Heather Brown Online

anomie

Part of Speech:

"Anomie" is a noun.

Definition:

An anomie is a state or condition of a society wherein social norms and values have significantly declined.

Etymology:

"Anomie" is a technical term used in the field of sociology. It was first used by French sociologist Émile Durkheim and comes from the Greek word "anomía," which means lawlessness.

Example of Usage:

It seems every generation considers the next as undergoing a sort of social entropy, which is why an old bag, such as me, feels a sense of anomie every time she goes online.

axiomatic

Part of Speech:

"Axiomatic" is the adjective form of "axiom."

Definition:

"Axiomatic" describes anything that is self-evident or unquestionable. For example, the proverbial advice when investing in the stock market is to buy low and sell high. This advice is axiomatic since you wouldn't want to lose money by buying high and selling low. It's rather self-evident since investors who play the stock market are doing so to make money.

Etymology:

The Ancient Greek word "ἀξιωμᾰτικός" means employing logical propositions. It breaks down as "ἀξίωμα," which means self-evident principle. The suffix "ικός" means pertaining to.

Usage Note:

I would have thought the eloquent Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, a man trained in the classics, would have written, "We hold these truths to be axiomatic." By the way, beware of the misuse of "axiomatic." Some people employ it to fallaciously strengthen their argument. The other day I read: "It is axiomatic that a nation's strength is measured not by its freedoms, but by its unity of thought." There may be an element of truth in this statement. However, it is not axiomatic because there are many variables and factors that go into determining the strength of a nation, which makes the statement highly debatable, which is not axiomatic.

berate

Part of Speech:

"Berate" is a verb.

Definition:

To berate is to scold harshly and is usually limited to a verbal scolding.

Etymology:

"Berate" breaks down as "be," which is an Old English prefix that means thoroughly and "rate," which is a Middle English infinitive that means to scold. It probably made its way to English from Old French's "ratier," which came from Vulgar Latin's "reputare," which means to impute or to blame."

Example of Usage:

A miserable curmudgeon (whose name shall be omitted) once shared her journal with me. In it was: "Unfortunately, it is increasingly true that I berate myself for smiling in public since smiling betrays my inner soul."

beset

Part of Speech:

"Beset" is a transitive verb, which means it requires an object.

Definition:

"Beset" has multiple meanings. The first definition is to surround or hem in. The second definition is to attack from all sides. The third is to decorate something with jewels.

Etymology:

"Beset" comes from a Middle English word "besetten," which came from the Old English word "besettan," which means to set beside or near.

Usage Note:

Here's an example sentence utilizing the first definition: "An innocent older woman was beset by violent protesters as she sat trapped in her car on a freeway seized by an angry mob."

To illustrate the second definition, the first one is just taken a little further: "The innocent older woman's car was beset by violent protesters who eventually escaped police leaving the car with broken windows, slashed tires, and an extremely frightened female senior citizen."

Very often the second definition of "beset" is used in a figurative manner. For example: "Unfortunately, the older woman was beset by phobias and inhibitions (making it difficult to drive anywhere) after having experienced a violent attack in the midst of a protest."

brachiation

Part of Speech:

The word "brachiation" is a noun. Its verb form is "brachiate" and adjective forms are "brachiating" and "brachiated." The adverb form of the word "Brachiatingly" does not appear to be in wide usage; however, it would be perfectly understood if uttered to an audience familiar with the noun form.

Definition:

"Brachiation" refers to the movement of locomotion by swinging the arms from one hold to the next as monkeys do when they swing from limb to limb across a tree or group of trees.

Etymology:

"Brachiation" is a term used in the field of zoology. Its Latin root "bracchium" means arm.

Example of Usage:

"Brachiation" is a word that can be easily implemented in a humorous way. However, humor doesn't always result in laughs. I once suggested to those in the office who were averse to walking to try brachiation to get around, and I was met with disdainful sneers.

disabuse

Part of Speech:

The word "disabuse" is a verb. It's a transitive verb, which means it requires a direct object.

Definition:

The single definition of "disabuse" is to free a person from misconceptions or to persuade one from insane notions.

Etymology:

"Disabuse" comes from the French word "désabuser," which means to correct or enlighten.

Example of Usage:

Goodness gracious! With all the crazy ideas proliferating throughout social media, we're going to need a special agency to disabuse chronic scrollers of all the bad ideas they're accumulating in their heads.

gaslighting

Part of Speech:

"Gaslighting" is a noun in its gerundic form or an adjective in its present-participle form. "To gaslight" is a verb in its infinitive form. "Gaslighted" is a verb in its past-tense form or an adjective in its past-participle form. Likewise, "gaslit" is a verb in its simple past-tense form or in its past-participle form, which requires a helping verb.

Definition:

Naturally, the word "gaslight" refers to a historical means of illumination for households, street lighting, etc. Our focus here, however, is on a more recent use of the word. Thus, to gaslight is to manipulate a person psychologically to the point the person doubts his or her memory, sanity, or reality.

Etymology:

The source of the word "gaslight" comes from a 1944 movie titled Gaslight. In the movie, a man leads his wife to believe she is insane. He does so to conceal his criminal activities and is eventually found out by the dimming of the gaslights in their home. Interestingly, one of the first usages of the word was in a second-season (1974) episode of The Six Million Dollar Man.

Example of Usage:

It's important to note that gaslighting has become popular within the last decade because the news media have been accused of blatantly deceiving the public to the point that many people believe they are trying to gaslight the American public. To avoid being gaslit, research the truth by seeking the source of a story and applying critical thinking.

halcyon

Part of Speech:

The word "halcyon" is an adjective. It is also a noun that refers to a kingfisher bird; however, the focus here is on the adjective form of the word, which is often accompanied by the word "days" to form the phrase "halcyon days."

Definition:

"Halcyon" refers to a calm and peaceful time, usually in the past and often in a sense of a pleasant, simple, natural setting.

Etymology:

The Latin phrase "alcyonei dies" comes from a Greek phrase "alkyonides hemerai," which refers to a 14-day period around the winter solstice when a mythical bird was said to breed in a nest floating on calm seas.

Example of Usage:

Because of Pax Americana, many people from the Boomer generation, and subsequent generations, have been able to refer to the years of their youth as halcyon days.

pastiche

Part of Speech:

"Pastiche" is both a noun and verb.

Definition:

The noun form of the word has three different meanings. The first one is a work of art, drama, literature, music, or architecture that deliberately imitates the work of a previous artist or style in homage or playful mimicry. The second noun is a musical medley that blends different styles of music or music by different artists or from different periods, and the third definition for the noun form of "pastiche" is an incongruous mixture. "Hodgepodge" is a synonym.

As a verb, "pastiche" means to create a work of art that imitates another work of art and relates to the first definition of the noun form of the word.

Etymology:

"Pastiche" is a French word that comes from the Italian "pasticcio," which means pie or something blended. "Pasticcio" comes from Latin's "pasta," meaning dough, pastry, cake, or paste.

Example of Usage:

Based on cultural critic Camille Paglia's assertion that no significant art movement has emerged since Andy Warhol's Pop Art in the 1960s, it is reasonable to deduce that contemporary art is largely a pastiche of past styles.

If Barbra Streisand had married Mick Jagger, I wonder how well-received a pastiche of their songs would have been.

I was craving sweets so badly I had to create a pastiche of all things sweet from my kitchen, and luckily it tasted alright.

There's a crazy lady down the street who pastiches Jackson Pollock paintings, and I'm thinking it's not hard to do.

platonic

Part of Speech:

"Platonic" is an adjective.

Definition:

"Platonic" has two definitions that are distinguished by capitalization. Generally, when "platonic" is spelled with a lowercase "p," it refers to a friendship that transcends bodily attraction or desire and instead is cherished for intellectual and emotional bonds. When "Platonic" is spelled with an uppercase "P," it typically relates to the philosophy of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato.

Etymology:

Plato explored the idea of love in one of his works called Symposium wherein he described a non-physical form of love based on a higher spiritual connection. In the 15th century, the Latin phrase amor platonicus (platonic love) was used, and in the 17th century, "platonic" enters the English language to describe a non-sexual and non-romantic relationship, especially between a man and a woman.

Example of Usage:

Morally speaking, a celibate cannot be sapiosexual. Instead, a celibate must restrict him- or herself to platonic relationships.

Trying to understand the Platonic notion of forms deters me from further exploration of Plato's philosophy.

quip

Part of Speech:

The word "quip" is a noun.

Definition:

A quip is a clever, sarcastic remark that is often a spontaneous response or comeback. Synonyms include "gibe" and "retort."

Etymology:

"Quip" comes from the Latin "quippe," which means indeed or of course.

Example of Usage:

If sarcasm is the protest of a feeble mind, then quips are expedient little needles flicked at giants.

recrimination

Part of Speech:

"Recrimination" is a noun. It's common to see it in its plural form "recriminations."

Definition:

A recrimination is a counter-accusation.

Etymology:

The "re" in "recrimination" is a Latin prefix that means back or again. The "crimination" part of the word comes from Latin's criminari, which means to accuse.

Example of Usage:

It seems all too often the case that when I accuse others of stealing my jokes, I don't hear laughter. Instead, I hear recriminations about how I steal the fun away.

solar plexus

Part of Speech:

"Solar plexus" is a noun phrase.

Definition:

There's a bundle of nerves in your abdomen behind your stomach that can cause the diaphragm to spasm. This bundle of nerves is called celiac plexus. "Solar plexus is the region in which the celiac plexus resides. Thus, "solar plexus" is a technical term used in the medical field. For our purpose here, we will focus on the figurative definition, which refers to the same location (i.e., the upper abdomen), but instead of just a mere location, it also includes the feeling of a strong emotion in.

Etymology:

As for the etymology of "solar plexus," it first appears in English around the mid-18th century. It's not exactly known why "solar" was used; it could be because of the central location in the body or also because nerve signals emanate from the solar plexus like heat radiates from the sun. "Plexus" comes from Latin and means braid, which is why it was used to describe the physical bundle of nerves.

Usage Note:

"Solar plexus" is often used to figuratively enhance one's expression of a deep emotion. Note that the emotion may be either negative or positive. Also, know that usage is restricted to location. For instance, you would not say, "I drank my solar plexus."

Here are a few examples of proper usage:

"While walking on a trail at dawn, I witnessed the most beautiful rising sun I had ever seen and subsequently felt a surge of delight emanating from my solar plexus."

"I'm hit in the solar plexus every time I see great works of high-western art vandalized by activists."