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With the turn of the century approaching, it's the turn of every publication to look at some aspect of the millennium that hasn't been featured yet. Judging by the wall to wailing wall coverage, there's not much scope, except by using a microscope. For those to whom the millennium has no meaning (see under Murli Manohar Joshi), here's something that got left behind in the rush. The New Indian Dictionary contains words and phrases that will be used often in the next century. Here are some:

Coal Tender: Short form for Coalition Tender, as in Atal Bihari Vajpayee. With coalition governments literally becoming the rule rather than the exception, the need has arisen in the new millennium to have the services of a coal tender, an acceptable face with the right credentials to keep a motley coalition together, even if it means appointing ministers better qualified to run local municipalities. The Coal Tender, as in the original meaning, is the one who can keep the engine of state running. In which direction is another issue.

Readership Qualities: The latest qualification to become prime minister of India. Introduced by a unanimous resolution in the last Congress Working Committee, it seeks to alter the Constitution to allow "Readers" as opposed to "Leaders" to become CEO of India Inc. The move runs parallel to the rise in Sonia Gandhi's political ambitions, despite the fact that she still has to read out her Hindi speeches which are written in, appropriately enough, Roman Hindi. Which is what her opponents claim Bharat will become were she to become Reader. That should read Leader.

Walk-in Heads: The new phrase to replace the old phrase "talking heads". An inevitable adjunct of the television age, in India they have become more inevitable than most. The Gang of Four (Jairam Ramesh, Arun Jaitley, Sitaram Yechury and Amar Singh) have become such permanent fixtures on talk shows that it's difficult to tell whether they are coming or going. Their appearance on our screens is somewhat akin to walk-in interviews. Saves TV companies the bother of looking for the right candidates.

Beti Noire: The one thing that the Opposition fears most, as in Priyanka Gandhi. Her recent political forays and the fact that her official debut may be just a CWC resolution away have added more weight to the meaning. Noire is she likely to refuse.

Coup de Grace: Originally meant to describe the final blow, as in the death of democracy. Used by all countries except Pakistan where it is used as a uniformly acceptable phrase to describe a military takeover.

Supercyclone: Phrase employed by weathermen and opposing cricket sides to describe the experience of being battered and blown away by a phenomenon known as Tendulkar. Also, because of his size, referred to as the El Nino Effect.

Skinflick: Original use was pornographic in nature. Now used to describe any Bollywood movie since instead of the heroine showing lots of chest, it's now the hero who does that.

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