English Skill Building – 107
Vocabulary
Learn the word ‘Scale’ comprehensively
The many uses of the word ‘scale’
As Noun
1. When we cut a fish, we remove the scales from its surface. We then cut to pieces to cook it. In Odiya, it’s called ‘କାତି (Kaati)’. The Kaati is very rich in Calcium. In large fish processing plants, the waste Kaati is collected and re-used to make chicken feed.
2. It is the thick, dry flake of skin. A farmer had broken his leg and come to the hospital for surgery. The nurse used soap and a brush to rub his rough and dirty skin using a brush. Such scaling of skin is mandatory before surgery.
3. When we use a pot to make tea, after a few months, a white deposit is formed on its bottom. This is due to the mineral in the water. It becomes quite hard to removed such scale.
4. Those who eat pan, tobacco etc. their teeth gets covered with scale and looks brown and dirty. So, one must brush one’s teeth twice a day.
5. Students use a scale to draw straight lines.
6. Shopkeepers use weighing scales to weigh the items.
As verb
1. The chef is very good at scaling fishes of all types.
It means removing the scale.
2. The dentist took one hour to scale my teeth.
3. The thief scaled the high boundary wall to enter the house at night. Apparently, they used a ladder to climb the wall.
4. The mountaineer scaled Mount Everest and took a selfie proudly.
5. According to DPS scale, Amlan is a good student. According to her school’s scale Abhipsa is a high performer.
Phrasal verbs
Scale back – Everyone in Uktaine hopes that Russia would scale back its forces from the border . (Reduce in number)
Scale down – When the bank dragged its feet to sanction a loan, we decided to scale down our building plan, and construct a smaller house.
Scale up – Owing to China’s belligerence in the border, India has scaled up its deployment of forces in the forward areas.
Idioms
Scale falling off one’s eyes – To stop being deceived.
The young man took the young girl to Bollywood promising to give her a role in the film. Sadly, on reaching Mumbai, the young man began to abuse her. She knew she had been hoodwinked. Scales fell off her eyes, and she complained to the local police.
Throw something on the scale – The decaying Congress Party has run short of ideas as a result of which the people don’t vote for it in great numbers. The brains in the party have to throw something on the scale to make to enthuse voters.