Know your English – The Hindu

“… and the Principal said that anyone who is interested should ask their teachers to…”

“…. ‘anyone’ is singular. You cannot use it with ‘their’.”

“So, what do I say?”

“Anyone who is interested should ask his/her teacher how to do it.”

“Anyone who loves doing his homework should get his head examined.”

“That’s a good example.”

“Thanks. So, how was the party last night?’

“It was fun. I told them some of your jokes.”

“Did they enjoy them?”

“Your jokes went down like a lead balloon.”

“Like a lead balloon? Does it mean they didn’t like my jokes?”

“That’s right. They in fact, hated the jokes. The expression, ‘go down like a lead balloon’ means ‘to fail, especially to be funny’.”

“I see. Can I say, Kumar’s latest movie was supposed to be a comedy, but it went down like a lead balloon?”

“Yes, you can. His jokes, like yours, always go down like a lead balloon.”

“That’s true, but in his latest film, he….”

“… wait a minute! Didn’t this Kumar die about two years ago?”

“Yes, that’s right. I think he died of a heart attack. As I was saying, in his latest film..”

“… you mean they have released a film of his now?”

“No, no! They released it a week before he died. The fans…”

“… in that case, it’s not his ‘latest’ film, but his ‘last’ film.”

“Why can’t I say ‘latest’?”

“‘Latest’ implies, ‘newest’. And Kumar died two years ago and there were no new movies of his released after he died. It was his final movie. Therefore you have to say his ‘last’ movie, not his ‘latest’ movie.”

“I see. So ‘The Moor’s Last Sigh’ is Salman Rushdie’s latest book?”

“That’s right. Just remember this, ‘latest’ means newest, but not the final. And with people who are dead, you generally don’t use ‘latest’, but ‘last’.”

“Okay. But what about with people who are living? Do you use ‘latest’ or ‘last’?”

“You could use both. Someone’s latest book could be his last book.”

“That’s true. By the way, where have you hanged your picture?”

“Why should I hang my poor picture? What did it do?”

“I don’t understand.”

“People are ‘hanged’, not pictures. Pictures and clothes are ‘hung’.”

“So, do I say, ‘I hung my clothes in the cupboard’?”

“Yes. But remember, whenever you use the word ‘hanged’ it is usually associated with people.”

“Many people were hanged during our struggle for independence.”

“And if I continue to tell your jokes, I will be hanged too!”

Published in The Hindu on April 9, 1996.