Treading on thin ice

Why do we boast when our achievements are limited? Why do we opt for the hyperbolic when the comparative would be more appropriate?

When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.” “The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.” “The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master — that’s all.”

In our system the masters are clearly politicians. Last Monday, Power Minister R K Singh tweeted: “We have electrified all the villages”. The Prime Minister was more precise and careful. He claimed: “Every single village of India now has access to electricity”. Unfortunately, neither was