Word of the Week: Acerbic

by Naomi L. | July 28, 2014 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Today’s vocabulary word is another one pulled from the flashcard pile, but that’s the most common place I’ve ever seen it. Truth be told, I can’t actually recall reading the word “acerbic” in a story before (not that I don’t believe I have, but if I ever did, it’s been a long time since). However, I did see it come up several times while studying vocabulary, and since I found it interesting, I decided it was worth adding it to the list.

“Acerbic” speech is that which is straightforward, presumably to the point of being bitter and harsh. In its archaic or technical sense, “acerbic” indicates a sour or bitter taste. The word supposedly arose in the mid 19th century and comes from the Latin adjective acerbus, meaning “sour-tasting”.

Though I’m still unfamiliar with the word in fiction, I have seen various dictionary examples of “acerbic” being used to describe a particularly sharp manner such as wit or attitude. I’ve also seen it used once as an adjective to directly describe a person, though I can’t yet be sure this is correct. Given that its definition regarding sour taste is considered archaic, you’re most likely to encounter it in its more abstract sense. Keep the word “acerbic” in mind if you like to write characters with brutally sharp wits!

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

Word of the Week: Lackadaisical

by Naomi L. | July 21, 2014 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Today’s Word of the Week was suggested by my best friend, who used to work with someone who said it all the time. Apparently he’s a big fan of amusing words, and “lackadaisical” certainly fits into that group. I mean, come on, it has the word “daisy” in it! “Lacka-daisy-cal”! Try and tell me that’s not just a little funny. But what’s even funnier is how well it seems to match its definition.

Describing someone or something as “lackadaisical” indicates a lack of determination and enthusiasm. The word is derived from the archaic interjection “lackaday” or “lackadaisy”, alternative forms of the exclamation “alack-a-day” (“an expression of regret or dismay”). This expression contains the root noun/verb “lack” (“the state of being without or not having enough of something”), which possibly stems from the Dutch and German noun lak “deficiency”.

Speaking as someone who has never used the word “lackadaisical” before, I would probably try to work it into a context where I wanted laziness to come across as something funny. It seems like a word that would fit perfectly in humorous writing, so it’s definitely one I’d keep in mind for comedy. If you enjoy writing silly stories about lazy characters, “lackadaisical” is the perfect word for you!

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

Word of the Week: Extrapolate

by Naomi L. | July 14, 2014 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

I’m going with a more scientific word this week. Though I rarely see it in fiction, the word “extrapolate” does come up in a lot of the academic papers I read. It’s a verb that defines a practice many scientists adopt: to draw conclusions about unknown situations based on data previously collected from similar scenarios. Think of it as a fancy word for “guesstimate”. It may not sound very scientific when you put it like that, but it’s immensely helpful when constructing theories, and you’d be surprised how often we rely on this method to make sense of the world around us.

To “extrapolate” information is to extend it to theoretical scenarios in order to estimate potential results, based on the assumption that the same methods will continue to be applicable in similar situations. The word is a combination of the Latin preposition extra “outside” and a shortened form of the verb “interpolate” (“insert between fixed points”). The latter word contains the root verb polire, which means “to polish”.

You’d probably get the most use out of “extrapolate” if you write a lot of scientific language; in mathematics, for instance, it indicates the extension of data by inferring unknown values from existing trends. In fiction, it may work as a partial synonym for “estimate”, though this would likely still depend heavily on context. I don’t recall reading the latter use very often, but it’s your call whether “extrapolate” can work as a suitable verb in your stories. You may never use it for your own writing, but at least now you’ll know what it means if you ever happen to read a scientific article!

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

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?