A few weeks ago, I asked you to tell me the meaning of the Word of the Week, tergiversation—a word with two related meanings. Here was your hint:
"It's not uncommon for politicians to talk around a topic, making an art of tergiversation in answer to a question, especially on controversial subjects." Also: "Senator Arlen Specter has been accused of selling out to the highest-voting bidder after his tergiversation of the Republican Party."
Fellini69 took a stab at the meaning and got one half of the answer correct, winning a free hour of speech coaching. Here was her response:
"With the first example I thought, being intentionally vague, talking around something. The second example threw me and I thought perhaps it meant saying what one assumes others prefer to hear. So I looked it up on Merriam. I was partially correct :) As far etymology goes, the depth of my answer ends with assuming the roots are related to conversation."
Being "intentionally vague" is indeed one example of tergiversation. Its etymology comes from the French tergiverser, a verb meaning "to delay or hesitate" (according to Merriam-Webster.com).
Who can guess the secondary meaning of tergiversation? There is still one more week before the contest runs out on Monday, July 6, and one more open winner's spot. Remember, there's no such thing as cheating: It's perfectly legitimate to look the info. up, provided you share your source with us. So, don't tergiversate! Play the game and win today!
(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
Jun 29, 2009
Jun 26, 2009
WEEKLY UPDATE: Speaking Truly with Barbara J. Henry
This week, my guest blogger, "Journal Lady" Barbara J. Henry, got me reflecting over some embarrassing communication moments. One that quickly springs to mind and brings a smile to my lips is one I merely overheard:
A friend was checking his messages as I waited in the next room to give him privacy. After at least 3 solid minutes, I realized I'd been hearing a steady drone in the same tone of voice wafting down the hall. I couldn't help myself, but had to burst into his study to ask, "I'm sorry, but is that all one message?"
My friend laughed so hard he snorted, and replied, "Honestly, if this guy doesn't take up the entire machine tape, this'll be a shorter message from him than usual!"
Some people have a very hard time organizing their thoughts (this particular caller was narrating his every move as he ambled through the reason for his call, jumping from subject to subject and failing miserably at staying focused). If you suffer this same dilemma, jotting down notes before making a call or composing a text-based message may help you hone what you want to say, and stay on track.
Ask yourself:
1) Who am I to this person? (Even a quick note to a friend should include a polite identifier; when I call my sister, I still say, "Hi, Sis!" immediately.)
2) What do I want from this person? (For example: "I'm calling to see if you want to go to the movies this Friday.")
3) When, where & how can we connect in the future? (Say, "You can reach me at home or leave a message on my cell" to someone who already has your contact info.; or to a new/formal contact, be sure to speak slowly and repeat your primary phone number.)
For tips on paring down more intimate messages between romantic partners, see my guest post to Barbara's blog.
(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
A friend was checking his messages as I waited in the next room to give him privacy. After at least 3 solid minutes, I realized I'd been hearing a steady drone in the same tone of voice wafting down the hall. I couldn't help myself, but had to burst into his study to ask, "I'm sorry, but is that all one message?"
My friend laughed so hard he snorted, and replied, "Honestly, if this guy doesn't take up the entire machine tape, this'll be a shorter message from him than usual!"
Some people have a very hard time organizing their thoughts (this particular caller was narrating his every move as he ambled through the reason for his call, jumping from subject to subject and failing miserably at staying focused). If you suffer this same dilemma, jotting down notes before making a call or composing a text-based message may help you hone what you want to say, and stay on track.
Ask yourself:
1) Who am I to this person? (Even a quick note to a friend should include a polite identifier; when I call my sister, I still say, "Hi, Sis!" immediately.)
2) What do I want from this person? (For example: "I'm calling to see if you want to go to the movies this Friday.")
3) When, where & how can we connect in the future? (Say, "You can reach me at home or leave a message on my cell" to someone who already has your contact info.; or to a new/formal contact, be sure to speak slowly and repeat your primary phone number.)
For tips on paring down more intimate messages between romantic partners, see my guest post to Barbara's blog.
(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
Jun 24, 2009
SENDING CLEAR MESSAGES by Barbara J. Henry
We are living in the most technologically advanced period the world has ever known, and it is going to get better. The World Wide Web, e-mails, text messages, and instant messages, for example, have all done their part in bridging the communication gap between us. No matter where we happen to live in the world, we have, in many ways, become next-door neighbors: In a matter of seconds, depending upon the speed of our computer, we can travel the globe and get anything desired, all with the click of a mouse.
Communicating today is almost effortless, and even the telephone has been impacted to such a degree that it has become a virtual office. With so many ways to communicate, I wonder how concerned we are about how we say what we say?
What I mean is this: How much time do we spend on thinking about or composing our messages before we send them around the corner or around the world? Yes, I know: The new technology has developed a language of its own, but even so, do we make sure that we are using the language in a way that best conveys our thoughts? And when our messages, (text, twittered, instant or e-mailed) are received, do they express our intentions in the best way possible?
Let’s take a look at three of the more popular ways to communicate today to answer these questions.
Telephone: Does the receiver of your call know exactly what to do as a result of your message, assuming he or she is not available to answer the phone? Do you pace your speech or talk slowly enough for him or her to write your number, if your message asks for a return call?
E-Mail: Do you check your messages to find and correct errors in spelling and grammar before you hit send?
Text Message: Do you, considering the limited number of characters with which you have to work, choose the best combinations that most accurately convey your ideas in the clearest way possible?
Communicating has been taken to an unusually sophisticated level as a result of our modern technology, but we must still be concerned about how we correspond with each other, since we, too, are improving and experiencing personal growth, right along with technology.
ABOUT THE WRITER: Barbara J. Henry is a published author (Journaling: Twenty Plus Reasons Why You Should Start Now), personal development expert, and avid reader of books on self-growth, self-help, and spirituality—which are the subjects of her blog. Because she has journaled every single day since June of 1995, she describes herself as “the journaling lady.” Visit her website; go to the Titles/Products Page and download a free copy of her very effective tip sheet “9 Write Ways to Solve Problems.”
Communicating today is almost effortless, and even the telephone has been impacted to such a degree that it has become a virtual office. With so many ways to communicate, I wonder how concerned we are about how we say what we say?
What I mean is this: How much time do we spend on thinking about or composing our messages before we send them around the corner or around the world? Yes, I know: The new technology has developed a language of its own, but even so, do we make sure that we are using the language in a way that best conveys our thoughts? And when our messages, (text, twittered, instant or e-mailed) are received, do they express our intentions in the best way possible?
Let’s take a look at three of the more popular ways to communicate today to answer these questions.
Telephone: Does the receiver of your call know exactly what to do as a result of your message, assuming he or she is not available to answer the phone? Do you pace your speech or talk slowly enough for him or her to write your number, if your message asks for a return call?
E-Mail: Do you check your messages to find and correct errors in spelling and grammar before you hit send?
Text Message: Do you, considering the limited number of characters with which you have to work, choose the best combinations that most accurately convey your ideas in the clearest way possible?
Communicating has been taken to an unusually sophisticated level as a result of our modern technology, but we must still be concerned about how we correspond with each other, since we, too, are improving and experiencing personal growth, right along with technology.
ABOUT THE WRITER: Barbara J. Henry is a published author (Journaling: Twenty Plus Reasons Why You Should Start Now), personal development expert, and avid reader of books on self-growth, self-help, and spirituality—which are the subjects of her blog. Because she has journaled every single day since June of 1995, she describes herself as “the journaling lady.” Visit her website; go to the Titles/Products Page and download a free copy of her very effective tip sheet “9 Write Ways to Solve Problems.”
Jun 22, 2009
WORD OF THE WEEK: Punctilious People
Over the weekend, I was buying some last-minute Father's Day cards for the men in my family. A crowd swarmed around me at the discount bin: other vultures like myself, preying on the carcasses of greeting card leftovers. Eventually, the jostling dwindled down to two: another woman and me. We picked up card after card, unfolding, reading, then refolding and replacing; picky, persistent, and punctilious.
"Look at this!" laughed the woman next to me. I gave a start. After all, this was a stranger, and I was in a hurry, despite my steady pace in reviewing the remaining cards.
She held out the card in her hand and let me read it (which I did, reluctantly, so as not to be rude). And there I saw the culprit in her guffawing: a type-o. "You bring so much wamth to my life," the card read. I laughed out loud, too, and said, "Well, I guess that's why it costs $1!"
"I should take it home to my husband, anyway," she confided, her eyes dancing mischievously. "He always reads the newspaper with a pencil in his hand, and circles all the misspellings." And so, a momentary friendship was formed. She found another card with yet another type-o, and shared that with me, as well. We looked at the backs of the cards to see if the same company was to blame for each (it was), and proclaimed that they were sorely in need of a better editor and some product quality control.
I found the cards that fit the occasions, in my estimation, and made my way to my family event. It was a letter-perfect day.
Punctilious: (adj.) careful attention to detail in forms of behavior and etiquette. (Thanks to myDictionary.com for providing this week's word!)
(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
"Look at this!" laughed the woman next to me. I gave a start. After all, this was a stranger, and I was in a hurry, despite my steady pace in reviewing the remaining cards.
She held out the card in her hand and let me read it (which I did, reluctantly, so as not to be rude). And there I saw the culprit in her guffawing: a type-o. "You bring so much wamth to my life," the card read. I laughed out loud, too, and said, "Well, I guess that's why it costs $1!"
"I should take it home to my husband, anyway," she confided, her eyes dancing mischievously. "He always reads the newspaper with a pencil in his hand, and circles all the misspellings." And so, a momentary friendship was formed. She found another card with yet another type-o, and shared that with me, as well. We looked at the backs of the cards to see if the same company was to blame for each (it was), and proclaimed that they were sorely in need of a better editor and some product quality control.
I found the cards that fit the occasions, in my estimation, and made my way to my family event. It was a letter-perfect day.
Punctilious: (adj.) careful attention to detail in forms of behavior and etiquette. (Thanks to myDictionary.com for providing this week's word!)
(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
Jun 19, 2009
WEEKLY UPDATE: Online Connections
I've been talking and talking—and writing—about my revamped website and all of the forthcoming goodies it offers. This week, thanks to the wonderful Stephen Parker of sparker webgroup, all these words became reality when we launched the new website to the world.
KiKiProductionsInc.com offers a number of tools and tips for improving the way you share with the world, by enhancing the way you are seen and heard. Not only can you connect with me directly there to book coaching sessions and public speeches, as well as written work, you can also reserve your spot in a number of online opportunities, like my forthcoming e-book and e-course, "Speak Your Truth."
You might say there are copious resources at your disposal all in one site! Via the new webite, you can connect with me on Facebook and Twitter, and you can connect with many of my affiliates—who are also wonderful wordsmiths, all of them in their own rights.
There's a spiritual side to my work, additionally, that connects people to themselves and others, so that true communication can occur. And that side shines fully through on the new site. Scope it out today, and tell me what you think!
(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
KiKiProductionsInc.com offers a number of tools and tips for improving the way you share with the world, by enhancing the way you are seen and heard. Not only can you connect with me directly there to book coaching sessions and public speeches, as well as written work, you can also reserve your spot in a number of online opportunities, like my forthcoming e-book and e-course, "Speak Your Truth."
You might say there are copious resources at your disposal all in one site! Via the new webite, you can connect with me on Facebook and Twitter, and you can connect with many of my affiliates—who are also wonderful wordsmiths, all of them in their own rights.
There's a spiritual side to my work, additionally, that connects people to themselves and others, so that true communication can occur. And that side shines fully through on the new site. Scope it out today, and tell me what you think!
(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
Jun 17, 2009
TRULY SPEAKING: Last Week's Contest Still Running
If you thought I'd tergiversated on last week's contest, think again! There's still one winner's spot open—and one more word usage left to be guessed. It's okay to cheat in this contest and use an aide (like an online dictionary), especially if you tell on yourself and share that resource with the rest of us!
Congratulations again to Fellini69. To claim your prize—one free hour of speech coaching to work on any communication issue you choose—simply contact me directly at Kealah@KiKiProductionsInc.com.
I'm looking forward to hearing from you, Fellini69. ... And I'm looking forward to hearing from the rest of you on ANY of the Words of the Week or any other communications points you want to discuss on Beyond Talk. You are never alone when it comes to questions about how to improve your speaking, writing or conflict resolution skills. So don't tergiversate about it. Get to the point today!
(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
Congratulations again to Fellini69. To claim your prize—one free hour of speech coaching to work on any communication issue you choose—simply contact me directly at Kealah@KiKiProductionsInc.com.
I'm looking forward to hearing from you, Fellini69. ... And I'm looking forward to hearing from the rest of you on ANY of the Words of the Week or any other communications points you want to discuss on Beyond Talk. You are never alone when it comes to questions about how to improve your speaking, writing or conflict resolution skills. So don't tergiversate about it. Get to the point today!
(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
Jun 15, 2009
WORD OF THE WEEK: Copious Resources
For this week's word, I decided to dust off my old-fashioned, hand-held dictionary and look up a word I saw in print over the weekend that made me inwardly smile:
According to my 1995 edition (old-fashioned!) Webster's New World Dictionary, copious is an adjective that means, "plentiful; abundant." It comes from the Latin word copia, also meaning "abundance" (as in cornucopia, the "horn of plenty" often displayed at Thanksgiving time in the U.S.).
Copious often has a bit of a negative connotation, similar to the word inundate ("to cover with or as with a flood; deluge"). We hear about graduate level college courses that require "copious amounts of note-taking" and the "copious overtime" involved in meeting certain work deadlines. Copious downtime can be a bad thing for many people, just as can copious toys and games that overtake a child's play room. Synonyms include superabundant, profuse, full, extensive, generous, lavish, numerous, and even overflowing.
So, when can a copious amount of something be a good thing?
That, as with anything, depends on your perspective: To the child, copious amounts of toys and games are a mecca of fun; to the workaholic and the ardent student, copious work and course loads represent true satisfaction. And to me, copious words being added to my vocabulary are truly heaven-sent! What's the "good thing" that you can never get too much of ...? (Hint: I also like copious comments!)
(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
According to my 1995 edition (old-fashioned!) Webster's New World Dictionary, copious is an adjective that means, "plentiful; abundant." It comes from the Latin word copia, also meaning "abundance" (as in cornucopia, the "horn of plenty" often displayed at Thanksgiving time in the U.S.).
Copious often has a bit of a negative connotation, similar to the word inundate ("to cover with or as with a flood; deluge"). We hear about graduate level college courses that require "copious amounts of note-taking" and the "copious overtime" involved in meeting certain work deadlines. Copious downtime can be a bad thing for many people, just as can copious toys and games that overtake a child's play room. Synonyms include superabundant, profuse, full, extensive, generous, lavish, numerous, and even overflowing.
So, when can a copious amount of something be a good thing?
That, as with anything, depends on your perspective: To the child, copious amounts of toys and games are a mecca of fun; to the workaholic and the ardent student, copious work and course loads represent true satisfaction. And to me, copious words being added to my vocabulary are truly heaven-sent! What's the "good thing" that you can never get too much of ...? (Hint: I also like copious comments!)
(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
Jun 12, 2009
WEEKLY UPDATE: Congratulations, winner Fellini69!
This week's contest earned its first of two winners yesterday: Fellini69 did the heavy lifting to figure out that tergiversation means "speaking intentionally vaguely or misleadingly." That's one of the two meanings of this week's word; do YOU know the other meaning?
Fellini69 also guessed at the word's etymology, and got a good guess in by connecting the word to conversation. (They are related!)
The grand prize for this great guesswork is ONE FREE HOUR OF SPEECH COACHING. I'll connect directly with Fellini69 next week to redeem the prize. And I'll be more accessible to all of you wonderful blog readers then, after the launch of my newly revamped website. Look for the link and further info. in Monday's post.
(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
Fellini69 also guessed at the word's etymology, and got a good guess in by connecting the word to conversation. (They are related!)
The grand prize for this great guesswork is ONE FREE HOUR OF SPEECH COACHING. I'll connect directly with Fellini69 next week to redeem the prize. And I'll be more accessible to all of you wonderful blog readers then, after the launch of my newly revamped website. Look for the link and further info. in Monday's post.
(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
Jun 10, 2009
SPEAK YOUR TRUTH: I Hate Dictionary Words
When I was in the 3rd grade, I missed a lot of recesses. My teacher used it as a motivational tool whenever I was behind on homework. And while I loved learning—especially when it came to language (I aced the class spelling bee and earned the second-most construction-paper-ice-cream scoops for A grades on assignments), I hated one weekly assignment in particular called "Dictionary Words."
The concept was, Mrs. Church would write a word on the chalkboard at the beginning of the week. And at some point throughout the week, each student would use his or her free study time to lug the heavy class dictionary off of its shelf and look up that word, then write it neatly along with its definition on a ruled sheet of notebook paper.
That was the part I loathed. My handwriting has never been neat. And the dictionary was really heavy. So, I figured out that if I got behind by a couple of weeks on my words, Mrs. Church would plop the heavy tome onto my desk and command me to stay inside from the playground and copy down their meanings until I was no longer lagging in assignments. It never took me much recess time to catch up on the work. And when my friend Cassie was behind on her Dictionary Words, too, we got to stay inside together and share the heavy book. Sometimes we would stay inside for the entire recess period, because there was rarely a teacher in the room to supervise us. We'd look up extra words in the dictionary, like "crap." (It was really in there!) Or I'd teach her all the curse words my hearing-impaired cousin had taught me in American Sign Language.
You don't have to miss your recess to look up this week's word. What's stopping you today from doing the heavy lifting? Try any of the links you see in this blog to learn the meaning of "tergiversation."
(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
The concept was, Mrs. Church would write a word on the chalkboard at the beginning of the week. And at some point throughout the week, each student would use his or her free study time to lug the heavy class dictionary off of its shelf and look up that word, then write it neatly along with its definition on a ruled sheet of notebook paper.
That was the part I loathed. My handwriting has never been neat. And the dictionary was really heavy. So, I figured out that if I got behind by a couple of weeks on my words, Mrs. Church would plop the heavy tome onto my desk and command me to stay inside from the playground and copy down their meanings until I was no longer lagging in assignments. It never took me much recess time to catch up on the work. And when my friend Cassie was behind on her Dictionary Words, too, we got to stay inside together and share the heavy book. Sometimes we would stay inside for the entire recess period, because there was rarely a teacher in the room to supervise us. We'd look up extra words in the dictionary, like "crap." (It was really in there!) Or I'd teach her all the curse words my hearing-impaired cousin had taught me in American Sign Language.
You don't have to miss your recess to look up this week's word. What's stopping you today from doing the heavy lifting? Try any of the links you see in this blog to learn the meaning of "tergiversation."
(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
Jun 8, 2009
WORD OF THE WEEK: Guess the Meaning!
Today's word of the day comes from Dictionary.com—and it comes with a twist: This week, rather than tell you the meaning and etymology of the word, I'm going to use it in a sentence and ask you to tell me where it came from or what it means. Think you can handle it? Get ready to play!
"It's not uncommon for politicians to talk around a topic, making an art of tergiversation in answer to a question, especially on controversial subjects." Also: "Senator Arlen Specter has been accused of selling out to the highest-voting bidder after his tergiversation of the Republican Party."
Those are your clues. The first 2 people to comment with the right definition (and/or etymology) will win 1 hour of consultation with me, Kealah Parkinson, for FREE.
Need help overcoming speaking shyness? Having troubles with hemming and hawing when you really want to be making your point? Bring your woes to the session, and see how an hour with a speech coach can cure your tergiversation today!
(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
"It's not uncommon for politicians to talk around a topic, making an art of tergiversation in answer to a question, especially on controversial subjects." Also: "Senator Arlen Specter has been accused of selling out to the highest-voting bidder after his tergiversation of the Republican Party."
Those are your clues. The first 2 people to comment with the right definition (and/or etymology) will win 1 hour of consultation with me, Kealah Parkinson, for FREE.
Need help overcoming speaking shyness? Having troubles with hemming and hawing when you really want to be making your point? Bring your woes to the session, and see how an hour with a speech coach can cure your tergiversation today!
(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
Jun 5, 2009
WEEKLY UPDATE: Upcoming Guest Blogger Barbara J. Henry
Recently, I introduced you to a fellow blogger, author, and communications coach named Barbara J. Henry. And I told you that Barbara would be guest blogging on this site soon. That's still true! Although it didn't work out for the last week of May as we'd originally intended, Barbara and I are gearing up to guest blog, each at the other's site, in a couple of weeks.
I think you'll really like Barbara's style and perspective. Read her entry on Faith here to see for yourself!
(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
I think you'll really like Barbara's style and perspective. Read her entry on Faith here to see for yourself!
(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
Jun 4, 2009
A List of Open Dictionaries
I've compiled a list of open dictionaries available on the web for you to peruse and use. You can also do an online search of the phrase "open dictionary" to find a plethora of other open source word collections. Don't know the word plethora? Look it up! And when you add your word to one of the sites below, tell me about it.
Merriam-Webster’s online open dictionary feature, where users add newly-minted words not otherwise found in the dictionary:
http://www3.merriam-webster.com/opendictionary/
MacMillan’s open dictionary:
http://www.macmillandictionary.com/open-dictionary/
A multi-lingual dictionary in the making by worldwide users:
http://open-dictionary.com/
Two more multi-lingual dictionaries that anyone can add to, both by the Wikipedia people; the 2nd, WikiWords, is in beta and visually maps each word as a “concept”:
http://www.wiktionary.org & http://www.wikiwords.org/
Another anyone-can-add-to-it creation designed just for kids:
http://dictionary.k12opened.com/
Stanford University’s open dictionary for its Center for Computer Research in Music & Acoustics:
http://ccrma.stanford.edu/~jos/od/
An open dictionary “dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge” in the areas of computing, engineering, mathematics, music, reference, science, & unique terminology:
http://w3k.org/
(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
Merriam-Webster’s online open dictionary feature, where users add newly-minted words not otherwise found in the dictionary:
http://www3.merriam-webster.com/opendictionary/
MacMillan’s open dictionary:
http://www.macmillandictionary.com/open-dictionary/
A multi-lingual dictionary in the making by worldwide users:
http://open-dictionary.com/
Two more multi-lingual dictionaries that anyone can add to, both by the Wikipedia people; the 2nd, WikiWords, is in beta and visually maps each word as a “concept”:
http://www.wiktionary.org & http://www.wikiwords.org/
Another anyone-can-add-to-it creation designed just for kids:
http://dictionary.k12opened.com/
Stanford University’s open dictionary for its Center for Computer Research in Music & Acoustics:
http://ccrma.stanford.edu/~jos/od/
An open dictionary “dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge” in the areas of computing, engineering, mathematics, music, reference, science, & unique terminology:
http://w3k.org/
(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
Jun 3, 2009
TRULY SPEAKING: Dictionary 2.0
Have you heard the word? Rumor has it that the Information Age is dumbing down society: Text messages, Twitter tweets, and Facebook statuses are corrupting the pristine language we've known, loved, and used for so long. But is it true?
Last month, esteemed writers Patricia T. O'Conner and Stewart Kellerman released their new book, Origins of the Specious. It's about the "myths and misconceptions of the English language"—including the idea that grammatical rules cannot be broken. There's even an argument for ending a sentence with a preposition. ("What!?" screams the editor in me. "What else will they think of??" Oops.)
BTW, welcome to your bonus word for this week: specious, meaning "superficially plausible, but actually wrong; misleading in appearance or misleadingly attractive." And if you think my use of "BTW" as an abbreviation for "by the way" is a fine example of devolution, (bonus word #2: the opposite of Darwin's evolve), remember that ASAP was once the more time-consuming "as soon as possible."
Kellerman and O'Conner say that, like anything else on Planet Earth, language changes and grows. What gains popularity in usage defines the rules of definition. Talk about open sourcing!
(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
Last month, esteemed writers Patricia T. O'Conner and Stewart Kellerman released their new book, Origins of the Specious. It's about the "myths and misconceptions of the English language"—including the idea that grammatical rules cannot be broken. There's even an argument for ending a sentence with a preposition. ("What!?" screams the editor in me. "What else will they think of??" Oops.)
BTW, welcome to your bonus word for this week: specious, meaning "superficially plausible, but actually wrong; misleading in appearance or misleadingly attractive." And if you think my use of "BTW" as an abbreviation for "by the way" is a fine example of devolution, (bonus word #2: the opposite of Darwin's evolve), remember that ASAP was once the more time-consuming "as soon as possible."
Kellerman and O'Conner say that, like anything else on Planet Earth, language changes and grows. What gains popularity in usage defines the rules of definition. Talk about open sourcing!
(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
Jun 1, 2009
WORD OF THE WEEK: A Lesson for the Itinerant Student
Did you know that The New York Times has an online word-of-the-day site? Their word for today is itinerant, meaning "traveling from place to place."
Through The Times' partnership with Merriam-Webster, you can look up the etymology of intinerant (of Latin origin, stemming from the word ire, meaning "to go" and akin to the Hittite word itar, "way"). Or you can explore a visual map of the word's origins at Visual Thesaurus, a for-pay program that you can try for free by clinking on the link at The New York Times word-of-the-day site. (The regular cost is only $2.95 per month or $19.95 for a full year.)
This unique, interactive dictionary literally maps the relation between words (itinerant is linked closely to the word gypsy, and is similar in meaning to unsettled) and provides an auditory pronunciation of each word shown, as well. For visual thinkers, this dictionary is a must-try!
What's your itinerary for today? I, personally, plan to be right here online!
(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
Through The Times' partnership with Merriam-Webster, you can look up the etymology of intinerant (of Latin origin, stemming from the word ire, meaning "to go" and akin to the Hittite word itar, "way"). Or you can explore a visual map of the word's origins at Visual Thesaurus, a for-pay program that you can try for free by clinking on the link at The New York Times word-of-the-day site. (The regular cost is only $2.95 per month or $19.95 for a full year.)
This unique, interactive dictionary literally maps the relation between words (itinerant is linked closely to the word gypsy, and is similar in meaning to unsettled) and provides an auditory pronunciation of each word shown, as well. For visual thinkers, this dictionary is a must-try!
What's your itinerary for today? I, personally, plan to be right here online!
(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
