Make Your Point > Archived Issues > APOSTROPHE
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pronounce
APOSTROPHE:
Say it "uh POSS truh fee."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
The term apostrophe, rooted in literature, has uses in everyday conversation.
The same goes for the terms denouement and hamartia. Could you define them?
definition:
Most of the time, when we use the word "apostrophe," we mean "a flying comma: that little mark that shows ownership, or that shows where we nudged out one or more letters."
"Apostrophe" has Greek bits that mean "a turning away," which makes sense when you think of how the punctuation mark seems to be dismissing some letters. ("Bye, letter A: you're getting nudged out of 'WE ARE' to make the contraction WE'RE.")
But the word has another meaning that we'll check out today.
Imagine a character on stage who turns away from everyone else to suddenly say something to a different person--or to someone who isn't even there, isn't even a person, or doesn't even exist.
That's the dramatic or rhetorical kind of apostrophe.
In other words, an apostrophe is a sudden, dramatic statement made to a certain person or thing, often someone absent or even imaginary.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Noun, the countable kind: "an apostrophe to God," "her dramatic apostrophes to Fate, Luck, and Kohl's Cash."
Other forms:
The plural is "apostrophes."
The adjective is "apostrophic." (Say it "APP uh STROFF ick.")
And the verb is "apostrophize." It can be the intransitive kind: "She apostrophizes in every scene." And, it can be the transitive kind, where you apostrophize the person or thing you're speaking to ("The poet apostrophizes his long-lost love"), or you apostrophize the thing you're saying aloud ("She snatches up the letter, apostrophizing it to the entire crowd").
how to use it:
Unless you're talking about the punctuation mark, the word "apostrophe" is pretty rare. When you use it, you'll want to make sure your context helps your readers or listeners understand what it means.
It's a great word for calling attention to the grand, showy drama of anyone's behavior as they speak out loud, as if they've rehearsed what they're saying, or as if they're grabbing the spotlight.
You might talk about people making apostrophes, bursting into apostrophes, or making apostrophes to whoever they're addressing.
examples:
"Ronny shambles down city streets talking out loud to himself or God. But even these apostrophes are upstaged..."
— Richard Corliss, Time, 13 January 2011
"[The characters] exist too much in their own heads, with their own internal languages, ever to come together... No wonder that the prolix Gaev — a man as likely to apostrophize a piece of furniture as the stars above — keeps promising he'll be quiet."
— Ben Brantley, New York Times, 4 December 2011
has this page helped you understand "apostrophe"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "apostrophe" without saying "lofty remark directed elsewhere" or "dramatic comment addressing someone imaginary."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "(Some song, poem, novel, show, or other creation) is essentially an apostrophe to (some person, place, thing, or idea)."
Example: "The show Salt Fat Acid Heat is essentially an apostrophe to the things that make food delicious."
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is Subject Line Matching!
Try matching each capitalized term below with the email subject line that introduced it. You can check your answers by scrolling all the way down. For an extra challenge, try recalling what each term means and how the subject line connects to it. Have fun!
COGNIZANT: _____
DIVERGE: _____
EXHORT: _____
FASTIDIOUS: _____
SOLECISM: _____
an insect that knows not to ruin your picnic?
Good, Anakin, good!
Tahani's 12-step Korean skincare regimen
we don't need no education
You can go your own waaaaay
review this word:
A. MUMBLED ASIDE.
B. REPEATED HUZZAH.
C. VOICED OBJECTION.
2.
In "History of Cuba," Johnson wrote that the _____ José Maria Heredia "apostrophized Cuba _____."
A. poet .. as the land of light and beauty
B. social critic .. for its struggles and excesses
C. political prisoner .. in a violent attempt to effect change
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my 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.
The term apostrophe, rooted in literature, has uses in everyday conversation.
Most of the time, when we use the word "apostrophe," we mean "a flying comma: that little mark that shows ownership, or that shows where we nudged out one or more letters." |
Part of speech:
Unless you're talking about the punctuation mark, the word "apostrophe" is pretty rare. When you use it, you'll want to make sure your context helps your readers or listeners understand what it means.
"Ronny shambles down city streets talking out loud to himself or God. But even these apostrophes are upstaged..."
Explain the meaning of "apostrophe" without saying "lofty remark directed elsewhere" or "dramatic comment addressing someone imaginary."
Fill in the blanks: "(Some song, poem, novel, show, or other creation) is essentially an apostrophe to (some person, place, thing, or idea)."
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
"Apostrophe" has Greek bits that mean "a turning away," which makes sense when you think of how the punctuation mark seems to be dismissing some letters. ("Bye, letter A: you're getting nudged out of 'WE ARE' to make the contraction WE'RE.")
But the word has another meaning that we'll check out today.
Imagine a character on stage who turns away from everyone else to suddenly say something to a different person--or to someone who isn't even there, isn't even a person, or doesn't even exist.
That's the dramatic or rhetorical kind of apostrophe.
In other words, an apostrophe is a sudden, dramatic statement made to a certain person or thing, often someone absent or even imaginary.
grammatical bits:
Noun, the countable kind: "an apostrophe to God," "her dramatic apostrophes to Fate, Luck, and Kohl's Cash."
Other forms:
The plural is "apostrophes."
The adjective is "apostrophic." (Say it "APP uh STROFF ick.")
And the verb is "apostrophize." It can be the intransitive kind: "She apostrophizes in every scene." And, it can be the transitive kind, where you apostrophize the person or thing you're speaking to ("The poet apostrophizes his long-lost love"), or you apostrophize the thing you're saying aloud ("She snatches up the letter, apostrophizing it to the entire crowd").
how to use it:
It's a great word for calling attention to the grand, showy drama of anyone's behavior as they speak out loud, as if they've rehearsed what they're saying, or as if they're grabbing the spotlight.
You might talk about people making apostrophes, bursting into apostrophes, or making apostrophes to whoever they're addressing.
examples:
— Richard Corliss, Time, 13 January 2011
"[The characters] exist too much in their own heads, with their own internal languages, ever to come together... No wonder that the prolix Gaev — a man as likely to apostrophize a piece of furniture as the stars above — keeps promising he'll be quiet."
— Ben Brantley, New York Times, 4 December 2011
has this page helped you understand "apostrophe"?
study it:
try it out:
Example: "The show Salt Fat Acid Heat is essentially an apostrophe to the things that make food delicious."
before you review, play:
Our game this month is Subject Line Matching!
Try matching each capitalized term below with the email subject line that introduced it. You can check your answers by scrolling all the way down. For an extra challenge, try recalling what each term means and how the subject line connects to it. Have fun!
COGNIZANT: _____
DIVERGE: _____
EXHORT: _____
FASTIDIOUS: _____
SOLECISM: _____
an insect that knows not to ruin your picnic?
Good, Anakin, good!
Tahani's 12-step Korean skincare regimen
we don't need no education
You can go your own waaaaay
review this word:
A. MUMBLED ASIDE.
B. REPEATED HUZZAH.
C. VOICED OBJECTION.
2.
In "History of Cuba," Johnson wrote that the _____ José Maria Heredia "apostrophized Cuba _____."
A. poet .. as the land of light and beauty
B. social critic .. for its struggles and excesses
C. political prisoner .. in a violent attempt to effect change
a final word:
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my 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.