I have learned that there is more power in a good strong hug than in a thousand meaningful words — Ann Hood.
These beautiful words were translated into action when Congress President Rahul Gandhi hugged Prime Minister Narendra Modi after his speech in the Parliament. How the hug was interpreted by Modi and the members of the BJP is a different story. Rahul must have thought that Modi loves hugs as the latter has the habit of hugging world leaders generously. Modi described it as an ‘unwanted hug’. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described it as ‘a mere political stunt’. The BJP’s national media in-charge Anil Baluni said that Rahul Gandhi “might forcibly hug Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but the people of the country would not embrace him in next year’s Lok Sabha election.”
An anonymous person once said that ‘a kiss without a hug is like a flower without the fragrance’. In Rahul’s case it was a hug without a kiss, but with a wink. Whether the hug-and-wink act spread fragrance or displayed arrogance was discussed and debated by noise-making TV channels and panellists. Can a hug and a wink go together? Abnormal collocation, isn’t it? While discussing the interesting incident that happened in the Parliament with some of my friends, one of them asked me to discuss the ‘Munnabhai hug’ and the ‘mischievous wink’ in the column. I hugged and winked at him for the good suggestion.
Let me discuss the language of hugs and winks in the column. Have you come across the term ‘bunny hug’? It is nothing to do with a hug. In Canada, the term refers to ‘a sweatshirt with a hood and large front pockets’. It also refers to a type of early twentieth-century dance in the United States.
l I bought a bunny hug during my recent visit to Canada. It is comfortable.
l Watch the bunny hug video and tell me whether you liked the dance.
A rough and tight embrace is called a bear hug. It is a strong hug.
l Did Rahul give Modi a bear hug or gentle hug?
In business, a ‘bear hug’ refers to ‘an unsolicited takeover bid which is so generous that the shareholders of the target company are highly unlikely to refuse’. Look at this example:
l Some bear hug letters are kept from public view and are sent in confidence, in hopes of bringing a company to the negotiating table. Those are known as teddy bear hugs. But others, like Mr Ballmer’s, are written for public consumption. Those are known as grizzly bear hugs.
The expression ‘commode-hugging drunk’ refers to the act of an intoxicated person holding a commode (toilet) while vomiting into it.
l He got so commode-hugging drunk that he couldn’t go to the office the following day.
Let’s look at some ‘winky’ expressions. The expressions ‘(as) quick as a wink’ and ‘in the wink of an eye’ refer to doing something incredibly quickly or speedily.
l Quick as a wink, the examiner marked the scripts and left the exam hall within an hour.
l He does everything in the wink of an eye.
The British expression ‘a nod and a wink’ refers to the act of a person communicating something to someone by saying it indirectly or giving them a signal. It is used to show disapproval as it is considered a sign of dishonesty.
It is not good for you to give a nod and a wink at your friend at a meeting.
The expressions ‘catch forty winks’, ‘take forty winks’ and ‘have forty winks’ mean to sleep for a short time or to take a nap.
l She has the habit of taking forty winks after lunch every day.
If you’re angry at a loved one, hug that person. And mean it. You may not want to hug, which is all the more reason to do so. It’s hard to stay angry when someone shows they love you and that’s precisely what happens when we hug each other — Walter Anderson
