Make Your Point > Archived Issues > CHAPFALLEN

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connect today's word to others: You might be more familiar with chapfallen's synonym crestfallen--both mean "dispirited, discouraged, feeling low"--but do you know what the "crest" in "crestfallen" is? How about the "chap" in "chapfallen"?  If you're not sure, I won't keep you in suspense. A bird's crest is its perky little tuft of feathers on top of its head that, standing up, suggests pride or happiness or confidence, and, drooping, suggests the opposite. And any animal's chaps, or chops, including those of humans, are the jaws; hanging open, they suggest exhaustion, misery, or sadness. So if you're chapfallen, are you chopfallen, too? Absolutely. Okay, so we've defined the chap, the chop, and the crest in chapfallen, chopfallen, and crestfallen. See if you can also define...    the keel in keelhaul,    the lode in lodestar and lodestone,    and the shot in scattershot. make your point with... "CHAPFALLEN" This word literally means "with the (lower) jaw fallen." To be chapfallen is to look or feel emotionally crushed. In other words, chapfallen people are sad, depressed, or in low spirits. Pronunciation: CHAP fall un 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 chapfallen person" or "a chapfallen thing." 2. After a linking verb, as in "He was chapfallen" or "It was chapfallen.") Other forms: Because "chap" is an alternate form of "chop," meaning "jaw," you can also use "chopfallen" if you like. Sometimes you'll see them with a hyphen: "chap-fallen," "chop-fallen." The adverbs are "chapfallenly" and "chopfallenly." Although some writers have used "chapfallenness" and "chopfallenness," these are so clunky that I suggest a different word entirely, like "sorrow," "dejection," or "despondency." How to use it: "Chapfallen" is one of those words that describe people in a particular moment: "Chapfallen, he walked away." (It doesn't describe people's entire personalities or how they feel over a period of time.) So, talk about people's (or animals') chapfallen faces or expressions. Or say that people are chapfallen, that they grow chapfallen, or that they seem or look chapfallen. And you can get abstract: talk about a chapfallen mood or air, a chapfallen silence, or even a chapfallen beauty, splendor, or grace. examples: Taylor was so excited to play skee-ball. When we saw that the arcade had closed down, she was chapfallen. Our cat McKenzie had been sick for a long time when I came home from school and asked where she was. The question hung in a chapfallen silence. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "chapfallen" means when you can explain it without saying "dejected" or "deflated." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "_____ fans grew chapfallen as they realized _____." Example: "Savage Garden fans grew chapfallen as they realized that the band would no longer perform together--and that the members weren't speaking to each other." 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. Subject Line Redux! You know how I fill the subject line of each Make Your Point email with a little comment about the word? Let's revisit some of those subject lines; they make a good study tool. That is, you'll improve your chances of recalling our words when you need them later if you do this now: look at the little comment from the subject line and use that to recall the word, its meaning, and how it connects to the little comment. (For more on active recall and how you can employ it to strengthen your vocabulary, please go here.) In each issue this month, I'll share a puzzle or other activity that prompts you to recall 5 previous words based on their subject lines. (To make your own activities like these, check out the fun and useful Vocabulary Worksheet Factory.) And I'll share the answers in the following issue. From our previous issue:  Answers: Try this today: review today's word: 1. A close opposite of CHAPFALLEN is A. BEAMING. B. UPLIFTING. C. EXFOLIATED. 2. Chapfallen, she _____. A. blushed B. lowered her head C. pumped one fist into the air 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. B