Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ACCOLADE

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"ACCOLADE" Meaning: When someone becomes a knight, there's this ceremony in which he kneels down and gets tapped gently on the shoulder with the flat side of a sword. That tap is called an accolade. More generally, an accolade is an award or a public honor.  This word also has specific meanings in music and architecture, but we'll stick to general usage. Pronunciation: Lots of ways are correct. I prefer "ACK uh lade." Part of speech: Countable noun. (Countable nouns, like “bottle,” “piece,” and “decision,” are words for things that can be broken into exact units. You talk about “a bottle,” “three pieces,” and “many decisions.” Likewise, talk about one accolade or multiple accolades.) Other forms: The plural (which is very common) is "accolades," and the adjective is "accoladed." How to use it: When "award" or "honor" won't do, choose "accolade" to convey the serious, honorable, dignified, almost knightly nature of the good deed or work that earned the recognition. Talk about someone earning an accolade (or accolades, or heaps of accolades,) receiving an accolade, deserving an accolade and so on for excellent work, like doing something to make the world a better place, producing a wonderful film, or writing a fantastic novel. Examples of the accolades themselves include well-known awards like a Nobel Prize or a Pulitzer; an Oscar, an Emmy, a Tony, and a Grammy; entry into a Hall of Fame (of whatever;) honors for serving your country, like a Purple Heart, and so on. Accolades can be less grand in scope, too: a spelling bee championship, an award for perfect attendance at school, etc. More generally, if tons of members of the public or the media are saying great things about you, that praise collectively can be called accolades, also. The adjective, "accoladed," is less common, but you can say that some person, group, or accomplishment is accoladed, heavily accoladed, highly accoladed, most accoladed, not accoladed, and so on. Chipotle restaurants get plenty of poor Yelp reviews for frequently running out of ingredients, but they earn just as many accolades for choosing sustainable, local food sources. Alanis Morisette's album "Jagged Little Pill" has been heavily accoladed--it took Wikipedia two paragraphs to list all the awards it won-- but my friends and sisters and I love it most for being the soundtrack to our lives in the late 90s. Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "accolade" means when you can explain it without saying "honor" or "kudos." Think of something you've done that you're proud of, and fill in the blanks: "_____ may not be winning (me) any accolades, but still, _____." Example: "The artwork hanging in our living room may not be winning me any accolades, but still, I like the way they fill the wall with color." Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game and quote below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Playing With Words: This month, with the gracious permission of author Dr. Barbara Ann Kipfer, we’re sampling some English language trivia from Word Nerd: More Than 17,000 Fascinating Facts about Words. Dr. Kipfer’s book is a hearty 570-page feast that I’ve been gleefully devouring for the past few months. We’re starting off with easy questions, then working our way toward some whoppers at the end of the month, all the while focusing on funny, unusual words; surprising word histories; and cool tidbits about the language.  Yesterday's question: This was first a type of serge (fabric) produced in Nimes, France—serge de Nimes—the last two words coming together to form the English word. What is it? Answer: Denim. ("serge de Nimes") Try this one today. It should feel moderately difficult:   Which two musical instruments got their names from Vitula, Roman goddess of joy and victory?  A Point Well Made: Federico Fellini: “You exist only in what you do.” 1. The opposite of ACCOLADES is A. SCORN B. ESTEEM C. ESTRANGEMENT 2. The new shopping center's design met with accolades from _____.  A. the store managers B. my family C. the local media Answers are below. To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each day for free by Mrs. Liesl Johnson, M.Ed., a word lover, learning enthusiast, and private tutor of reading and writing in the verdant little town of Hilo, Hawaii. For writing tips, online learning, essay guidance, and more, please visit www.HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. C