Make Your Point: GILT-EDGED

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pronounce GILT-EDGED:

GILT EDGED

connect this word to others:

Something gilt-edged is laced with gold: painted on the edges with a golden sheen. It's such a lovely term.

Less lovely is the clunky term gold_____, meaning "a worthless item passed off as valuable as gold; or, to lazily avoid doing your work, like a swindler selling fake units of gold." Can you recall it?

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

(Source)

To gild something is to add a thin layer of gold to it. So, gilt-edged things, such as dinner plates, book pages, or playing cards, are coated all around the edges with gold.

And in a metaphorical sense, gilt-edged things are fancy and elegant in a subtle way.

Specifically in the stock market, because the first bond certificates were printed with golden edges, gilt-edged stocks, bonds, and securities are extremely safe to invest in.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Adjective: "these gilt-edged porcelain plates;" "that gilt-edged luxury."

Other forms:

None are common.

how to use it:

"Gilt-edged" is easily understood, somewhat rare, and delightfully specific.

You might talk literally about gilt-edged books, pages, tableware, frames, mirrors, cocktail dresses and so on.

Or, get abstract, and talk about gilt-edged people, reputations, lifestyles, or opportunities. Here's the BBC: "There was a cloud hanging over the summit amid the gilt-edged grandeur of the former royal townhouse."

examples:

"Mr. Howard grew up in a mansion owned by his adopted maternal grandmother and spent most of his childhood exploring its vast, gilt-edged library."
— Harrison Smith, Washington Post, 1 April 2022

"Yet another explanation [for how a biomedical company scammed so many people] is the gilt-edged and magical status that society confers on Silicon Valley, as a place where fantasies come true."
— Roger Lowenstein, New York Times, 21 May 2018

has this page helped you understand "gilt-edged"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this term, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "gilt-edged" without saying "golden" or "luxurious."

try it out:

In sportswriting, it's popular to describe a player's "gilt-edged chance" or "gilt-edged opportunity" to make an excellent play within a game, or within a season. It's a fancy little twist on the phrase "golden opportunity."

— Here's the Guardian, for example: "Home matches against Chelsea and Arsenal and a visit to Liverpool give them a gilt-edged chance to put real distance between themselves and their rivals."
— Here's Reuters: "Real took their time to respond to going behind with Ronaldo missing a gilt-edged chance to level when he struck the near post from a couple of yards out."
— And Forbes: "It was a mistake from Johnston that presented Germany with a gilt-edged opportunity to take the lead."

That's a beautiful phrase, isn't it? There's your chance, your opportunity, your opening, and it's shining all around the edges in gold.

If you're an athlete or a sportsfan, talk about a specific gilt-edged chance you experienced or witnessed. Otherwise, talk about a gilt-edged opportunity in your own life.

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: Word Choice Chuckles!

I'll give you a snippet of text that I spotted in the wild, with a word or phrase removed. See if you can fill one in that'll give the reader a chuckle. (Here are some examples.) Be cheesy. Be punny. Get in there and make me proud.

Try this one today:

"'With Love, Meghan' _____s lifestyle TV. Despite what Netflix would have you believe, this show reimagines next to nothing. It's more accurate to say that it channels the standard setters: the sun-soaked garden and foodie fantasy of 'Martha Stewart Living'... the sensual glamor of Nigella Lawson lustily ripping into a chicken leg."

Meaning of the missing term: "copies."

To see one possible answer, scroll all the way down.

review this word:

1. In its figurative sense, the opposite of GILT-EDGED could be

A. SANGUINE: sunny, hopeful, cheerful, confident, optimistic.
B. SPORTIVE: goofy, merry, witty, frisky, teasing, mischievous.
C. SPARTAN: plain, simple, frugal, non-indulgent, non-luxurious.

2. From a novel by Elizabeth Robins Pennell: "They look upon art as a gilt-edged _____."

A. test
B. sword
C. investment

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:
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From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A 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.

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