Make Your Point > Archived Issues > CIRCUSSY
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connect this word to others:
Circussy is one of those fun, useful, easily-understood words that you might be tempted to dismiss as made-up. "That's not a real word. Is it?"
It is!
It's got an entry in the OED and everything, with citations, if few, dating back to 1876.
I'm thinking, we tend to look down on words that end in that cute, low-key suffix "-y", thinking of them as, somehow, not "real" words.
But circussy, along with actressy, businessy, Christmassy, goddessy, middle-classy, and--brace yourself--hitty-missy all are sitting primly and properly in the pages of the OED, free for the using.
So feel free to call things circussy. But when that word is too casual for you, call them fl_r_d (overly fancy and showy, as if full of flowers in bloom), or t__dry (cheap, tacky, tasteless, and shoddy), or m_r_tr_cious (full of glitter and allure, but empty of value or virtue).
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make your point with...
"CIRCUSSY"
Like it sounds, something circussy reminds you of a circus because, whether or not it involves actual clowns, animals, and/or acrobatics, it's full of color, movement, showiness, and spectacle, as if it's being staged for our entertainment.
Pronunciation:
SIR kuh see
Part of speech:
Adjective: "a circussy style," "the heroics were circussy."
Other forms:
circus, circuses
How to use it:
This word is fun, casual, and rare. It often has a bit of a critical tone.
Talk about circussy shows, performances, music, movies, ceremonies, celebrations, displays, colors, decor, etc.
examples:
The music video for Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night" is deliberately circussy, with its neon kaleidoscope of confetti, streamers, and Silly String.
When polls show that Americans fear clowns more than climate change, maybe it's time to make our documentaries on the latter a bit more circussy?
has this page helped you understand "circussy"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "circussy" without saying "tacky" or "Come one! Come all!"
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "_____ (is or are) too circussy for my taste; I'd rather they tone down the _____."
Example: "The Disney Channel is too circussy for my taste; I'd rather they tone down the eye-bleeding colors and the theatrical shouting."
before you review, play:
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
In August, we're playing the time-honored Game of Venery!
We're inventing terms for groups of things: terms that James Lipton, the author of An Exaltation of Larks, calls "shards of poetry and truth." Example terms of venery include lovely ones like "a conflagration of fireflies" and silly ones like "a myopia of umpires," "a rash of dermatologists," and "an unemployment of graduates."
In each issue this month, I'll offer two templates. Have fun filling them in and sharing your inventions with your family, being as lofty, silly, or bawdy as you like. In each subsequent issue, I'll list the actual terms that appear in Lipton's book.
From the previous issue:
1. A grandiloquence of _____
2. A _____ of monkeys
The terms listed in the book are "a grandiloquence of yachts" and "a machination of monkeys."
Try these today:
1. A savoir-faire of _____
2. A _____ of maps
review this word:
1. One opposite of CIRCUSSY is
A. UNIFIED.
B. SOMBER.
C. OPERATIC.
2. The soundtrack to The Road to El Dorado conveys _____ without any circussy _____.
A. grand adventure .. excess
B. character growth .. melancholy
C. both mood and story .. moralizing
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my 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.
Circussy is one of those fun, useful, easily-understood words that you might be tempted to dismiss as made-up. "That's not a real word. Is it?"
"CIRCUSSY" Like it sounds, something circussy reminds you of a circus because, whether or not it involves actual clowns, animals, and/or acrobatics, it's full of color, movement, showiness, and spectacle, as if it's being staged for our entertainment.
The music video for Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night" is deliberately circussy, with its neon kaleidoscope of confetti, streamers, and Silly String.
Explain the meaning of "circussy" without saying "tacky" or "Come one! Come all!"
Fill in the blanks: "_____ (is or are) too circussy for my taste; I'd rather they tone down the _____."
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
1. One opposite of CIRCUSSY is
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