A Word With You
July 19th, 2010
pre·var·i·cate
prɪˈvær ɪˌkeɪt [pri-var-i-keyt]
–verb (used without object), -cat·ed, -cat·ing.
to speak falsely or misleadingly; deliberately misstate or create an incorrect impression; lie.
Origin:
1575–85; < L praevāricātus, ptp. of praevāricārī to straddle something, (of an advocate) collude with an opponent’s advocate, equiv. to prae- pre- + vāricāre to straddle, deriv. of vārus bent outwards, bow-legged
The funny thing is that I was intending to do procrastinate today since that’s what I’ve been doing a lot of lately. Somehow, unbeknownst to me, prevaricate came out instead so I’m going with it.
The thing I find most interesting about this word is its origin. Prevarication has a pretty straightforward definition: you lie! To prevaricate is to deliberately misstate. Don’t you love that? So, if you didn’t actually intend to lie you’re not prevaricating. In any case, back to the origin. To bend backwards or straddle an issue, especially that of an opponent’s advocate, in other words to side with an opponents fan. Which really doesn’t make much sense in and of itself, but also has little to do with the word itself! Okay, so I didn’t have a hand in the dictionary-creation process, but still… Anyway, isn’t it much cooler—and meaner to call someone a prevaricator than just “liar, liar, pants on fire”? Or maybe that’s just me.
Grammar Punk Sentence: T E 4
Stevie has always been adamant about never telling a lie but she is the first to admit to prevaricating on occasion—don’t get me started.
You give it a try. Write a sentence that contains at least 4 words that contain the letters T and E and the word prevaricate or one of its variations.
A Word With You
July 6th, 2010
et·y·mol·o·gy
et-uh-mol-uh-jee
–noun, plural -gies.
1. the derivation of a word.
2. an account of the history of a particular word or element of a word.
3. the study of historical linguistic change, esp. as manifested in individual words.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME < L etymologia < Gk etymología, equiv. to etymológ ( os ) studying the true meanings and values of words ( étymo ( s ) true ( see etymon) + lógos word, reason) + -ia -y3
You know I have to love this word. I’m all about the origin of words. And this is one of my true loves: a word with Greek roots. Etymo = true and logos = reason. The true meaning of a word! I told you roots were cool.
Grammar Punk Sentence
L E 4 Etymology
Uncertain of the precise etymology of the word, Stan was nevertheless entirely enamored of the word calliope; though quite frankly carousel horses creeped him out.
Give it a try! Write a sentence with at least four words that contain the letters L and E and the word etymology.
A Word With You
June 28th, 2010
ped·a·gogue
[ped-uh-gog, -gawg]
–noun
1.
a teacher; schoolteacher.
2.
a person who is pedantic, dogmatic, and formal.
Also, ped·a·gog .
Origin:
1350–1400; ME pedagoge < L paedagōgus < Gk paidagōgós a boy’s tutor. See ped-1 , -agogue
Now this one has always fascinated—and puzzled—me. I love a dual definition, especially when the two definitions seem to have little to nothing to do with one another. A teacher. A pedantic person. What’s that supposed to mean?! Teachers, especially those tasked with teaching grammar are fun, peppy, fabulous people!
The word began its life as a teacher of boys. Well, duh. Since it originated in the 14th century and boys were pretty much the only ones being educated…don’t get me started. But what does any of that have to do with being pedantic (too concerned with what are thought to be correct rules and details, e.g. in language)? Okay, so maybe it makes a bit more sense. And I must admit that I can be a bit on the pedantic side on occasion. All right, maybe it’s not such a huge mystery after all. Carry on.
Grammar Punk Sentence
P E 3 ( )
Standing in front of the classroom the substitute pedagogue (or substitute teacher to those of lesser gray matter) pinned the rowdy class with a pedantic scowl; they would learn soon enough that she meant business.
Give it a try! Write a Grammar Punk Sentence with at least three words that contain the letters P and E and the punctuation symbol parentheses. The sentence must also include the word pedagogue.
Write your own sentences and share!
A Word With You
June 14th, 2010
Antimacassar
This is a word that immediately transports me to drawing rooms and murder mysteries and a cast of characters gathered to discover whodunit. I’m willing to bet that few of my readers have even heard of this word but if they’ve ever read an Agatha Christie or watched an old Sherlock Holmes movie they would have seen more than a few antimacassars strewn about on the period-piece furnishings.
I love a word that comes with its own mood and setting.
an·ti·ma·cas·sar
ˌæn tɪ məˈkæs ərShow Spelled[an-ti-muh-kas-er] Show IPA
–noun
a small covering, usually ornamental, placed on the backs and arms of upholstered furniture to prevent wear or soiling; a tidy.
Origin:
1850–55; anti- + Macassar (oil)
The word origin really tells the tale. Antimacassars are protective coverings thrown over the back of a chair or the head or cushions of a sofa, coined 1852, from anti- + macassar oil, imported hair tonic from Indonesian island of Sulawesi. The cloth was laid to protect chair and sofa fabric from people leaning their oily heads back against it. The original antimacassars were made of stiff white crochet-work, but later soft, coloured materials, such as embroidered wools or silks, were used. In the 20th century, the use of antimacassars largely died out. Thank goodness for ooze-proof hair gel, huh?
Grammar Punk Sentence: M A 2
Olive eyed the rummage sale items with skepticism; it was obvious someone’s old auntie had died and left a houseful of “treasures” judging by the number of tchotchkes and antimacassars up for sale.
Give it a try. Write a sentence or three that contains 2 words with the letters M and A and also includes the word antimacassar. Better yet, write a cool sentence using a colloquialism of your choice.
A (Slang) Word With You
June 9th, 2010
col·lo·qui·al·ism
kəˈloʊ kwi əˌlɪz əm [kuh-loh-kwee-uh-liz-uh m]
–noun
1.
a colloquial expression.
2.
colloquial style or usage.
Origin:
1800–10; colloquial + -ism
Not only do I love this word, I happen to adore colloquialisms. And loathe them. Simultaneously. More familiarly known as slang, they are after all the beginning of the end of my beloved formal English. That being said, the original English have quite a lovely array of colloquialisms themselves. Maybe not more than we Americans, but it’s close.
I have to complain at this point about the particularly banal colloquialisms that have been springing up. Not only are they banal but they are particularly pedantic in that their creativity depends solely on their obviousness—and their opposition. Sick is good. Gay (using its original meaning: happy, light-hearted) is bad. Sweet is a sign of approval, awesome is used waaaay too much. Told you I don’t usually approve of colloquialisms. The kind I favor are the creative type, clever and colorful ways of making the mundane…magical. Or at least interesting.
Let’s face it, the Brits have it all over us when it comes to colloquialisms. Of course, I’m used to ours, and you know what familiarity breeds… Still, Lollipop Men instead of Crossing Guards? Come on, they have it all over us in the colloquialism department. As well they should, being the Mother of our tongue. So to speak.
I’ll be revisiting this subject and sharing some of the more interesting and memorable colloquialisms from our cousins across the pond as well as our own. So stay tuned.
Grammar Punk Sentence: C O 3
As appreciative as we all were of Oliver’s colorful colloquialisms, oftentimes no one in the office had the first clue what he was talking about.
Give it a try. Write a sentence or three that contains 3 words with the letters C and O and also includes the word colloquialism. Better yet, write a cool sentence using a colloquialism of your choice.
A Word With You
May 17th, 2010
Münch·hau·sen
Karl Friedrich Hi·e·ro·ny·mus kɑrl ˈfri drɪx ˌhi eɪˈroʊ nüˌmʊsShow Spelled[kahrl free-drikh hee-ey-roh-ny-moo s] \
720–97, German soldier, adventurer, and teller of tales.
English, Mun·chau·sen
Munchausen
in allusion to unbelievable stories (1850) is in reference to Baron Karl Friedrich Hieronymus von Münchhausen (1720-1797), Ger. adventurer who served in the Russian army against the Turks; wildly exaggerated exploits attributed to him are told in the 1785 English book “Baron Munchausen, Narrative of his Marvellous Travels,” written by Rudolph Erich Raspe (1734-1794).
Sounds harmless enough, right? This is a perfect example of a word added to our language. It’s also a great example of a word that brings an immediate visceral reaction—pretty good for a guy who’s been dead for more than 250 years.
In case you’re not a fan of television medical dramas or any of the Law and Orders (HUGE fan here), you may not have heard of Munchausen Syndrome or the even creepier, Munchausen By Proxy Syndrome.
Here’s what the medical sites have to say: Patients who present with overt symptoms who subsequently prove to have factitious disease are particularly challenging to physicians. Munchausen syndrome is distinguished from other factitious diseases by the lack of secondary gain. The patient’s reason for engaging in deception is not to escape some consequence in life. Instead, the patient suffers from an apparent deep-seated need to be sick; a need which can impel the sufferer to injure or poison themselves in an effort to sustain the illusion of organic illness.
Richard Asher coined the eponym in 1951. Asher named the syndrome after Karl Friedrich Hieronymus, Baron Munchausen (1720-1797), a man who traveled widely and was renowned in his time for telling fantastic and exaggerated stories about his life.1
Which means, in a nutshell, people who suffer from these syndromes take hypochondria several scary steps further.
Give it a try. Share your sentence with us. Make sure it contains 2 words with the letters M and E and the word Munchausen.
Grammar Punk Sentence:
M E 2
Listening to Aunt Celia’s litany of imaginary ailments, Gerald couldn’t help but wonder if there wasn’t a Munchausen or two in the family tree.
A Word With You
May 11th, 2010
matriculate
muh-TRIK-yuh-leyt verb;
1.
To enroll in a college or university as a candidate for a degree.
2.
To register (a coat of arms), used esp. in Scottish heraldry.
Origin:
1480–90 for earlier sense; < ML mātrīculātus (person) listed (for some specific duty), equiv. to mātrīcul(a) list (see matriculant) + -ātus -ate1
It doesn’t seem possible that it is nearly graduation time again. Unless of course you’re the one graduating then it probably feels as if this time of year would never arrive. For those about to matriculate, we salute you! For those who have successfully matriculated we congratulate you. And for those who matriculated long ago (or not so long ago) aren’t you glad you’re done?
We’d like to remind all you college teachers out there that Grammar Punk isn’t just for K-12 studies. We know how many English freshmen and sophomores show up who can’t remember for the life of them (or never quite learned) all those pesky parts of speech and punctuation rules, or who need a refresher to strengthen their writing skills. Grammar Punk is the answer. Our 9-12 program is in use in many college classrooms and our GP Creative writing course is a great addition as well.
And for those would-be, wanna-be writers on your graduation list our “new and expanded” Constructing Writers Kit comes complete with a 120 page booklet and over 120 cards! and a timer. Check us out at: www.grammarpunk.com !
Grammar Punk Sentence: M A 4
Viewing her imminent term of matriculation with a nauseating combination of dread and zeal, Jacobia slung her backpack over her shoulder, straightened her blazer, and set off for culinary school; she’d show those naysayers who pooh-poohed her chocolate-marshmallow-yam layer cake!
Give it a try. Write a sentence with 4 words with the letters M and A and including the word matriculation.
A Word With You
May 3rd, 2010
neo·lith·ic
Pronunciation: \ˌnē-ə-ˈli-thik\
Function: adjective
Date: 1865
1 capitalized : of or relating to the latest period of the Stone Age characterized by polished stone implements
2 : belonging to an earlier age and now outmoded
Old and new in the same word, you gotta know I’d love this one. And since I’ve been harping on prefixes, let’s look at neo. For those of you fond of The Matrix (and who isn’t?!) my mind leaps to Keanu in black, dodging bullets and saving the universe. For the rest of you, neo means “new” or as in Neolithic, the latest. The latest part of the Stone Age. Cool word any way you look at it.
And like all cool words it can also make a good insult, a stylish way of telling someone their old and stodgy and out of touch. So the next time your Great Aunt Estelle sends you an crocheted toilet paper cover you can tell her you love it, even if it is a tad Neolithic. That should put her crochet needle back in the hall closet where it belongs.
Give it a try. Share your sentence with us. Make sure it contains 4 words with the letters T and I, a semicolon, a pronoun and the word Neolithic.
Grammar Punk Sentence: T I 4 ; Pronoun
Chantal refused to apologize for the Neolithic state of her wardrobe; she loved the sixties and knew it was merely a matter of time before the items were back in style.
A Word With You
March 1st, 2010
ich·thy·ol·o·gy
ɪk θiˈɒl ə dʒi [ik-thee-ol-uh-jee]
noun
the branch of zoology dealing with fishes.
Origin:
1640–50; ichthyo- + -logy
[Latin, from Greek ikhthuo-, from ikhthūs, fish.]
You’ve gotta love a word that simply means what it means. This is a great word to know when it comes to trivia games and watching Jeopardy. The study of fish. That’s it, that’s what that big old word means. An ichthyologist is a person who is involved in the study of fish. Yet how much more important, interesting, even exotic does it sound to say, “I’m an ichthyologist!” It’s a great word to add to your vocabulary arsenal.
Grammar Punk Sentence
G I 2 ; Adv. Ichthyologist
Marching up to the podium, Clyde eagerly reached for the diploma; finally, he was an official ichthyologist, proving them all wrong.
Share your sentence with us. Make sure it contains 3 words with the letters G and I and the word ichthyology or one of its derivatives.
A Word With You
January 25th, 2010
Dra⋅co⋅ni⋅an
dreɪˈkoʊ ni ən,drə- [drey-koh-nee-uh n, druh-]
–adjective
|
1. |
of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Draco or his code of laws. |
|
2. |
(often lowercase ) rigorous; unusually severe or cruel: Draconian forms of punishment. |
Also, Draconic.
Origin: < L < Gk drákōn dragon
draconian
What a cool word, to say aloud as well as write. Yet another word that looks and sounds like its meaning. And this one has an interesting little history all its own. Named after Draco, a
late 7th-century b.c. Athenian statesman noted for the severity of his code of laws. Apparently, old Draco favored the death penalty for pretty much anything above jaywalking. According to Plutarch, It is said that Drakon himself, when asked why he had fixed the punishment of death for most offences, answered that he considered these lesser crimes to deserve it, and he had no greater punishment for more important ones.
Draco is also Greek for dragon, a constellation in the northern part of the sky, a dwarf galaxy orbiting our galaxy, the Milky Way, and a genus of gliding lizards. Pretty cool for a word that isn’t used all that often. And should be.
Share your sentence with us. Make sure it contains 5 words with the letters D and A and the word draconian or one of its derivatives.
Grammar Punk Sentence
D A 5 Adj.
Gathering in an angry knot of discontent, the hedgehogs prepared to protest the draconian attitude demonstrated by the aardvarks.