“Are you looking forward to your trip to Goa?”
“Of course, I am! I’d be crazy not to be excited. Work has been pretty hectic the past six months. It’s been a while since I’ve taken a break. Mukesh and I will be hitting the road early tomorrow.”
“Hitting the road? Why would you want to do that? I mean…”
“When you say that you’ll be ‘hitting the road’, you mean that you’ll be going on a trip. You’ll be starting a journey, and it’s likely to be a road trip. You’ll be travelling by car or bus. That’s one of the meanings, anyway.
“I see. How about this example? I always have two cups of coffee before hitting the road.”
“Sounds good. I expect you to get up early and have a shower before we hit the road. It’s a long drive, and I don’t want to be sitting next to someone who smells.”
“Let’s hit the road early. Otherwise, we’ll get stuck in traffic.”
“I usually hit the road around four in the morning.”
“That’s really early! In Goa, will you be staying at your friend’s place?”
“Unfortunately, no. They sold the beautiful house a couple of months ago. Understand they made a handsome profit.”
“Handsome profit? Are we allowed to say that? I thought the word ‘handsome’ was used only with men.”
“It can be used with living and non-living things. When you say that you made a ‘handsome profit’, what you mean is that you made a big profit.”
“In other words, you made a large sum of money. I’m looking for a job that will pay me a handsome salary.”
“That’s a very good example. In last week’s contest, my candidate won by a handsome margin.”
“That was expected, wasn’t it? My friend makes a handsome donation to a charitable institution every month. No matter how many times I tell him not to, he makes it a point to donate.”
“Really? That’s truly amazing. I’d like to meet this stout individual.”
“Stout individual? Rishi isn’t fat. He’s quite thin, actually!”
“The word ‘stout’ has several different meanings. One of them, as you have rightly pointed out, is fat. But you can also use it to mean ‘brave’ or ‘determined’.”
“In other words, someone who is firm. Someone who doesn’t change his mind frequently.”
“Exactly! He’s very firm in his beliefs. The individual is unwavering. The word is normally used to show approval. Here’s an example. In yesterday’s match, the two teams fought till the very end. All players showed a stout heart.”
“If you want this project to be completed on time, you need to find a strong leader. Someone with a stout heart.”
“That’s a good example. We expect the company lawyer to put up a stout defence in court. Oh, look at the time! If I wish to get up early tomorrow, I’d better hit the road.”
“Hit the road? Are you planning to leave for Goa now?”
“Hit the road can also be used to mean goodbye. That you are taking leave.”
“Well, if you have packing to do, you’d better hit the road. Remember to get me something from Goa.”
“Will do.”
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