Word of the Week: Elucidate

Word: elucidate

Pronunciation: i-LOO-si-dayt

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: make (something) clear; explain

Source: Oxford Dictionaries


This week, I decided to share a verb taken from my experience as a Biology student. There isn’t much I can say about the word “elucidate”, except that it’s one I see quite a bit in academic writing. I was actually inspired to include it in my vocabulary segment after recently reading it yet again in a scientific paper, as I feel it’s a word that has potential to work equally well in fiction.

To “elucidate” something is to explain it or make it clear. The word comes from the Latin verb elucidare, which means “enlighten”. This verb is comprised of two roots: the preposition ex “out” and the adjective lucidus “clear”.

“Elucidate” may be one of those unnecessarily advanced synonyms for a common word, or at least that’s my impression of it. I rarely see it outside of academic texts, as most other cases in which it might work tend to use simpler terms such as “explain” or “make clear” instead. Still, you may be able to fit this less common word into your stories, particularly if you write intelligent characters who use advanced vocabulary. As long as you’re able to “elucidate” the meaning within your writing on the first try, you should be fine!

What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?

What I Miss About You

You may think
I have a dozen reasons
Not to miss you.
You may think
We’ve grown apart,
That I don’t think of you often,
That I no longer care.

But the truth is that
For every reason I may have
Not to miss you
Now and then,
I have a dozen more
To miss you like crazy
Every day.

I miss your sharp wit
That never failed
To make us laugh.
I miss your beautiful face
That always made the room
A little brighter.
I miss your clever projects
That kept us entertained
For hours on end.
I miss your caring nature
That made the rest of us
Feel so loved.

I miss the time we used to spend
Watching dozens of funny videos.
I miss the nights we used to stay up
Talking and laughing.
I miss the games we used to play,
The songs we used to sing,
The stories we used to tell
Of the life we had growing up.

But most of all,
I miss knowing that nearby,
I always have my lifelong friend.

Know that I wish you all the best
In your life out there,
And always remember that
No matter where you are,
I miss you every day,
And I love you.


Happy Birthday to my awesome little sister! Wishing you the very best on your special day and in everything you do in life! Miss you so much! I love you!

Why Grandparents Make Excellent Storytellers

Today I’d like to pay tribute to two wonderful people who are very special to me. They have loved and supported me my entire life, and I’m so grateful for everything they’ve done for me. So to honor them both, here’s my take on why grandparents can be such great sources of stories and creative inspiration. Happy Birthday, Grandma and Grandpa! I love you both so much!

Why Grandparents Make the Best Storytellers

Grandpa and Grandma - Romeo and Juliet1) They literally have a lifetime of experience to share. A key ingredient to good storytelling is experience. That’s why when writers haven’t been through certain situations firsthand, they research accounts from people who have. Fortunately, some of us are lucky enough to have excellent sources right in our own families, and those are usually the people who have been through the most in life. Grandparents have decades of experience to share, and that adds up to a lifetime of interesting stories (to cite examples from my family, my maternal grandmother was a ballet dancer and my late paternal grandfather was a WWII veteran). You may have a goldmine of creative ideas among your own relatives, so why wouldn’t you want to take advantage of that?

2) They’re living witnesses to how quickly times change. “When I was your age” seems to be a favorite phrase of many elders, and while young people have a tendency to take it for granted, it’s definitely one of those sentence starters that shouldn’t be ignored. History has never changed at such an accelerated pace as it has in the last couple of centuries, to the point where there are references that only people who grew up in a specific decade will understand (I myself am one of the “’90s kids”). That’s why the longer someone has lived, the more they can testify to how quickly times change. So once in a while, stop and listen to what your grandparents have to say about how the world was when they were young. You’re bound to learn about realities you never even imagined!

3) Their stories come with valuable advice. The best stories are those with lessons that can be applied to real life, and grandparents are full of wisdom just waiting to be imparted. Even if they aren’t applicable to your writing, you’re still likely to find a good moral or two by which to live your life. On top of enlightening you about the past, your grandparents can also teach you how to make the most of your future!

4) They’re comfortable with their audience. Isn’t it wonderful when a storyteller is so close with their audience that there are no inhibitions when it comes to sharing a tale? This seems to happen most frequently among family members. Elders often seem eager to pass their knowledge on to younger generations, and anyone patient enough to listen will likely find that this makes for some pretty good storytelling. Grandchildren, remember: if nothing else, you can always appreciate the joy your grandparents feel when telling you their stories!

5) They tell their stories with love! If there’s one thing grandparents have plenty to give, it’s unconditional love! All the stories and wisdom they share with their grandchildren are told with good intentions; they want their loved ones to learn as much as possible about life and to succeed in the world. You should always respect your elders, but especially your grandparents. If they enjoy talking to you and spend hours telling you stories, it’s because they love you!

Are your grandparents still around? Do (or did) you enjoy listening to their stories? What have you learned from them?

Word of the Week: Posit

Word: posit

Pronunciation: PAH-zit

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: assume as a fact; put forward as a basis of argument

Source: Oxford Dictionaries


Sheldon: Is anyone else troubled by the Spiderman theme song?

Leonard: Why would it trouble you? […]

Sheldon: […] the Spiderman lyrics posit that “Spiderman, Spiderman, does whatever a spider can.”

Howard: Yeah, so?

Sheldon: I can think of many things Spiderman can’t do that a spider can.

The Big Bang Theory (Season 6, Episode 10 – The Fish Guts Displacement)

Here’s another word that I learned from a flashcard and first heard in context on The Big Bang Theory. While hanging out with his friends, Sheldon points out the major flaw in the Spiderman theme song: its assertion that Spiderman is capable of every feat possible to a spider. By subsequently listing examples of feats that only a spider could do – crawl into a person’s ear and die; legally leave Guatemala without a passport; and of course, copulate with a spider – he proves why the lyrics incorrectly state Spiderman’s complete similarity to spiders as fact (I’m sure we could all come up with a lot more examples if we tried, but let’s just focus on learning a new word for now).

To “posit” a statement is to put it forward as a fact or a basis of argument. The word arose in the mid 17th century and is based on the Latin root posit- “placed”. The participle positus is derived from the verb ponere, meaning “to place”.

Note that there are alternative definitions for the verb “posit”. According to Oxford Dictionaries, it can also mean “put in position” or “place”, while to “posit something on” is to “base something on the truth of a particular assumption”. In Philosophy, the word also functions as a noun to mean “a statement made on the assumption that it will prove to be true”. In any case, the definitions you’re most likely to come across have to do with stating something as fact, so keep this in mind if you decide to work “posit” into your stories. If you write characters who tend to assume things as truth, you can definitely get a lot of use out of this word!

What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?

Crash

Out
Keys
Click
Open
Sit
Shut
Turn
Start
Go

Cruising
Calm
Light
Yellow
Slow
Red
Stop
Wait

Green
Move
Hurry
Cross
Blind
Speeding
Screech

Ram
Spinning
Screaming
Flipping
Halt
Stunned

Pain
Ringing
Bleeding
Broken
Trapped

Panting
Listen
Sirens
Cry

Blurring
Fading
Whisper

Darkness
Help…

Silence.

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