Make Your Point > Archived Issues > BRAGGADOCIO

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explore the archives: Braggadocio came into the language from Edmund Spenser's 1590 epic poem The Faerie Queene. In that story, Braggadocchio shows up riding a magnificent horse, brags a lot, then leaves, generally providing some comic relief--at least, that's what I think happens; to be honest, the poem is really hard to understand. (It's full of words like "misweene" and "mickle.") A fun synonym of braggadocio is fan____nade, meaning "an act of bragging that reminds you of the blowing of trumpets or bugles." Can you recall it? make your point with... "BRAGGADOCIO" Like it sounds, braggadocio is vain, exaggerated, self-important bragging. In other words, braggadocio is loud, proud, empty boasting. Pronunciation: Several ways are recognized by dictionaries. Pick from "brag uh DOE she oh," "brag uh DOE see oh," or "brag uh DOE chee oh." (Not sure which one to pick? Go with the first one, "brag uh DOE she oh;" it's the oldest and the only one the OED acknowledges.) Part of speech: Uncountable noun. (Like "milk," "rice," and "education," uncountable nouns are words for stuff that can’t be broken into exact units. You talk about "some milk," "the rice," and "a lot of education," but you don’t say "a milk," "three rices," or "many educations." Likewise, talk about "the braggadocio," "this braggadocio," "his braggadocio," "such braggadocio," "no braggadocio," and so on, but don’t say "a braggadocio," "one braggadocio," or "braggadocios.") Other forms: "Braggadocio" can also mean "a person who brags and boasts," but it's uncommon today. It's also uncommon, but acceptable, to use "braggadocio" as an adjective: "her braggadocio attitude," "his braggadocio manners." The more common adjective is "braggadocious," which is specific to informal American English. Yes, the OED recognizes this silly-sounding word, providing 6 citations for it that range from 1853-2012. I mention that because Donald Trump used this word in a 2016 debate and got mocked for it: he even got schooled by Merriam-Webster, which may have led people to think "braggadocious" isn't a word, but it is. It's just casual and silly. How to use it: When you need a synonym for "boasting" and "bragging" that's just as grandiloquent and ridiculous as the person who's doing the bragging, pick "braggadocio." Say that someone's comments are braggadocio or that they seem or sound like braggadocio. Or, talk about someone's braggadocio: "he's known for little else than his braggadocio," "we're wearied by the braggadocio of this speaker." You might say that someone is all braggadocio, nothing but braggadocio, or full of braggadocio. And, we say or do things with braggadocio (or without braggadocio). examples: Sean isn't a fan of rap music; he dislikes the braggadocio that seems to define its lyrics. I can't do much to help edit a resume that's light on the factual evidence and heavy on the braggadocio. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "braggadocio" means when you can explain it without saying "vaunting" or "vainglory." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "Just when I thought (Someone's) braggadocio was subsiding, (he/she) claimed (that/to) _____." Example: "Just when I thought her braggadocio was subsiding, she claimed that she would have brought the house down if she'd been given the solo." 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. Our game this month is called "Cousins or Strangers?" Consider two pairs of similar-looking words, and figure out which pair are truly related, like cousins, and which pair are unrelated, like strangers. "Related," of course, is a relative concept (ha ha). We're interested in closeness: "compute" and "computer" are sisters, or variations of the same word; "vision" and "video" are cousins, sharing the same Latin root; but "compute" and "video" are strangers. From our previous issue: Pair A: DEMON and DEMONSTRATE. These are the strangers. "Demon" comes from the Greek daimon, "spirit or god," while "demonstrate" comes from the Latin for "entirely" ("de") and "point out, show" ("monstrare"). "Demonstrate" is, however, cousins with "monster." Crazy, right? It's because the same Latin word (monstrum) that means "omen, sign" also means "monster, monstrosity." (Please don't ask me why!) Pair B: GARDEN and KINDERGARTEN. These are the cousins. We can thank Friedrich Fröbel for inventing the word "kindergarten," which is German for "garden of children." Ready to check out two more pairs? Remember, one pair will be cousins; the other, strangers. Which is which? Pair A: CALLOUS and CALLUS Pair B: FOUR and FORK review today's word: 1. The closest opposite of BRAGGADOCIO is A. SHYNESS B. SECRECY C. HUMILITY 2. It's not braggadocio; she really does _____. A. play with trains and dinosaurs more than dolls B. bake the South's best biscuits C. love her in-laws Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. B