Make Your Point > Archived Issues > BROBDINGNAGIAN

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connect today's word to others: I dislike silly words. My least favorite is "hoity-toity." Once, I got into an argument over my refusal to say the word "paradiddle-diddle." Knowing this, you might wonder why I'm suddenly embracing the silly-sounding, over-the-top word Brobdingnagian (which means "gigantic"). I've got a soft spot for it because it's from a classic kids' novel: Gulliver's Travels, by Jonathan Swift. Earlier, we checked out its opposite, from the same novel: lilliputian. To practice applying these words, see if you can name a Brobdingnagian problem in the world that makes a specific problem of your own seem lilliputian. And, see if you can recall a third word from Swift's novel: one that means extremely absurd and impractical. You might need it to talk about your least favorite politician. make your point with... "BROBDINGNAGIAN" Something Brobdingnagian reminds you of a giant from Brobdingnag, the imaginary country in the book Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift. In other words, Brobdingnagian things are gigantic. Pronunciation: BROB ding NAG ee un Part of speech: Proper adjective.  You always capitalize proper adjectives, like "Korean," "Shakespearean," and "Christian." (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "a Brobdingnagian thing." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was Brobdingnagian.") Other forms: There are some alternate spellings, but let's stick to the way Swift spelled his own made-up word. And you can use "Brobdingnagian" as a noun to mean "a person of enormous size," but I don't recommend it--you risk sounding mean even if you're just joking or exaggerating. How to use it: When even the word "gargantuan" won't express just how very, very big something is, use "Brobdingnagian."  Your listeners who haven't heard it before will probably understand it from your context--and, of course, from the outrageous sound and length. (Can you believe it's only five syllables? All those consonants jammed together makes it take SO long to say.) Use "Brobdingnagian" for a laugh, of course, or simply use it for emphasis or to catch people off guard. It's a silly word, but it's still literary. Talk about Brobdingnagian objects, buildings, and structures; Brobdingnagian fees and prices; Brobdingnagian businesses and industries; and so on. Or, talk about something with a Brobdingnagian aspect or of Brobdingnagian proportions. And be sure to capitalize it: we still treat it like a proper adjective even though we no longer do that for its opposite, "lilliputian." examples: When I say that Lady Gaga's Brobdingnagian sunglasses probably caught people's eyes, I mean that literally because they extended so far out from her head. My classmate in a silent 8:00AM lecture hall once let out this yawn of Brobdingnagian proportions. Everyone but the professor was amused. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "Brobdingnagian" means when you can explain it without saying "oversized" or "huge." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "When I was (a tiny child, or a specific younger age), _____ seemed Brobdingnagian." Concrete example: "When I was a tiny child, the staircase at school seemed Brobdingnagian." Abstract example: "When I was fourteen, my frizzy hair woes seemed Brobdingnagian." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Last month, we played "Game of Games!" You guessed the one-word title of each board game, using your knowledge of vocabulary. From our previous issue:  Designed by Bill King and John Robertson, this game has players pitting creatures like orcs and titanosaurs against each other in combat. The game's title means "anything enormous and/or powerful enough to remind you of a sea monster." (Often it's a ship, but it could be anything, including a person. Especially a wealthy one.) It's pictured below, with the title blurred out. What game is this? Answer: Leviathan. Check out the game here and the word here. Now, a new game for March! Our game this month is called "Quirky Keepers." We’ll play with a bunch of bizarre, oddly specific words—words that deserve a place in our vocabulary, even though they're too wacky and rare to explore in full issues of Make Your Point. (I found most of these words in Charles Harrington Elster’s outrageously entertaining book, There’s A Word For It: A Grandiloquent Guide to Life.) Our goal as we play is to squirrel the words away in our memories. So, in each issue, we’ll check out a word; in the following issue, I’ll give you a new example of that word, and you see if you can recall it. We’ll start with short words and work our way up to the six-, seven-, and eight-syllable doozies. Today, let’s check out the word "groak." To groak someone is to stare longingly at them while you hope they'll share their food with you. For example: "Even though they just ate their own dinner, Betsy's dogs kept groaking us with their big, sad eyes." Remember, in the next issue I’ll give you a new example of someone groaking, without mentioning the word—and you’ll try to recall it. That'll help you tuck the word away in your memory. review today's word: 1. The exact opposite of BROBDINGNAGIAN is LILLIPUTIAN. But a close opposite of BROBDINGNAGIAN is A. IRIDESCENT. B. INFINITESIMAL. C. IDIOSYNCRATIC. 2. The paper plate _____ the Brobdingnagian _____. A. nearly buckled under .. glop of mac and cheese B. held up like a champ for .. sloppy Joes on mini-rolls C. became disturbingly see-through beneath .. pizza grease Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. A