Number Idioms and its analogy with Cricket

As a young boy growing up, the sport of cricket used to fascinate and always keep me hooked. I was never great shakes when playing the game myself but used to always observe the commentary rather keenly and any reference to numbers always had me up and about excited. 'Numbers' or rather the extension of it which is the 'Statistics' angle associated with it always made me adore the sport a wee bit extra and I loved to prize out all the records broken and milestones conquered.

For this particular post, I would like to highlight a few number idioms/phrases and connote it from a cricketing analogy. The objective is not to use it only under the context of cricket but even in day to day interactions. Numbers are immensely fun and you can play around with it in so many different ways. Listing below are few non exhaustible phrases involving numbers forming a numerical sequence.

Zero:

- Zero in on - Focusing one's attention
The team needs to zero in on their bowling strategy if they need to progress to the next stage

- Zero Hour - Time at which at which an activity is scheduled to begin
Too much of chopping and changing towards the Zero Hour doesn't bode well for the team

One:

- One Too Many - Going overboard with respect to something
One Too Many attempts at trying to be cheeky has eventually put paid to his dismissal

- All in One Piece - Safety, unscathed, unharmed
This absolute scorcher of an innings from out of nowhere has helped save the blushes and ensured that the team is back in the hunt 'all in one piece'

- Back to Square One - Going back to the beginning
The team just refuses to learn. Time and again the same mistakes are being replicated and they keep going back to square one. 

- Have One over the Eight - Too much of something
The way he has been wildly swinging his bat in all directions from the time that he has walked in certainly indicates that he's had one over the eight last evening.

- One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest - Insane, Losing the mind, Senseless
This kind of mindless slogging with complete lack of application clearly suggests a situation of one flying over the cuckoo's nest 

Two:

- Give Two Hoots about - To not care about something or showing lack of concern
He doesn't give two hoots about the reputation of the bowler that he is facing. If he sees it, he's just going to go hit it.

- It takes two to Tango - Both parties being equally responsible
The new ball pair have complemented each other beautifully well. They say it takes two to tango and in this case it's been aptly visible and on full display.

- Kill Two Birds with One Stone - Achieving two goals with one action
This ploy has worked wonderfully well. They have suckered in the opposition to fall in to the trap thus killing two birds with one stone 

Three:

- Get the Third Degree - To be questioned in great detail
The bowling has been so probing with no room for error whatsoever that it feels like the batsman will get the third degree if he gets anywhere near to the delivery.

Four:

- On All Fours - Down on your hands and knees
He is literally on all fours after having attempted that immensely tough shot

Five:

- High Five - A gesture of celebration by slapping each others palms with arms raised
The performance has been all High Five with the execution being spot on and going perfectly according to plan.

Six:

- At Sixes and Sevens - A state of confusion and disorder
The team have been at sixes and sevens in trying to deal with the seaming new ball. They have been all at sea with no application whatsoever.

- Six of one, half a dozen of the other - Two situations with same or equal outcome
The two shots were utter replica of one other with the same result obtained. One was a six of one, and half a dozen of the other

Seven:

- Seventh Heaven - State of extreme happiness or joy
The team are literally on seventh heaven having won 7 matches on the bounce away from home

Eight:

- Behind the Eight Ball - Difficult or disadvantageous position
The team have been way behind the eight ball and look completely lost in handling alien conditions

Nine:

- On Cloud Nine - Extremely happy or over the moon
The team have been on cloud nine after winning 3 trophies on the trot

- Falling like Nine Pins - Collapsing
Its been a collapse of epic proportions, they have been literally getting rolled over falling like nine pins

Ten:

- Ten on Ten - Something that is very good, Excellent
It's been a perfect ten on ten with respect to the captaincy especially on the field placement and strategy

Eleven:

- At the eleventh hour - Last possible moment or just before its too late
Making fresh new plans at the eleventh hour doesn't bode well for the team

Twelve:

- Bakers Dozen - Thirteen, Adding an extra
This impact sub player has been so effective in performing the role far more than expected of him thus making the team feel like having an extra cushion or a Bakers Dozen.

Nineteen:

- Nineteen to the Dozen - Talk incessantly without pausing
The Captain should be left alone to make the decision. Constant nineteen to the dozen advice from virtually everyone at the back end will bear no fruit.

Twenty Two:

- Catch 22 - Paradoxical situation where one condition prevents or overrules another condition
The team are in quite a Catch 22 situation at the moment. At one end, they need to keep the runs ticking on the board to get the score running but at the same time it's essential that they preserve their wickets and keep them handy at the back end of the innings.

Eighty Six:

- 86'd - Throw out, Removed or Dismissed
It's unfortunate that the player has been 86'd despite putting up a reasonably decent performance in the previous match

Using some of the number idioms above to spin a yarn with a cricketing equivalence:

England have been 'at sixes and sevens' trying to deal with spin and been getting rolled over like nine-pins. The batting has been absolutely deplorable with one too many needless hoicks putting paid to unnecessary dismissals. By not giving two hoots about the conditions have exposed them pretty badly. They have been way 'behind the eight ball' and look completely lost playing in the sub continent. Being completely under prepared and making changes at the eleventh hour isn't going to yield them any fruit. They are almost in a Catch 22 situation with any chance of a comeback virtually ruled out. It's just a matter of time before they are 86'd in this match and sent packing from the tournament. There also seems to be too much of interference playing along with the captain seeming to get nineteen to the dozen advice from everyone right from the players to the backroom staff. The Sockdolager has been landing stingily on their face too often now and they really need to do something to save face in order to avoid going back to Square One.

India on the other hand have been on Cloud 9 with plans executed perfectly and its been a High Five performance on all fronts. They have been a 10 on 10 with the new ball pair bowling a probing line and seizing the initiative upfront. The way the batsman have been clueless in picking length makes the bowlers feel like they are on seventh heaven. The spinners have wreaked havoc in equal measure with a Six of one and half a dozen of the other performance. England's ineptitude to handle the Indian bowling makes India look like a side blessed with a Baker's dozen. It takes two to tango and it can be said that both the pace bowlers and spinners have equally in tandem been the star performers in executing this demolition job perfectly. The only area which they need to zero in on is the lower order batting and if that also gets sorted out they will have an all encompassing team to compete at any level. 

Astrology Trivia - Find the Planet and Nakshatra from Layers of Dimensions

With a quiz being framed on the basics of Divisional Chats, an idea struck to extend the theory further and make it a wee bit more complicated than the earlier one by adding some extra spicy masala elements on top of the Basic Divisional Chart Rules.

This quiz is also about finding the planet and the Nakshatra space which it occupies in the zodiac. The complexities however come with bringing along extra zonal layers with concepts such as exaltation, debilitation, aspects etc spruced up in to the mix. Hence here goes. Let's see who strikes this brain teaser 🏆

Set of Clues:
1) I sit in a fixed sign in Hora (D2), Drekkana (D3), Chaturthamsa (D4), Sapthamsa (D7) and Navamsa (D9)
2) In all of the above Amsas mentioned, I sit in a Fire sign except in the Navamsa.
3) 3 planets get exalted in the Navamsa when they sit in my Nakshatra padas (3 out of 4 padas)
4) 3 of the planets when they sit in the Mool Trikona or Exalted signs in Rasi, their aspects will tend to fall in the sign where I'm placed.
5) I'm neither of the planets mentioned in Points 3 and 4 above in addition to not being the planet owning the Navamsa sign in which I'm placed. Also I'm not a node.

Answer to Trivia:
Nakshatra : Magha - 2
First up, we need to deduce the sign in question and the best way is to target the clues in D3 and D4. We know that planet in D3 and D1 will always end up in same element of Fire, Earth, Air or Water and here it's clearly given that planet sits in fire sign. So it can only be either of Aries, Leo or Sagittarius in Rasi chart. Next we know that in D4 and D1, planets will always map in a kendra and needs to be of same nature sign be it movable, fixed or dual. It's mentioned Fixed & Fire and hence the only planet which rules a Fixed sign and a Fire element happens to be Leo. Hence we can be rest assured that whichever planet it is, it can only be placed in Leo sign. We can derive this without even using the D2, D7 and other D9 charts.

D2 is important to know which zone the planet is placed whether in the first half or second half. In an odd sign only when a planet sits within the first 15 degrees it will be placed in Leo otherwise it will make it's way into Cancer. So this clearly establishes that since the planet is in fixed and Fire sign, it definitely is within the range of 0 to 15 degrees and we clearly know that only the 4 padas of Magha end up falling within this designated zone.

Now how do we know which of the 4 padas of Magha it is in? Here the use of D9 will come in handy as it's told that it does not sit in a fire sign in Navamsa. We know the first pada of Magha will map into a fire sign in Navamsa and hence it's ruled out. So the options available are Pada 2,3,4. Now is where the Saptamsa enters as it's a chart that divides 30 degrees into 7 equal parts and hence each of the parts will be about 4 degrees and a bit or 4°17' to be precise. The counting of D7 in an odd sign starts from the same sign and goes forward till it finishes up to 7 parts. We know Nakshatra is already Magha and the first part gets placed in Leo itself for 4°17', then next 4°17' will be in Virgo followed by Libra and so on. To reach the next fire sign of Sagittarius which is the 5th sign from Leo, it should have at least elapsed beyond 17 degrees (4°17'*4 is greater than 17) in the rasi chart because only then it can go to next fire sign. But we know it's within the first 4 padas of 13 degrees 20 mins and in a fire sign so in D7 it has to be within first part of 4°17' to remain in a fire sign. It is not in first pada of Magha because its clearly said that it is not in fire sign in D9 and hence it can only be within that space between 3°20' to 4°17' which clearly indicates Magha Pada 2 😃

Planet : Mercury
Sun, Moon and Jupiter gets exalted when they are placed in Magha - 1,2,4 padas. So we need to rule out these 3 planets. It's already mentioned that it's not a Node hence Rahu and Ketu also get eliminated. Another clue mentions that when 3 of the planets sit in exalted or Mool Trikona signs, their aspect fall on the sign of Leo. We know Jupiter's Mooltrikona is Sagittarius, Mars exaltation sign is Capricorn and Saturn's Mooltrikona sign is Aquarius. Jupiter's 9th, Mars 8th and Saturn's 7th aspect all end up falling in Leo. Hence along with Jupiter which is already withdrawn, Mars and Saturn also get rejected. So it just leaves us to either of Mercury or Venus. In the last clue, it's mentioned that it is not the ruler of the sign lord in Navamsa. We know that Magha pada 2 ends up mapping in Taurus in the D9 which is ruled by Venus. Hence Venus also gets vetoed out and finally we deduce and arrive at the result which is Mercury 😃.

Triple B - Boats, Bessy & Beach!

There are very few stand alone resto pubs in the city which is not affiliated with a star property and Boats Beach resto bar happens to be one of them. Boats has a lot going for it. It is located centrally with a view facing the ever popular Elliots beach. Though the area is converged with eateries and restaurant's aplenty, there is not a single place nearby offering drinks. There is a leeway staircase to enter and Boats is located in the first floor of the compound.

The place seems a bit small but the atmosphere is quite electric. It was packed on a weekday evening and definitely seems happening from the looks of things. There is a dim dark aura about the place with lots of black engraving the surrounding. The glass set up is kind of chic and ignites a peppy feel. The sofa seating is comfortable and gives itself a positive vibe. It feels like a place where a good set of people can congregate, loosen up their spirits and have loads of fun.

Ambiance and decor apart, it's the vittle (food+drinks) which is key in deciding the stakes of any outlet and Boats did a fine job at it. The starters were not only presented well but also tasted great. I took immense liking to the panneer tikka, mushroom tacos and the cheesy potato blocks. The panneer was super succulent just rightly charred and totally of the melt in the mouth kinds. I found the crispness of the mushrooms inside the tacos to be a win. The crispy potato blocks with cheese overflowing generously like a lava was sinister. The Nachos weren't bad, just that the downward portion of the chips felt a little alienated. The top part though was cheesy and consisting of all the usual mexican veggies that you'd expect. I just had a small crack at the spinach corn dragon bites and found them pretty good.

In the main course section, we got a giant sized burger called the "Green Grocer". I felt it to be decent but difficult to consume as it was too tall and hard to bite. They absolutely nailed the Alfredo veg pasta which was suffused with cheese and abundant flavours. A good pasta always does wonders. The Kung Pao Vegetable dish was pretty average. It lacked the desired punch.

Coming to the desserts and drinks part, the roasted peach and cream was lovely and so was the cream brulee which was like a soft moth of chocolate covering. The mocktails were of high standard and the outright standout was the Bessie Beach Masala - a mango based drink with a tinge of chilli sprinkled along just aiding as the perfect refreshing tonic. They also have hard liquor and it's fun eating the kind of stuff Boats serves along with a chilled long shot glass of beer.

Viewing it as a holistic picture, Boats painted a caricature which looked appealing on most fronts. The service was spot on with not too much time interval in between stuff. The presentation of the items were of the highest order. There is also vibrant feel good music being played along adding to the excitement. The rates are not being mentioned as the meet was over an invite.

Boats is surely a place that is pulsating and of a gregarious nature where you can certainly have a ball of a time with a widespread mix of dine and drink options.

Dude vs Babe? Can we use Babe as opposed to Dude?

Of late I've been observing that the word "Dude" is attaining CULT Status and has really caught on the imagination especially amongst the next gen, but I'm perplexed that the equivalent of Dude ie. Babe (for gals) is not being used so vividly as much as its illustrious counterpart. Ever wondered why? What can be the reasons attributed? Also curious to know whether we can use Babe for girl as opposed to Dude for Boy, so lets get on the Jungle Hunt and investigate.

Lets face it Dude is ruling the roost everywhere whether on Facebook, Twitter, Random conversations, Messenger, WhatsApp and what not.
The way it is being used you slowly begin to feel that people will start forgetting the names of one another. :)[Pardon me for the really poor joke :D]

I must also admit that though initially i thought Dude was "Peter" , I too have slowly but surely fallen prey to the Dude Culture and have started addressing many of my folks as Dude. Even some girls have addressed me as Dude but I've never called any girl as Babe over a normal conversation which I always wonder why ?

Lets check out the Dictionary Meaning
Dude = Fellow (come on lets face it, it's generally addressed to a boy)
Babe = Young Lady
Though the Dictionary doesn't give a true picture at least in the meaning of "slang", Dude/Babe is referred to a boy/girl.

Another thing is equating Dude and Babe with "Da" and "Di" respectively. To be frank Da sounds perfectly cool and normal whether its a guy or girl addressing a guy whereas at least in my opinion Di sounds little cheap and local and I personally do not like mentioning any girl as Di. Is it one of the reasons why we(I) refrain from using Babe? And let me tell you that the girls don't like it one bit when they are referred to as Di by a guy. :)

And is it that only the loved ones need to be referred to as Babe? As like Sugar, Honey, Sweetie Pie, Barbie Doll etc and we don't have the right to call any girl as Babe barring our girlfriend(s). [So what about the guys who don't have one?? No Freedom of Expression also..:)]

So in eventuality whats the reason?? I am still confused as ever.
I suppose the best way to find out is by experimenting with a girl and just hoping that u don't get --------(you can fill according to your own whims and fancies).:)