Word of the Month: Nonchalance

Nonchalance
noun

1. Cool indifference or casual lack of concern.

Below is a passage, taken from 100 Words to Make You Sound Great,
which includes the word “nonchalance.”

“Nonchalance about health and well-being is what gives smoking its charm. That same nonchalance is at the heart of all really good manners. The most fundamental lesson of etiquette is ‘be unconcerned.’ Proper behavior means always giving the appearance of unperturbed grace.”

~ P. J. O’Rourke, Modern Manners: An Etiquette Guide for Rude People,
1989

In a song titled “Breakdown,” singer Mariah Carey employs the word “nonchalant” (the adjective form of “nonchalance”) in her lyrics:

“Well I guess I’m trying to be
nonchalant about it,
and I’m going to extremes
to prove I’m fine without you,
but in reality I’m
slowly losing my mind.
Underneath the guise of a smile,
gradually I’m dying inside.”

Can you think of a sentence using the word “nonchalance” or “nonchalant”?  Post your sentence in the comments section, and try using the word as much as you can throughout the day.

References:
– Carey, M. & J., Stevie (1998). “Breakdown.” On Butterfly. [Medium of Recording: CD]. Columbia.
– Nonchalance. (2008). 100 Words to Make You Sound Great. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Word of the Month: Diaphanous

Diaphanous
Adjective

1. Very sheer and light; almost completely transparent or translucent.
ex: On that hazy afternoon, the sun appeared a pale yellow through the filter of the diaphanous clouds.
ex: The insect’s diaphanous wings seemed to slice through the air.

In a novel titled Frances Johnson, Stacey Levine (2010) employs the word “diaphanous” to describe a woman’s dress:

“The woman was doll-like, with a miniaturish, thin face, and the sparkly, diaphanous white dress puffed around her” (p. 152).

Can you think of a sentence using the word “diaphanous”?  Post your sentence in the comments section, and try using the word as much as you can throughout the day.

Reference:
– Diaphanous. (n.d.). In Dictionary.com. Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mar?s=t
– Levine, F. (2010) Frances Johnson. Portland, OR: Verse Chorus Press.

Word of the Month: Asinine

Asinine
adjective

1.  Very stupid and silly.
ex:  The charismatic politician jokingly raised an eyebrow in disapproval when a reporter asked him an asinine question.

You can check out the ten most asinine movie twist endings according to cracked.com by clicking here.

Can you think of a sentence using the word “asinine”?  Post your sentence in the comments section, and try using the word as much as you can throughout the day.

Reference:
Asinine. (2010). Merriam-Webster’s Essential Learner’s English Dictionary. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.

Word of the Month: Furtive

Furtive
adjective

1. Done in a quiet and secret way to avoid being noticed.
ex:  Not wanting to wake the guard dog, the thief took a furtive step into the backyard. 
ex: When the beautiful young woman entered the room, all the married men gave her a furtive glance.

Quote:
“In the street, the gaze of desire is furtive or menacing.”
~ Mason Cooley

Can you think of a sentence using the word “furtive”?  Post your sentence in the comments section, and try using the word as much as you can throughout the day.

References:
– Furtive. (2010). Merriam-Webster’s Essential Learner’s English Dictionary. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.
– In_the_street_the_gaze_of_desire_is. (n.d.). Columbia World of Quotations. Retrieved June 28, 2012, from Dictionary.com website: http://quotes.dictionary.com/In_the_street_the_gaze_of_desire_is

Word of the Month: Nefarious

Nefarious
adjective

1. Infamous by way of being extremely wicked.

When I hear the word “nefarious,” I tend to picture this guy:

Jafar, Disney villain from Aladdin

Below are two passages, taken from 100 Words to Make You Sound Great,
which include the word “nefarious.” One is from the mid-1800s and the other is from the present day.

“On escaping into Massachusetts, I went to work on the quays, rolling oil casks, to get a livelihood, and in about three years after having been induced to attend an anti-slavery meeting at Nantucket, it was there announced that I should go from town to town to expose their nefarious system. For four years I was then engaged in discussing the slavery question, and during that time I had opportunities of arranging my thoughts and language.”

~ Frederick Douglass, “I Am Here to Spread Light on American Slavery,”
speech in Cork, Ireland, October 14, 1845.

“The billions of dollars in the Cayman Islands and other such centers are not there because those islands provide better banking services than Wall Street, London, or Frankfurt; they are there because the secrecy allows them to engage in tax evasion, money laundering, and other nefarious activities. Only after September 11 was it recognized that among those other nefarious activities was the financing of terrorism.”

~ Joseph E. Stiglitz, Globalization and its Discontents, 2003

Can you think of a sentence using the word “nefarious”?  Post your sentence in the comments section, and try using the word as much as you can throughout the day.

Reference:
Nefarious. (2008). 100 Words to Make You Sound Great. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Word of the Month: Versed

Versed
adjective

1. Having knowledge about something.
*Often preceded by the word “well”
ex:  Having studied to become a chef in Lyon, he was well versed in French cooking.

The title of a recent article by the Chicago Tribune employs the word to describe a defense lawyer: Patz Suspect’s Lawyer Well Versed in Psychiatric Defense

Can you think of a sentence using the word “versed”?  Post your sentence in the comments section, and try using the word as much as you can throughout the day.

Reference:
Versed. (2010). Merriam-Webster’s Essential Learner’s English Dictionary. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.

Word of the Month: Siren Song

Siren Song
noun

1.  Something that is very appealing and makes you want to go somewhere or do something but that may have bad results.
ex:  She was drawn to Hollywood by the siren song of fame and money, but she soon learned that fame and money couldn’t guarantee happiness.

The term “siren song” derives from The Odyssey, a Greek epic tale about Odysseus’ journey back home to Ithaca. He encounters many dangers along the way, one of which is the sirens. Sirens are part-bird, part-woman. With their seductive voices and sweet melodies, they lure sailors onto their island, where shipwreck and death await them. Odysseus asks his men to plug their ears with wax and to tie him to the mast of the ship so that they avoid the deathly trap of the alluring siren song.

Check out this painting by William Waterhouse representing the famous scene.

Can you think of a sentence using the term “siren song”?  Post your sentence in the comments section, and try using the word as much as you can throughout the day.

Reference:
Siren Song. (2010). Merriam-Webster’s Essential Learner’s English Dictionary. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.

Word of the Month: Haughty

Haughty
adjective

1.  Having or showing the insulting attitude of people who think that they are better, smarter, or more important than other people.
ex:  Kate Middleton has won the good opinion of the British press because she isn’t the least bit haughty. Although she’s married to Prince William, people see her as a nice, everyday girl.

When I think of the word “haughty,” a particular literary character comes to mind — Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. He’s a very rich man who, although good at heart, is overly proud and makes a negative first impression. When he first appears in the story, he comes off as very arrogant. His friend suggests that he ask a girl to dance, pointing one out in particular as very pretty. Mr. Darcy replies, “She’s tolerable, I suppose. But she’s not handsome enough to tempt me.” Ouch! Check out the film scene below.

Can you think of a sentence using the word ”haughty”?  Post your sentence in the comments section, and try using the word as much as you can throughout the day.

Reference:
Haughty. (2010). Merriam-Webster’s Essential Learner’s English Dictionary. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.

Word of the Month: Scamper

Scamper
verb

1.  To run or move quickly and often playfully.
ex:  The mice scampered across the floor.
ex:  The children scampered all over the yard looking for Easter eggs.

Can you think of a sentence using the word ”scamper”?  Post your sentence in the comments section, and try using the word as much as you can throughout the day.

Reference:
Scamper. (2010). Merriam-Webster’s Essential Learner’s English Dictionary. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.

Word of the Month: Draconian

Draconian
adjective

1.  Very severe or cruel.
ex:  The dictator has begun inflicting draconian forms of punishment on anyone who questions his legitimacy.

The Register, a British news source about the IT industry, recently published an article with the word “draconian” in the title: Canadians Revolt over Draconian Internet Privacy Bill.

Can you think of a sentence using the word “draconian”?  Post your sentence in the comments section, and try using the word as much as you can throughout the day.

Reference:
Draconian. (2010). Merriam-Webster’s Essential Learner’s English Dictionary. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.