Tricky Words in this week's OVI

Agenda. This is a typical example of a Latin word used in Slovak and in English, but in different ways. The original meaning is "things needing to be done", but in the modern sense it's a singular word, a collection of tasks. The English "agenda" is a list of topics to be discussed at a formal meeting, for example a corporate board meeting, an annual general meeting of shareholders, or a council meeting, whether it's a local, town, regional or national council (parliament) session.
The members receive copies of the agenda before each meeting, so that they can properly prepare themselves for it. That was the meaning I was always familiar with, and I was surprised when I had to go the police in Košice to register as a foreigner (an alien - and this was nearly 20 years ago!) and the sign over the entrance said "Cudzinecká agenda". It makes sense if you think about all the things which need to be done with foreigners. Otherwise, if you want to say "To nie je aktuálne" in English, you could say "That's not on the agenda".

Andy's Wordshop

Wishing all our readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!