Make Your Point > Archived Issues > APROPOS & MALAPROPOS

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pronounce APROPOS: Say it "APP ruh PO." To hear it, click here. pronounce MALAPROPOS: Say it "MAL app ruh PO." To hear it, click here. connect these words to others: I learned the word apropos on a road trip with my family. It was the late nineties, so my sisters and I were listening obsessively to the soundtrack to Rent. Check it out:    Where are they?    There isn't much time.    Maybe they're dressing.    I mean, what does one wear that's apropos    For a party that's also a crime?    Chips, anyone? Like many other teenyboppers did, I figured out the meaning of apropos from context: it means "appropriate." Easy. And it must be related to the word "appropriate," right? It's just the gussied-up French version, right? In a crazy twist, no. Apropos, and its opposite, malapropos, don't belong to the family that includes the words proper, property, private, appropriate, and inappropriate, which come from the Latin privus, meaning "one's own." Instead, they belong to the family that includes the words propose, compose, j____pose ("to place side by side"), propound, proponent, position, and pose, which are based instead on the Latin ponere, meaning "to put." So, do you find it weird, maybe even malapropos, that the words we're checking out today are unrelated to the word appropriate? Or do you find their coincidental resemblance apropos? (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) definitions: Our word "apropos" comes from a French phrase, à propos, meaning "to the purpose," or, very literally, "to [that which is] placed in front [of you]."  We use "apropos" in English to mean "fitting and appropriate," or "closely related (to something you're already talking about)." The opposite is "malapropos," from the French mal à propos, meaning "ill to the purpose." We use "malapropos" in English to mean "awkward, inconvenient, or inappropriate." grammatical bits: Part of speech: They're often adjectives: "an apropos comment," "a malapropos comment;" "it came at an apropos moment," "it came at a malapropos moment." They can also be adverbs. When we use "apropos" as an adverb, it's most often in the phrase "apropos of nothing," which makes a nice formal alternative to the phrases "out of the blue" and "for no discernible reason:" "She made that comment apropos of nothing." But you can also say that something happens apropos: "The test results arrived apropos." And we hardly ever do this, but we can use "malapropos" as an adverb, too, and talk about people saying or doing things malapropos. Other forms: None are common. But here's a fun French phrase we took into English: à propos de bottes, literally "regarding boots," and another swanky alternative to the phrase "out of the blue." "He suddenly brings up his past victory, à propos de bottes." how to use them: The tone of these words can be a little snobby, or a little stuffy. If you could express your idea just fine with the words "appropriate" and "inappropriate" instead, that's probably better. But when you do want to strike a tone that's serious or sophisticated, or pseudo-sophisticated, then describe something as apropos or malapropos, such as a thought, a name, a label, a slogan, a comment, a response, a piece of advice, a topic of discussion, a decision, or an action. The particular time or timing of any of these things can also be called apropos or malapropos. You can also say that it's apropos (or malapropos) to do something or to say something. "I love this bright red lipstick, but it'd be malapropos to wear it to a job interview." Or, you can say that something is said or done apropos of something else, usually "apropos of nothing:" "I hate when strangers tell you to smile, as if you should go about your day, grinning maniacally, apropos of nothing." examples: "There’s an old Finnish proverb that suggests happiness is a place between too little and too much – wisdom that seems apropos when navigating the plethora of American fast food choices."    — Paul J. Batura, Fox News, 16 November 2019 "Hope...though somewhat sobered, was not altogether destroyed by this malapropos discovery."    — John Lort Stokes, Discoveries in Australia, 1846 has this page helped you understand "apropos" & "malapropos"? Awesome, I'm glad it helped! Thanks for letting me know! If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. study them: Explain the meaning of "apropos" without saying "well-timed" or "relevant." And, explain the meaning of "malapropos" without saying "poorly timed" or "inappropriate." try them out: In a 1775 play called The Rivals, there's a character named Mrs. Malaprop who often gets words mixed up and ends up saying malapropos things, like "She's as headstrong as an allegory on the banks of the Nile." Of course, her name, Mrs. Malaprop, comes from the word "malapropos." And thanks to this character, we now call it a "malaprop," or a "malapropism," when someone in real life uses the wrong word. Whether hilarity ensues or not. Like when Tony Abbott said "the suppository of all wisdom," or when Drew Gooden said he'd had to "overcome a lot of diversity." In each case, there's some word being used in a malapropos way, the result often being silliness. See if you can give another example of a malapropism that someone actually said--whether it was a real someone or a fictional someone. Which word was uttered malapropos? What would have been the apropos way of expressing that idea? If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.) 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 Lightning Rhyming Recall! In each issue this month, see how fast you can recall three words. They’re unrelated in meaning--probably--but they rhyme. To check your answers, scroll to the bottom of the issue. We’ll start out easy and ramp up the difficulty as the month goes on. Enjoy! Try this last set today. Ooh, these are hard! Good luck! Each word below rhymes with DISCRIMINANT: A. (3 syllables, adjective) When people stand out by being dignified, successful, or remarkable, they're... B. (3 syllables, adjective) It's going to happen soon, and you can't avoid it: it's... C. (3 syllables, adjective) Qualities that are naturally a part of you are... review these words: 1. The exact opposite of MALAPROPOS is APROPOS. But, a pretty close opposite of MALAPROPOS is A. GAUCHE (rude or crude). B. GALUMPHING (moving clumsily). C. GERMANE (closely related or connected). 2. According to a writer for Golf Digest, a player's "voice went up as his putt disappeared. It was less of a shout and more of a _____, apropos for a man named Matthew _____." A. mew .. Griffin  B. howl .. Wolff C. snarl .. Cottontail Answers to game questions: A. EMINENT B. IMMINENT C. IMMANENT Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. B 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.