Words in the News: Whinge

After more snow left drivers stranded and roads impassable, Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon told motorists to stop whingeing, reports the Daily Mail: 

Suffering motorists were told to ‘stop whingeing’ by the Transport Secretary yesterday as the country slithered through a fifth day of snow chaos.

In an astonishing outburst, Geoff Hoon said drivers had only themselves to blame for the struggle to get around. 

Mr Hoon, who has come under fire himself for failing to ensure there was enough grit on the roads, insisted motorists were ill-prepared for the conditions and suggested they fork out £54 on snow chains to ensure their tyres could grip.

He demanded: ‘Why has nobody got snow chains and why are you all whingeing about what the Government hasn’t done? 

‘If you live in the Alps you have snow chains in the back of your car. So why have none of you intelligent, capable people got chains?’ Read full story >>

Vocabulary notes

1. If you say that someon is whingeing, you mean that they are complaining in an annoying way about something unimportant: Head of energy provider EDF, Vincent de Rivaz, has told critics of nuclear to stop whingeing about the company's £12.4bn takeover of British Energy. 

2. Australians often refer to the English as whingeing poms (especially when England loses at cricket).
3. Whine is a synonym for whinge: Stop whining and take charge of your life.