सोप्या शब्दांत व्यवहारज्ञान सांगायचं असेल तेव्हा रोजच्या व्यवहारातल्या गोष्टींचाच आधार घ्यावा लागतो. इंग्रजीत नेहमीच्या भाज्यांमधून असे वेगवेगळे शब्दप्रयोग निर्माण झाले आहेत.
कूळ, विद्वत्ता, आचरण, साधना, कर्तृत्व वगरे सर्व गोष्टी गौण ठरवत भारतीय अध्यात्म परंपरेनं संतत्वाचा एकच निकष मानला- तो म्हणजे स्वरूपज्ञान. ज्याला आपलं स्वरूप आकळलं- तो संत. सत्शी जो एकरूप झाला- तो संत. मग बा जीवनात तो कसाही असो किंवा दिसे.
असाच एक स्वरूपज्ञानी सावता माळी म्हणतो-
कांदा, मुळा, भाजी।
अवघी विठाई माझी॥
साऱ्या मळ्यात सावतोबाच्या दृष्टीला आता विठ्ठल दिसतोय. आज आपणही शेता-मळ्यातून एक फेरफटका मारू आणि भाजीपाला, फळफळावडीतल्या शब्दब्रह्माचं दर्शन घेऊ.
cool as a cucumber (कुकंबर=काकडी) –
to be very calm and relaxed especially in a difficult situation.
उदा. 1) I expected him to be all nervous before his interview but he was as cool as a cucumber.
2) Everyone was busy trying to get things ready, and she just sat there, cool as a cucumber.
couch potato (couch (काऊच) = बसायचा कोच) – a person spending a lot of time sitting and watching TV.
उदा. 1) I think the remote control was invented for couch potatoes.
2) Too much TV and wrong food turned the young boy into a useless couch potato.
banana republic – a small, poor country with weak or dishonest government.
उदा.
1) People fear that the country will become a banana republic if the economy doesn’t pick up.
2) It’s a typical African banana republic. A small country ruled by a gang of corrupt politicians.
apples and oranges – If two things are apples and oranges, they are completely different.
उदा.
1) You can’t compare private and government schools- They are apples and oranges.
2) The English teacher and the Sanskrit teacher never agree. They are apples and oranges.
On the grapevine (grapevine (ग्रेपव्हाइन्)-द्राक्षाचा वेल) – information, gossip etc. passed unofficially from person to person.
उदा.
1) I learned on the grapevine that she is pregnant but I don’t know anything more.
2) I heard about his resignation on the grapevine.
mushroom cloud – a large cloud, shaped like a mushroom, that forms in the air after a nuclear explosion.
उदा. Whenever I see the mushroom cloud photograph of the second world war and think about it, I am frightened.
know your onions (onion (अन्यन्)-कांदा) – to know a lot about a particular subject.
उदा.
1) He is working as a car salesman for 10 years. He knows cars like his onions.
2) Swamiji spent years studying yoga in Himalayas. So he really knows his onions.
एका विद्वान प्रवचनकारांना कांदा फार आवडायचा. पण धर्मशास्त्रानं कांदा निषिद्ध मानलेला. तरी मोह व्हायचा आणि ते कांदा खायचे. एकदा प्रवचनकार जेवायला बसले असताना एक चेला टपकला. गुरुजींच्या ताटात कच्चा कांदा बघून चमकला. पण महाराजही काही कच्च्या गुरूचे चेले नव्हते. (He knew his onions well.) कांदा हाती घेऊन चेल्याला दाखवत ते म्हणाले,
‘‘उभा चिरता शंखाकारू।
आडवा चिरता चक्राकारू।
ऐसा श्रीविष्णूचा अवतारू।
म्हणोनि कांदा खावा॥’’
