Archive | July, 2017

Word Nerd: 10 quirky words starting with a Q you will enjoy

31 Jul

Think of a word that begins with q (queen, queue, quintessential, querulous). Chances are you’ll flounder and fumble after you’ve listed 4-5. And you’re not alone. Q is one of the least popular initial letters in the English language. Approximately only 0.22% words start with an q. Keeping it company are the alphabets k (0.45%), […]

Learning to embrace the impractical and think more creatively

26 Jul

Ananya Grover, 15 and a high-school sophomore from Amity International School, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India, embarked two years ago on the journey of a competition called Odyssey of the Mind, which promotes creative problem-solving. The competition required Grover and her teammates to design structures and set designs, write and perform skits, and spontaneously come up […]

Word Nerd: How many of these world-famous fake languages do you know?

24 Jul

Many of us have, at some point in our childhood, conversed in a language that is fake, or perhaps made up a “secret” code with our friends. Here are a few fake languages that people around the world share, thanks to pop culture, books, and movies. Pig Latin: This is a “secret” language kids sometimes […]

How I chose my specialization and university, and what I got out of it

18 Jul

Saikiran Tharimena recently got his PhD from the University of Southampton in the UK. Here he tells the story of his journey from South India to Southampton. Read on to find out how he chose what and where to study, what he got out of it, and what he plans for the future. Coming from […]

Word Nerd: Why is spam called spam?

17 Jul

At every stage of civilization, human beings have battled different scourges ranging from the plague to dandruff. One of the scourges of our digital age is spam. The word generally refers to intrusive advertising on the internet. If you have email and a mobile phone, you have probably received such messages from strangers urging you […]

Word Nerd: 5 weird words heard at Wimbledon

10 Jul

It’s Wimbledon season, and tennis fans can’t stop talking about it, while their cricket- and football-loving friends keep trying to change the subject. Have you ever wondered about how strange the vocabulary of tennis is? Here are a few terms – feel free to add more in the comments! 1. Racket Selling match tickets illegally […]

Word Nerd: 8 weird definitions that you never thought belonged in a dictionary

3 Jul

Open any dictionary today – whether online or print, and look up a word. Even if you look at a word that’s funny, for instance a name you can call a person, the definition will be simple and precise. It’s easy to forget that these definitions have been written by real people with opinions and […]