Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ALPHA AND OMEGA

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connect today's word to others: When things are essential, important, dearly needed and deeply desired, call them des____ata. And when things are the first and the last, the bread and butter, the be-all/end-all, call them the alpha and omega. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "ALPHA AND OMEGA" In the Greek alphabet, the first letter is "alpha" and the last letter is "omega." So, "alpha and omega" basically means "everything, as in A to Z," or "the beginning and the end." Originally, "alpha and omega" was a name for God. (It's supposed to mean that he's timeless.) Here are some of the quotes from Revelation. It's the Lord talking: "'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come — the Almighty." And: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." More generally, "alpha and omega" means "the essence of something, the entirety of something, or the most important part of something." Pronunciation: AL fuh and oh MAY guh Part of speech: Noun. Talk about the alpha and omega of something. Other forms: none How to use it: The phrase "alpha and omega" adds some heavy drama to your sentence. It's got that serious, Greek, biblical flavor to it. To put it into a sentence, we usually follow this pattern: "_____ is/are the alpha and omega of _____." For example, the star player on the team is the alpha and omega of its press conferences; fossil evidence is the alpha and omega of evolutionary science; overworking yourself is the alpha and omega of a medical career in Houston. Or, we can say that something is someone's alpha and omega, meaning she eats, sleeps, and breathes it: "Running is their alpha and omega. Their lives revolve around training for the next marathon." examples: Their breakup destroyed her: he was her alpha and omega. Gene Roddenberry envisioned the humans (and humanoids) in his Star Trek universe as so advanced that they had transcended conflict; he asked the writers to come up with conflict-free plots for episodes. It didn't hold. Conflict is the alpha and omega of storytelling. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "alpha and omega" means when you can explain it without saying "most important part" or "essence." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(I'm fascinated by, or, I take issue with) (certain people) who consider _____ the alpha and omega of _____." Example: "I take issue with instructors who consider the five-paragraph essay the alpha and omega of composition." 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 "Game of Games!" Guess the one-word title of each board game, using your knowledge of vocabulary. From our previous issue:  Designed by Touko Tahkokallio, this game has players exploring an ancient temple by solving puzzles and problems. The game's title means "a riddle," or more generally, "a person, event, or situation that puzzles you, like a problem with no solution." It's pictured below, with the title blurred out. What game is this? Answer: Enigma. Check out the game here and the word here. Try this last one today:  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? review today's word: 1. A close opposite of ALPHA AND OMEGA is A. ADVANCED SKILLS. B. HOLINESS. C. TRIFLE. 2. It wasn't until I got to college that I learned this: _____ is not the alpha and omega _____. A. a clean, spacious, magazine-ready room .. in dormitories B. the collective work of a few select dead white guys .. of fine literature C. falling a few lectures behind or failing a quiz or two .. for giving up on that class 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. C 2. B