The other day, an honourable member of Parliament was said to have caused a stir in the House for stating that he had had a 'personal intercourse' with another member on the other side of the house over an issue. There was such hullabaloo over the statement that the one who made the statement was overheard saying: 'Monnte Borofo anaa'? (i.e. Don't you understand English?) 'Intercourse' which originates from French 'intercour' means 'exchange', 'commerce'. It is derived from a combination of two words: 'inter' (between) and 'currier' (to run). It is communication or dealings (of a mercantile kind) between countries or localities. Reduced to individuals, it becomes social communication between individuals, habitual contact in conversation, correspondence or action. It is an exchange of ideas or communication. On the spiritual side, it is communication between a human being and God or other spiritual beings. Thus, just as a human being can have a 'personal intercourse' with another human being, he can have 'spiritual intercourse' with the spiritual world. In both cases, the intention is 'to communicate'. Of course, there is also 'sexual intercourse' which relates to contact between persons of the opposite sex. Nowadays, with same-sex marriages permissible in certain countries, it is doubtful if this definition would even be adequate. One word that is doing the rounds in Ghana's politics these days is 'apparatchik'. Apparatchik, according to World Book Dictionary edited by Robert K. Barnhart (1995), is defined as a political or party official bureaucrat, especially in a Communist country. The word has been made popular by a Professor who has all the qualities of a 'fine politician'. Apparatchik was originally a Russian word from German origin and the plural is 'apparatchiki'. An apparat is the administrative organisation or staff of the Communist Party in the former Soviet Union and other Communist States. According to the Encarta World English Dictionary, 'apparatchik' is an unquestioningly loyal subordinate: a subordinate who is unquestioningly loyal to a powerful political leader or organisation. In Ghana, such 'aparatchiki' are commonly known as foot-soldiers, a word which is defined as 'a soldier who fights principally on foot, not on horseback or in a vehicle'. Thus, a loyal subordinate who carries posters of politicians and fixes them at vantage points or who distributes political paraphernalia is commonly called a foot soldier here. Lady Diana, the ex-wife of Prince Charles of Great Britain, was killed in a motor accident a decade ago. It was claimed that she was escaping from the prying eyes of the paparazzi. 'Paparazzi' is the plural form of'paparazzo'. It will, therefore, be wrong to write 'paparazzis'. 'Paparazzo' is a word of Italian origin, and it means an aggressive photographer or reporter who chases after celebrities (persons who are well-known or much talked about). 'Celebrity' also refers to the condition of being well-known and much talked about; it is synonymous with 'fame'. One of the ways to play upon a person is to play on words: this is called 'pun'. Some people get carried away by words; some get swayed by words; some can see through a pun, and rebut it. A 'pun' is the humorous use of a word where it can have different meanings, or of two or more words with the same or nearly the same sound but different meanings. Look at how Benjamin Franklin plays with the word 'hang' in the following statement: "We must all hang together, or we shall all hang separately". 'Hang together' implies 'stick together', 'unite and support each other', but 'hang separately' implies 'get killed' separately. In 'Hamlet', Guildenstern's attempt to manipulate Hamlet with words fall through. After Guildenstern had responded, 'My lord, I cannot' to many of Hamlet's requests to play upon a pipe, Hamlet retorts: 'Why, look you now, how unworthy a thing you make of me! You would play upon me, you would seem to know my stops; you would pluck out the heart of my mystery, you would sound me from my lowest note to the top of my compass; and there is such music, excellent voice, in this little organ; yet cannot you make it speak. Sblood, do you think I am easier to be play'd on than a pipe? Call me what instrument you will, though, you can fret me, you cannot play upon me'. People are likely to play games with language for certain ends: either to cajole or to convince; or to demonstrate their own wisdom to an audience; or to seek honour or esteem. Shakespeare understood" these, and he sought in 'Hamlet' to portray the strategy vividly stating his thoughts with poetic intensity and details that were suitable and apt. Source: Daily Graphic