Make Your Point > Archived Issues > GIRD & UNDERGIRD

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connect today's word to others: You might "brace yourself" or "gird yourself" before an important exam, conversation, or presentation. Or you might "f____fy yourself," meaning you find a way to give strength to your body or spirit. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "GIRD" & "UNDERGIRD" Think of how a girder is a supporting beam, and how a girdle is a garment that secures or supports you, like a belt. Inside "girdle" and "girder" is the word "gird." To gird something is to tightly wrap something else around it, to secure it. Figuratively, to gird people or things is to strengthen them and get them ready for whatever struggle or conflict is about to happen, as if by putting something tightly around them. And, to undergird something is, literally, to secure it from underneath with a rope or chain, or figuratively, to give it strength, as if from underneath. Pronunciation: Rhyme "gird" with "bird." "Undergird" is pronounced "UN der GIRD." Part of speech: Both "gird" and "undergird" are transitive verbs. (Like "eat," "try," and "want," all transitive verbs do something to an object. You eat a banana, try a game, and want a new phone. Likewise, something girds something else, you gird yourself, and something undergirds something else.) Other common forms: girded, girding; undergirded, undergirding How to use it: First let's check out how to use "gird." We often talk about girding ourselves for an upcoming struggle or conflict: gird yourself for a fight over this issue; I'm girding myself for 24 straight hours of travel. And if you like, you can leave out the pronoun ("myself," "themselves," "itself," etc.): the nation is girding for war, police officers are girding for violent protests, the human rights agency is girding for a new legal battle. You can also talk about one thing girded with another thing: a building girded with greenery, an album girded with brilliant lyrics, a society girded with peace, a soul girded with hope. Let's look at "undergird," too. One thing undergirds another thing: jobs undergird an economy; data undergird a theory; an attitude undergirds someone's beliefs or judgments; a body of science undergirds research projects or government regulations; a desire, eagerness, or anxiety undergirds discussions, decisions, support for something, or opposition to something. Use the passive voice, if you like, and talk about one thing undergirded by another thing: a society undergirded by tradition, the freedom we enjoy that's undergirded by democracy, a marriage undergirded by a deep love and commitment. examples: Go ahead and gird yourself for disappointment; she hates every gift she receives, and whatever you give her, she'll return. Undergirding her views on refugees is the belief that with our growing wealth and success comes a similarly growing responsibility to help others. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definitions in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "gird" means when you can explain it without saying "strengthen by encircling" or "provide stability and readiness."  And you’ll know you understand what "undergird" means when you can explain it without saying "strengthen from underneath" or "provide a strong foundation." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(Some important, challenging, difficult, or contentious event in your life) (required or requires) that I gird myself for (some specific difficult aspect of that event)." Example: "Holidays at their house required that I gird myself for chaos." 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 some beautifully worded passages from the Bible as we recall words we've studied before. From our previous issue: "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, modest, b_______nt, full of mercy and of good fruits, not judgmental, unfeigned." (Jubilee Bible, James, chapter 3, verse 17.) What's the missing word? It means "actively kind and helpful toward other people." Answer: benevolent. Try this today: "Don't d______ a bit to the right or the left; turn your feet away from evil." (Common English Bible, Proverbs, chapter 4, verse 27.) What's the missing word? It means "to go a different way, or to turn aside and take a different (often unexpected) path." review today's word: 1. The opposite of UNDERGIRD is A. UNDERMINE. B. UNDERHANG. C. UNDERWHELM. 2. His posture made it clear: he was girding for _____. A. a long nap B. a vacation C. a fistfight 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. C