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June 28 & 29, 2003 patch up The phrasal verb patch up means to repair something that has been damaged, such as an object or a relationship. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra wants to hold talks with NGOs, including advocates and opponents of the Thai-Malaysian gas pipeline and separation plant project, to patch up their differences. Most of the cars in Cuba are ancient American models, patched up almost beyond recognition. The men could be seen patching up the old Soviet-built buildings on the road to the airport. The president sought to end his country's isolation by patching up relations with his neighbours. June 27, 2003 impartial (im PAR shul) The adjective impartial means to be not directly involved in a situation and therefore able to give a fair opinion or decision about it. He said that without an impartial committee, his group would never escape state prejudice. There is growing public support for an impartial check on official government statistics. We seek to provide travelers with impartial information which will empower them to make the right decisions. The court suffered a severe blow to its reputation as an impartial institution. June 26, 2003 nailbiter (NAIL bai ter) The noun nailbiter refers to a very close and exciting competition or a very anxious situation. It literally refers to a situation where a person bites their fingernails because of nervousness. The adjective form is nailbiting. Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan enjoyed the sweet taste of revenge after overcoming Slovak Dominik Hrbaty in a five-set first round nailbiter at Wimbledon here yesterday. With only enough fuel, water and air purifiers to stay aloft for another 24 hours at most, the space shuttle Atlantis' return to Earth was a genuine nailbiter. Bashley (Rydal) posted a powerful 266-6 declared against Andover, but ended up hanging on to salvage a nailbiting draw as their ECB Southern Electric Premier League rivals came within two runs of forcing a remarkable win at the BCG. The New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks brought the competition right to the wire, with an exciting, nailbiting finish in game seven. June 25, 2003 stipulate (STIP ya leit) The verb stipulate means to state very clearly that something must be done. The agreement also stipulated measures concerning the prevention of illegal immigration. The law stipulates a maximum six-month imprisonment and/or a 10,000-baht fine for deliberately failing to declare assets. In his will, he stipulated that the paintings should never leave the British Museum expect in an emergency. The commission stipulated that agreements for the 18 commodities would be negotiated to avoid excessive price fluctuations. June 24, 2003 shroud The verb shroud means to cover something making it difficult to see. Shroud can also mean that is mysterious because very little information available about it. Local officials said the area was shrouded in thick fog at the time of the collision and the boats should not have been on the river. A massive cloud of smoke shrouded the area, making the job of the fire fighters all the more difficult. And now, for the first time, the man who lived a life shrouded in mystery, has spoken to a reporter. They spoke about their 20-hour ordeal atop a mist-shrouded mountain. June 23, 2003 mudslinging (MUD sling ing) The noun mudslinging refers to criticising or accusing someone in order to damage his or her reputation. A group of senators has called on colleagues to stop their mudslinging in order to restore the Senate's reputation. Complaints about election law violations were pouring in, but they were nothing more than mudslinging, Mr Damrong said. She appealed to her opponents to "stop this disunity and mudslinging." The deputy leader said his party would refrain from mudslinging and he had instructed all party members to follow that path. 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: June 30, 2003