Daily English Vocab
PDF 21st April 2017
May's Stunning Turnaround
The snap (done or taken on the spur of the moment, unexpectedly, or without notice.) general
election British PM has called for in June will be all about Brexit
It seems that a trend of effecting stunning political reversals has percolated (फैलना/प्रसारित होना) from
Washington into Westminster. By calling a snap general election, British PM Theresa May has
sensationally deviated from her previous stance. The argument that an early election would be a
distraction from the core focus on Brexit negotiations has been set aside on the same basis that in
order to provide certainty and stability during the negotiations, the May government needs a
decisive mandate.
The country will go to polls on June 8, just under a year after the EU referendum and about two
years after its last general elections. As Britain looks to redefine its relationship with the European
Union, the broader issues at stake should matter not just to it but to representative democracies
elsewhere too.
In large part, the decision to call an early election can be read as a tactical manoeuvre. Theresa
May explained her about-turn as being driven by the attitude of opposition parties bent on `political
game-playing' to obstruct the government's approach towards Brexit. The election has therefore
been called with the sole purpose of achieving a decisive majority that would unburden May from
the pressures of relying on a slim Tory majority.
May might have singled out opposition parties but she is just as concerned with internal dissent
within her own party. A healthy cohort (दल/दस्ता) of Tory `remainers' will now face the difficult
task of rallying around a party manifesto that they might not be entirely aligned with. With the
Labour party in disarray under Jeremy Corbyn, May has sought to press home her electoral
advantage.
The move is not without its risks despite Labour's woes. In Scotland, the Scottish National Party
might well increase its lead which will further stoke the spectre (आशंका/खतिा) of separatism given
that Scotland voted overwhelmingly to remain. If Labour loses, it may end up electing a more
credible leader than Corbyn.Current polls show the Tories have a commanding lead. Yet, if they
do not secure a decisive majority, that will spark greater anxiety and confusion.
The timing of this announcement does not change the fact that the inexorable (अनवरत/नननित) process
to exit the European Union has already begun that was triggered last month by serving the formal
notice of withdrawal to the European authorities under Article 50 of the EU treaty. There is
incredible time pressure, since Article 50 comes with an enshrined two year deadline.
In Britain, voters have yet to reconcile to the fact that retaining some form of access to the single
market will necessitate compromises on other fronts. Meanwhile (इसी दौिान), the European
authorities show every inclination of being dogmatic (हठी), particularly where free movement of
labour is concerned. Amid all this, the prospect of an exit without a deal a `hard Brexit' cannot
be ignored.
May has articulated that a clean and decisive break with Europe would be necessary at all costs in
order to “take back control” from Brussels. Her vision has been framed as one about galvanising
Britain's destiny as a sovereign power capable of determining its own choices. It is a worldview
that prefers to see Brexit as an opportunity to break free from the shackles of a centralising and
bureaucratic EU.
That said, critics within the Tory party cannot be blamed for agonizing over the possibility of
economic harm due to Brexit. They remain worried that sacrificing Britain's unrestricted access to
Europe's single market would be an act of self-destructive hubris (अभिमान/घमंड).
They are rightfully concerned that a reversion to World Trade Organization rules in the event of a
hard Brexit may lead to EU imposing higher tariffs on British goods. In a general election
campaign, May should expect searching questions on this front.
The thorniest subject remains immigration. Last year's referendum turned in large part on a crude
antiimmigration campaign that resonated with sections of the electorate that despise globalisation
and prefer isolation. Yet immigration from within Europe and beyond remains critical to the
economy. A grown-up debate about the trade-offs involved has yet to take place.
Ignoring voter anxiety is not an option clearly. In the United States, the same raw voter anger has
contributed to Donald Trump's rise. Across EU, an upsurge of support can also be seen for
particular far right movements and leadership, whether it be for Marine Le Pen in France, Viktor
Orban in Hungary or in the rise of the far right in Germany. Impending French elections this month
and German elections in September are hugely important in this context.
Back to Britain though, as an electoral campaign gets underway, the truth is that more than ever,
a post-Brexit Britain will need to embrace international relationships with gusto (ख़ुशी/आनंद). An
inward and isolationist Britain is unlikely to win new friends overseas. It also needs allies in
Europe.
Reconciling domestic pressures with economic necessity will be tough for sure. But if Britain
wants to succeed in a post-Brexit world, a perception of openness will matter greatly at home and
overseas. It remains to be seen how these contradictions play out. In this context, the election
campaign will be an important harbinger(अग्रगामी/सच
ू क) of the shape of things to come.
Courtesy: The Times of India (International).
1. Snap (adjective): Done or taken on the spur of the moment, unexpectedly, or without notice.
(अचानक से होना)
Synonyms: Sudden, Unexpected, Unanticipated, Unpredicted, Without Notice.
Antonyms: Planned, Expected.
Example: Jim was promoted in a snap way, given that the guy is the laziest person in the office.
2. Percolate (verb): Spread gradually through an area or group of people. (फैलना/प्रसारित होना)
Synonyms: Spread, Be Disseminated, Pervade.
Antonyms: Confine, Enclose, Impound.
Example: During the gas leak, the fumes seemed to percolate the entire house.
Verb forms: Percolate, Percolated, Percolated.
Origin: from Latin percolat- ‘strained through’, from the verb percolare, from per- ‘through’
+ colare ‘to strain’.
3. Nexorable (adjective): Impossible to stop or prevent. (अनवित/भनभित)
Synonyms: Unstoppable, Unavoidable, Inescapable, Inevitable, Irrevocable.
Antonyms: Preventable, Stoppable.
Example: Because James hit a police officer while driving drunk, he knows it is an inexorable
fact he will serve jail time.
Origin: from Latin inexorabilis, from in- ‘not’ + exorabilis (from exorare ‘entreat’).
4. Dogmatic (adjective): Inclined to lay down principles as undeniably true. (हठी)
Synonyms: Doctrinaire, Opinionated, Opinionative, Opinioned, Pontifical.
Antonyms: Latitudinarian, Un-Doctrinaire, Un-Dogmatic.
Example: Because he refused to listen to others, everyone considered the politician to be too
dogmatic.
Related words:
Dogmatically (adverb): मत धां रूप से
Origin: from Greek dogmatikos.
5. Hubris (noun): Excessive pride or self-confidence. (अभिमान/घमंड)
Synonyms: Arrogance, Conceit, Conceitedness, Haughtiness.
Antonyms: Humility, Modesty.
Example: The leader of the cult had so much hubris he believed the government would never be
able to capture him.
6. Gusto (noun): Enjoyment and enthusiasm in doing something. (ख़ुशी/आनंद)
Synonyms: Enthusiasm, Relish, Delight, Glee, Pleasure.
Antonyms: Apathy, Indifference, Lethargy, Depression.
Example: After being away from home for six months, the soldier met his wife with gusto.
Origin: from Latin gustus ‘taste’.
7. Harbinger (noun): A person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another.
(अग्रगामी/सच
ू क)
Synonyms: Herald, Indicator, Signal, Prelude, Portent, Omen, Augury.
Example: Her father's successful job interview was seen as a harbinger of better times to come.
Origin: From Latin herbergier, The term originally denoted a person who provided lodging, later
one who went ahead to find lodgings for an army or for a nobleman and his retinue, hence, a herald
8. Spectre (noun): Something widely feared as a possible unpleasant or dangerous occurrence.
(आशंका/खतिा)
Synonyms: Threat, Menace, Danger, Peril.
Antonyms: Certainty, Safety.
Example: The conflict between manager and employees is always a spectre for the company.
9. Meanwhile (adverb): In the intervening period of time. (इसी दौिान)
Synonyms: For now, For the moment, For the present, For the time being, Meantime, In the
meantime, In the intervening period, In the interim.
Antonyms: Later.
Example: She spent four years studying for her law degree. Meanwhile, she continued to work at
the bank.
10. Cohort (noun): A group of people with a shared characteristic. (दल/दस्ता)
Synonyms: Group, Category, Class, Set, Section.
Example: Depression was a common problem for the people of young age cohort.
Origin: From Latin cohors, cohort- ‘yard, retinue’.
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