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You Can Reach Your Dreams…

September 13, 2012 by

Tenacious | Vocabulary word from the Cool Word Club

There are times in every student’s life when he/she just has to push through a tough assignment. Whether it’s finishing a research paper or preparing for a math test, students must be tenacious (see definition below) to get over those final humps. A little bit of tenacity is essential throughout life, whether you choose to become a teacher, an accountant or almost anything else. Steve Jobs, the founder and longtime leader of Apple Computer, which makes iPhones and iPods, is a good example. In a public statement describing Jobs’ legacy, Bono, the lead singer of the band U2, said: “[Steve Jobs] was tenacious in the extreme, his toughness never more evident than these past few years in his fight for his life as well as his companies.” We all don’t have to be as tenacious as Steve Jobs was to reach our dreams, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea for most of us to try to be at least a little more tenacious. –Will Bildsten

Speak your mind: Who is the most tenacious person you know—and how does he/she demonstrate that trait?

TENACIOUS: Persistent in seeking a goal.

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The Thinker

September 10, 2012 by

Cogitate | Vocabulary from the Cool Word ClubIf you have a big decision to make, chances are you’ll want to give it a lot of thought.

Some people like to make lists of the “pros” and “cons” of their choices.

Others like to cogitate (see definition below) on their options for a while.

Speak your mind:  What big decision have you made lately? And what type of decision-maker are you?

COGITATE:  To ponder, usually intently

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It Feels Good to Give a Helping Hand!

September 6, 2012 by

Altruistic - Unselfish | Cool Word ClubHave you ever missed hearing your teacher’s instructions on an assignment? It’s fairly common, and you may have asked another student what the teacher said. Unfortunately, many students are too worried about their own grades to bother to help their classmates. However, there are also some altruistic (see definition below) students who will sacrifice their own time to tell you what you missed. Altruistic people care more about the well-being of others and focus less on themselves. –Will Bildsten

Speak your mind: When is the last time that you performed an altruistic act?

Altruistic: Unselfish

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Yuck or Yum?

September 3, 2012 by

salutary - vocabulary word from the Cool Word ClubWhen George H.W. Bush was president of the United States, he once famously declared that he did not like broccoli and would no longer be eating it in the White House.

Like former President Bush, most of us have a few “yuck” foods that we really don’t enjoy eating.

But broccoli–as well as spinach, cauliflower and blueberries, to name just a few–is one of the foods that are now known as “Super Foods.”

What makes these foods so “super”?

For one thing, vegetables and fruit contain crucial nutrients that help your body stay strong.

So it’s a good idea to try lots of these salutary (see definition below) foods until you find the ones you like. Maybe your “yum” foods are oranges, kiwis or apples. Or perhaps you really love beets, eggplant or cucumbers.

And, while you’re at it, be sure to drink plenty of water.

It, too, is good for you–and tastes really great when you’re thirsty!

Speak your mind:  Do you have any favorite salutary foods?

SALUTARY – healthful, wholesome

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Candy Galore!

August 22, 2012 by

A plethora of candyDo you have a favorite candy?

If you like sweets, chances are you have a piece of candy now and then.

Jelly beans, M&M’s, Reese’s Pieces–most people do have a favorite.

You may even like to satisfy your “sweet tooth” with a piece of licorice.

If that’s the case, you probably buy one package at a time.

But anyone who keeps pounds of licorice on hand truly does have a plethoraexcess or overabundance of the sugary treat.

What would someone do with that much licorice?

Do you happen to have a plethora of anything at your house?

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Joys of Friendship!

August 2, 2012 by

Conviviality - Cool Word ClubWhat do you appreciate most about your friends?

Is it the way they really listen to what you have to say?

Or what about all the times they laugh at your jokes?

Of course, you also want your friends to understand you and be supportive of your dreams and aspirations.

But sometimes the best friends are just those people whose convivialityfriendly, festive nature is downright irresistible.

So go ahead…join with your friends for some lively and festive times!

And while you’re at it, can you think of any other examples of conviviality?

It’s a cool word you’ll be really glad you learned!

 

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The Race Is On …

August 1, 2012 by

penultimate position in running race - Cool Word ClubYou’re at the starting line. There are runners all around you. Some of them pace nervously. But you’re confident of a win.

Then you hear a voice over the loudspeaker: “Ready…set…go!”

And everyone takes off.

You run hard. Then harder. Now you’re in the lead.

Minutes later, you’re the first to cross the finish line. Then you wait and wait…and wait. Finally, your best friend crosses the finish line in the penultimateNext to last. position.

“Well, at least I wasn’t last!” your pal says.

So what was your friend’s position in the race?

Can you think of other times when the word penultimate would apply?

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The Winning Word…

July 15, 2012 by

Spelling Bee, Lori Anne Madison spelled dirigible correctlyDid you see Lori Anne Madison at this year’s Spelling Bee?

At age 6, she’s the youngest competitor in the history of the competition.

The first word she was asked to spell was “dirigible.”

The audience watched anxiously, but Lori Anne stepped right up to the microphone and spelled the word correctly.

But let’s take the word a step beyond spelling. Do you know the meaning of dirigiblecapable of being steered?

Well, you could say, for example, that you plan to travel in a dirigible vehicle. Can you think of another sentence using the word dirigible?

 

As for Lori Anne…she didn’t make it to the finals, but she sure made an impressive showing for someone who is just 6.

Who was the winner?

It was a relative old-timer–a 14-year-old named Snigdha Nandipati, who lives in San Diego.

She won the championship by correctly spelling the word guetapenstrap or ambush.

So give it your best shot and tell us how you would use the word guetapens in a sentence.

You never know when you might need to use this winning word!

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On the Road with Willow

June 16, 2012 by

Willow, the peripatetic catThis story is hard to believe, but it’s true. A calico cat named Willow somehow made it all the way from Boulder, Colorado, to the streets of New York City.

How did she do it? Well, the cat had gone missing from her Colorado family five years earlier, so some people imagined that she took a peripateticDefinition: Traveling from place to place journey on foot, wandering from town to town for days, months and even years until she reached her destination nearly 2,000 miles away!

The story that’s more likely, however, is that the sweet kitty was found by someone who took her by car or plane to New York City.

What Do You Think?

Do you know anyone who is peripateticDefinition: Traveling from place to place?

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It Means WHAT?!

June 11, 2012 by

Don’t ever feel less-than-brilliant if you need to look up a word or two in the dictionary from time to time.

Get this: Even our country’s Supreme Court Justices, those augustDefintion: respected, inspiring awe guys and gals in the flowing black robes, crack open the Oxford English dictionary and others when they’re not sure what a word means.

You might think they’d be looking up multi-syllabic mouthfuls. But, no, our preeminent legal authorities are parsing the meanings of ostensibly tricky words like “now,” “if” and “of.”

It’s true that one dictionary’s definition is not exactly the same as the next one’s. But we’re wagering that the meanings didn’t vary that much.

So tell us, esteemed cool-word watcher, what’s the last word you looked up?

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