Make Your Point > Archived Issues > FLEDGLING

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explore the archives: Full-fledged > fledgling > ca____. A full-fledged bird has all its feathers and is a mature, capable creature, similar to, say, a full-fledged reporter, who's independent, experienced, and confident. But a fledgling is a bird with brand new feathers, one that's ready to fly for the first time. A fledgling reporter is a newbie, just now trying out a few assignments. And a ca____ creature is a baby bird with no feathers, or a person with no experience at all--like a student who wants to be a reporter but has no idea where to start. make your point with... "FLEDGLING" To fledge is to grow feathers for flight, and a fledgling is a young bird ready to fly. More generally, a fledgling is anyone who's very new at something.  Pronunciation: FLEDGE ling Part of speech: Both a noun (the countable kind: one fledgling, these fledglings) and an adjective (a fledgling teacher). Other forms: None, but "fledgeling" is an alternate spelling. I recommend sticking with "fledgling" because it's the standard U.S. spelling. How to use it: "Fledgling" is a cute word, but we use it so often that it may not automatically remind us of little bitty birds just learning to fly. Still, you might extend the metaphor sometimes and talk about fledglings leaving the nest, fledglings testing their wings, etc. To use the noun, call someone a fledgling when you mean he or she is very new at something--often a career--and lacking in experience: "These fledglings need to train for a few more days before we schedule them for their own shifts." The adjective can be applied to people ("a fledgling teacher," "a fledgling stock broker") and to things, places, and ideas: a fledgling project, a fledgling bed and breakfast, a fledgling hope. examples: Let's hope for the best as we place our nation in the hands of a fledgling politician. What was a fledgling wedding chapel in 2002 is now Central Florida Wedding Group, a family-owned business that's orchestrated thousands of beautiful ceremonies. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "fledgling" means when you can explain it without saying "newbie" or "just learning how to do things." try it out: What was it like when you were just starting out somewhere, like at a new school or a new job? (Or maybe when you first became a parent or a grandparent?) Fill in the blanks: "As a fledgling _____, I _____." Example: "As a fledgling teacher, I fidgeted nervously whenever the principal popped in to observe my class." 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 with KWIKORD, an addictive, challenging new word game for solo or group play, created by Wayne Ellice.  We're dipping our toes into the game this month, trying some simple challenges first and working our way toward harder tasks. (Check out my interview with the game's creator here, and order your own copy of the full version of KWIKORD here.) You'll see a sample answer to each puzzle the following day. Enjoy! Yesterday, you took the letters TRYEIO and arranged them into words to fill the perimeter of a 4x4 grid. Many solutions were possible. Here are two: Try it once more today with the letters BRSEOU. Draw three vertical and three horizontal lines on some scrap paper, and go for it! review today's word: 1. One opposite of FLEDGLING is A. DEVOTEE B. EXPERT C. FIREBRAND 2. Their fledgling business needs more investors to _____. A. get off the ground B. get rolling C. get sailing Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. A