Vocabulary—all the words you know.
After you read this book your vocabulary will be gigantic! (That’s fancy for really big!)
from Fancy Nancy’s Favorite Fancy Words
written by Jane O’Connor
illustrated by Robin Preiss-Glasser
HarperCollins Publishers, 2008
I learned about tofu presses the same time I realized I needed one. No problem. I made my own. A combination of the A and M volumes of my 1989 World Book Encyclopedia (the heaviest ones), a couple of large cans of diced tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, or tomato sauce (whatever is handy and NOT in glass), and a couple of thick dishtowels folded in half got the job started. I topped it off with my Roget’s Thesaurus and an American Heritage Dictionary.
While squeezing out the liquid by sandwiching the tofu between all those words does improve my recipes, it does nothing for my vocabulary. But when I find myself turning to Google and online dictionaries and thesauri, well, I like to think of my books as being useful, too.
Speaking of words, we’ve come to the time of year when word-conscious organizations announce their “Word of the Year.” The criteria are different for each, and I’ve listed some of the most common ones.
dictionary.com analyzes data from headlines, search engines, and trends on social media to “identify words that [impacted] our conversations, online and in the real world.” They came up with demure, noting the American TikToker Jools Lebron’s viral media clip.
Merriam-Webster bases its choice on results of “tracking a rise in searches and usage” from several sources. Their choice, polarization, describes not just division, but [political] division that is moving us “toward the extremes rather than toward the center.”
Cambridge Dictionary uses three criteria to determine their word:
Which word was looked up most (or spiked)
Which word captures best what was happening during the year
What is interesting about the word (from a language point of view)
The criteria pointed these scholars to the word manifest. Even though the word itself has been used for over 600 years, its common usage has changed from an adjective (to refer to something clear or obvious) or a noun (to refer to a list, say of passengers or cargo) to a verb. It’s scientifically unproven, but “famous performers, star athletes, and influential entrepreneurs claim they have achieved something because they manifested it.” Focus on something you want to do or be, then try and make it happen.
Oxford University Press uses a combination of public input and their own language analysis to come up with their word. In 2024, the use of the term brain rot skyrocketed 230% from 2023. Brain rot is what happens when we overconsume online content that is particularly “trivial or unchallenging.”
So four esteemed organizations used a combination of technology and humans to determine, in the words of Wikipedia, “the most important word [or phrase] in the public sphere” and came up with four very different words.
If you want to nominate your own word of the year, you can submit your choice to the American Dialect Society using their form. Click on the link to find a little history, some guidelines, and a place for your submission. ADS will announce their WOTY during their annual conference (in conjunction with the Linguistic Society of America) upcoming in Philadelphia from January 9-12, 2025.
Word of the Year generators are available on the Web. According to Andie Jaye, writing for MaryAnne Kochenderfer’s MamaSmiles, everyone’s Word of the Year will be different. Choosing one helps identify a “point of focus” or an intention for the coming year. It’s broader than a resolution. Your word can inspire, encourage, and motivate you throughout the year to become more self-aware. Here's a word list From MamaSmiles. Activities on the second page will help keep you focused.
Here's another one from The Goal Chaser that includes lots of motivation to carry you through the year.
Nancy Clancy, in Jane O’Connor’s books (see quote at the top of the page) never says anything simply if she can fancify it. The series has been a hit since it first came out in 2005.
While journalists, editors, and literary agents of all kinds encourage their readers, writers, and clients to use simple, clear writing to express their ideas, we all know it’s not nearly as much fun as being fancy.
I’m reading Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (HarperCollins, 2022, Winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction). It is a modern story inspired by David Copperfield (Charles Dickens, 1849) and addresses our society’s same ills: institutional poverty, dangers of the foster care system, child labor, poorly performing schools, addiction…that can’t be solved with Story. But, fiction takes a tiny step back from our reality to show us how life is for victims of extreme poverty and what it takes to move through it.
Be curious! (and choose your words wisely)
After you read this book your vocabulary will be gigantic! (That’s fancy for really big!)
from Fancy Nancy’s Favorite Fancy Words
written by Jane O’Connor
illustrated by Robin Preiss-Glasser
HarperCollins Publishers, 2008
I learned about tofu presses the same time I realized I needed one. No problem. I made my own. A combination of the A and M volumes of my 1989 World Book Encyclopedia (the heaviest ones), a couple of large cans of diced tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, or tomato sauce (whatever is handy and NOT in glass), and a couple of thick dishtowels folded in half got the job started. I topped it off with my Roget’s Thesaurus and an American Heritage Dictionary.
While squeezing out the liquid by sandwiching the tofu between all those words does improve my recipes, it does nothing for my vocabulary. But when I find myself turning to Google and online dictionaries and thesauri, well, I like to think of my books as being useful, too.
Speaking of words, we’ve come to the time of year when word-conscious organizations announce their “Word of the Year.” The criteria are different for each, and I’ve listed some of the most common ones.
dictionary.com analyzes data from headlines, search engines, and trends on social media to “identify words that [impacted] our conversations, online and in the real world.” They came up with demure, noting the American TikToker Jools Lebron’s viral media clip.
Merriam-Webster bases its choice on results of “tracking a rise in searches and usage” from several sources. Their choice, polarization, describes not just division, but [political] division that is moving us “toward the extremes rather than toward the center.”
Cambridge Dictionary uses three criteria to determine their word:
Which word was looked up most (or spiked)
Which word captures best what was happening during the year
What is interesting about the word (from a language point of view)
The criteria pointed these scholars to the word manifest. Even though the word itself has been used for over 600 years, its common usage has changed from an adjective (to refer to something clear or obvious) or a noun (to refer to a list, say of passengers or cargo) to a verb. It’s scientifically unproven, but “famous performers, star athletes, and influential entrepreneurs claim they have achieved something because they manifested it.” Focus on something you want to do or be, then try and make it happen.
Oxford University Press uses a combination of public input and their own language analysis to come up with their word. In 2024, the use of the term brain rot skyrocketed 230% from 2023. Brain rot is what happens when we overconsume online content that is particularly “trivial or unchallenging.”
So four esteemed organizations used a combination of technology and humans to determine, in the words of Wikipedia, “the most important word [or phrase] in the public sphere” and came up with four very different words.
If you want to nominate your own word of the year, you can submit your choice to the American Dialect Society using their form. Click on the link to find a little history, some guidelines, and a place for your submission. ADS will announce their WOTY during their annual conference (in conjunction with the Linguistic Society of America) upcoming in Philadelphia from January 9-12, 2025.
Word of the Year generators are available on the Web. According to Andie Jaye, writing for MaryAnne Kochenderfer’s MamaSmiles, everyone’s Word of the Year will be different. Choosing one helps identify a “point of focus” or an intention for the coming year. It’s broader than a resolution. Your word can inspire, encourage, and motivate you throughout the year to become more self-aware. Here's a word list From MamaSmiles. Activities on the second page will help keep you focused.
Here's another one from The Goal Chaser that includes lots of motivation to carry you through the year.
Nancy Clancy, in Jane O’Connor’s books (see quote at the top of the page) never says anything simply if she can fancify it. The series has been a hit since it first came out in 2005.
While journalists, editors, and literary agents of all kinds encourage their readers, writers, and clients to use simple, clear writing to express their ideas, we all know it’s not nearly as much fun as being fancy.
I’m reading Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (HarperCollins, 2022, Winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction). It is a modern story inspired by David Copperfield (Charles Dickens, 1849) and addresses our society’s same ills: institutional poverty, dangers of the foster care system, child labor, poorly performing schools, addiction…that can’t be solved with Story. But, fiction takes a tiny step back from our reality to show us how life is for victims of extreme poverty and what it takes to move through it.
Be curious! (and choose your words wisely)
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