Make Your Point > Archived Issues > FOURSQUARE

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connect today's word to others: To oppose an idea staunchly, as if you're as immovable and steady as a four-sided building, is to stand foursquare against it. And to be firm and inflexible in your opinions, as if your mind is as hard as a diamond, is to be ad______. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "FOURSQUARE" (You might be familiar with the social app called Foursquare, which was named after a kids' playground game called four square--played on a small court of four squares. I think the app's name was supposed to make it sound playful and social, like the kids' game. But forget that for now, because there's a different meaning for "foursquare," the adjective.) Just like it sounds, something foursquare, such as a foursquare room or a foursquare building, has four sides and four right angles. Because literally foursquare things sit firm and steady, figuratively foursquare people and things are firm, strong, steady, and unwavering. Some dictionaries also report that "foursquare" can mean "forthright or straightforward." Because that meaning isn't standard, we won't focus on it. Pronunciation: FOUR SQUARE (Emphasize both syllables.) Part of speech: Both an adjective ("a foursquare thing," "it was foursquare") and an adverb ("to stand foursquare"). Other forms: none How to use it: To use the adjective, talk about foursquare strength, foursquare support, foursquare resistance or opposition, a foursquare refusal, foursquare hatred, etc. To use the adverb, talk about people standing foursquare for something (or behind something), or people standing foursquare against something. Or, say that people are foursquare opposed to things, foursquare against things, foursquare resistant to things, etc. You can also talk about things that are set foursquare against other things: "her argument is set foursquare against objections." examples: Because their child had crippling ADHD, we struggled to understand their foursquare refusal to medicate him. She envisioned the opposing team as a hurricane and herself standing foursquare against it. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "foursquare" means when you can explain it without saying "resolute" or "uncompromising." try it out: Fill in the blank: "I stand foursquare for (an important right, cause, or principle)." Example 1: "I stand foursquare for marriage equality."  Example 2: "I stand foursquare for a child's right to be told the truth."  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 "Coiners & Coinages." Use your knowledge of science, history, literature, and vocabulary as you match newly coined words to the people who coined them, and vice versa. Let's do this! From our previous issue: Which word or phrase was invented by Vinton Cerf, Yogen Dalal, and Carl Sunshine at Stanford University: was it TRANSISTOR, CELLULAR PHONE, or INTERNET? Answer: Internet. In December of 1974, Cerf and his colleagues published an admittedly dry-sounding document titled SPECIFICATION OF INTERNET TRANSMISSION CONTROL PROGRAM. They had shortened the word "internetwork" to get "internet." So, yes, the document is technical and a bit dry, but check out this hint of the authors' sauciness: "Several basic assumptions are made about process to process communication and these are listed here without further justification." I translate this as "We did what we want, and we don't need your approval." Just like all coiners of wonderful words. Try this today: A shared bit of culture, or a funny picture that everyone keeps reposting, can be called a meme. Who coined the word MEME: was it Jane Goodall, Richard Dawkins, or Mark Zuckerberg? review today's word: 1. One opposite of FOURSQUARE is A. FICKLE. B. OBLONG. C. TWO-BIT. 2. Her biographer praised her as foursquare _____. A. to each of her children equally B. in the face of uncertainty and tragedy C. only when it was absolutely necessary 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