crystalline

adj. made of crystal, crystal-like, opaque

The key to pushing the technology is a fluid immersion process for conducting light onto material that is etched to form a circuit pattern. Researchers discovered they could enhance the resolving power of a light source by using a lens made from crystalline quartz material.

[ Reprieve for Moore's Law ]

cheeky

A tribute for dead siblings Abby and Shane Hirst from their mother and her partner in today's Sunraysia Daily read: "Ab, we shared so much together, be it our love of dogs and sport, or our grumpy little days, one thing we will really miss is seeing your cheeky grin."

"Shaney, my little man of the house, you tried so hard to be the best you could be, even though a lot of the time we disagreed. You will always be my special little man."

[ 'We'll miss your cheeky grin' ]

precinct

AUSTRALIA'S largest convention centre will be built in Melbourne within three years as part of a $1 billion "mini-city" along the Yarra River.

The bold precinct will include a five-star Hilton hotel, 40 apartments, offices and shops in what Premier Steve Bracks yesterday described as the biggest urban renewal project on a single site ever undertaken in Victoria.

[ $1bn mini-city along the Yarra ]

convene

v. assemble; gather

INFLATION will remain low and investment attractive as business spending replaces easing household demand, says Reserve Bank deputy governor Glenn Stevens.

Mr Stevens, speaking at a seminar convened by the Institute of Chartered Accountants, said continued demand for resources, increased business investment, strong profits and low finance contributed to a propitious investment environment.

His comments came as figures showed wage increases were not a threat to inflation and the Australian Stock Exchange was at near record highs

[ Higher wages no threat to inflation ]

constituency

n. voting district; voters in a district, electoral district

The national secretary of the CFMEU's construction division, John Sutton, accused the Government of running a de facto guest worker program through its short-stay business visa program. "They've got one set of rhetoric for the public and another for their business constituency," he said.

[ Welcome to Australia - bad luck about your pay ]

relentless

adj. severe, harsh, unrelenting, unyielding

As chip features now approach the fundamental scale limits of individual atoms and molecules, the future of this trend of relentless improvement, referred to as Moore's Law, is in jeopardy, IBM scientists said.

[ Smaller, cheaper, faster chips ]

accrue

v. accumulate, amass, compile; increase; grow

CALLS for longer-term home loans to solve a crisis in housing costs have not yet gained traction in the mortgage industry, according to insiders, but should they become available, borrower beware.

The research says such loans often accrue less interest than their terms suggest because few people hold the loan for its entire term. The research says people typically restructure their mortgages or move to different homes within seven years of the loan's establishment.

[ Borrowers warned over longer-term home loans ]

tally

n. reckoning, score, total; something on which an account or score is kept; mark made to keep record of a number of items

A near-record month for home lending in December has seen the housing and real estate industry turn into 2006 with wind in its sails and record numbers of people taking out loans to buy their own homes.

The Bureau of Statistics reported yesterday that the total amount lent for housing in December was the second highest on record. After seasonal adjustment, Australians borrowed $18.9 billion for housing, up 3 per cent on November's tally, and 11 per cent more than a year ago.

The only month to exceed it was when the rental investment frenzy peaked in October 2003, when investors borrowed $7.5 billion. But, while investor borrowing is now well below those levels, borrowing by owner-occupiers is setting records every month.

[ Housing market is reheating ]

wane

v. diminish; decline; ebb, subside, dwindle; approach the end (of life, a period, etc.)
waning
adj. diminishing (moon); declining; ebbing, subsiding, dwindling; approaching the end (of life, a period, etc.)

The Reserve has not lifted interest rates since last March. With the jobs market waning, some analysts are now suggesting that the next move could be down.

[ Cheap goods keep lid on interest rise ]

log

v. cut down a tree or trees; cut a tree into sections; write in a log, make entries in a journal; travel at a certain speed, travel for a certain period of time

EPA chairman Mick Bourke said the East Gippsland breaches — where timber workers logged more than a hectare of the Errinundra National Park at one site and breached coupe boundaries by a total of nearly 15 hectares at two others — were signs of a systemic problem.

[ Alarm at logging breaches ]

furnish

v. fill a house with furniture and appliances; supply, provide; equip

References and even the phrase "References furnished upon request" are usually omitted. However, before you go on the job market, you should line up your references -- preferably a mix of academic and non-academic ones. Explain what jobs you are seeking and prime them (with a typed list, perhaps) to emphasize your skills and traits appropriate for that work. For the job interview, you might prepare a list of references with contact information, in case employers ask for names.

Trample

Trampling: v. tread heavily or noisily, tread underfoot, crush

In the 1890s, a Frenchman called Edouard Drumont ran a newspaper full of crude caricatures of Jews and articles that railed against their increasing dominance of French and European life, reaching fever pitch during the treason trial of French officer Alfred Dreyfus. Drumont called his paper La Libre Parole - "The Free Speech".

As the Danish cartoon row spreads and editors hurry to wrap themselves in the mantle of Voltaire, it is worth noting that most of civilised Europe today gladly accepts (and in some cases even legislates to preserve) a taboo on the kinds of free speech that Drumont sought to establish.

[ Trampling others' beliefs in defence of yours ]