Trashy TV … a learning opportunity?

18 03 2008

Ok … not that I’m going to admit to recently watching The Real Housewives of NYC, but if my friend watched the show, and if she learned a new word, and it was a good one, would that be all wrong?

Word: “like, a total Polyglot

Context: Rich NYC housewife on why it’s important her NYC kids have a French nanny and learn to speak a second language. “… because they will be traveling around the world, and like, even their home country, is, like, a total polyglot.”

Me: I’m sorry, what!? Is that even a word? Oh, snap. It is. And it’s a good one. Wow.
Me <– I mean, my “friend” <– surprised and sheepish





Learnin new words…

17 03 2008

… every day. Always.

Today’s “a ha” occurred while reading our Annual Report. And after groaning about Sam P’s $20M salary … I found enjoyment in the words my communication peers had paired…

<snip>”Business: Impelled by this new global arena…”</snip>

“Impelled?” thought I. Pray, tell. I have heard “compelled,” surely. But to ‘im-pel.’ This is new. Upon further investigation, I discovered (thanks to dictionary.com):

impel means to urge or encourage while compel means to take action as a result of pressure or coercion; impel is very similar in meaning to compel but suggests even more strongly an inner drive to do something and often a greater urgency in the desire to act”

Like it.








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