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February 22 & 23, 2003 inferno (in FER no) The noun inferno refers to a large, fierce and usually very destructive fire. One man whose wife was trapped in the inferno, told South Korean television he had received a desperate call from her mobile phone. The attack turned the Pancevo refinery into an inferno. The account of bin Laden's movements is the first detailed evidence that the Saudi national had escaped the inferno of US bombing raids on Tora Bora. They cut the steel plates into heavy strips which they heaved into the inferno and dragged them through the furnace before wrestling them free, red hot at the far end. February 21, 2003 point-blank The expression point-blank can be used as an adjective or an adverb. Point-blank means to be extremely close or to be very direct and straightforward. Police quoted witnesses as saying the woman, who ran many pork stalls at fresh markets in Hua Sai and Chiang Yai districts, was arranging her stall when two gunmen arrived in a pick-up truck and shot her at point-blank range. When President Bush called the Israeli Prime Minister to urge a truce, Sharon reportedly refused point-blank. When reporters asked him point-blank if he was frustrated with his job, he replied that he wasn't. Eyewitness confirmed medical reports that the victim had been shot at point-blank range. February 20, 2003 recalcitrant (re KAL sa trunt) The adjective recalcitrant means to be stubborn, unwilling to obey orders or to be difficult to deal with. The noun form is recalcitrance. She had the ability to get even the most recalcitrant government official to give information. A US human rights commissioner has expressed her government's frustration over the Burmese government's recalcitrance. It is still not clear what fines the recalcitrant union members will have to pay. Yugoslav officials remained recalcitrant, insisting that Kosovo did not need a peacekeeping force. February 19, 2003 haven (HAY vun) The noun haven refers to a safe or peaceful place. The Crime Suppression Division has set up a cyber unit to investigate crime on the Internet, amid reports that Thailand is seen as a haven for foreign cyber criminals. The city was a key port in the opium trade and once a haven for pirates. The lawmakers are writing legislation to create tougher sanctions on banks which provide havens for terrorist money. The fighters are using tribal areas as havens from which to mount their military operations. February 18, 2003 indifferent (in DIF runt) The adjective indifferent means to lack interest in something or to be of a poor standard. "We don't want a society where people feel indifferent to the use of force to solve problems," said Wasant Panich, a human rights commissioner. Ordinary people have been largely indifferent to the changes in economic policy. The party is advertising heavily in an attempt to get indifferent voters to go to the polls on election day. An indifferent student, he turned briefly to journalism before going to work for the state assembly where he quickly developed a love for politics. February 17, 2003 ulterior (ul TIR i ur) The adjective ulterior refers to a secret and usually bad reason for doing something, a reason which is different than the one claimed. Ulterior is almost always paired with the noun "motive" although "purpose" is also possible. Media organisations have accused the government of harbouring ulterior motives in its attempts to legalise gambling. Private ownership of television and radio stations can be harmful if the proprietors have political ambitions and ulterior motives. Pol Capt. Chalerm said he suspected an ulterior motive behind the move. She did not save every extra penny she received for any ulterior purpose, it was simply a habit she had developed since childhood. 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 24, 2003