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“How was your trip to Mysore? Did you have a good time with your relatives?”
“Had a great time. Mysore is a great place to be during Dusheera. By the way, how many syllables does u…m…b…r…a…g…e have? Is it two or three?”
“Two syllables. The first rhymes with ‘come’, ‘sum’ and ‘hum’. The second syllable…”
“Probably rhymes with ‘garage’ and ….”
“No, it doesn’t! The second syllable is pronounced like the word ‘bridge’. The word is pronounced ‘um-BRIDGE’ with the stress on the second syllable. Do you know what the word means?”
“Doesn’t it mean being angry or unhappy about something?”
“When you take umbrage at what someone has said, you are upset or annoyed about it. You feel that person hasn’t given you the respect that you deserve.”
“Wanting respect? That’s a bit much.”
“Here’s an example. It’s difficult being a teacher nowadays. Students take umbrage at everything you say or do.”
“That’s true. How about this example? If you don’t invite Sunita to your house- warming ceremony, she’ll take umbrage, and stop talking to you.”
“That’s a good example. Remember, you always ‘take umbrage’ at something. I take umbrage at your remark that I only help girls who are pretty.”
“What are you talking about? I don’t think anyone….”
“That was just another example. Don’t take umbrage at what I said.”
“I understand there have been a string of burglaries in your neighbourhood, and….”
“The good news is that the thief has been caught, and has been singing like a bird…”
“Singing like a bird? Why would anyone sing when they’re in a police station?”
“The informal expression ‘to sing like a bird’ has two very different meanings.”
“One of them is fairly obvious. When you say that someone sings like a bird, it means the person sings beautifully. He or she has a great voice.”
“That’s exactly what it means. When I was young, I could sing like a bird.”
“I seriously doubt that! My aunt Sharadha can sing like a bird. How’s that?”
“Which bird? Does she sing like a peacock or a crow?”
“Peacock, most definitely. I know that to sing like a crow means to sing terribly. A crow, as everyone knows, has a terrible voice.”
“That’s right! A peacock is not any better when it comes to singing. It may look beautiful, but the bird is not known for its ability to sing. Here’s an example. Don’t
make the mistake of teaming up with Ashwin. He is very enthusiastic, but unfortunately, he sings like a crow.”
“I wanted to learn Carnatic music when I was young, But after the first class, the teacher said that I sang like a peacock. Now tell me, what is the second meaning of ‘sing like a bird’?”
“When you sing like a bird to the police or anybody in authority for that matter, you tell them everything you know about something.”
“In other words, you pass on secret information about others. You inform them about the illegal activities going on.”
“Very good! The Mafia boss didn’t want his accountant singing like a bird in the police station. He had him killed.”
“Because Ram sang like a bird on the witness stand, he received a reduced sentence.”
“He must have sung really well.”
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Published – October 19, 2026 08:30 am IST
