Last Week’s Winner
So many of you were close on last week’s vocabulary challenge– one answer away from perfection. But I only had one winner (aha! I said I’d make October’s quiz harder!) Congratulations to:
Lara Britt of Writing Space. Lara (aka Lori Tian Sailiata) blogs from Hawaii. Visit her site for writing tips, fascinating personal stories, and insights from paradise.
Good luck with NaNo, Lori! And congrats on your second win here!
The answers to last week’s quiz
- Expurgated = offensive content removed
- Scout Finch is definitely more perspicacious (having acute mental discernment) than either Ron Weasley or Pip.
- The analogy required a synonym for obdurate: stubborn, inflexible, unyielding, etc.
- Bonus: October is the tenth month, instead of the eighth, because during changes to the Roman calendar, the start of the year moved to January from March, and months were added. For more juicy details, see the full post on why October is the Tenth Month.
This week’s new word
I’m currently reading Jane Eyre, and I can find at least one word on EACH PAGE of the novel that I need to look up. My note cards have gotten full! (My friend Crystal read the ebook and could look everything up quickly on her Kindle dictionary! Smart girl.)
So today, I present the first of many vocab words that Charlotte Bronte has brought to my attention:
[Sophie] was not of a descriptive or narrative turn, and generally gave such vapid and confused answers as were calculated rather to check than encourage inquiry.
vapid \’va-pəd,’ vā-pəd\ adj, from Latin vapidus flat tasting; lacking liveliness, tang, briskness, or force; uninteresting
I also recently saw this adjective used in a movie review and thought, I need to get a handle on this word.
Word Nerd Workout
Use vapid in a sentence; try to write about a character, book, or movie that fits “vapid.” For example,
Since film critics called New Year’s Eve a vapid and unimaginative parade of popular stars, I rented This Means War from Redbox instead.
Other Word Nerdy Words
Note: I include links to all my word nerdy words, so you don’t ever have to go look something up- just click the link. Or visit my Word Nerd Vocabulary page. I’ve already spent precious minutes tracking down definitions- save yourself some time!
Julia
Recently posted my 2014 vocabulary list and most came from Jane Eyre. And yes, I am definitely a Word Nerd as well.
I was struck by how many of the characters in the movie Mean Girls were so vapid. My experience teaching middle and high schoolers has shown me that most students, both boys and girls are much more complex and well-rounded.
Excellent example!
I LOVED Jane Eyre when I read it a few years ago and I remember that word! What a great word Vapid is. The other day I got the most vapid voicemail from a political campaign that I actually thought he did more damage than good. I’m glad you brought up vapid b/c now I can use it all week in all my sentences and not forget the definition like I usually do!
Glad to have inspired you, Amy!
Isn’t Kindle great? With a touch, you can become a word nerd! Vapid is a great word, but what I’m thinking wouldn’t be a gracious sentence… it would include Paris Hilton…
LOL. At least you gave us all a good “character” to associate with vapid. 🙂