“Do you remember my friend Sudhakar? The chap who ...”
“Sudhakar? Is he the chap who keeps running off at the mouth all the time?”
“Keeps running off at the mouth? What are you talking about?”
“A person who ‘runs off at the mouth’ talks too much. Usually about unimportant things.”
“I see. People avoid Dileep because he has a tendency to run off at the mouth.”
“Didn’t Sudhakar run off at the mouth at your birthday party?”
“That was Dileep. Sudhakar doesn’t talk much. He’s very quiet. Anyway, yesterday was his birthday, and his father gave him a brand new BMW car.”
“A BMW! Wow! Call me old fashioned, but I think it’s over the top.”
“Over the top? What do you mean by that?”
“The expression is mostly used in informal contexts. When you say that something is ‘over the top’, you’re suggesting that it is excessive. In this context ...”
“You’re saying that a BMW is an outrageous gift to give a college student.”
“In my opinion, it’s not a suitable gift. But times are changing. It’s becoming common for parents to throw over the top birthday parties for their children.”
“Very often, it’s the children who demand it. Anyway, how about this example? Some of the remarks made by the Chief Minister about the Opposition Party were over the top.”
“Sounds good. The way some of our politicians behave in public is over the top.”
“Meaning, they behave in an outrageous manner?”
“That’s right! Well, I hope you’re not expecting a BMW from your father on your birthday. He’s not made of money, you know.”
“My father’s not made of money? Are you trying to say he’s not rich?”
“That’s right! When you say that someone is made of money, you mean that the person is very rich. You need to be made of money if you want to buy land in Mumbai.”
“That’s true. How about this example? When my friend asked me to lend him a thousand rupees, I told him I wasn’t made of money.”
“Sounds good. Your friend Sudhakar is certainly made of money.”
“He certainly is! He got the BMW in the morning. When he went to college in the afternoon, he found out that he’d been made the captain of the cricket team.”
“Really? I’m not really sure if he’s captain material, though. You see ...”
“What are you talking about? He’s a wonderful batsman and a terrific bowler. Also, ...”
“That’s true. But it’s the fire in the belly that makes someone a good captain.”
“Fire in the belly? What does it mean?”
“When you say that someone has fire in his belly, you are suggesting that the person has a fierce determination to succeed. He is ambitious, full of vigour and ...”
“In other words, he has the inner drive to succeed.”
“I guess you could say that. As a captain, Saurav had a fire in his belly.”
“He certainly did. I wish some of my teachers had fire in their belly. It would make learning so much more interesting.”
“That’s true. At this year’s Wimbledon, Federer and Nadal will probably try to show the world that there’s still some fire in their belly.”
“Let’s hope they succeed. It was sad to see them lose in straight sets at the French Open.
******
“Happy birthday to a person that’s charming, talented and witty, and reminds me a lot of myself.” — Unknown
Courtesy:the hindu
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