Simplicity (noun) quality of being natural, uncomplicated,  restraint in ornamentation, plainness Although at first glance simplicity, our word for this week, may seem to need no explanation, a second look lets us know that it is multifaceted in both its denotative and connotative meanings. A few days ago, I received a forwarded e-mail from a friend who has a great sense of humor, and who also has her eyes on the times in which we are living. The writer of the original e-mail gave a long list of situations in the past when life was far less complicated, and nobody was the worse for it. Among them was this: “I  just can’t …

  LISTEN:  (verb) “To pay attention to someone. . . in order to hear what is being said.” ( Merriam Webster Dictionary) I came across a newspaper clipping in my files the other day concerning the British  Commonwealth Essay Competition for students in the year 2000. It had as its topic, “What would you most like to have learned at school  that you were not taught?”  The winning essay was thoughtfully written by a fifteen-year-old from Singapore.  In  it the student wrote, “School enlightened me on speaking well, but did infinitesimal  in teaching me how to listen.” Most of us would agree with the young writer. Our word for this week, listening, is…

ca  .  coph  .  o   .  ny /noun/  a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds; noise, discord, dissonance, uproar The synonyms associated with cacophony, our word for this week, are a commentary on the prevailing tone of our age.  It is no exaggeration to say  that ours could be called the  Noise  Age. We may delight in Edgar Allan Poe’s “tintinnabulation” of the bells, but loud, inharmonious  sounds are unsatisfying and harmful. A few months ago, I was stopped at an intersection, waiting for the green, when I heard a booming sound coming from the car in the lane next to mine. I took a furtive glance and saw an ample figure laid back in a white Cadillac, the decibel level…

1n .  dom  .  i  .  ta  .  ble /adjective/ unconquerable, unbeatable, impregnable, unshakeable, incapable of being subdued We are all  familiar with the  word indomitable, especially if we’ve read a lot of biography. The word is  used liberally in commencement speeches, and is  often  heard in stories about military exploits.   Its synonyms each begins with a  prefix that means “not,”  which suggests the idea of “not possible to be overcome.”  I recently gained a new appreciation for what it  means to have an  indomitable spirit. I met Alla at the assisted living facility when a group of us went there to present the monthly program for the residents.  When I stopped to chat with her, she asked me, “Have you read my book?”  I hadn’t, I told…

tran  .  scend  .  ent/adjective/ exceeding usual limits, surpassing, extending, or lying beyond the limits of ordinary experience, moving beyond physical needs and realities Our word for this week is one we often encounter in religious literature, referencing faith and existentially spiritual experiences. Some may think of it as meaning “otherworldly,” while for others, transcendental meditation immediately rushes into the mind. However, the word can apply very well to practical areas of life, as an article in the October 2016 Chronicle of Education shows. Professors John Kaag and Clancy Martin approach the topic within a broader context. In their article “Can Transcendence Be Taught?” they ask, “Are we teaching (our students) everything without teaching them anything regarding…

mal  .  a . prop/noun/ the unintentional use of an incorrect word in place of a word with a similar sound, resulting in  a nonsensical, sometimes humorous utterance I am interested in words–their origins, how they sound, what they mean, how people use them. So whenever I encounter an unusual, interesting   language usage, I pay attention. Recently, I came across  a handout I made some years ago to share with my students  (I liked having a good laugh with them). The handout is from  a compilation of bloopers that the admissions departments of Bates  and Vassar Colleges put together from  students’ admissions essays written in an effort to be admitted into these prestigious colleges. I found them…

pro  .  bi  ty / noun/  the quality of having strong moral principles, honesty and decency; integrity,  goodness, respect, ethics, sincerity This is a power-packed word that we have for  this week. Look at all the dynamic meanings probity  embodies.  It’s like a pomegranate bearing an abundance of seeds for generating good fruit. A treasure trove of virtues, this word has in it what we humans need–the values that should be deep-rooted in our individual character and in the society at large. “There is a time for every purpose under heaven,” says the Wise Man Solomon. He tells us there is a time to be born and a time to die, and he has a catalogue of…

ac  .  cess/noun/ entrance, entry Usually, my word for the week is not well known and is multisyllabic, but this week I  have chosen a common one. The word access has multiple meanings, two of which are listed above. However, some of the meanings are not one-word  synonyms  like “entrance” and “entry.”  For example, we have heard quite a lot of talk recently about “buying access” in government circles, something  with unsavory overtones, but not many people seem to be bothered by it since that sort of thing has been going on  forever.  There is also “free  access” to a building as is stipulated for handicapped individuals; or another meaning,  “access to health care,”  a  much-debated…

cog . i .  tate /verb/ to think deeply about something, meditate or reflect, contemplate, ponder This week’s word has a harsh sound, produced by  its hard-sounding  consonants, but it actually describes a peaceful, introspective mood.  One of the main meanings of cogitate is “to contemplate,”  and contemplation  requires setting aside time for reflective thinking.  In the Christmas season with its busyness and frenetic pace as we race to get all the last-minute shopping done, we may think it an imposition to be asked to stop and contemplate, but it’s something worth doing.  Let us pause and  contemplate the  meaning of  the Christ Child being born into this world.  By pondering this immense reality, we will  experience the real roots of our…

ju . bi . lant /adjective/ exultant, triumphant, joyful, gleeful, ecstatic, thrilled “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas,” the song says, and the sounds of Christmas are emerging as the special day draws closer. Jubilant,  our word for this week,  rings with the joyful melody of Christmas.  Something seems to happen in mid-December to put everyone but the diehard Scrooges in a jubilant mood.  Christmastime is a joyous time– with the forever-new  beloved carols,  fresh renditions of Handel’s Messiah,  the anticipation in the eyes of children, the bustling crowds of shoppers. All of this activity makes the air electric with  joy and lifts the spirits. It’s the time that reminds us of the long-ago angel-song: “Glory to God…