Make Your Point > Archived Issues > EFFRONTERY

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pronounce EFFRONTERY: Say it "eff FRUNT uh ree." To hear it, click here. connect this word to others: If you're like me, whenever you're in a restaurant and you notice some diner's effrontery--whether they're talking on the phone, or snapping a finger at the waiter--you can't help but blush with shame on their behalf. They should be embarrassed, but they're not, and that's the essence of effrontery. And that feeling of secondhand embarrassment for them: we can call that fre_____am. Can you recall that term? It's a compound one from German. Fill those blanks with consonants only: 5 of them!  (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) definition: Our word "effrontery" came through French. It has Latin roots that might literally mean "with the forehead (poking) out" or, possibly, "without even blushing." (In Latin, frontus could mean "the ability to blush.") Either way, it makes sense, because both the French effronterie and our English effrontery mean "shamelessness." (Imagine someone putting their forehead directly in front of yours to make demands or complaints, with no sense of shame.) In other words, effrontery is someone's bold rudeness that doesn't even embarrass them. grammatical bits: Part of speech: Noun, the uncountable kind: "Can you believe her effrontery?" Very rarely the countable kind: "His effronteries are outrageous." Other forms:  None are in use today. There's an adjective, "effrontuous," but I don't recommend using it; it's rare, and ugly.  how to use it: The word "effrontery" is formal and semi-common, with a disdainful tone. In just four syllables, it judges someone's behavior in some situation as rude, unblushing, and disgusting. Most often, we talk about someone's effrontery, or the effrontery of some person, group, or creation. Or the effrontery of some action: "the effrontery of asking for gifts on the wedding invitations." Sometimes, we talk about the effrontery to do something: "the effrontery to break traditions" (The Guardian). examples: "Older workers, accustomed to the parental role, may reflexively offer advice to younger bosses who chafe at the effrontery."     — Joanne Kaufman, New York Times, 17 March 2017 "A senior district official commented on the effrontery and efficacy of the parking-ticket system: 'One of the beauties of parking, it's like the [Internal Revenue Service]. If you get a parking ticket, you are guilty until you have proven yourself innocent. And that's worked well for us.'"    — Kathleen Parker, Washington Post, 23 September 2014 has this page helped you understand "effrontery"? Awesome, I'm glad it helped! Thanks for letting me know! If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. study it: Explain the meaning of "effrontery" without saying "audacity" or "arrogant disrespect." try it out: Like beauty, effrontery is in the eye of the beholder. People draw their own lines between effrontery and less-offensive behavior, like bluntness, assertiveness, and even friendliness. For example, in an episode of Schitt's Creek, just after Roland meets the Rose family, he plops himself down in their hotel room and starts flipping through the TV channels. The Roses are shocked at his effrontery, but Roland is just being his chill, friendly self. Talk about another situation, real or fictional, that involves effrontery. Would the person who committed the effrontery label it as friendliness, assertiveness, bluntness, or something else? If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.) before you review, play: Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out. Our game for April is "Netflix and Anagram." Check out the anagrammed title of a series or movie you can watch on Netflix, along with a descriptive sentence or two about it from Google. See if you can come up with the real title. To see the answer, scroll all the way down. Here's an example. IF CRUEL: "After abandoning his throne and retiring to Los Angeles, he indulges in his favorite things (women, wine and song) -- until a murder takes place outside of his upscale nightclub." The answer is LUCIFER. Try this one today: CAPTIONLESS: "On the way to what they believe will be a better world, the Robinsons' ship is abruptly thrown off course into a dangerous alien environment." review this word: 1. A near opposite of EFFRONTERY is A. CAUTION. B. KINDNESS. C. COURTESY. 2. Do you think it's full-frontal effrontery, or just a bit of ____, when someone _____? A. sloppy math .. keeps spending their paycheck too quickly B. an inconvenience .. asks the chef to change three ingredients C. paranoia .. feels as though their kids love the other parent more Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. B Answer to the game question: LOST IN SPACE. 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.