For representative purposes.
| Photo Credit: Getty Image
“You’re watching the news? That’s very unusual, indeed! Thought you hated it.”
“I do hate it. Always leaves me feeling depressed. After a minute…”
“If that’s the case, why are you watching it now?”
“Was switching channels, when I saw my cousin, Saroja. Ended up watching her interview with Rajdeep. She sounded very bullish about winning the upcoming…”
“Bullish? Does it mean to sound rather confident?”
“Very good! When you’re bullish about something, you’re very optimistic about it. This is one of the meanings of the word.”
“I see! In other words, when you’re ‘bullish’, you’re quite confident that you will be successful in whatever it is you’re doing. In this case, your cousin is quite confident of winning the election.”
“Exactly! My boss is very bullish about the two products the company is launching next month.”
“Meaning, he’s quite confident they’ll be successful. How about this example? Sunitha is very bullish about getting a promotion.”
“That’s what I like about that girl. She’s always in a bullish mood.”
“That’s true. Which is why I enjoy talking to her! She’s always positive. Gives everyone hope.”
“True! She’s quite bullish that the bank will approve her loan. She’s keen on buying a four-bedroom flat near…”
“The flat! She showed it to me last week. It’s beautiful, but looks really expensive.”
“It is! It’s going to cost her a bomb!”
“Cost her a bomb? Does it mean that it’s very expensive?”
“Very good! The expression ‘cost a bomb’ is used in informal contexts. When you say the house costs a bomb, what you’re suggesting it costs a lot. It’s really expensive. Here’s an example. The tickets for the World Cup final must have cost Amit a bomb.”
“He can easily afford them. Have you seen the designer clothes he wears? I’m sure they cost a bomb.”
“It’s also possible to say ‘spend a bomb’, ‘save a bomb’ ‘worth a bomb’, etc. I’m sure Sunitha will spend a bomb furnishing the new apartment.”
“That’s bound to happen. How about this example? The necklace that Usha’s uncle presented her on her first wedding anniversary must be worth a bomb. In the meanwhile, let’s hope that Sunitha gets the loan from the bank. She’s very keen on buying the flat.”
“Even if she doesn’t get the loan, I don’t think it matters. She’ll end up buying it.”
“How’s that possible? Doesn’t she need…”
“Don’t you know that her parents have very deep pockets?”
“Very deep pockets? Never heard that expression before! What does it mean?”
“When you say that someone has deep pockets, what you’re suggesting is that the individual is wealthy.”
“Since his pockets are deep, he can put a lot of money in them!”
“Exactly! Many of the families in this neighbourhood have deep pockets.”
“There’s no one in my family who has deep pockets.”
“That’s a good example. The expression can be used with corporations as well. A company that has substantial financial resources is said to have deep pockets. For example, Ashwin has been asking companies with deep pockets to fund his project.”
“I’m sure some company with deep pockets will help him out.”
“Dream on!”
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Published – December 29, 2025 08:30 am IST
