Say What?
Adjective
not real or genuine
To help sort the genuinely delighted customers from profit-driven praise, researchers have developed software that unmasks fake online hotel reviews. Too many bogus ratings could undermine the system.
Phrase
to set a limit at something; to decide when a limit has been reached
draw the line
Where do you draw the line on smartphone use? There was a time when checking your smartphone at the dinner table was considered offensive. But social norms and behaviors change as we adapt to technologies.
Where do you draw the line on smartphone use? There was a time when checking your smartphone at the dinner table was considered offensive. But social norms and behaviors change as we adapt to technologies.
Phrase
make an effort to understand and deal with a problem or situation
Ever get to grips with a problem? Pick up a new skill? Grasp a difficult concept? These phrases all hint at the fact that learning is easier, quicker and more long-lasting if lessons involve the body as well as the mind.
Noun
meaningless or unintelligible talk or writing
Did you hear that the sign language interpreter at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service was not actually using real sign language? Numerous experts claim that his hand motions were just signed gibberish.
Phrase
became aware of something, usually accidentally
Maybe your co-worker accidentally let the cat out of the bag. (It happens.) In any case, your boss got wind that your last few “doctor’s appointments” have actually been interviews. Can you walk away unscathed?
Noun
information, often false or misleading, spread to help a cause or political group
Music can be a powerful tool of psychological warfare! Ukrainians in Crimea have responded to Russians broadcasting propaganda over loudspeakers by blasting back the songs of American pop singer Cher.
Adjective
spoken as if with a thick tongue
Slurred and incoherent speech is one of the classic signs of a stroke. But new research finds that another symptom may be garbled and disjointed text messages, which could provide early clues.
Verb
secretly try to ruin or destroy the power and authority of something
Turkey’s court-ordered ban on Twitter was widely subverted by many of the 12 million Turkish users of the social network, who found ways to gain access to the platform and posted defiant messages of protest.
Phrase
tell someone that their behavior is not acceptable, often with unkind words
Ever feel the need to tell someone off? When you need to think twice about your choice of words, an unsent angry letter can act as a kind of emotional catharsis, a way to let it all out without any repercussions.
Noun
difficult to understand way of speaking
An American woman at a dentist gained a thick British accent while under anesthesia. No fluke, she developed a syndrome which affects speech patterns and intonation.
Noun
sound made to communicate
Listen to any language anywhere in the world and you're bound to hear a familiar sound: "Huh?" Researchers who studied languages on five continents say the simple utterance might be that rarest of things: a universal word.