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looming power crisis

English translation: difference

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:looming power crisis
Selected answer:difference
Entered by: mockingbird (X)

05:59 May 15, 2005
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
English term or phrase: looming power crisis
Does "the looming power crisis" have the same meaning with the "the threat of power crisis"?. btw, i have checked my dictionary and find them rather similar, so i intend to use them interchangably.

The four respondents, who are leaders, members of the House Commission VII of parliament and major factions in the House, see that there is A THREAT OF POWER CRISIS in Indonesia, especially in Java and Bali. They still think that the power sector is still an attractive investment opportunity given a rather huge market share in Indonesia and the availability of raw material for the power plants.
mockingbird (X)
difference
Explanation:
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
loom
INTRANSITIVE VERB: Inflected forms: loomed, loom·ing, looms
1. To come into view as a massive, distorted, or indistinct image: “I faced the icons that loomed through the veil of incense” (Fergus M. Bordewich, Islands August 1989). See synonyms at appear. 2. To appear to the mind in a magnified and threatening form: “Stalin looms over the whole human tragedy of 1930–1933” (Robert Conquest). 3. To seem imminent; impend: Revolution loomed but the aristocrats paid no heed.

ominous. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
...1. Menacing; threatening: ominous black clouds; ominous rumblings of discontent. 2. Of or being an omen, especially an evil one. Latin ominosus, from omen, omin-,...

5) threaten. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
...Inflected forms: threat·ened, threat·en·ing, threat·ens1. To express a threat against. 2. To be a source of danger to; menace. 3. To give signs or warning of; portend....


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Note added at 9 mins (2005-05-15 06:09:17 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

they are similar but not the same; the threat of a power supply crisis exists
a power supply crisis is threatening our country
looming seems more imminent
a threat can be avoided
Selected response from:

RHELLER
United States
Local time: 14:50
Grading comment
well, this is the first one proposed, thanks all
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +9difference
RHELLER
4 +5power crisis that is imminent, waiting to happen
Balasubramaniam L.
4 +2is (virtually) inevitable; threats are not
David Moore (X)


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +9
difference


Explanation:
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
loom
INTRANSITIVE VERB: Inflected forms: loomed, loom·ing, looms
1. To come into view as a massive, distorted, or indistinct image: “I faced the icons that loomed through the veil of incense” (Fergus M. Bordewich, Islands August 1989). See synonyms at appear. 2. To appear to the mind in a magnified and threatening form: “Stalin looms over the whole human tragedy of 1930–1933” (Robert Conquest). 3. To seem imminent; impend: Revolution loomed but the aristocrats paid no heed.

ominous. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
...1. Menacing; threatening: ominous black clouds; ominous rumblings of discontent. 2. Of or being an omen, especially an evil one. Latin ominosus, from omen, omin-,...

5) threaten. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
...Inflected forms: threat·ened, threat·en·ing, threat·ens1. To express a threat against. 2. To be a source of danger to; menace. 3. To give signs or warning of; portend....


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 mins (2005-05-15 06:09:17 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

they are similar but not the same; the threat of a power supply crisis exists
a power supply crisis is threatening our country
looming seems more imminent
a threat can be avoided


    Reference: http://www.bartleby.com/cgi-bin/texis/webinator/sitesearch?F...
RHELLER
United States
Local time: 14:50
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 92
Grading comment
well, this is the first one proposed, thanks all

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  JH Trads: good explanation
0 min
  -> thanks Hugo :-)
agree  giogi: threatening is menacing, looming is impending
2 hrs
  -> thanks Giovanna :-)
agree  Vicky Papaprodromou
3 hrs
  -> thanks Vicky!
agree  Will Matter: Tres bien. The synonyms provided by GR also help clarify the meaning.
7 hrs
  -> merci !
agree  Alfa Trans (X)
8 hrs
  -> thanks Marju :-)
agree  airmailrpl: -
8 hrs
  -> thanks :-)
agree  Can Altinbay: Very nice. Looming can be avoided, too, but it will be more difficult, and we need to take action now.
9 hrs
  -> thanks Can :-)))
agree  Robert Donahue (X)
1 day 8 hrs
agree  conejo
1 day 9 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
power crisis that is imminent, waiting to happen


Explanation:
"looming" means imminent, waiting to happen. The literal meaning, of "looming" is "rising up".

And the imagery in "looming" is to a storm, like a storm rising up in the horizon that you can see much before it strikes you with devastation.

Similarly you can see the crisis that is looming much before it actually falls upon you.

"Threat" (of a power crisis) is a bit different. Threat is issued by someone, an enemy, stiking workers of the power industry, sources of raw material being cut off, etc., whereas looming happens on its own; it is not promoted by any agency. You can do nothing about a looming crisis, but a threat can often be neutralized.

I would advise against using the two interchangeably, they are different.

Balasubramaniam L.
India
Local time: 02:20
Native speaker of: Native in HindiHindi
PRO pts in category: 28

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  giogi: threatening is menacing, looming is impending
1 hr
  -> Thanks
agree  Vicky Papaprodromou
2 hrs
  -> Thanks
agree  Maria Nicholas (X)
6 hrs
  -> Thanks.
agree  airmailrpl: -
7 hrs
  -> Thanks.
agree  Can Altinbay: Very nice. You can do something about a looming crisis, but it's difficult and you have to take drastic measures immediately.
8 hrs
  -> Thanks.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
is (virtually) inevitable; threats are not


Explanation:
As explained elsewhere; I would NOT recommend these are used interchangeably...

David Moore (X)
Local time: 22:50
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 32

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  airmailrpl: I would NOT recommend that these BE used interchangeably...
2 hrs
  -> How right you are....thanks!
agree  Can Altinbay
2 hrs
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