Today we'll focus on SAT words. Or ACT words, if you're a wimp. What qualifies me to write this occasional column, you may ask. After all, my job only requires burning through 50 minutes of classroom time without any complaints lodged against me. Oh, wait, this is Westridge, so maybe it's a longer class, and I have to dig deeper for something more because your regular teacher didn't leave me any instructions. Sadly, the days of putting on a documentary film and taking a nap are long gone. So I know my stuff. Anyhow, now let's learn!
I have it on good authority from test-prep guru (though unfortunately under federal indictment) Rick Singer that these are the words most frequently tested on college entrance exams. So focus, girls, on these tricky words:
Nonplussed, adj., subtracting rather than adding. Frankly, I can't think of how you would use this in a sentence, but there it is.
Fortuitous, adj., super lucky. Like, you win a $25 lottery scratcher and are accepted to Yale on the same day. But let's be real, that won't happen to you.
Enormity, adj., Really, really huge! All things are relative, so think bigger than however big such big things usually are.
Pre-Madonna: n., In the original Greek, this meant before the birth of Christ's mother, abbreviated B.C.M. Colloquially, it refers to music of the '70s. Careful, it does not mean the lead or main female singer in an opera company; nor is it used as a negative term for a person, usually female, who is extremely self-centered and temperamental. That's just a homonym. <= another SAT word for y'all.
Noisome: adj., emitting very loud noises, usually irksomely so. If you can bear it, put in mind your brother cranking the volume on Eminem.
Homogenius: n., a smart guy; or maybe a smart gay guy. Again, do not confuse this word with its homonym, which means "of the same kind."
Fulsome: adj., being very full. Like, a whole-tub-of-vegan-cookie-dough full.
Elemeno P: n., the alphabet song, right? We all learned this in kindergarten, so why it would be on the college entrance exams I do not know.
Bemused: adj., if in doubt, sound it out, people! This means, to be amused. E.g., Gina was bemused by my joke. Easy peasy.
Depreciate: v., a lack of appreciation for someone. From what little I understand about Westridge, this is considered to be "mean" behavior that could earn you Thursday Detention.
Enervate: v., to get on someone's nerves; annoy. As in, what your little sister does most days ... unless you're on the outs with your friend group and your lil' sis is the whole ballgame.
Franchise, adj., The European look; think eyeliner, big lashes, deep eyeshadow. Honestly, I had to look this one up, and lo, there was a photo of Brigitte Bardot.
Meretricious: adj., having great honor or merit, esp. based on vicious warfighting. Okay, you're never going to use this word, unless you want to come off as erudite. But some prof might drop it in a lecture, so knowing what it means isn't totally useless.
Tortuous: adj., literally, of torture, right? As in, one of your parental units asks you, for the umpteenth time, to clean your room. That would be tortuous.
Portmanteau: n., let's break it down, folks. Port is a rich wine favored by the English but produced in Portugal, or the left side of a ship, or the place that a ship embarks. Man -- well, that's obviously a dude. Teau, who knows. Wait a minute, I've got a sneaking suspicion this is French. Let's consult the Google gods ... sure enough, it means "coat rack." Enough said.
Let's review. You don't need to study Latin (who does that anyway?) to understand that the key to understanding words is to break them down to their constituent parts, figure those out, maybe sound them out, and put it all back together again. You can't go wrong!
Until next time, Substitute Sven signs off.
Note: We know you won't be taking the SAT or ACT any time soon, so we trust you'll have plenty of time to forget the above entirely. If not, we're very sorry for this enlightening misinformation!
I have it on good authority from test-prep guru (though unfortunately under federal indictment) Rick Singer that these are the words most frequently tested on college entrance exams. So focus, girls, on these tricky words:
Nonplussed, adj., subtracting rather than adding. Frankly, I can't think of how you would use this in a sentence, but there it is.
Fortuitous, adj., super lucky. Like, you win a $25 lottery scratcher and are accepted to Yale on the same day. But let's be real, that won't happen to you.
Enormity, adj., Really, really huge! All things are relative, so think bigger than however big such big things usually are.
Pre-Madonna: n., In the original Greek, this meant before the birth of Christ's mother, abbreviated B.C.M. Colloquially, it refers to music of the '70s. Careful, it does not mean the lead or main female singer in an opera company; nor is it used as a negative term for a person, usually female, who is extremely self-centered and temperamental. That's just a homonym. <= another SAT word for y'all.
Noisome: adj., emitting very loud noises, usually irksomely so. If you can bear it, put in mind your brother cranking the volume on Eminem.
Homogenius: n., a smart guy; or maybe a smart gay guy. Again, do not confuse this word with its homonym, which means "of the same kind."
Fulsome: adj., being very full. Like, a whole-tub-of-vegan-cookie-dough full.
Elemeno P: n., the alphabet song, right? We all learned this in kindergarten, so why it would be on the college entrance exams I do not know.
Bemused: adj., if in doubt, sound it out, people! This means, to be amused. E.g., Gina was bemused by my joke. Easy peasy.
Depreciate: v., a lack of appreciation for someone. From what little I understand about Westridge, this is considered to be "mean" behavior that could earn you Thursday Detention.
Enervate: v., to get on someone's nerves; annoy. As in, what your little sister does most days ... unless you're on the outs with your friend group and your lil' sis is the whole ballgame.
Franchise, adj., The European look; think eyeliner, big lashes, deep eyeshadow. Honestly, I had to look this one up, and lo, there was a photo of Brigitte Bardot.
Meretricious: adj., having great honor or merit, esp. based on vicious warfighting. Okay, you're never going to use this word, unless you want to come off as erudite. But some prof might drop it in a lecture, so knowing what it means isn't totally useless.
Tortuous: adj., literally, of torture, right? As in, one of your parental units asks you, for the umpteenth time, to clean your room. That would be tortuous.
Portmanteau: n., let's break it down, folks. Port is a rich wine favored by the English but produced in Portugal, or the left side of a ship, or the place that a ship embarks. Man -- well, that's obviously a dude. Teau, who knows. Wait a minute, I've got a sneaking suspicion this is French. Let's consult the Google gods ... sure enough, it means "coat rack." Enough said.
Let's review. You don't need to study Latin (who does that anyway?) to understand that the key to understanding words is to break them down to their constituent parts, figure those out, maybe sound them out, and put it all back together again. You can't go wrong!
Until next time, Substitute Sven signs off.
Note: We know you won't be taking the SAT or ACT any time soon, so we trust you'll have plenty of time to forget the above entirely. If not, we're very sorry for this enlightening misinformation!