English Language FAQ

In 1965  Gordon Moore, co-founder of  Intel ,  observed that the number of  transistors  per square inch on  integrated circuits   had doubled every year since the integrated circuit was invented. Moore predicted that this trend would continue for the foreseeable future source Computers are getting faster and (relatively) cheaper with each passing year. The phones we carry in our pockets are far more powerful than the ones that sent the Apollo astronauts to the Moon.  Moore has suggested that his law will not continue indefinitely - suggesting  2025 as a possible end date. Others have speculated about what might replace it .  This BBC radio documentary is a useful introduction to the theme. Download The English Language Teaching Pack  for only £1.99

—   nep · o · tis · tic   \ ˌ ne-pə- ˈ tis-tik\   adjective

Herman Cain sounds off on race, a debate win, and the need to simplify government To sound off is to express an opinion with passion and force.

holistic həʊˈlɪstɪk,hɒ-/ adjective PHILOSOPHY characterized by the belief that the parts of something are intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole. MEDICINE characterized by the treatment of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the symptoms of a disease. Etymology:  1939, from   holism   +   -istic .   Holistic medicine  first citation  1960. Related:   Holistically A classic example of a neologism that has crept from academic obscurity into the mainstream. Though proponents of holistic medicine claim the practice has roots in ancient Chinese philosophy, term first appeared in print during the year of President Kennedy's election. The flowering (!) of the New Age movement in late 1960s created increased an interest which has grown exponentially in recent years. Holistic  is often used to describe the aspiration to psych...

Bailout  has become closely associated with the idea of financial rescue -  to bail out the Greece etc.   But the word has many subtle usages - and two spellings! 1.  bail/bale  is to abandon abruptly as in making an emergency exit from an aeroplane in a parachute.  2.  to bail out  is to remove water from a leaky boat. 3. It is now more common to use  bail   in a figurative/metaphorical sense: The minister has bailed on the government's housing policy ( announced his opposition) . The pilot bailed out The actor bailed on the script  (stopped reading his lines with any show of conviction)  4. 'Bail out' is also used metaphorically but usually with a closer connection to the literal meaning:  The pilot bailed out of his plane. 5. The noun is sometimes spelled as one word:  bailout. 6.   Bail or   bale  - the spelling is disputed but  bail  is probably used more fre...

Y oke (slang/noun) -  1. an unflattering reference to unspecified thing or person.  2. any   device,   unusual   object,   or   gadget:   where's   the   yoke   for   opening   tins? . Mystified by this title. I always understood yoke to be a word you used dismissively What the hell is that yoke for? One of my favourite Irish words. Monosyllabic, irreverent and triumphantly refusing to accept the official label given to somebody or something. All that is best (and perhaps worst) in the national character.