Some Orchestras may contain as many as 90 musicians. To make sure they keep time, the conductor uses a baton or hand motions to give the orchestra the correct tempo, or speed. The conductor also interprets the composer’s music.
Read More »What does the arrow mark on defence vehicle number plates mean?
Unlike other license numbering systems, defence vehicles have a unique numbering system. The numbers are registered by the ministry of defence in New Delhi. The first (or the third) character is always an arrow pointing upwards. The next two digits (or the two preceding the arrow) signify the year in which the defence department procured the vehicle. The next is …
Read More »What does SOS mean?
Recently, sailors on the nuclear submarine that sank in the Baltic Sea were isolated from rescue workers as their radio set got damaged. Luckily their radio operators knew the Morse code and were able to communicate by knocking on the sides of the ship. There are many explanations for what the words stand for: Save Our Souls; Save Our Ship; …
Read More »What does precycling mean?
Precycling is a form of waste minimisation. It involves reducing the use of outer packaging and instead opting directly for what’s inside. This would involve buying things loose instead of opting for a pre-packaged product, bringing your own container to the store and shopping for locally-produced things. The rationale is to accumulate less waste.
Read More »What does Nerdic refer to?
Nerdic is the language used by technology geeks and is also referred to as ‘geek speak’. The language has words as bizarre as dongle and mashup. It’s considered the fastest growing language in Europe because a 100 words were added to it in the last 12 months. Some of its words are borrowed from English but don’t have the same …
Read More »What does January mean?
The original Roman calendar had 10 named months from March to December and two unnamed months during winter. These two months were named January and February by Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome circa 700 BC. January is named after Janus, the Roman ‘god of gates, doors and the beginnings’.
Read More »What does guyliner refer to?
Guyliner is a kohl pencil for men. It’s getting popular among men in some western countries after celebrities started sporting it. The famous examples are Johnny Depp in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Tobey Maguire in Spiderman 3, and Billie Joe Armstrong, the lead singer of the band Green Day.
Read More »What does bee-line mean?
To make a bee-line is a follow the example of bees in taking the shortest route from one place to another. The expression comes from the belief that bees return to the high by the shortest possible way after they have gathered their food. And the shortest distance between two points is, of course, a straight line. But on their …
Read More »What does Acropolis mean?
Acropolis is a Greek term, and refers generally to an elevated area in the centre of a city, acting as its focal point for cultural, religious, and civil activities. In particular, the term refers to the rocky hill at the centre of Athens, Greece, on which are located several ancient monuments, including the famous Parthenon, the temple for the Goddess …
Read More »What does a camel store in its humps?
You have no doubt heard stories about the wonderful endurance of camels plodding through the desert for days without a drink, living on the water stored in their humps. The claims for the camel’s endurance are often exaggerated but it is true that this animal can survive for several days without taking water. However, the camel does not fill its …
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