Make Your Point > Archived Issues > AFTERCLAP

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explore the archives: By their nature, afterclaps are recr____cent: they show up unexpectedly and cause trouble, like a sickness that makes an unwelcome return. Can you recall that word? And can you spot the one-syllable, five-letter word inside it ("cr___"), define it, and say why it belongs inside "recr____cent"? make your point with... "AFTERCLAP" One meaning of "clap" is "any loud noise," like the bang of a gun or the boom of thunder. Like an unexpected gunshot when you thought the conflict was already over, and like an unexpected boom of thunder when you thought the storm was already over, an afterclap is a sudden, surprising, very bad result that happens after you thought the entire bad situation was over and done with. An afterclap can also simply be another bad or explosive thing that happens after a similar thing. Pronunciation: AFF ter clap 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 afterclap or multiple afterclaps.) Other forms: Just the plural, "afterclaps." How to use it: If you're tired of the word "fallout" or you don't like its radioactive tinge, "afterclap" is the perfect alternate. It's a rare word, but I'm sure your listeners will understand it. Like "fallout," an afterclap is also explosive, but it reminds us of thunder instead of nuclear explosions. Plus, you can count them: you can have multiple afterclaps. (You can't do that with "fallout.") I bring that up because the plural is so handy--consider how often we use similar plurals: "effects," "results," "repercussions." You might have or experience an afterclap, witness or observe an afterclap, dread or fear the afterclap, avoid or prevent the afterclap, withstand or accept some afterclaps, and so on. Or say that afterclaps happen, or that afterclaps vex you or haunt you. You can also have an afterclap of something: "that problem is an afterclap of the war," "the headache was a well-deserved afterclap of last night's debauchery." examples: What FDR's critics seemed to fear most was afterclaps of socialism. When young students are under the impression that the Civil Rights era totally eradicated racism, they're shocked to witness its afterclaps. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "afterclap" means when you can explain it without saying "bad, unexpected effect" or "further bad event." try it out: Fill in the blank: "We can't just _____ and then expect no afterclaps." Example: "We can't just let the election polarize us and then expect no afterclaps." 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. Our game in April was called "License Plate Words!" From our last issue: If you spot the cluster BBU, you can use it to form only 1 word (by adding letters to the left and/or right). What is it? The answer: Hubbub. Now, a new game for May! It's called "Cousins or Strangers?" Consider two pairs of similar-looking words, and figure out which pair are truly related, like cousins, and which pair are unrelated, like strangers. "Related," of course, is a relative concept (ha ha). We're interested in closeness: "compute" and "computer" are sisters, or variations of the same word; "vision" and "video" are cousins, sharing the same Latin root; but "compute" and "video" are strangers. Ready to check out the two pairs? Remember, one pair will be cousins; the other, strangers. Which is which? Pair A: DEMON and DEMONSTRATE Pair B: GARDEN and KINDERGARTEN (Answers and explanations will be shared in our next issue.) review today's word: 1. The opposite of AN AFTERCLAP is A. A COMPLAINT B. A CHANGE C. A CAUSE 2. Oh, they're upset over it this time? Funny how we didn't _____ the _____ afterclap before. A. see .. smallest B. hear .. quietest C. smell .. slightest Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@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. C 2. B