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  Quipu (kee-poo) noun an ancient Peruvian device used for recording events and accounts More about Quipu First recorded in 1695–1705. Borrowed from the Spanish quipu and the Quechua khipu, meaning “knot.” Examples of Quipu The Inca used the quipu, a system of knotted cords, to record agricultural data and census information. Experts believe that quipus may have also been used for storytelling, though much of their meaning remains a mystery. Coagulate (koh-ag-yuh-leyt) Verb to change from a fluid into a thickened mass; curdle; congeal More about Coagulate First recorded between 1350–1400, combining coagulum + -ate 1. From Old French; directly from the Latin coagulare, “to cause to curdle.” Examples of Coagulate The chef heated the eggs gently, ensuring they wouldn’t coagulate too quickly. As the blood began to coagulate, the wound stopped bleeding. Tardigrade (tahr-di-greyd) Adjective slow in pace or movement More about Tardigrade First recorded in 1615–25, combining tardy + -grade 2. 

  Jounce   (jouns) Verb to move joltingly or roughly up and down; bounce More about Jounce First recorded between 1400–50. From the late Middle English, combining joll, “to bump” (now obsolete), and bounce. Examples of Jounce As the bus hit a pothole, everyone in their seats jounced up and down. The small boat jounced on the choppy waves, splashing water over the sides. Mettlesome (met-l-suhm) Adjective spirited; courageous More about Mettlesome First recorded in 1655–65; combining mettle + -some1  Was used interchangeably with the spelling variant mettlesome from the 1660s until the early 18th century. Examples of Mettlesome The mettlesome team fought until the last second of the football game. The CEO’s mettlesome attitude made her a natural leader in times of crisis. Olid (oh-lid) Adjective foul-smelling More about Olid First recorded in the late 1600s. From the classical Latin olidus, meaning “having an offensive smell.” Examples of Olid The olid stench from the trash dump made it

  Verbatim (ver-bey-tim) Adverb in exactly the same words; word for word More about Verbatim First recorded in 1475–85. From the Medieval Latin verbātim; combining verb(um), meaning “word,” + -ātim, an adverb suffix. Examples of Verbatim The presenter quoted the report verbatim, leaving no room for interpretation. The email was shared verbatim with the team to make sure everyone had the same information. Expository (ik-spoz-i-tawr-ee) Adjective serving to expound, set forth, or explain More about Expository First recorded in 1590–1600; combining expositor + -tory1.  From the Latin exponere, meaning to “set forth.” Examples of Expository The expository presentation clarified the complex legal terms for the jury. The expository article explained the latest advancements in artificial intelligence.  Sabaton (sab-uh-ton) Noun a foot defense with solid metal toe and heel pieces More about Sabaton First recorded between 1300–50. From the Old French sabot, meaning “wooden shoe.” The ultimate o

A Tamil Brahmin Indian girl the world and the people of India forgot. Every English-speaking Jesuit-educated Indian knows Florence Nightingale's story, but history has no record of Padmavathi Iyer. When women were traditionally confined to the kitchen/illiterate: In 1917, a Tamil Indian girl was born into a middle-class family in Rangoon, Burma, where her father had gone for a living. He named her Sivaramakrishna Iyer Padmavathi. At a time when women were traditionally confined to the kitchen/illiterate, this middle-class girl did MBBS from Rangoon Medical College. Then unimaginable for a Female Indian doctor: When the Japanese invaded Burma, they briefly returned to their traditional home in Coimbatore. In 1949, she went to London to do an FRCP, then unimaginable for a Female Indian doctor. She was selected to study further at Johns Hopkins University, US, where she trained under the legendary cardiologist Helen Taussig. Firm in returning to India and serving Indians: Thereafte

Guidon (gahyd-n) Noun a small flag or streamer carried as a guide More about Guidon First recorded in 1540–50. Borrowed directly from French; equivalent to the Italian guid(are), “to guide" + -one, noun suffix. Examples of Guidon The soldiers rallied around their unit’s guidon during the parade. The guidon fluttered wildly in the wind as the captain carried it. Ethnocentric (eth-noh-sen-trik) Adjective demonstrating a belief in the inherent superiority of one’s own ethnic group or culture More about Ethnocentric First recorded in the 1860s; combines ethno + -centric  Originated as a technical term in social sciences. Examples of Ethnocentric The student’s ethnocentric views limited his understanding of global issues. The curriculum was revised to address its ethnocentric bias, ensuring it represented a broader range of cultural viewpoints. Pemmican (pem-i-kuhn) Noun dried meat pounded into a powder and mixed with fat and dried fruits More about Pemmican First recorded in 1735–45.

Per Se (per sey) Adverb by, of, for, or in itself; intrinsically More about Per Se First recorded in 1565–75. From the Latin per sē, meaning “by itself.” Examples of Per Se I don’t hate working from home per se, but I miss the office environment. The movie wasn’t a horror film per se, though it had some scary moments. Poesur (poh-zur) Noun a person who attempts to impress others by assuming a fake manner More about Poesur First recorded in 1880–85; combining pose1 + -eur.  From the French verb poser, meaning to “affect an attitude or pose.” Examples of Poesur At the art gallery, the poseur stood in front of paintings, making pretentious comments he clearly didn’t understand. Although she talked about social justice, her lack of real action made her seem more like a poseur than a genuine activist. Battologize (buh-tol-uh-jahyz) Verb to repeat (a word, phrase, mannerism, etc.) excessively More about Battologize First recorded in 1625–35; combining battolog(y) + ize Examples of Battologiz

Veganism is often misrepresented as a diet, but it is actually a social justice movement for animals driven by ethics. A plant-based diet is one part of veganism, along with not wearing animal products like leather, silk, and wool, not using animal-tested products, not supporting animal rides/zoos, etc. The most affordable one: When it comes to diet, it is about excluding animal products and not necessarily including plant-based alternatives. In simple terms, a plant-based diet is essentially a vegetarian diet minus dairy and honey, which is the most affordable one and available all across India. Opt for traditional meals that are vegan: For people transitioning to plant-based diets, I suggest that they opt for traditional meals that are vegan by default, or easily customizable just by excluding dairy items such as idli/dosa sambhar, North Karnataka meals, roti dal/sabzi, litti chokha, rice dishes, ragi mudde sambhar, chats without curd, thepla sabzi etc.  Look for traditional replac

"None can destroy iron, but its own rust can! Likewise, none can destroy a person, but their own mindset can." "Take the stones people throw at you and use them to build a monument." "I don't believe in taking right decisions. I take decisions and then make them right." "The strongest thing I ever did was to show my emotions to the world." "In the end, we only regret the chances we didn't take." "Ups and downs in life are very important to keep us going because a straight line even in an ECG means we are not alive." "I do not know what the future holds, but I do know that I'm going to be positively surprised." "If you want to walk fast, walk alone. But if you want to walk far, walk together." "The only way to win is to not be afraid of losing." "The greatest failure is not to try." "I don't believe in leaving things to luck. I believe in hard work and preparation.&qu

Bengaluru: Ajay Mehta is a former Airforce personnel turned entrepreneur owning the Pune-based Amey Enterprises specializing in fire and safety equipment. The firm was incepted in 2009 and, over some time has evolved into one of the reckoned business names engaged in the realm of manufacturing, supplying, trading and providing service, a comprehensive consignment of fire detection tubes, vehicle fire protection, automatic fire impression systems, gas flooding system, customized systems and annual maintenance contracts of fire systems. From Jamkhandi to Chennai, Jamnagar...Pune: Ajay Mehta is a native of the historic Jamkhandi town in the present Bagalkot district. He did his PUC at the BHS Arts and TGP Science College in Jamkhandi from 1985-87. Later he moved to Chennai for his training at the Mechanical Training Institute of the Indian Air Force (MTI), from 1987-90. He joined the Indian Air Force (IAF) after his formal training at MTI Chennai and served until 2007, working in Chennai

Gumbo  (guhm-boh) Noun a stew or thick soup, usually made with chicken or seafood, greens, and okra More about Gumbo First recorded in 1795–1805. From the Kimbundu, and the Louisiana French gombo, meaning “a stew or soup.” Examples of Gumbo Grandma’s gumbo recipe has been passed down for generations and remains a family favourite. I couldn’t resist ordering a bowl of gumbo when I saw it on the menu at the New Orleans restaurant. Subsume (suhb-soom) Verb More about Subsume to consider or include something as part of a more comprehensive one First recorded in 1525–35. From the Medieval Latin subsūmere, combining sub-, “under, below, beneath,” + sūmere, “to take.” Examples of Subsume As the new policy unfolds, specific cases subsume under broader regulations. The project’s minor details were eventually subsumed into the larger scope of the final report. Fulvous (fuhl-vuhs) Adjective tawny; dull yellowish-gray or yellowish-brown More about Fulvous First recorded in 1655–65. From the Latin

Bengaluru: Be it Bandipur or Nagarahole, the Kerala government always demands seamless 24/7 access through these critical tiger reserves to facilitate transport and trade. Now, there is a fresh demand to expand a bridge and allow 24/7 traffic, to increase commercial activity through the Mysore Mananthavady state highway. Apex Court restricts road traffic: It should be noted that the honourable Supreme Court had restricted road traffic between 9pm to 6pm in NH766, traversing through the core of Bandipur to Kozhikode. Seeking the expansion of a bridge in Dodda Byran Kuppe range: Though there is an existing 6pm to 6am ban on vehicular movement in Nagarahole tiger reserve, the Kerala government has written to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, seeking the expansion of a bridge in Dodda Byran Kuppe range to expedite 24/7 traffic on the Mysore- Mananthavady road. Pressing for unfettered traffic for the past 20 years: The existing bridge (near the defunct Balle elephant camp) cannot b

Bengaluru: Harvinder Singh from Moradabad city of Uttar Pradesh has shifted to Palolem Beach in South Goa from New Delhi along with his wife Monica and son. He lived in New Delhi for 15 years working in an administrative position while his wife Monica, an Optometrist, ran a clinic and optician shop before planning to shift from there. Thanks to lockdown and COVID-19: If the onslaught of COVID-19 devastated any number of lives and families, the same pandemic has turned out to be a game changer for many of them and Monica-Harvinder Singh's family is one such of them. They were fed up with the steep increase in pollution in Delhi and pondering over moving out.  Both of them, practically with no prior experience in the hospitality or food business plunged into tasting success in the adventure and are now sailing on the success ship. Not too cold or too hot: On why they chose Goa for their new venture, Harvinder Singh pointed to the friendly climate of Goa, which is not too cold or t