Qua? Qui? Que?

Just discovered the word qua in an academic article on how consumers are manufactured. Fascinating stuff about panopticons and dataveillance apart, I was intrigued by the author's use of the word qua which I had never before encountered. Turns out it's a handy little bugger. It's Latin for "as / as being in / in the capacity of" and is the feminine singular of "qui", which means "who".

So, dictionary.com gives us the example of "The work of art qua art can be judged by aesthetic criteria only."

The editor qua editor shortened by poem!

Learning English by Pictures in India

Sure. We'll do your outsourced work. Are you sure?


At the Bottom of Ancient Buddhist Caves in Ajanta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site



At Aurangabad Airport (Clue - look at no. 14 and no. 19)



On the Side of the Road, Ahmedabad


On a Popcorn Machine, on the Way to Poona

Learning English by Pictures in Bombay

I love Bombay. It's my home. And what a home it is...

Heartily Congrations to the Rajasthani Ladies Group


Jacks of all Trades, Mr Khan and Mr Khan



...Because if You Don't, We Will. (At Bombay Airport.)



Jeopardy - Babies Do This the Most...



In the Ladies' Toilet, Godrej Dance Academy, National Centre for the Performing Arts, Bombay

Learning English by Pictures in Hong Kong

I've been saving these for a while because I haven't really had the time to reformat them. As I wandered the streets of Hong Kong and took trains to meet clients, I came upon a great many entertaining signs. Although I must have seemed odd to the local populace as I aimed with precision at signboards and not sights, I liked to think I was saving the last laugh for the internet. Some are odd, others are funny, yet others are baffling. The number of pictures is limited, but with any luck, not for long.




A Juice Shop in Wan Chai



At a Railway Station in Kowloon



A Cobbler(?) at a Subway Station




Ah. Bottled Water.


A Brand of Clothing in a Mall in Kowloon

The Academics’ Little Helper: A Writing Guide achieves fame! http://zonecours.hec.ca/af1SeancePage.txp?instId=A2006-1-572342&lang=fr

The Reverse Dictionary. An invaluable resource for when you can’t recall the exact word you’re looking for, but the meaning is clear in your head.

Great news! The Chicago Manual of Style is now available online, for a fee of US$25 per year. It’s great even for those who use it only rarely, as they have open access to the Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide, which, as the name suggests, provides a ready reference for referencing, Chicago-style.