ANDY’S WORDSHOP

There's a saying “Familiarity breeds contempt”, which means that the longer people use something, the less they respect it. This is true of state benefits, but also of words, like toilet for example, which used to mean the activity of a woman doing up her hair, putting on make-up and getting dressed in preparation to go out for a social occasion. Nowadays it means a small room for a much more basic activity, and a lot of people avoid using the word completely (the same with lavatory). In America in public and private situations people ask for the rest-room or the bathroom. In Britain in public situations men ask for the gents and women for the ladies, and in private you can ask for the loo (originally the French word for water). It's not typical to ask for the WC because /dabljú sí/ is not that easy to say.

Tricky Words in this week‘s OVI

Technical and technological. There's no easy way to master the usage of these words. The starting point has to be the translation of Slovak technika. If it means a way of doing something, like watercolor painting compared to oil painting, or highjumping before and after Dick Fosbury, then you talk about technique (say /tekNÍÍK). But if it means a system of machines, instruments or electronic components, then you call it technology, so Dom techniky has to be the House of Technology in English. However, biela technika becomes domestic appliances, and čierna technika is household electronics. Technical means focusing on technology rather than the arts, humanities, medicine or law (Technical University). Technological means focusing on the study of technical processes and systems.