Make Your Point > Archived Issues > CHINTZY

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connect today's word to others: From watermelon-themed tableware to plot armor--that magical protection that main characters get because, well, they're the main characters--chintzy things are tacky, cheap, cheesy, and flimsy. They can also be... 1. g_r_sh: too bright and colorful, or too showy in a tacky way; 2. t__dr_: tacky and tasteless in a shoddy way; and 3. c_tchp_nn_: cheap, almost worthless, and designed to catch people's attention. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "CHINTZY" Chintz is a cloth that's cheap, colorful, and patterned, like this one: (By V&A museum photo of PD Coromandel chintz [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons) Chintz is used to make things like dresses and chairs--and, in some people's opinions, those things look awfully tacky and cheap. So, chintzy things are cheap, tacky, or low-quality. Pronunciation: CHINT see 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 chintzy thing." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was chintzy.") Other forms: None are common. How to use it: "Chintzy" is a fun-to-say, colorful alternative to "cheap," "tacky," "flimsy," and "tasteless." It's a mild insult to call something chintzy. Chintzy things can be concrete: plates, outfits, artwork, wallpaper, furniture, rooms, buildings, neighborhoods, etc. And, chintzy things can be abstract: plans, plots, music, movies, slogans, advertisements, arguments, an ending to a story, an attempt to earn someone's favor, etc. examples: We enjoyed walking through Carytown's shops, especially the chintzy ones full of stuffed bears, hoop earrings, and Christmas ornaments. "Fortunately the show’s chintzy elements [such as purple sequins and elevator music] are offset not only by the performers’ extraordinary abilities but also by their mostly self-effacing manners."    —Brian Seibert, The New York Times, 22 July 2012 study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "chintzy" means when you can explain it without saying "trashy" or "rinky-dink." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "It seemed chintzy when (some author, or the writers for some show) decided to _____." Example: "It seemed chintzy when the writers for Angel decided to resurrect Spike, a character whose earlier death really meant something." 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 "Sleek Slogans." I'll take a familiar slogan from a company or a product, express that slogan in plain language, and tell you the specific qualities the slogan has (like rhyme or alliteration), and then you come up with the real slogan as well as the name of the company or product. From the previous issue: Rewrite this slogan by using antithesis (the side-by-side placement of contrasting ideas) and parallelism (the use of balanced clauses or phrases): "That beautiful woman might be naturally beautiful, or it might be that she’s wearing our products." Answer: That's a slogan for Maybelline: "Maybe she’s born with it. Maybe It’s Maybelline."  Try this one today: Rewrite this slogan by using a play on words and alliteration (repeated sounds, as in "vim and vigor"): "When you give your significant other one of our products, she will be happy and affectionate." review today's word: 1. One opposite of CHINTZY is A. WELL-MEANING. B. TOP-DRAWER. C. HIGH-FLYING. 2. The soundtrack opens with the sounds of a chintzy _____. A. barbershop quartet B. wilderness C. violin 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. A