XLVII: QUANTITY 'n' QUALITY

So far, in a few posts, we have been looking at a few very common terms; terms closely linked with the everyday world; terms like NEEDLE, HIDE, HATCH and such. Our CONVERSANCE (familiarity) with such terms is indicative of our INSIGHT into the world around us. {Incidentally the word CONVERSANCE got featured in the ANTONYM section of an earlier test. The answer was LACK OF FAMILIARITY.

CONVERSANCE x LACK of FAMILIARITY}. If we are not CONVERSANT (familiar) with such terms, that will show us in poor light. So, let us consider a few more of such problems. We have seen in some previous post that HAMPER as a verb means to HINDER, OBSTRUCT, or PREVENT. However, we know that HAMPER as a common noun also means a BASKET. We keep LAUNDRY (dirty clothes) temporarily in a basket in the same way as we keep the MAIL temporarily in a MAIL-BOX. Hence, we get the following analogy. MAIL: MAIL-BOX LAUNDRY: HAMPER A blacksmith is a person closely connected with us in our practical world. The place where a blacksmith or goldsmith works we call the SMITHY or the FORGE. Just as the FORGE the place where we work on METAL, the MILL is the place where we work on the GRAIN. The following ANALOGY is derived from the above idea. FORGE: METAL MILL: GRAIN The term FORGE, as we know can also mean to FABRICATE or FALSELY MAKE UP some documents. A FORGER abuses a PEN to fabricate writings. In the same manner, an ARSONIST (a criminal who sets fire to property) abuses a MATCH (match-stick) to commit crime. A forger abuses the pen just as an arsonist abuses the match. Hence, FORGER: PEN ARSONIST: MATCH FELONS (criminals) like forgers and arsonists are very common among us. FELONS are people who commit FELONY (crime). One of the most common stimulants that the FELONS use to energize themselves is ALCOHOL. Did you know that the purity of alcohol is measured in terms of PROOF? Just as the standard of purity for GOLD is KARAT, the standard of purity of ALCOHOL is PROOF. PROOF: ALCOHOL KARAT: GOLD Just as we have terms to refer to QUALITY, we also have terms to refer to QUANTITY. For example, a large quantity of PAPER we call REAM; a large quantity of THREAD we call SPOOL; a large quantity of FILM we call REEL or SPOOL; a large quantity of FABRIC we call BOLT; a large quantity of CURRENCY we call WAD: a large growth of BUSHES we call CLUMP. From these connections we get the following ANALOGIES: REAM: PAPER SPOOL: THREAD REEL: FILM BOLT: FABRIC WAD: CURRENCY CLUMP: BUSHES CORD: WOOD We will take a break at this point and resume our learning in the next post. {Incidentally, the noun of RESUME is RESUMPTION. [continuing an activity after a break] The opposite idea can be ABEYANCE. [suspension of activity]. So, ABEYANCE x RESUMPTION }