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English Edification Enrichment (6)


What is the meaning of "Would you like to powder your nose"?

This is a question that is often asked of ladies. When somebody asks a woman whether she would like to powder her nose, what the person wants to know is whether she would like to use the bathroom. Native speakers of English don't ask you directly whether you would like to use the bathroom. It is considered impolite to do so. As a result, they ask the question in a roundabout way. "Would you like to freshen up" "Would you like to wash your hands" Unlike the earlier question, these can be posed to both men and women.

What is the difference between "due to" and "owing to"?

As far as the meaning is concerned there is no difference. Both "due to" and "owing to" can be used to mean "because of". Many people use the two words interchangeably.

Here are a few examples,

* Owing to/Due to bad weather, all flights were cancelled.

* Ramesh was late, owing to/due to the heavy traffic.

* Owing to/Due to the groom's illness, the wedding was postponed.

* The wedding was postponed due to/owing to the groom's illness.

Careful users of the language argue that "due to" should not be used at the beginning of a clause. But even educated native speakers of English begin clauses with "due to". One difference between "due to" and "owing to" is that "due to" can be used after the verb "to be"; "owing to", on the other hand, cannot.

For example, it is OK to say, "Their success was due to hard work and brilliant planning." You cannot say, "Their success was owing to hard work." Similarly it is OK to say, "The actor's success was due to his wife", but you cannot say, "The actor's success was owing to his wife."

Thanks & Regards

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