As ever I have wandered off on a tangent whilst doing my History homework and have found a new word to share with you all.
Today's Word:
Cogent:
-Appealing to the intellect or powers of reasoning
-Convincing
Sentence Example:
The lawyer argued the case congently to the judge and won.
Sunday, 20 March 2011
Saturday, 19 March 2011
Word of the Day
This is from our omniscient English teacher, once again. She is officially one of the cleverest people we know.
Today's Word:
Dogmatic
1. To do with a dogma (a strong opinion).
2. Asserting one's opinion in an arrogant manner.
Sentence example: Talia often asserted her opinions dogmatically.
*DISCLAIMER: I joke, I joke. I do love Talia really.*
By Jess
Today's Word:
Dogmatic
1. To do with a dogma (a strong opinion).
2. Asserting one's opinion in an arrogant manner.
Sentence example: Talia often asserted her opinions dogmatically.
*DISCLAIMER: I joke, I joke. I do love Talia really.*
By Jess
Thursday, 17 March 2011
A Pandemic of Confusion
Whether the title of this true or not is debatable - but following my third Spanish lesson of the day today, I figured that we don't really know the difference between a few similar words. Don't be morbid. They don't only refer to diseases.
Pandemic - something that is spread across a whole country, continent or the world
Epidemic - something that is extremely prevalent, affecting many people at the same time
Endemic - something that is typical of a certain people or place; native
Aren't you glad that's all cleared up now.
By Jess
Pandemic - something that is spread across a whole country, continent or the world
Epidemic - something that is extremely prevalent, affecting many people at the same time
Endemic - something that is typical of a certain people or place; native
Aren't you glad that's all cleared up now.
By Jess
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
Word of the Day
Today we have a really good one for you. It has been added to my personal top three words list.
Pusillanimous:
1. lacking courage or resolution; cowardly; faint-hearted; timid.
By Talia
Pusillanimous:
1. lacking courage or resolution; cowardly; faint-hearted; timid.
2. proceeding from or indicating a cowardly spirit.
Sentence Example:
Talia and Jess were frustrated with how pusillanimous their friends were about learning and using new words.
By Talia
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
Word of the Day
Well today's word was learnt in French - odd that. It's exactly the same word in French by the way - in case you're interested.
Today's Word
Agglomeration
A mass of people / buildings; urban area
Verb: agglomerate
Adj: agglomerative
Sentence example: He could see an agglomeration of sunbathers on the beach of St. Tropez.
By Jess
Today's Word
Agglomeration
A mass of people / buildings; urban area
Verb: agglomerate
Adj: agglomerative
Sentence example: He could see an agglomeration of sunbathers on the beach of St. Tropez.
By Jess
Sunday, 13 March 2011
Word of the Day
Yes, it's time for another one of those nice long words that we like so much. The Word of the Day is...
Retrogression:
By Talia
Retrogression:
1. The act or process of deteriorating or declining.
2. A return to a less complex or more primitive state or stage
Sentence Example:
They found it hard to watch the retrogression of their mothers mind as she became more ill
By Talia
L'Étranger
I have just finished reading Albert Camus' 'L'Étranger,' not, alas, in the original French though. Therefore technically I have just finished reading Albert Camus' 'The Outsider' but that sounds far less intellectual. I was lent the novel by a friend, who wanted my opinion so she could pass it off as her own when asked about it. I complied and I thought I would share my thoughts with all of you.
The Outsider is a novel split into two parts. The first part introduces us to the protagonist, Meursault at a time when he has just been informed that his mother has died. We follow him as he visits the old people's home he placed her in, there is an underlying feeling of guilt with Meursault about having his mother put in a home. However, he comes across to everyone he meets at the home as very detached and emotionless. When we hear him justifying it, claiming that he could not afford to look after both of them, we understand. But, we later learn that his mother was about 60. I don't know about you, but I'm 17 and even I know 60 is not all that old. Part one concludes with the dramatic scene when Meursault shoots an "Arab" for seemingly no other reason than the heat bothering him. Yes, you read that correctly, the heat was bothering him, so he shot someone. In fairness to Meursault he was being threatened with a knife at the time, but this was not the reasoning presented to us by Camus, we are told only of the heat and bright sunlight.
Part two opens with Meursault being incarcerated, but the detached emotions I mentioned earlier make his time in jail very bearable. Once he gets used to his loss of liberty he whiles away the hours making mental lists of every object in his apartment; he quietly gets on with this new chapter of his life quietly and without fuss. You would think that prison wardens would appreciate this attitude given some peoples reaction to finding themselves in prison, but no. His complacency is taken as a lack of remorse for what he has done in his trial, his lack of tears at his mothers funeral are taken as further evidence of this. The prosecutor paints a malicious and soulless image of Meursault. Of course as a reader I appreciate what he did was wrong, but we have come to have compassion for him, and would never describe him as soulless. Lost? Misunderstood? Absolutely. But soulless? No. Meursault is sentenced to public decapitation for his crime.
Rather than accepting the ruling as fair, or even deserved, we question why he receives such a harsh punishment. Is he being tried for his crime, or because he does not react the way the public want him to? Would he have got off with a lighter sentence if he had broken down in tears at the trial for what he had done? 'The Outsider' raised a lot of questions for me, and it was an incredibly intriguing read. But I can't lie to you, I'm not entirely sure if I enjoyed it. 'The Outsider' has been described as 'the Bible for the dissatisfied, the alienated and the misunderstood,' and I don't think I fit into any of those categories.
By Talia
The Outsider is a novel split into two parts. The first part introduces us to the protagonist, Meursault at a time when he has just been informed that his mother has died. We follow him as he visits the old people's home he placed her in, there is an underlying feeling of guilt with Meursault about having his mother put in a home. However, he comes across to everyone he meets at the home as very detached and emotionless. When we hear him justifying it, claiming that he could not afford to look after both of them, we understand. But, we later learn that his mother was about 60. I don't know about you, but I'm 17 and even I know 60 is not all that old. Part one concludes with the dramatic scene when Meursault shoots an "Arab" for seemingly no other reason than the heat bothering him. Yes, you read that correctly, the heat was bothering him, so he shot someone. In fairness to Meursault he was being threatened with a knife at the time, but this was not the reasoning presented to us by Camus, we are told only of the heat and bright sunlight.
Part two opens with Meursault being incarcerated, but the detached emotions I mentioned earlier make his time in jail very bearable. Once he gets used to his loss of liberty he whiles away the hours making mental lists of every object in his apartment; he quietly gets on with this new chapter of his life quietly and without fuss. You would think that prison wardens would appreciate this attitude given some peoples reaction to finding themselves in prison, but no. His complacency is taken as a lack of remorse for what he has done in his trial, his lack of tears at his mothers funeral are taken as further evidence of this. The prosecutor paints a malicious and soulless image of Meursault. Of course as a reader I appreciate what he did was wrong, but we have come to have compassion for him, and would never describe him as soulless. Lost? Misunderstood? Absolutely. But soulless? No. Meursault is sentenced to public decapitation for his crime.
Rather than accepting the ruling as fair, or even deserved, we question why he receives such a harsh punishment. Is he being tried for his crime, or because he does not react the way the public want him to? Would he have got off with a lighter sentence if he had broken down in tears at the trial for what he had done? 'The Outsider' raised a lot of questions for me, and it was an incredibly intriguing read. But I can't lie to you, I'm not entirely sure if I enjoyed it. 'The Outsider' has been described as 'the Bible for the dissatisfied, the alienated and the misunderstood,' and I don't think I fit into any of those categories.
By Talia
Saturday, 12 March 2011
Ek-Ek-Equus
For my Speech & Drama Grade 8 exam I'm performing the part of Dora from Equus. I know what you all think: "OhMyGod that's the one with naked Harry Potter!" Erm yes it is but it is so much more than that.
Equus is about a psychologist called Dysart looking after an evidently mentally disturbed and slightly obsessive horse-lover named Alan Strang. Alan's parents are a wee bit religious, and prohibit Alan from doing virtually anything that is very slightly offish. Altogether, he lives in a pretty repressive household.
This all questions the technique of parenting. Though it is not explicitly pointed out, it is assumed that Alan's parents (Frank and Dora) are rather oppressive. They forbid him television, for example. Is that right? Because it is a well-known fact that if someone is disallowed to do something, eat something, say something.... as soon as they have the chance they are going to go wild.
And wild Alan does go. His infatuation with horses is shown prominently, especially when Frank comes in to see Dysart and tell him something previously withheld - that Alan worships his own God - Equus. This triggers a memory of Dysart's: when Alan first came to see him he would only (and he did this in court too) sing a strange and unknown song or say "Ek ek ek", which can be perceived as rather creepy. So, from this we can decipher how fanatic Alan is about horses.
The beginning of Alan's trust (or perhaps it is just Dysart's gift for hypnotism) he tells the psychologist about his first job and the transfer from it to working in the stables. He manages this through Jill, a slightly clingy worker at the stables. And it is then that Alan starts his strange rituals with the horses, namely Nugget, as opposed to worshipping a printed picture stuck up on his bedroom wall. As soon as Jill makes a move on Alan, he blinds six horses with a metal spike. Why? Probably because this boy has been so sheltered from any form of social interaction with any human being other than his parents.
This documentation of a crime holds everyone in suspense, whether you are reading it (as I did) or seeing it onstage. And there is far more to this play than seeing Daniel Radcliffe, or any other actor for that matter, in the nude. Please read it - it's a true eye-opener to how someone could be so closed up.
By Jess
Equus is about a psychologist called Dysart looking after an evidently mentally disturbed and slightly obsessive horse-lover named Alan Strang. Alan's parents are a wee bit religious, and prohibit Alan from doing virtually anything that is very slightly offish. Altogether, he lives in a pretty repressive household.
This all questions the technique of parenting. Though it is not explicitly pointed out, it is assumed that Alan's parents (Frank and Dora) are rather oppressive. They forbid him television, for example. Is that right? Because it is a well-known fact that if someone is disallowed to do something, eat something, say something.... as soon as they have the chance they are going to go wild.
And wild Alan does go. His infatuation with horses is shown prominently, especially when Frank comes in to see Dysart and tell him something previously withheld - that Alan worships his own God - Equus. This triggers a memory of Dysart's: when Alan first came to see him he would only (and he did this in court too) sing a strange and unknown song or say "Ek ek ek", which can be perceived as rather creepy. So, from this we can decipher how fanatic Alan is about horses.
The beginning of Alan's trust (or perhaps it is just Dysart's gift for hypnotism) he tells the psychologist about his first job and the transfer from it to working in the stables. He manages this through Jill, a slightly clingy worker at the stables. And it is then that Alan starts his strange rituals with the horses, namely Nugget, as opposed to worshipping a printed picture stuck up on his bedroom wall. As soon as Jill makes a move on Alan, he blinds six horses with a metal spike. Why? Probably because this boy has been so sheltered from any form of social interaction with any human being other than his parents.
This documentation of a crime holds everyone in suspense, whether you are reading it (as I did) or seeing it onstage. And there is far more to this play than seeing Daniel Radcliffe, or any other actor for that matter, in the nude. Please read it - it's a true eye-opener to how someone could be so closed up.
By Jess
Word of the Day
This is my favourite word. Ever. And since it's my birthday (WOOOO) I thought I would share it avec tous.
Today's Word:
Halcyon
Idyllic, perfect, relating to paradise.
Sentence example: She thought the day was perfectly halcyon.
By Jess
Today's Word:
Halcyon
Idyllic, perfect, relating to paradise.
Sentence example: She thought the day was perfectly halcyon.
By Jess
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
Word of the Day
This one is just amazing. Literally. It is long and alliterates within itself. English doesn't get much better than that.
Today's Word:
Fanfaronade
1. Hollow boasting
2. Fanfare
Sentence example: Amid the fanfaronade of his friends, he was unable to hear himself think.
By Jess
By Jess
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
Pride and... Wait. He said what? Rude. Talk about being proud and prejudist.
Everyone knows Pride and Prejudice (unless you live under a rock, metaphorical or otherwise). Everyone knows the story of lovely Lizzie Bennet (oo get the alliteration) and her famous gallivanting with Mr Darcy, the brooding gentleman with a past. Golly how exciting. I must be honest, I think the BBC and ITV have done Pride and Prejudice a few too many times, but the fact is that they can and people will still watch it. And no of course it's not because they want to see Mr D in a wet and therefore transparent shirt. How superficial of you to even think such a thing. Honestly.
I look at Pride and Prejudice and I see a story about true love that seems to conquer all social boundaries, in every situation it arises in. Isn't that what Jane Austen is all about anyway? However, I think she had rather a party thinking up everything to stop them tying the knot. There is the inevitable social gap. Elizabeth is the second daughter of five and even if she was the eldest, she wouldn't be receiving any large fortune when her parents passed away. Still, she is bright and cheery and has her groovy best friend Charlotte to keep her company, as well as her crazy family with all its quirks. Mr D, on the other hand, earns double what Mr Bingley earns, i.e. shedloads, and is all snooty and grumpy. Why, oh why, does she see anything in him? Especially after he calls her plain. Rude.
Then there are the other aristocracies present. Apart from Mr Bingley, who is just idiotic at the best of times, everyone who has an ounce of money seems to be incredibly arrogant and indeed seems to look down on everyone they set eyes on, unless who they set eyes on has more money than themselves. Lady Catherine cannot stand the sight of Elizabeth and is constantly boasting her niece (who is plain) and trying to marry her off to Mr D; Caroline Bingley, sister of Jane's beau, is almost worse. She's the sort you would imagine to be that girl at school, or the arrogant boss at work. Absolutely insufferable. Even dear Mr Collins seems to think he is the bee's knees with his connection to Lady Cath and his house. Thank goodness Lizzie had the sense to turn him down.
But then you meet the poor end of town, and they are all so jolly and amicable. Jane Bennet seems like the kindest person you will ever meet; Charlotte is all down-to-earth and has that I-wish-she-was-my-best-friend thing going for her. Mr and Mrs Bennet are... interesting. Well I could never deal with Mrs B being my mum, but she's not so I suppose she is O.K. if you count out the constant "Oh Mr Bennet! Mr Bennet!" clamours.
Anyway, I just thought I would share what I understand to be the real social divide in this book. And yes I have read it too many times. And yes I am still reading Anna Karenina - it is very long. You are just going to have to wait. And yes Mr Wickham is my favourite. And yes I do sort of wish I was Lydia. That will be all.
By Jess
I look at Pride and Prejudice and I see a story about true love that seems to conquer all social boundaries, in every situation it arises in. Isn't that what Jane Austen is all about anyway? However, I think she had rather a party thinking up everything to stop them tying the knot. There is the inevitable social gap. Elizabeth is the second daughter of five and even if she was the eldest, she wouldn't be receiving any large fortune when her parents passed away. Still, she is bright and cheery and has her groovy best friend Charlotte to keep her company, as well as her crazy family with all its quirks. Mr D, on the other hand, earns double what Mr Bingley earns, i.e. shedloads, and is all snooty and grumpy. Why, oh why, does she see anything in him? Especially after he calls her plain. Rude.
Then there are the other aristocracies present. Apart from Mr Bingley, who is just idiotic at the best of times, everyone who has an ounce of money seems to be incredibly arrogant and indeed seems to look down on everyone they set eyes on, unless who they set eyes on has more money than themselves. Lady Catherine cannot stand the sight of Elizabeth and is constantly boasting her niece (who is plain) and trying to marry her off to Mr D; Caroline Bingley, sister of Jane's beau, is almost worse. She's the sort you would imagine to be that girl at school, or the arrogant boss at work. Absolutely insufferable. Even dear Mr Collins seems to think he is the bee's knees with his connection to Lady Cath and his house. Thank goodness Lizzie had the sense to turn him down.
But then you meet the poor end of town, and they are all so jolly and amicable. Jane Bennet seems like the kindest person you will ever meet; Charlotte is all down-to-earth and has that I-wish-she-was-my-best-friend thing going for her. Mr and Mrs Bennet are... interesting. Well I could never deal with Mrs B being my mum, but she's not so I suppose she is O.K. if you count out the constant "Oh Mr Bennet! Mr Bennet!" clamours.
Anyway, I just thought I would share what I understand to be the real social divide in this book. And yes I have read it too many times. And yes I am still reading Anna Karenina - it is very long. You are just going to have to wait. And yes Mr Wickham is my favourite. And yes I do sort of wish I was Lydia. That will be all.
By Jess
Word of the Day
I feel really clever knowing where this word derived from... Wooo Shakespeare lovers.
Today's Word:
Puckish
Mischievous, impish
Sentence example: Horrid Henry was behaving awfully puckishly in his English lesson, much to the displeasure of his keen classmates named Jess and Talia.
And for those of you who have read and seen A Midsummer's Night's Dream countless times, you will know it is derived from the name of Puck - Oberon's little helper. Yes. I love Shakespeare. Over and out.
By Jess
By Jess
Monday, 7 March 2011
Word of the Day
Heard this beauty in my Ancient History lesson. Just thought it sounded rather snazzy. And it can be both noun and adjective. Doubly snazzy.
Today's Word:
Expedient
Adjective
Something that can be used to one's advantage; suitable
Sentence example: It would be expedient for your studies if you attended the talk
Noun
A means to an end
Sentence example: A keyboard is an expedient for typing on the computer.
By Jess
Today's Word:
Expedient
Adjective
Something that can be used to one's advantage; suitable
Sentence example: It would be expedient for your studies if you attended the talk
Noun
A means to an end
Sentence example: A keyboard is an expedient for typing on the computer.
By Jess
Sunday, 6 March 2011
Word of the Day
This is a just a random word I read somewhere. And then wrote down on my hand.
Today's Word:
Confute
To prove to be false; overwhelm by argument
Adj: confutable / confuting
Noun: confuter
Sentence example: She confuted his point when discussing the topic in Philosophy class.
By Talia
Today's Word:
Confute
To prove to be false; overwhelm by argument
Adj: confutable / confuting
Noun: confuter
Sentence example: She confuted his point when discussing the topic in Philosophy class.
By Talia
Friday, 4 March 2011
Word of the Day
Once again, our impeccably learned English teacher bestowed her vocab-related knowledge on us in English class, and straight away we were both scribbling down the word on our hands.
Today's Word:
Nadir
The lowest point (i.e. of despair)
Adj: Nadiral
Sentence example: The speaker in Rossetti's poem has reached her nadir.
*DISCLAIMER: We are not feeling depressed - no need to worry*
By Jess
By Jess
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