Oh my word Feat, Fate, Fete

Laxmibhai Zulapi, 77, from Baglkot was feted for preserving a rare brinjal species which was a national feat. Fate and fete are pronounced alike (homophones: same sound but different spellings). Fete means an outdoor entertainment to raise money for charitable causes, or an outdoor activity involving entertainment and sale of goods whose money is used for a specific purpose. The temple conducts fetes once in every year.

The municipality organizes biannual fetes to promote arts and crafts. Church fete is eagerly looked for by the locals which is usually conducted twice in a year: once during Christmas and at another time during Easter. How often do you attend fetes? Fete also functions as verb: fete means to honour somebody for their achievement, or commitment to social causes, or accomplishment in a field of activity.

Fete means to recognize somebody’s contribution or achievement and honour them in a special and befitting manner. The President of India is feted when he attends socio-cultural and educational events because he is the head of the Indian republic, and conducts oneself apolitically.

The audience was feted with snippets of humour and incidents of jokes by the stand-up comedian touching sensitive issues of religion, and society. The Government of India fetes distinguished individuals annually with the country’s highest civilian awards: Padma Sri, PAdma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan apart from Bharat Ratna.

Fate is a belief that something is controlling events or incidents that are almost irresistible. Fate is destiny: that things are expected to happen in such a way. Fate is a person’s destiny or future. Fate is death or destruction: Japan met its fate by bombing Pearl Harbour in the World War II. Is India fated to be a ‘developing’ country?

Fate is a passive verb: he is fated to die unnaturally for he is a glutton. She was fated (to erupt violently, and she did. A fate worse than death is an idiom meaning a n unpleasant experience. Many times spending time with her is a fate worse than death. Tempt fate or providence is an idiom meaning to act rashly, or acting by taking a risk.

Fateful is an adjective (important, decisive, great and unpleasant events), and fatefully is an adverb. Feat is an accomplishment, achievement in something, attaining a goal; feat refers to completing or achieving something which involves spending one’s skills, abilities, strength or courage.

During the Republic Day parade of India, there will performers enacting feats on bikes, and aircrafts. The family is fated to indulge in feats for a livelihood and they were feted by the local government.

Kovuuri G Reddy