Make Your Point > Archived Issues > BROMIDIC

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connect today's word to others: Our word bromidic describes the boring, the conventional, and the unoriginal. It's based on the chemical name of a sedative, which we got from a Greek word for "stench." (And in a delightful coincidence, "bromidic" sounds like "bro.") Early in its use, bromidic was a slang word, a saucy kind of insult. How funny is this? Bromidic got bromidic. It became so common yet still looks so sophisticated that it wound up on lists of SAT words. And now we use it in formal contexts.  For a moment, though, let's go back to its early, slangy days to enjoy this snippet from Frank Gelett Burgess's 1906 book, Are You a Bromide? "The Bromide does his thinking by syndicate. He follows the main traveled roads, he goes with the crowd... They follow custom and costume, they obey the Law of Averages. They are, intellectually, all peas in the same conventional pod, unenlightened, prosaic, living by rule and rote. They have their hair cut every month and their minds keep regular office hours. Their habits of thought are all ready-made, proper, sober, befitting the Average Man. They worship dogma." See why I say bromidic is an insulting word? So are its synonyms banal, shopworn, and hackneyed. All three mean "trite, boring, unoriginal," but see if you can explain how each is slightly different in meaning. make your point with... "BROMIDIC" A bromide is a type of sedative (a drug that relaxes you or puts you to sleep). A bromide can also be a boring, common person or saying. So, bromidic people and things try to be soothing or original, but actually they're dull, boring, common, and traditional.     Pronunciation: bro MID ick Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "a bromidic thing." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was bromidic.") Other forms: bromide(s) How to use it: Even though it started out as slang, "bromidic" is appropriate for both casual and formal situations now. It's still an insult. Talk about bromidic people, bromidic interests and activities, bromidic opinions and beliefs, bromidic remarks and expressions, bromidic advice, bromidic praise and ridicule, bromidic speeches and sermons, bromidic descriptions and explanations, etc. examples: In Legally Blonde, Reese Witherspoon manages to render a bromidic graduation speech bubbly and inspiring. Your classmate wants you to sign his yearbook; you don't even know his name. What to write? Just bromides: "Have a great summer! I wish I'd gotten to know you better!" study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "bromidic" means when you can explain it without saying "dull as dishwater" or "snore-inducing." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) (still subscribes, or no longer subscribes) to the old bromide that _____." Example: "I no longer subscribe to the old bromide that if it's meant to be, it'll be. I prefer action." 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 "The Meanings of Maladies." I'll share a tidbit about the word for a particular symptom, disease, or condition, and you try to name it. We'll start with common maladies and work our way toward the rare and strange. From our previous issue: The word for this disconcerting sensation traces back to the Latin vertere, "to turn," and so it's related to words like "avert," "conversion," and "divergent." What is it? Answer: Vertigo. It's the base of our word vertiginous, as in, "Stock values took a vertiginous dive." Try this today: The word for this condition comes from a Greek word for a certain lovely natural phenomenon, a word that literally means "something that swoops or rushes down." But that word also means "portcullis," a type of protective cover or barrier that swoops down when needed. And so if you suffer from this condition, it blocks the light from your eye, like a portcullis blocks the entrance to a fortress. What's the condition? review today's word: 1. One opposite of BROMIDIC is A. FRESH. B. ABUNDANT. C. APPROPRIATE. 2. Bromidic as ever, he brought her on stage: _____ A. "If she'll favor us with an encore..." B. "Please join me in welcoming Dr. Smith, who'll update us on..." C. "And now, the lady of the hour, the woman who needs no introduction..." 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. A 2. C