company hopes to float 400 million new shares in the market with the underwriter yet to be chosen. Critics lashed out at the IMF over its recommendations that emerging market economies maintain floating exchange rates. February 12, 2003 subtle (SUT ul) The adjective subtle refers to something which is not easily or immediately obvious or noticeable. Changes in economic policy after the cabinet reshuffle are likely to be subtle rather than broad, with the emphasis on promoting growth in specific sectors. The motion was quite subtle but all agreed it was real. Using sulphur, a subtle darkening effect was achieved on polished silver surfaces. There was a subtle difference between the two versions of the story. February 11, 2003 eradicate (i RAD a kate) The verb eradicate means to get rid of something completely. The noun form is eradication (i rad a KAY shun). Authorities continued to block children and the disabled from entering the area in a bid to eradicate begging at Rong Klua market. Twenty-three years after the last case of smallpox, many of the specialists who helped eradicate the disease met privately to discuss how to cope with an outbreak caused by terrorists. He campaigned on a policy of eradicating poverty and promoting education. All agreed the first priority was the eradication of terrorism. February 10, 2003 lax The adjective lax means careless, lacking attention, or not strong enough. The Union of airline workers blamed lax security at Brazilian airports for the hijacking. Greenpeace protested over the lax enforcement of shipping regulations at European ports. A number of the senator's own supporters have expressed concern that his campaigning was too lax and unfocused. Twenty years of lax pollution controls have had a devastating effect of the health of the city's residents. 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 17, 2003