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April 26 & 27, 2003 scourge The noun scourge refers to a person or thing which causes great suffering or trouble. The SARS scourge is expected to cut Thailand's economic growth this year to just 4.5%. The Nato head urged members of the alliance to unite their forces in fighting the scourge of terrorism. The scourge of AIDS has crossed the globe and it is painfully clear that Asia has not escaped. Everything lay motionless under the scourge of the noonday sun. April 25, 2003 perpetuate (pa PET chu eit) The verb perpetuate means to cause something (especially something bad) to continue. Conservationists said that selling seized logs in the past had perpetuated the illegal logging industry. Critics said there was no excuse to perpetuate handouts to major corporations. All the party leaders were concerned about was to perpetuate their hold on power. Throughout time, men and women have sought to perpetuate themselves through their children. April 24, 2003 impound (im POUND) The verb impound means to officially take something and keep it because a law or a rule has been broken. Impounding is normally done by the government. Police spokesman Pongsapat Pongcharoen said police had impounded more than 50,000 motorcycles involved in traffic violations since the Songkran holiday began. Impounded illegally-felled logs in the Salween forest will all be stored in one place but will not be sold, Prime Minister Thaksin said yesterday. The captain was trying to enlist the aid of the French Embassy in Montevideo to prevent his boat from being impounded if the bills remain unpaid. Opposition candidates demanded that the ballots be impounded prior to the recount. April 23, 2003 mushroom The verb mushroom means to grow or come into existence very rapidly. It comes, of course, from the noun mushroom, which is a type of fast-growing fungus that is often used for food. World Health Organisation virologist Jeff McFarland said it should not come as a shock when new cases of Sars start mushrooming outside Guangdong province, the likely origin of the virus. As the scandal mushroomed, officials announced a series of steps to increase security at government installations. As factories mushroomed, labourers became scarce and employers were forced to hire illegal immigrants. The recipe called for two cups of sliced white mushrooms. April 22, 2003 whisk The verb whisk means to take or move someone or something somewhere very quickly. Kamnan Poh was questioned for six hours before being whisked off to the Criminal Court on Ratchadapisek road. The jet's pilot was whisked to safety by search and rescue forces only two hours after the crash behind enemy lines. The photographs and x-rays were whisked away within hours of his death and have been kept hidden every since. The former Olympic champion arrived in Paris early Friday morning and was immediately whisked off to an undisclosed location. April 21, 2003 surpass (sur PAES) The verb surpass means to be better or greater than something else. The government lost its fight to cut the Songkran road toll yesterday, when fatalities from the first four days of the festival surpassed last year's five-day total. The data far surpassed economists' expectations. It was Italy's worst aviation disaster, surpassing a 1972 accident in which 115 died. The 85 percent sales rate surpasses the 82.3 percent record set in Atlanta in 1996. 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: April 28, 2003