Best Quotes from Building A Better Vocabulary by Kevin Flanigan with Page Numbers

Words have the power to change how you see the world.

Choosing just the right word adds precision and clarity to our speech and writing.

Vocabulary learning works in the same way—gradually and then gradually become comfortable with how it’s used in various contexts.

Don’t feel that you have to master new words immediately, as if your brain were an on/off switch.

It takes multiple exposures across many contexts before we really start to 'know' a word.

A vocabulary word is a label for an underlying concept.

If you want to really know a word, you study how it behaves in its natural habitat—sentences, paragraphs, and books.

We will dramatically improve our chances of remembering and using new words by organizing our vocabulary learning by meaning.

Etymological narratives can serve as powerful vocabulary-learning tools.

By using a structured approach, we can harness the power of the English language.

Lying has been a part of the human condition since the beginning of time.

Making personal connections to word meanings will help you to store these words in your lexicon for later use.

A sophist tries to sell you a counterfeit argument.

Sophists were known for their clever but not necessarily logical arguments.

A specious argument is one that 'looks good' on the surface but isn’t sound.

A spurious argument is immediately recognized as false.

Urban legends are often described as apocryphal because they are passed on by a 'friend of a friend.'

The story of how ersatz entered English is a wonderful example of our language’s capacity to borrow and absorb words from other languages.

Each year, the Word Warriors announce their list of 'great, underused words to bring back.'

In politics, players may engage in machinations as a means to achieve unscrupulous ends.

"The great Gaels of Ireland / Are the men that God made mad, / For all their wars are merry, / And all their songs are sad."

"As we grow older, we often look back with fondness to the halcyon days of our youth."

"You might want to organize your vocabulary notebook into three categories: words referring to serious physical altercations, words referring to lesser physical altercations, and words implying commotions and confused situations."

"When we study a word with its collocates, we get a deeper understanding of the word and are better equipped to actually use the word when we speak or write."

"Cramming won’t help you achieve it. What will help, however, is to do a little bit of learning every day."

"A good key word for the root bell is rebellion, meaning 'to make war again' to overcome their conquerors."

"Real long-term learning, like farming, is a natural process that takes time."

"Propitiate is often used in religious contexts, as in: 'The priest sought to propitiate the displeased deity.'"

"Because words are born and live in context—not in isolated vocabulary lists—we need to examine how they actually behave in their natural environment."

"One of our themes in this lecture was aggression and cruelty. The opposite of being aggressive is to nurture or to pamper."

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

A curse; evil talk about someone; slander.

A benediction is, literally, "good speech," an expression of good wishes.

Malaise is the condition of being 'ill at ease.'

To remember malcontent, make a connection to a person you know who is always complaining.

Malefactor—literally, 'someone who does evil.'

Venal describes corrupt people who are open to corruption; capable of being bought through bribery.

Insidious is used to describe a type of evil that works on the inside—an inside job that is secret, stealthy, and harmful.

Invidious comments ignite envy and ill will in others.

Baseness, depravity, or debauchery—this is the definition of turpitude.

"Fear is an emotion that can both paralyze us and propel us forward."

"Xenophobia is not just a fear of the unfamiliar; it's a fear that stops us from embracing the diverse world around us."

"The delicious spine-tingling terror of a horror movie reminds us that fear can be thrilling, even when we're in a safe place."

"Agoraphobia reminds us that sometimes it’s the spaces we fear that can also hold the most freedom."

"When we fear speaking in public, we often forget that our voice has the power to inspire and move others."

"A misanthrope sees only the darkness in humanity; yet, to embrace our common threads is to ignite hope."

"To execrate something is to express powerful emotions; it's a reminder that passion can fuel change."

"Words carry meaning and power; the right vocabulary can shift perspectives and build bridges instead of walls."

"Love is not just a feeling; it’s a philosophy that can reshape our understanding of the world around us."

"In every phobia lies an opportunity to confront our fears and discover the courage within."

‘When we told the supercilious real estate agent our price range for a house, he rolled his eyes and quickly ended our meeting.’

‘Bumptious describes a different type of arrogance than supercilious.’

‘Hubris comes from Greek, where it originally meant being presumptuous toward the gods.’

‘A politician’s bombastic speech or the author’s bombastic prose can be tiresome to hear.’

‘Bloviate has an interesting history, waxing and waning in usage over time.’

‘Sycophants show excessive deference to gain favor.’

‘Obsequious people follow others to gain their favor.’

‘Wheedle brings to mind the behavior of snake-oil salesmen and mountebanks.’

‘Unctuous people are characterized by affected, exaggerated, or insincere earnestness.’

‘A nun who is often in dishabille is not in the habit of wearing her habit properly.’

"I’m not upset that you lied to me, I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you."

"The CEO’s dogmatic adherence to her way of doing business—because that’s the way she had always worked—led the company down the path to eventual bankruptcy."

"An apostate 'stands away from' his or her beliefs."

"A trusted friend who stabs you in the back goes beyond the limits of your faith."

"Equivocal describes something, such as an answer, that gives 'equal voice' to multiple interpretations."

"Someone who dissembles tries to resemble someone else."

"The professor’s dogmatic approach to teaching left little room for open discussion in his class."

"An apostle is a messenger 'sent away' to spread the word, whereas an apostate 'stands away' from his or her former beliefs."

"Ambivalent about going to a movie, part of you wants to stay and part of you wants to go; you feel both ways."

"Having cast an unpopular deciding vote, the congressman was subjected to obloquy from nearly all the members of the opposition party."

Maunder means to talk on and on without meaning; in contrast, pithy refers to language that is brief and full of meaning.

Pillory refers to a device used for public punishment: a wooden or metal frame with holes... Today, we use pillory as a verb, meaning 'to expose to public ridicule.'

Jeremiad often refers to a bitter lament about the state of society, particularly one containing a prophecy of doom.

Badinage refers to good-natured teasing between people.

The general’s panegyric for his fallen soldiers moved everyone to tears.

A paean is a joyous song or hymn of praise, thanksgiving, or triumph.

Claptrap is often used to describe political speech that is pretentious nonsense.

Bunk became a term for lofty political mumbo jumbo.

Palaver brings to mind the buzz of conversation among students in the few minutes before class starts.

Pablum was derived from the related word pabulum, which can refer to a nourishing substance or to insipid intellectual nourishment.

"The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled."

"Learning, in other words, is active."

"Those who are perspicacious have the ability to 'look through' the surface of things."

"A true education polishes the individual, bringing them out of a rough, unlearned state into one of enlightenment."

"Didactic carries with it a connotation of preachy and boring."

"The Philistines be upon thee, Samson."

"Those who are erudite are literally 'brought out of a rough, raw, unlearned state'—polished through education."

"Secret knowledge can be both a treasure and a trap, understood only by a select group."

"A facile person has the facility to facilitate work."

"To know is to grow, and the journey of acquiring knowledge often begins with the acknowledgment of our ignorance."

All of our lives can be seen as a concatenation of events that has led us to where we are today.

Despite the temptations of college life, he cleaved to the principles his parents had instilled in him in his youth.

You’ll also hear the term Great Schism for the division of the Christian church during the period 1378–1417.

The constant criticism by the captious boss denuded the small company of its once tight-knit camaraderie.

For many Jews, the diaspora that began in the 6th century B.C. continues to this day.

A tight-knit coterie of presidential advisors made all the important decisions in the administration.

In this time of political and civil unrest, the opposition party’s cabal to overthrow the government by force just might work.

Staring directly into the gaping maw of the ravenous lion, he lost all courage and ran away as fast as he could.

An interesting lacuna of circumstances led to Martin’s career as a clown.

The high-stakes testing policies mandated by the federal government have opened a schism in the education community.

"The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog."

"Put simply, splenetic people are ill-tempered cranks."

"Fractious people seem to stir up trouble wherever they go."

"Asperity can mean harsh and rough... both literally and figuratively."

"To be intrepid is to not be alarmed or scared, to not tremble, even in the face of danger."

"Moxie can also refer to energy and vigor or skill."

"Someone who has the temerity to do something is unafraid of the consequences."

"Chutzpah is courage bordering on insolence and can have either a positive or negative connotation."

"Valor means strength of character that allows one to stand up to danger without faltering."

"Pusillanimous means 'weak or little spirit or courage.'"

"Holmes uses his astute powers of observation and deduction to conclude that the usual suspects are actually innocent."

"These policemen could be accused of relying on preconceived notions."

"Holmes himself, the boldly inventive master detective, might be described as Promethean."

"Alceste truly does, as Shakespeare would have it, strut and fret his hour upon the stage, captively critiquing his fellow characters."

"The Round Table was just a lot of people telling jokes and telling each other how good they were."

"In short, Detective Jones’s procrustean approach fails to solve the crime."

"He’s indolent but has an incredibly facile mind, and his devil-may-care approach to life might best be described as insouciant."

"Joyce said of the work: 'I’ve put in so many enigmas and puzzles that it will keep the professors busy for centuries arguing over what I meant, and that’s the only way of insuring one’s immortality.'"

"The only possible society is oneself."

"Professor Harold Hill is a paragon of one of the target nouns we’ve looked at: a mountebank."

"Each time you review a word, your knowledge of it will grow brighter, until eventually, you will make that word your own."

"A Hobson’s choice represents a classic choice: either this or nothing at all."

"Humans have a sense of inherent fairness; if we perceive an offer as being unfair, we don’t want to take nothing at all."

"A dull lecture will stultify the listeners, leaving them bored and exhausted."

"Frisson is a strange combination of fright and excitement, a thrilling shiver that lies directly between thrill and fear."

"The detritus of battle littered the city, with crumbled buildings and smoking hulks of vehicles everywhere."

"Sophists are skilled in clever and devious arguments designed to persuade; they simply want to win the argument, not discover the truth."

"Dialects differ from other varieties of the same language in vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar."

"Sobriquets are often humorous or affectionate, reflecting an endearing quality or cultural significance."

"To wander from topic to topic in speech is to be discursive, like a current in a river that meanders without clear direction."

"Spoonerisms give us some insight into how our minds plan out our speech."

"We all have these slips of the tongue from time to time."

"The interesting thing about spoonerisms is that they are predictable, not random."

"When we try to pronounce the spoken words that represent these units of thought, we sometimes put them down in the wrong places."

"Homonyms are words that have the same 'name'—the same spelling and sound—even though they have different meanings."

"Janus words, or contronyms, are homonym pairs in which one word is the antonym for the other."

"Even the simple word dust is a Janus word."

"Acronyms are not a modern invention."

"A portmanteau is a suitcase or bag with two compartments that can be folded together."

"Clipped words are another way to say more with less in English."

Nice hasn’t always been so nice.

The Black Death is a perfectly horrifying example of the word virulent.

Synonyms and related words can give your vocabulary the sharpness you desire.

Mordant can imply a sharp wit, emphasizing the biting, sarcastic nature of language.

A feeling of remorse is literally a feeling that something you did in the past has come 'back to bite' you.

Piquant can mean 'interesting, charming, or attractive,' reflecting an engaging nature.

Salubrious means conducive or favorable to health or well-being.

Avuncular describes being friendly, helpful, kind, patient, and indulgent.

Exiguous emphasizes a smallness that is undesirable or less than the normal amount.

Juggernaut refers to an overwhelming or unstoppable force that smashes everything in its path.

"When you see how all three layers work together, you’ll have a better appreciation for the vocabulary we’ve been learning."

"The spellings we create as children mirror the historical development of English, connecting us to our linguistic roots."

"Every letter does not make a sound in English; there are some silent letters that provide important information."

"Children at the pattern stage learn to read letters in frequently occurring patterns, processing entire parts of words simultaneously."

"The oldest words in English are the short, high-frequency Anglo-Saxon words, which children learn to read and spell in the primary grades."

"Using but confusing'—that is, using one vowel pattern but confusing it in another word—demonstrates what children know about spelling patterns."

"A child’s invented spelling reveals their understanding of the complex nature of language, showcasing their developmental progress."

"The explosion of new knowledge during the Renaissance created a demand for new vocabulary, leading to a rich evolution in our language."

"By tapping into the power of spelling, we can unlock deeper meanings and connections within our vocabulary."

"Comparing concepts forces us to identify the deep features that make two things similar or different, leading to meaningful learning."

"Vocabulary games provide opportunities and challenges for you to use and think about words in novel and creative ways."

"Reading for meaning is one of the best things you can do to improve your vocabulary."

"You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist." - Indira Gandhi

"Knowing how to craft a beautiful sentence with the precise word is perhaps the ultimate goal of building a better vocabulary."

"In your vocabulary notebook, create a section called 'The Golden Line.'"

"A vocabulary bank serves as a repository of important words for you to keep as a handy reference and can help add precision and variety to your writing."

"Imagine that you’re reading a book, and you encounter a sentence that challenges your understanding. This is where true learning occurs."

"The dimmer switch phenomenon suggests that our understanding of vocabulary grows brighter with repeated encounters."

"Mark unfamiliar words to look up later; this practice is crucial for expanding your vocabulary."

"Memorizing forces you to delve into the meaning of the words and allows you to develop a feel for the music and rhythm of the language."

The hallmark of a powerful vocabulary is not simply knowing a bunch of fancy words.

The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter.

There is no such thing as an exact synonym in English.

The general outline that matters with gestalt, not the details.

Offering a lagniappe is one way for storeowners to retain customers.

A synonym for sangfroid... is aplomb, meaning 'grace under pressure.'

Gemütlichkeit brings to mind the atmosphere around the table for many families at Thanksgiving—warm, welcoming, cozy.

When a new word is coined and is in the process of entering common use, it’s called a neologism.

Each time you use a word is one more step toward owning that word.

As you move beyond this course, keep in mind these tips for continuing to build your vocabulary: read, talk, and write!