Make Your Point > Archived Issues > BLACK SWAN
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pronounce
BLACK SWAN:
Say it "BLACK SWAN."
To hear it, click here.
(Silly note: As you guys probably know, I write pronunciations by capitalizing the syllable you say louder. So for example, I'd write the pronunciation for the word "motor" as "MO dur." But here, with "black swan," you emphasize both syllables. That's why I've capitalized them both. But in doing so, now it appears as though I'm encouraging you to shout the phrase at top volume.)
connect this word to others:
Without spoiling the plot, I'll tell you that the title of Black Swan is appropriate in at least two ways: one, it involves an extraordinary girl, and two, it involves a completely bizarre event that no one could have predicted.
Which is great, because those are the two meanings of our term black swan: "rare and extraordinary," and "bizarrely unpredictable."
The term black swan probably calls to your mind a similar term: r___ av__, Latin for "rare bird," or less literally, "someone unusual and remarkable." Sometimes it's just a nice way to say "weirdo."
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
The black swan isn't an endangered species, but it is a "threatened" one (it's at risk of becoming endangered).
So you might think of it as rare.
Juvenal did. He's that second-century Latin writer of the Satires. Let's check out the relevant bit, translated into English by A. S. Kline. It's from the Satire called "Who Could Stand a Perfect Wife?"
"‘Isn't there a single one worthy of you, in all that vast flock?'
Let her be lovely, gracious, rich, and fertile; let her exhibit her
Ancestors' faces round her porticos; be more virginal than the
Sabine women, with tangled hair, who ended war with Rome;
A rare bird on this earth, in the very likeness of a black swan;
Who could stand a wife who embodied all of that?"
As you can see, he compared a perfect virginal woman to a black swan, a rare bird. Thanks to the popularity of this poem, "black swan" grew to mean "something (or someone) very rare, or even nonexistent."
These days, we often talk about black-swan events: those that are rare, startling, and unpredictable, seeming to have come out of nowhere. So, the adjective "black-swan" (sometimes without the hyphen, "black swan") is starting to mean startling, surprising, and unpredictable. This newer meaning is not yet recognized by all dictionaries.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Often a noun, the countable kind: "my black swan;" "It's a black swan."
Also an adjective: "It was a black swan event."
Other forms:
The plural is "black swans."
If you prefer, include a hyphen for the adjective: "a black-swan event," "this black-swan outcome."
how to use it:
"Black swan" is one of those proverbial phrases that makes plenty of sense even if you haven't heard it before. So, even though it's rare, it's still a great choice when you need a sophisticated tone and plenty of emphasis.
Most often, especially in talks of finance and politics, we talk about a black swan event: some extremely unusual thing that took everyone by surprise, such as a pandemic, a terrorist attack, or the bizarre outcome of an election.
More generally, we can also refer to any outstanding, ultra-rare person or a thing as a black swan.
examples:
"He is of a class of persons who are a sort of black swans in Ireland; he is a wealthy farmer."
— Thomas Crofton Croker, Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland, 1844
"They want a four-bedroom apartment — a virtual black swan in the New York housing market."
— Howard Beck, New York Times, 4 September 2012
"Many said that the pandemic should not be considered a 'black swan event' — something random and unpredictable."
— Shannon Osaka, Salon, 5 May 2020
has this page helped you understand "black swan"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "black swan" without saying "rarity" or "needle in a haystack."
try it out:
Thinking of your hobby, your sport, or your work, what's something (or someone) that's so ultra-rare, or even nonexistent, that you might call it a black swan? What makes this thing (or person) so incredibly special or valuable?
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 for October is "Silly Smashings!"
In each issue this month, I'll give you the definition of a word I've concocted by smashing together two words we've studied before.
See if you can come up with the same silly smashing that I did.
For example, I'll say, "This noun means 'an extremely outdated, old-fashioned, ill-considered assumption that there are only two ways of dealing with a certain problem.'" And you'll say, "That's a troglodichotomy." (Which is a silly smashing of troglodyte and dichotomy.)
I'll list the answer at the bottom of each issue. Maybe your answer will match mine. Or maybe yours will be even better; if so, be sure to share it with me!
Try this one today:
This noun means "a love of, and constant habit of, yelling about how awful all this newfangled technology is."
review this word:
A. WHITE KNIGHT and HOLY MIRACLE.
B. CLUMSY PERSON and FALSE STEP.
C. COMMON PERSON and PREDICTABLE EVENT.
2. According to The Independent, the aptly named Black Swan is _____.
A. at once an artistic feat and a hideous eyesore
B. the first boat to be powered entirely by recycled batteries
C. a canoe so awkward and heavy it requires twelve strong paddlers
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.
Without spoiling the plot, I'll tell you that the title of Black Swan is appropriate in at least two ways: one, it involves an extraordinary girl, and two, it involves a completely bizarre event that no one could have predicted. |
The black swan isn't an endangered species, but it is a "threatened" one (it's at risk of becoming endangered).
Part of speech:
"Black swan" is one of those proverbial phrases that makes plenty of sense even if you haven't heard it before. So, even though it's rare, it's still a great choice when you need a sophisticated tone and plenty of emphasis.
"He is of a class of persons who are a sort of black swans in Ireland; he is a wealthy farmer."
Explain the meaning of "black swan" without saying "rarity" or "needle in a haystack."
Thinking of your hobby, your sport, or your work, what's something (or someone) that's so ultra-rare, or even nonexistent, that you might call it a black swan? What makes this thing (or person) so incredibly special or valuable?
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.
Which is great, because those are the two meanings of our term black swan: "rare and extraordinary," and "bizarrely unpredictable."
The term black swan probably calls to your mind a similar term: r___ av__, Latin for "rare bird," or less literally, "someone unusual and remarkable." Sometimes it's just a nice way to say "weirdo."
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
So you might think of it as rare.
Juvenal did. He's that second-century Latin writer of the Satires. Let's check out the relevant bit, translated into English by A. S. Kline. It's from the Satire called "Who Could Stand a Perfect Wife?"
"‘Isn't there a single one worthy of you, in all that vast flock?'
Let her be lovely, gracious, rich, and fertile; let her exhibit her
Ancestors' faces round her porticos; be more virginal than the
Sabine women, with tangled hair, who ended war with Rome;
A rare bird on this earth, in the very likeness of a black swan;
Who could stand a wife who embodied all of that?"
As you can see, he compared a perfect virginal woman to a black swan, a rare bird. Thanks to the popularity of this poem, "black swan" grew to mean "something (or someone) very rare, or even nonexistent."
These days, we often talk about black-swan events: those that are rare, startling, and unpredictable, seeming to have come out of nowhere. So, the adjective "black-swan" (sometimes without the hyphen, "black swan") is starting to mean startling, surprising, and unpredictable. This newer meaning is not yet recognized by all dictionaries.
grammatical bits:
Often a noun, the countable kind: "my black swan;" "It's a black swan."
Also an adjective: "It was a black swan event."
Other forms:
The plural is "black swans."
If you prefer, include a hyphen for the adjective: "a black-swan event," "this black-swan outcome."
how to use it:
Most often, especially in talks of finance and politics, we talk about a black swan event: some extremely unusual thing that took everyone by surprise, such as a pandemic, a terrorist attack, or the bizarre outcome of an election.
More generally, we can also refer to any outstanding, ultra-rare person or a thing as a black swan.
examples:
— Thomas Crofton Croker, Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland, 1844
"They want a four-bedroom apartment — a virtual black swan in the New York housing market."
— Howard Beck, New York Times, 4 September 2012
"Many said that the pandemic should not be considered a 'black swan event' — something random and unpredictable."
— Shannon Osaka, Salon, 5 May 2020
has this page helped you understand "black swan"?
study it:
try it out:
before you review, play:
Our game for October is "Silly Smashings!"
In each issue this month, I'll give you the definition of a word I've concocted by smashing together two words we've studied before.
See if you can come up with the same silly smashing that I did.
For example, I'll say, "This noun means 'an extremely outdated, old-fashioned, ill-considered assumption that there are only two ways of dealing with a certain problem.'" And you'll say, "That's a troglodichotomy." (Which is a silly smashing of troglodyte and dichotomy.)
I'll list the answer at the bottom of each issue. Maybe your answer will match mine. Or maybe yours will be even better; if so, be sure to share it with me!
Try this one today:
This noun means "a love of, and constant habit of, yelling about how awful all this newfangled technology is."
review this word:
A. WHITE KNIGHT and HOLY MIRACLE.
B. CLUMSY PERSON and FALSE STEP.
C. COMMON PERSON and PREDICTABLE EVENT.
2. According to The Independent, the aptly named Black Swan is _____.
A. at once an artistic feat and a hideous eyesore
B. the first boat to be powered entirely by recycled batteries
C. a canoe so awkward and heavy it requires twelve strong paddlers
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.