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May 8 & 9, 2004 hotbed (HOT bed) The noun hotbed refers to a place where a lot of activity - usually bad or violent - is taking place. The prime minister made his last stop in Yala at Krong Pinang sub-district, once known as a hotbed for separatist movements in the province. The frontier province is still a hotbed of support for bin Laden. The Sunni-Muslim city is a hotbed of anti-American violence. The team next travels to Madrid, the hotbed of Spanish football. May 7, 2004 indoctrinate (in DOK tra neit) The verb indoctrinate means to teach or force someone to accept a particular belief or set of beliefs. The noun form is indoctrination (in dak tra NEY shun). Police believe masterminds would come to the tea shop to indoctrinate youth to hate government officials and attack them. Critics claimed that the purpose of government schools was to indoctrinate, not to educate. The prisoner was moved into a group cell where his indoctrination began. The students were forced to attend regular indoctrination classes. May 6, 2004 swoop The verb swoop means to go somewhere suddenly and quickly. Swoop can also mean to move suddenly downwards in a smooth, curving movement. The Leeds manager accepted that bigger clubs will swoop and pick off his better players. A year ago, President Bush helped pilot the jet that swooped down for a dramatic landing on the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier. Forecasters expect rain and cooler temperatures to swoop in from the north later today. A group of US marines swooped into the former Baath Party headquarters in the town. May 4&5, 2004 groundless (GROUND lis) The adjective groundless means to be not based on reason or evidence and therefore very unlikely to be true or valid. Islamic school administrators reject the police theory that foreign teachers may have indoctrinated Muslim youths and students to attack officials in the deep South, saying the suspicion was groundless. The Thai MP said the bribe allegation was totally groundless. Fears that environmentalists would influence the talks were groundless, he said. The opposition leader dismissed the claims as "groundless speculation". May 3, 2004 stick by, stick to As a verb stick has many meanings. One of these meanings is to attach or fix to something or to remain fixed in one position. The phrases stick by something or stick to something are similar in that they means to continue to do something that has been promised or planned - i.e., to remain attached to your promise or plan. On Wednesday, Chualongkorn rector Suchada Kiranandana told the faculty to stick by the three conditions set earlier, after students claimed the conditions were relaxed to favour particular students. She told him to make his decision and then stick by it. She told him to make his decision and then stick by it. The prime minister said he was sticking to his basic principles in his budget and the additional taxes were necessary. Click here to see our words in the news for the previous week. Return to our home page |© The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. All rights reserved 2004 | Last modified: May 10, 2004