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The Hindu

Do ‘hurling' and ‘throwing' have the same meaning?

Is it okay to say 'flirt with an idea'? (J. Preethi, Kanpur) When you flirt with another person, you are making it clear that you are attracted to the individual — at least, temporarily. In other words, you are not being very serious about the matter. It is also possible to flirt with an idea. When you do this, you are merely toying with an idea. For example, you could flirt with the idea of buying an expensive car. When you do this, you consider buying one, but do not really put your heart and soul into it. You do not surf the Net about the types of cars available, the price, etc. You are not very serious about it; so much so, the very idea of buying a new car disappears after a short time. When my uncle was young, he flirted with the idea of starting a school. My daughter flirted with the idea of moving to Bengaluru. After driving in the city, she decided against it. Which is correct? Sense of belonging or sense of belongingness? (A. Ishaq, Trichy) Both expressions are acceptable, and both have, more or less, the same meaning. Native speakers of English, however, employ 'sense of belonging' much more frequently than 'sense of belongingness'. When we settle in a new place — perhaps, within our own country or somewhere abroad — what is it that we all wish for? We would like the members of the community to welcome us and accept us with open arms. This feeling of inclusion that we have, makes us feel that we are part of the community. The relationships we build over time make us happy, and give us a sense of belonging. If you wish to increase job satisfaction in the workplace, provide a sense of belonging for the workers. Playing cricket with my friends, gives me a strong sense of belongingness. What is the difference between 'throw' and 'hurl'? (S. Mayank, Secunderabad) In both cases, you have something in your hand, swing your arm back, and release the object into the air. The difference between 'throw' and 'hurl' (rhymes with 'curl' and 'pearl') is the manner in which you release the object. 'Throw', which is the general term, can be used to suggest that the object is being released gently or with force. For example, when we throw a ball to a child, we do so gently, for we do not want the child to get hurt. When we are playing cricket, and the batsman sets off for a quick single, we throw the ball with some heat on it — in other words, we throw it with tremendous force. It is possible to throw anything: a stone, a leaf, a dart, a ball, etc. The act of throwing doesn't always imply emotion. This is not the case with 'hurl'; you usually hurl something at someone because you are angry with the individual; and because you are angry, you throw whatever it is in your hand with a great deal of force. The intent in this case is to hurt the individual. Jaya hurled the ashtray at her husband. upendrankye@