The Meaning of Headlines: 'tapping into'

The Meaning of Headlines: 'tapping into' - wine

The International New York Times, in its Food section, on June 11, 2015, included the headline, ‘Tapping Into the Potential of Falanghina.’ What does ‘tapping into’ mean?

Falanghina is a grape variety from the Campania region of southern Italy, with two genetically distinct varieties: falanghina beneventana and falanghina flegrea. The article continues to describe these varieties and a wine panel tasting session.

MacMillion Dictionary online defines ‘tap into’ as ‘to understand and express something such as people’s beliefs or attitudes.’ The Free Dictionary online defines ‘tapping’ as ‘the act of a person or thing that taps or strikes lightly’ but the idiom (a phrase or expression) ‘tapping into’ is ‘to gain access to some resource.’

In the wine industry, wine kegs (barrels) are also known as wine taps. This is where the phrase, ‘wine on tap’ or ‘beer on tap’ comes from – bar tenders pour the beverage from a tap (a faucet) from a stainless steel (metal) keg instead of from a bottle. In the metal kegs, the aging process does not occur. To age wine (to improve the quality by enhancing flavour and texture) it is stored in oak barrels. A barrel maker is called a cooper. The barrels have a cork plug, or a tap, to access the wine. For example, falanghina is fermented in wooden barrels.

Lord Horatio Nelson of the British navy died during the Battle of Trafalgar in Spain in 1805. To preserve the admiral’s body so that it could be transported back to England on the ship, Victory, it was immersed in a barrel of alcohol (brandy). When the barrel was opened, there was less than half the amount of brandy remaining, leading some to say that the sailors drank it (despite the dead body in the barrel). This resulted in the phrase ‘tapping the admiral’ to mean getting unauthorized drink from a container (such as siphoning off the alcohol).

The article is about wine and understanding more about the varieties of falanghina.

Scorecard for the International New York Times headline is 95% - it is a relevant headline that is true to its meaning – gaining understanding about something – as well as being related to the wine industry. However, it is an exceptionally common phrase, even if the wine being reviewed is not.

Comments

Pir-E-Kamil - The Perfect Mentor by Umera Ahmed: book review

The Perfect Mentor pbuh (2011) is set in Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan. The novel commences with Imama Mubeen in medical university. She wants to be an eye specialist. Her parents have arranged for her to marry her first cousin Asjad. Salar Sikander, her neighbour, is 18 years old with an IQ of 150+ and a photographic memory. He has long hair tied in a ponytail. He imbibes alcohol, treats women disrespectfully and is generally a “weird chap” and a rude, belligerent teenager. In the past three years he has tried to commit suicide three times. He tries again. Imama and her brother, Waseem, answer the servant’s call to help Salar. They stop the bleeding from his wrist and save his life. Imama and Asjad have been engaged for three years, because she wants to finish her studies first. Imama is really delaying her marriage to Asjad because she loves Jalal Ansar. She proposes to him and he says yes. But he knows his parents won’t agree, nor will Imama’s parents. That

Flaws in the Glass, a self-portrait by Patrick White: book review

The manuscript, Flaws in the Glass (1981), is Patrick Victor Martindale White’s autobiography. White, born in 1912 in England, migrated to Sydney, Australia, when he was six months old. For three years, at the age of 20, he studied French and German literature at King’s College at the University of Cambridge in England. Throughout his life, he published 12 novels. In 1957 he won the inaugural Miles Franklin Literary Award for Voss, published in 1956. In 1961, Riders in the Chariot became a best-seller, winning the Miles Franklin Literary Award. In 1973, he was the first Australian author to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for The Eye of the Storm, despite many critics describing his works as ‘un-Australian’ and himself as ‘Australia’s most unreadable novelist.’ In 1979, The Twyborn Affair was short-listed for the Booker Prize, but he withdrew it from the competition to give younger writers the opportunity to win the award. His autobiography, Flaws in the Glass

Sister cities discussed: Canberra and Islamabad

Two months ago, in March 2015, Australia and Pakistan agreed to explore ways to deepen ties. The relationship between Australia and Pakistan has been strong for decades, and the two countries continue to keep dialogues open. The annual bilateral discussions were held in Australia in March to continue engagements on a wide range of matters of mutual interest. The Pakistan delegation discussed points of interest will include sports, agriculture, economic growth, trade, border protection, business, and education. The possible twinning of the cities of Canberra, the capital of Australia, and Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, were also on the agenda (i.e. called twin towns or sister cities). Sister City relationships are twinning arrangements that build friendships as well as government, business, culture, and community linkages. Canberra currently has international Sister City relationships with Beijing in China and Nara in Japan. One example of existing

FEAST OR FAMINE

Search This Blog