Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ALBATROSS

Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.

connect today's word to others: Sure, an albatross is a bird, and a remora is a fish. But we're interested in their figurative meanings. An albatross is a burden, one that makes you feel guilty. And could you explain what it means if we say, for example, "These myths cling like remoras to our thinking"? Getting back to albatross, we got its figurative meaning from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, that epic poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. You probably know the story: the superstitious crew thinks the albatross is lucky and helpful, so when one of the sailors shoots it down, they make him wear the dead bird around his neck. It burdens him. And he feels guilty about it. We've checked out another (happier!) word that Coleridge gave us. Could you recall it? It's from his poem "Kubla Khan," it starts with X, and it means "a very peaceful, very beautiful place." It's X_____. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "ALBATROSS" An albatross is a type of seabird. "Albatross" is also a type of cloth. And in golf, an albatross is a type of score or hole. Here's the general meaning we'll focus on. Thanks to the famous epic poem mentioned above, an albatross is also anything that burdens you, frustrates you, and makes you feel guilty. Pronunciation: AL buh tross 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 albatross or multiple albatrosses.) Other forms: Just the plural, "albatrosses," but I don't think you'll need it. How to use it: Talk about someone's albatross, an albatross for someone, or something that is (or becomes) an albatross. Although an albatross is usually a thing--such as a failing school system, an expensive car that often breaks down, or a bad reputation--you might also say than someone's albatross is another person. Or, say that someone is wearing or bearing an albatross, or that an albatross is marking or burdening someone, or that an albatross is hanging around someone or hanging around someone's neck. Get more abstract, you like: "The program is an albatross hanging from the department's neck." To get more specific, you can follow "albatross" with the word "of" ("an albatross of a sister," "the albatross of a reviled candidate"), or you can add an adjective before it ("a financial albatross," "an economic albatross," "a political albatross"). examples: The scandal, an albatross hanging from her candidacy, eventually doomed her campaign. I lifted the albatross from my neck when I severed that unhealthy friendship. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "albatross" means when you can explain it without saying "guilty weight" or "shameful burden." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "_____ has always been the albatross around _____'s neck." Example: "Their drug-riddled brother has always been the albatross around their necks." 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. This month, we're playing with some beautifully worded passages from the Bible as we recall words we've studied before. From our previous issue: "Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware are f_____t lips with an evil heart." (New International Version, Proverbs, chapter 26, verse 23.) What's the missing word? It means "intensely eager or intensely enthusiastic in a way that reminds you of a glowing heat." Answer: fervent. Try this today: "Teach us to realize the b______of life, so that we may grow in wisdom." (New International Version, Psalms, chapter 90, verse 12.) What's the missing word? It means "the state of lasting for only a short time." review today's word: 1. A close opposite of ALBATROSS is A. BLESSING. B. EPIPHANY. C. CHALLENGE. 2. The project has _____: half joy, half albatross. A. gotten off to a slow start B. consumed all of my free time C. been expensive but ultimately profitable 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. A 2. B