Word of the Week: Idiosyncrasy

by Naomi L. | July 7, 2014 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Look, you do understand that Sheldon really doesn’t care when he gets the money back. It’s actually one of the few idiosyncrasies that doesn’t make you want to, you know, kill him.

– Leonard Hofstadter, The Big Bang Theory (Season 2, Episode 14 – The Financial Permeability)

Here’s another fun word I learned from The Big Bang Theory. Some time after borrowing money from Sheldon, Penny starts to feel guilty for not yet being able to pay him back, a fact made evident by her increasingly irritable behavior. In an attempt to make her feel better, Leonard reassures her that Sheldon doesn’t mind going an extended period of time without the money he lent her, which, unlike most of his other quirks, is actually a positive one.

An “idiosyncrasy” is a characteristic that’s peculiar to a person, place or thing. The word arose in the early 17th century and was used in the sense of “physical constitution peculiar to an individual”. It is derived from the Greek word idiosunkrasia, which is comprised of three roots: idios “own, private”, sun “with”, and krasis “mixture”.

Aside from its informal uses as a synonym for “peculiarity”, the word “idiosyncrasy” also functions as a medical term to mean “an abnormal physical reaction by an individual to a food or drug”. Of course, this definition would most likely only be useful if you write medical dramas, so if you choose to include the word in your writing, you’ll probably use it in its more common sense. It’s an especially great word to keep in mind if you like to write eccentric characters, so have fun throwing plenty of “idiosyncrasies” into your stories!

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

Word of the Week: Elucidate

by Naomi L. | June 30, 2014 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

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?

Word of the Week: Posit

by Naomi L. | June 23, 2014 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

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?

Word of the Week: Reciprocate

by Naomi L. | June 16, 2014 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Here’s another of my favorite words. Unlike several others featured in my vocabulary segment, this is one I use all the time. It may be partly the sound of the word “reciprocate” that I like, but I think I appreciate it mostly for its connection to Math (a subject that I always loved in school). I was using the related word “reciprocal” in mathematical contexts long before I learned the similar verb that could be used in my other passion of storytelling, and you can only imagine how my writing took off when I finally discovered it.

To “reciprocate” a gesture is to return it in equal measure, while to “reciprocate” someone’s emotions is to feel the same way about that person as they feel about you. The word comes from the Latin verb reciprocare, meaning “to move backwards and forwards”. The definition of this word is somewhat easy to remember as it contains the roots re- “back” and pro- “forth”.

I usually use the word “reciprocate” to indicate the returning of a gesture from one character to another, the gesture in most cases being a smile. Of course, I’ve also found a place for it in romantic stories for characters who share equal feelings toward each other. Apparently, the word also works as an adjective in the form “reciprocating” to describe a part of a machine that moves backward and forward in a straight line, but I much prefer it as a verb. It’s a good word to keep in mind if you write plenty of interactions, so use it well along with all the others, and your readers will be more likely to “reciprocate” the respect you show them by giving them a good story to enjoy!

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

Word of the Week: Sagacious

by Naomi L. | June 9, 2014 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Time to draw another word from the flashcard stack. Like others previously mentioned in my vocabulary segment, this one had me stumped the first time I read it even though it really shouldn’t have. I don’t remember what definitions I may have initially guessed, but I do remember thinking how simple it should have been to get it right once I recognized its similarity to the word “sage” (not the herb, the other meaning).

A “sagacious” person is someone who has a sharp mind and generally shows good judgment. The word arose in the 17th century, possibly as the adjective form of the noun “sagacity” (“keenness of perception”). These words stem from the Latin adjective sagax, meaning “wise” or “perceptive”.

I haven’t yet worked the word “sagacious” into one of my stories, not because it’s never accurately described any of my characters, but because I haven’t yet felt that it fits the tone of my writing. Maybe it’s just me trying to avoid flowery prose, but I often consider this word an unnecessarily sophisticated synonym for the word “wise”. Still, I suppose it could be used to describe a specific type of person, possibly someone who’s both wise and sharp-witted, so it’s certainly worth noting if you write plenty of intelligent characters. At the very least, a wise choice of words will help you come across as “sagacious” to your readers!

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