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!
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Ther you go with all that english stuff again
ReplyDeleteFunny! What, not even a mock guess at what "tergiversation" means?
ReplyDeleteWith 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.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct! Being "intentionally vague," as you said, is one example of tergiversation. Its etymology comes from the French "tergiverser," a verb meaning "to delay or hesitate" (according to Merriam-Webster.com).
ReplyDeleteWho can guess the secondary meaning of "tergiversation"?
Fellini69, you've won a free 1-hour phone consultation! Look for next Monday's post about my newly-launching website; there is where you may contact me in just a few days to claim your prize. Congratulations!
The website is still launching later this week (after a few last-minute tweaks). In the meantime, contact me directly via e-mail at Kealah@KiKiProductionsInc.com.
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