'Kochappan, the colonial cousin'

What can one expect of a day which begins with getting up in the morning !!!.

I didnot expect anything in the day except the prospect of speaking to my 'colonial cousin'

Kochappan (because of his British English) before the day expires.I managed to do that, and an arguement ensued.

' Do 'expire and 'die' mean the same.? was my query. I knew that they meant the same and I was going to win it.

Yet one cant be sure with Kochapps.

He explained " when a person has expired he has expelled the air from his lungs for the last time. when you die you cease to live; all signs of life cease to exist. They can be used with things as well.when something expires it's ending is usually gradual and is expected.When something dies it can be sudden and unexpected."

" That's why your driving license expires and not dies , your contract expired and not died.

That's why Diana prefered to 'die in the accident' and not expire and Mahatma Gandhi and the smile on his face died together when he was shot; the smile didnot wait to expire till he died ".

He gave me one of those 'do-you-get-that-you moron' look. and added the last words for the day ; " to die '' is less formal and to 'expire' is more literary.

Throughout my walk back home I was wondering which would be the better one for me :

' the 'less formal' one or the ' literary ' one'.

menon (aniyan)