CCC Synonyms-2008 Oct-Dec

CLOSE SYNONYMS OF THE WEEK

2008

October-December
(most recent first)

DECEMBER 29, 2008

ANNUAL / ANNUM / ANNIVERSARY

For a bit of a departure from the usual, in honor of the approaching new year this edition focuses on words pertaining to ‘year.’

ANNUAL (adj/noun)—yearly (as a noun: a flower that lives for only one season)
ANNUALLY—adv; ANNUALIZE—verb

ANNUM (Latin noun)—in the expression per annum: by the year

ANNIVERSARY (noun)—yearly observance of an important occasion that took place on that date

Some related Latin forms used by English speakers:

ANNO DOMINI (full form of A.D.—Year of our Lord: In a specified year of the Christian calendar)
ANNO HEGIRAE (full form of A.H.—Year of Hegira: In a specified year of the Islamic calendar)
ANNUS HORRIBILIS (a year of misfortune)
ANNUS MIRABILIS (a year of great events)
ANNALS (customarily a plural noun)
ANNUITY

DECEMBER 22, 2008

SEASONAL / SEASONED

For a bit of a departure from the usual, in honor of yesterday being the first day of winter*, this edition focuses on variations of the word SEASON.

SEASONAL (adj)—pertaining to changes in weather as they occur through the yearly revolution of Earth around the sun
SEASON—noun; SEASONALLY—adv

SEASONED (adj)—mature, experienced

Note that it is a change in suffix that alters the meaning. Note too that SEASON (verb) and SEASONING (noun) have separate applications related to the spicing of food.

*See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_Solstice for more information about Winter Solstice.

Some related forms:

UNSEASONABLE (neg adj; not characteristic of the season in question)
UNSEASONABLY (neg adv)

SEASONS GREETINGS (set greeting for the Winter Holiday, non-denominational in regard to religion or ethnicity; note that this expression used to be spelled with an apostrophe—as in SEASON’S GREETINGS—now used with or without punctuation)

SAMPLE SENTENCES:

This year the weather is San Francisco was unseasonably warm until the middle of December.

The two of them couldn’t be more opposite—one is a novice, totally new to the field; the other is a seasoned professional with long years of experience.

DECEMBER 15, 2008

OPPOSITE / APPOSITE

This edition focuses on some CLOSE HOMONYMS: words that are the same or similar in sound but not necessarily the same in meaning.

OPPOSITE (adj/noun)—contrary or antithetical
OPPOSE—verb; OPPOSITION—noun, OPPONENT—noun; OPPOSITIONAL—adj, OPPOSABLE—adj

APPOSITE (adj)—markedly relevant, appropriate or well-suited to the matter at hand
APPOSITENESS—noun; APPOSITELY—adv

Note that it is a change in prefix that alters the meaning. Note too that OPPOSITE has many other applications as an adjective and is also used as a noun.

SAMPLE SENTENCES:

The action he took was entirely opposite to what we had expected, completely derailing the whole process.

The action he took was entirely apposite to what we had expected, furthering the whole process toward completion.

DECEMBER 8, 2008

SUSPECT (verb)

(Note that SUSPECT is also used as a noun and adjective.)

Though most words in English have only one general meaning, there are many that have distinct and separate applications—including related or extended meanings or entirely unrelated usages. This series highlights a few of the more common and confusing of such words. The following is an example.

SUSPECT 1—to believe someone may be guilty of wrongdoing

SUSPECT 2—to doubt the truth or validity of something

SUSPECT 3—to assume something is likely

SAMPLE SENTENCES:

1. The district attorney suspects that the local crime boss has laundered considerable amounts of stolen money.

2. They suspect this data may have been contaminated by a virus and is therefore unreliable.

3. I suspect it may rain later today, so I’ve brought my umbrella.

DECEMBER 1, 2008

SUSPECT / SUSPICIOUS

SUSPECT (adj)—seemingly (not, as yet, certainly) doubtful, untrustworthy, false or illegal

SUSPICIOUS (adj)—having the feeling (without, as yet, certainty) that something is doubtful, untrustworthy, false or illegal

Note that SUSPECT is also used as a verb and a noun, and that when used as an adjective it has a meaning virtually indistinguishable from that of SUSPICIOUS. However, be careful about perspective—while these adjectives are often used interchangeably, more specifically it is things or behaviors that are SUSPECT, while it is persons who are SUSPICIOUS. (See sentences below.) Note too that in some parts of the rural United States SUSPICION may also be used as a verb.

Some related forms:

SUSPICION (noun)

SAMPLE SENTENCES:

This study is suspect/suspicious because the allegations are not supported by documented research—leading me to suspect the information may be unreliable or even fabricated. The behavior of the presenter was also suspect/suspicious, in that he never made eye contact with the group.

I am suspicious of this study because the allegations are not supported by documented research, and I suspect the presenter may be a fraud.

NOVEMBER 24, 2008

COOK / COOKED / COOKIN’

This edition focuses on some CLOSE HOMONYMS: words that are the same or similar in sound but not necessarily the same in meaning.

COOK (slang exp)—to falsify

COOKED (slang exp)—done, finished, ruined (typically used in conjunction with ‘goose’)

COOKIN’ (slang exp)—hot, happening, doing well

Note that it is the addition of suffixes that alters the meaning of these three slang homonyms with very different meanings. Note too that, as a slang expression, COOKIN’ is typically pronounced without the final ‘G’ of its standard spelling.

SAMPLE SENTENCES:

The accountant they hired did indeed cook the books, allowing them to embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars.

When my friend said that his goose was cooked, he wasn’t talking about Thanksgiving dinner—he was talking about losing his job. However, the outcome unexpectedly turned out great—his new job is much better than the previous one, and now he’s really cookin’!

NOVEMBER 17, 2008

IRRITABLE / IRRITATING

IRRITABLE (adj)—easily annoyed or irritated
IRRITABLY—adv; IRRITABLENESS—noun, IRRITABILITY—noun

IRRITATING (adj)—causing annoyance or irritation
IRRITATINGLY—adv

Note that it is a change in suffix that alters the meaning.

Some other related forms:

IRRITATE (verb)
IRRITATION (noun)
IRRITANT (noun/adj)

SAMPLE SENTENCES:

My friend’s husband is an irritable man, always bothered by one thing or another.

My cousin’s wife is an irritating woman, bothering everyone with her constant jabbering.

NOVEMBER 10, 2008

BULLSHIT / BALONEY / BALDERDASH / MALARKEY

BULLSHIT (expletive)—nonsense, lies, exaggeration, insincerity, affectation, unsupported allegation (covers an extraordinarily wide range of moods and applications; vulgar language, considered impolite but most accurate in targeting absurdity, deceit, arrogance and/or maliciousness; often ‘BULL’ for short, or ‘BULLCRAP’ or ‘BS’ for politeness); also used as a verb

BALONEY (expletive)—foolish nonsense (euphemism for BULLSHIT)

BALDERDASH (expletive)—stupid or irrelevant nonsense (old-fashioned)

MALARKEY (expletive)—foolish or exaggerated nonsense, possibly intended to deceive (quaint)

Note that all the above, except the first, are acceptable in polite society; although the first, considered unacceptable in polite society, is nevertheless increasingly appearing in print. Note too that these expletives can stand alone—“Baloney!”; or they can be used as adjectives and nouns (see sentences below).

Some related synonyms:

HOGWASH
HORSESHIT
CLAPTRAP
POPPYCOCK
HOOEY
RUBBISH
BUNK
BOLLOCKS (British)
(and many more)

SAMPLE SENTENCES:

He told them he’s heard the phony-baloney speeches from the various politicians—now we’ll see if any of the poppycock campaign promises are fulfilled. If not, he said, it’s just a bunch of bullshit.

NOVEMBER 3, 2008

SUPINE / PRONE

SUPINE (adj)—lying face up (also: passive)

PRONE (adj)—lying face down (also: inclined to be affected by, or to do, something)

Note that these words are commonly confused, though in regard to positioning of the body they are in fact antonyms (having opposite meaning).

SAMPLE SENTENCES:

I’m generally comfortable doing yoga poses in a supine position, quite relaxed lying on my back. However, I find various prone positions to be more difficult—especially chaturang-asana where the body is supported in a low push-up.

OCTOBER 27, 2008

INCREDIBLE / NOT CREDIBLE

INCREDIBLE (adj)—so unusual as to be beyond belief

NOT CREDIBLE (neg adj)—not capable of being believed

Note that these two usages are not actually synonyms—demonstrating that negative prefixes (such as in-) may not always simply negate the meaning of the word to which they are attached.

*See http://www.crossculturecom.com/Synonyms_2006_1st_Q.htm, entry dated March 13, for some related usages.

SAMPLE SENTENCES:

Her report was not credible—none of us believed the information she cited because it came from sources known to be unreliable or even biased.

Her report was incredible—a great piece of investigative work completed on time despite tremendous difficulty in obtaining the information.

OCTOBER 20, 2008

CREDENCE / CREDIBILITY / CREDULITY

CREDENCE (noun)—acceptance as being valid or true

CREDIBILITY (noun)—the capability of being believed; the willingness to believe something or someone to be valid, true or trustworthy

CREDULITY (noun)—a tendency to believe things too readily

Note that it is a change in suffix that alters the meaning. Note too that the origin of these words (as well as those listed below) is the Latin credere, meaning ‘believe/trust.’

*For more about the etymology, see: http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?l=c&p=29

Some related forms:

CREDIBLE (adj)
INCREDIBLE (adj)
CREDIT (noun/verb)
CREDITOR (noun)
CREDITWORTHY (adj)
CREDENTIAL (noun)
CREDO (noun)
CREED (noun)
CREDULOUS (adj)
CREDULOUSLY (adv)
INCREDULITY (noun)
INCREDULOUS (adj)
INCREDULOUSLY (adv)

SAMPLE SENTENCES:

When people are educated in a system controlled by government propaganda in whatever country, it’s difficult to give any credence to the data they cite.

I suggested that if she used out of date documentation, her presentation would lack credibility—everyone knows things have changed drastically in recent years.

They are too credulous, believing everything they’re told without confirming the facts of the situation.

OCTOBER 13, 2008

NATIVE AMERICAN / NATIVE-BORN AMERICAN

For a bit of a departure from the usual, since today is Columbus Day* in the US, this edition focuses on terms associated with being an AMERICAN in the United States.

NATIVE AMERICAN (proper noun/proper adj)—someone whose ancestors dwelt in what is now the United States (except for Hawaii) before the arrival of and subsequent conquest by Europeans; also called Native American Indian (Note that various indigenous people in other parts of the Americas may use NATIVE AMERICAN along with more localized terms.)

NATIVE-BORN AMERICAN (proper noun)—someone born in the United States

Note that the land masses of the Western hemisphere constituting what Europeans in the 15th/16th century referred to as the ‘New World’ were named after explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci **. Also note a degree of ambiguity due to ‘AMERICAN’ commonly referring primarily to citizens of the United States of America.

*For more about Columbus Day, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_Day

**For more about Amerigo Vespucci, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vespucci

OCTOBER 6, 2008

MECHANICAL / MECHANISTIC

MECHANICAL (adj)—operated by or relating to machines; done automatically without focused thought or feeling

MECHANISTIC (adj)—machine-like, especially in regard to human behavior or natural processes

Note that it is a change in suffix that alters the meaning, and that these words have a wide range of additional meanings and applications. Note too that MECHANISTIC is more abstract than MECHANICAL and therefore less frequently used.

Some related forms:

MECHANICALLY—adv
MECHANIZE—verb
MECHANISM—noun
MECHANIC—noun
MECHANICS—noun (a branch of physics and math)

SAMPLE SENTENCES:

Automobiles are mechanical devices with a lot of moving parts that require continuous maintenance.

His friends are doubtful about his mechanistic approach to healing the injury he suffered, urging him to consider mental and emotional rehabilitation in addition to callisthenic exercise.