Be a Word Nerd!
There are few things that reflect more on a persons character than the manner in which they speak. You may already be sweating in your stilettos wondering if your verbal skills are up to par. But unlike a flashy and current wardrobe, perfectly coordinated accessories or carefully chosen makeup, an impressive vocabulary costs you nothing to acquire or maintain. The next time youre at a loss for …words… try one of these 10 treasures, and give your lexicon the verbal calisthenics it needs.
1. Excursion (ex-ker-shin)
Anyone can take a coffee break, but try impressing your friends with the excursion you took to the new coffee shop downtown. This word for trip taken for pleasure gives you the edge even when youre relaxing with a hot cup o' joe.
2. Chic (sheek)
There is no publication as intimately aware of how many people mispronounce chic as Cincy Chic! So heres our chance to let you know. It rhymes with seek, not sick. Knowing is half the battle.
3. Vicarious (vi-care-ee-us)
That trashy novella the woman in your office is read? Shes vicariously experiencing, ahem, intrigue in the dungeons with Monsiuer Passion. Go ahead. Let her know what shes doing.
4. Boisterous (boy-ster-us)
There are a lot of words you can use to describe the loud, obnoxious woman in the cubicle next to you. But lets stick with boisterous. At least thats a word your boss can put down on record without having to write you up, too.
5. Cogent (co-jent)
If your vocabulary was more cogent, you might be able to convince your boss to put a spa in the break room. Keep learning those words, and perhaps youll become so powerfully persuasive.
6. Engender (en-gen-der)
Your higher-ups speaking at board meetings like they would at a bar wont engender (to cause to exist) much faith in their ability to lead, so throw down with your new vocabulary and show them whats what.
7. Enervate (en-ner-vate)
This word means the opposite of energize. Try telling your coworkers that having to do their duties does this to you. Perhaps theyll be confused and rather than go look the word up, theyll do the work they should be doing instead.
8. Lucid (loo-sid)
Maybe if the instructions to that new desk were a little more lucid, you wouldnt have returned it and settled for typing on the kitchen table for the past few weeks. Send the manufacturers a nasty letter explaining what lucid means, extremely or transparently clear, and maybe theyll get the hint.
9. Linchpin (linch-pin)
This word means the central part creating stability, and when you find a time where you need that statement, youll save yourself a lot of time, and chance raising an eyebrow or two.
10. Benign (bih-nine)
Improving your vocabulary may transform you from being a benign individual to a danger to those who had hoped to leave you in the dust come promotion time (Nope, its not just a type of cancer, benign really means harmless).
Give these 10 words a try, and if you like the taste, pull that dictionary from under the table and try to endure the wobble while you feed your mind.
Photo: Neysa Ruhl Photography
Location: Fischer Homes Granite Spring Model Home
Model: Lyric of Lyric Originals