here & there - II

• Patient zero is the first patient who indicates the outbreak of a disease,and may help indicate its source and possible spread.The term was used by Dr William Darrow to refer to the spread of HIV in North America,which showed how patient zero had infected multiple partners with HIV,and how the virus had spread across the world.

• The phrase sweat equity refers to equity shares given to the companys employees on favourable terms,in recognition of their work.With sweat equity,employees become part owners and participate in the profits,apart from earning salaries.The Companies Act defines sweat equity shares as shares issued to employees or directors at a discount,for providing knowhow or making available intellectual property rights or value additions.

• Bakers dozen means 13,instead of 12.The tale behind its origin is that a mediaeval law specified the weight of bread loaves,and any baker who supplied less to a customer was in for dire punishment.So bakers would include a thirteenth loaf with each dozen just to be safe.It is said that during good harvests,bakers sold one excess loaf to middlemen.A bakers dozen takes on importance in large families,where that little extra goes a long way.

• Jovian planets,also known as gas giants,is a collective term for Jupiter,Saturn,Uranus and Neptune.The term Jovian came from planet Jupiter,which describes the other gas giants in our solar system which are like Jupiter.These planets are surrounded by a number of moons and rings and their rotation is faster than terrestrial planets.