Make Your Point > Archived Issues > BRIC-A-BRAC

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connect today's word to others: Bric-a-brac, like ship-shape and whimmy-wham-wham-wozzle, is a whimsical word that illustrates our deep-seated love of not just alliteration but also ablaut reduplication, or following certain pleasing patterns of vowels in repeated syllables. Mark Forsyth explains it best: "If there are three words then the order has to go I, A, O. If there are two words then the first is I and the second is either A or O. Mish-mash, chit-chat, dilly-dally, shilly-shally, tip top, hip-hop, flip-flop, tic tac, sing song, ding dong, King Kong, ping pong." So, it's definitely "bric-a-brac," and definitely not "brac-a-bric." Bric-a-brac happens to be our very first word featured in Make Your Point that illustrates ablaut reduplication--or else I'd link you to some others right now. :) Instead, let me link you to some other terms that illustrate our love of alliteration, or the repetition of initial sounds: brassbound, cat's cradle, derring-do, fanfaronade, first fruits, memento mori, ramrod, viva voce, watchword, and weather-wise. Could you explain the meaning of each? make your point with... "BRIC-A-BRAC" The word "bric-a-brac" first showed up in 1840 and might have come from a French phrase meaning "at random." Bric-a-brac is random old stuff (especially decorative stuff that's part of a collection, like plates or furniture). Bric-a-brac can also be, random junk of any kind, literally or figuratively. Pronunciation: BRICK uh BRACK Part of speech: Uncountable noun. (Like "milk," "rice," and "advice," 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 advice," but you don’t say "a milk," "three rices," or "many advices." Likewise, talk about "the bric-a-brac," "this bric-a-brac," "its bric-a-brac," "such bric-a-brac," "no bric-a-brac," and so on, but don’t say "a bric-a-brac," "one bric-a-brac," or "bric-a-bracs.") Other forms: None are common, but if you want to talk about bric-a-brackers and bric-a-brackeries, go for it: Mark Twain did. How to use it: Although this word is so fun to say, it's often slightly harsh in tone: to call things bric-a-brac is to suggest that they're random, useless clutter. If you prefer, you can include the accent mark over the middle syllable that reveals the term's French origin: "bric-à-brac." But these days, we can leave it out. To be literal, talk about selling, buying, and browsing through bric-a-brac, displaying and dusting and tripping over and wading through bric-a-brac, admiring the museum's Elvis bric-a-brac, gathering up all the bric-a-brac left over from the holidays, etc. You can also talk about the bric-a-brac of something: the bric-a-brac of the kids' sports activities, the bric-a-brac of the photographer's trade. And to be figurative, talk about the bric-a-brac of daily life, or about finding what's valuable amid the bric-a-brac of life. Or, talk about speech, writing, or thinking that's filled with (or cluttered with) bric-a-brac. Occasionally we'll use "bric-a-brac" as an adjective: a bric-a-brac stall, these bric-a-brac shops, some bric-a-brac furnishings, a bric-a-brac mind. examples: I find it hard to breathe in her living room, where figurines and bric-a-brac overflow from every wall and surface. I filled my first few journals with dreams, wishes, stories, drawings, fan fiction, impossible inventions--all the bric-a-brac of a childish mind. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "bric-a-brac" means when you can explain it without saying "knickknacks" or "random junk." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(At a certain time period), my mind was filled with (a kind of) bric-a-brac: _____, _____, _____." Example: "For those few months before I took the GRE, my mind was filled with mathematical bric-a-brac: the ratio of side lengths in a 30-60-90 triangle, what happens when you raise a number to the power of zero, how to find the volume of a sphere." 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 with some beautifully worded passages from the Bible as we recall words we've studied before. From our previous issue: "Teach us to realize the b______of life, so that we may grow in wisdom." (New International Version, Psalms, chapter 90, verse 12.) What's the missing word? It means "the state of lasting for only a short time." Answer: brevity. Try this today: "In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of a_______ consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him." (King James Version, Ecclesiastes, chapter 7, verse 14.) What's the missing word? It means "circumstances that are harmful, unhelpful, or undesirable." review today's word: 1. A close opposite of BRIC-A-BRAC is A. FRITTERING. B. ESSENTIALS. C. CURMUDGEONS. 2. The Onion pokes fun at the _____ bric-a-brac in an article titled _____ A. nation's .. "The 2020 Election Could Only Go These 500 Ways." B. administration's .. "EPA Promotes Pulsating Black Sludge To Deputy Director." C. chain's .. "T.J. Maxx Recreates In-Store Shopping Experience With New Website That Randomly Scatters Products All Over The Place." 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. B 2. C