– both before and after it became an independent nation – the American Dream has changed, going through a variety of forms and meanings while maintaining as its essence the core beliefs of freedom and happiness in place. Constitution – the legal foundation that delineates how the government shall operate on a daily basis – reiterates this idea in its Preamble, noting that its purpose is to help “secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” The Many Versions of the American Dream The declaration says that “all men are created equal” and that each man/woman has the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” That document, created by America’s founding fathers, says two key things that are largely responsible for shaping what the classic American Dream is. This set of ideals – which includes notions of individual rights, freedom, democracy, and equality – is arguably centered around the belief that each individual has the right and freedom to seek prosperity and happiness, regardless of where or under what circumstances they were born.Ī key element of the American dream is the belief that through hard work and perseverance, anyone can rise “from rags to riches,” becoming financially successful and socially upwardly mobile.Īmerican writer and historian James Truslow Adams best captured the definition of the American Dream: “Life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement,” with neither social class nor the circumstances surrounding their birth being a barrier to success. citizens as they work toward creating a life for themselves. “Visits always give pleasure - if not the arrival, the departure.The “American Dream” is a sort of ethos or set of beliefs that drive many U.S. Native speakers, however, do say ‘old adage'. Since an adage is by definition something old, careful users of the language argue that it is unnecessary to add ‘old' before the word. So is, ‘If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all'. ‘Out of sight, out of mind' is an example of an adage. An adage is a rather old saying that people frequently use in their everyday conversation to express some general truth. The word is pronounced ‘A-dij' with the stress on the first syllable. The first syllable sounds like the word ‘add', and the ‘age' sounds like the ‘idge' in ‘fridge' and ‘bridge'. *Your favourite author's latest book is pure schmaltz.įirst, let's deal with the pronunciation of the word. *The play was so schmaltzy that many people walked out after the first act. The word is mostly used to show disapproval. The sentiments expressed are so overly exaggerated that you find it difficult to relate to them. When you refer to a piece of music or a work of fiction as being ‘schmaltzy', you are suggesting that the work is of no significance it has no artistic value. It is Yiddish in origin, and in English, it is mostly used in informal contexts to mean excessively sentimental. The word is pronounced ‘SHMALT-si' with the stress on the first syllable. The ‘malt' sounds like the word ‘malt', and the final ‘zy' sounds like the ‘si' in ‘sit', ‘sip', and ‘sin'. The ‘sch' is pronounced like the ‘sh' in ‘ship', ‘sheep' and ‘shin'. Since people who were overweight were generally believed to be jolly, the word began to be applied to women who had a full figure. With the passage of time, the word acquired a new meaning - ‘good tempered, lively'. She would be compliant willing to do whatever her husband wanted her to do. In the past, when a woman promised to be ‘buxom and bonny' to her husband, she meant that she would bend according to her husband's wishes. The word comes from the Old English ‘bugan' meaning ‘bend'. Some dictionaries define the word as being ‘healthily plump'. ‘Buxom' suggests that the woman in question is overweight in an attractive sort of way. ‘Fat' has a negative connotation it suggests that the person is rather unattractive. The word ‘fat' can be used with men and women, ‘buxom', on the other hand, is restricted to women. What is the difference between ‘fat' and ‘buxom'? *How could you give a greenhorn like Dilip the job? It is in this sense that the word is used today. With the passage of time, the word began to be used to refer to anyone who had little or no experience someone who could be easily duped or cheated. The following century, new army recruits began to be called ‘greenhorns'. When it was first used in the early 15th century, it referred to a young ox or bull - since these animals were ‘green' or inexperienced and their horns hadn't matured, they were called ‘greenhorns'. This word of American origin has been around for several centuries now. What is the meaning and origin of ‘greenhorn'?
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |