Make Your Point > Archived Issues > GRAFFITO
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pronounce
GRAFFITO:
Say it "gruh FEED oh."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
It was only this year that I first bumped into the word graffito--the lovely singular form of the more-familiar graffiti--which is odd because, you know, I've been speaking English for thirty-hhrmph years already.
In my defense, graffito is really Italian and not English. But so are finale, scenario, and volcano. And the lovely terms below:
1.B__o is a peppy, active spirit or attitude.
2. A ris____mento is a fresh, lively resurgence of widespread activity or interest in some particular thing.
3. Italian for "sweet doing nothing," dol__ far n___te (three words) is enjoyable laziness.
Anyway, the word graffito was waiting for me in a book on graphic design, which included the quote and attribution below.
"Art is not a mirror. Art is a hammer." --SoHo graffito
I mean, wow. Number one, I didn't realize that "graffiti" was plural instead of uncountable. Neat. Now I can stop saying "all this graffiti" and start saying "all these graffiti." Number two, how wonderfully lazy is that attribution?
"Who said this, about art being a hammer? When? In what publication?"
"Oh, I saw it spray painted."
"Okay, but don't you think you should look up the original writer?"
"It was in SoHo. I'll add 'SoHo.' Let it go."
I should probably add that the SoHo graffito may have been inspired by Bertolt Brecht: "Art is not a mirror to reflect the world, but a hammer with which to shape it." A beautiful sentiment, but perhaps too lengthy for a graffito.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
"Graffito" is basically Italian for "a scratch." You can trace it back to the Greek graphein, "to write."
A graffito is something written or drawn without permission on public property.
You might be more familiar with the plural, "graffiti." As in, "Graffiti is an art form, or a crime, or perhaps both." Or, "Graffiti is different from street art, which is usually greenlit or even commissioned by the authorities."
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Noun, the countable kind: "Please clean off this graffito;" "The offenders had to stay after school to scrub off all the graffiti."
Other forms:
"Graffiti" is the plural noun, as well as the verb: "They snuck out to graffiti the bridge;" "They'll graffiti their message on the bridge." The other verb forms are "graffitied" and "graffitiing." (Yes, two i's together in "graffitiing," like in "skiing.")
how to use it:
Pick the precise, sophisticated word "graffito" to refer to any illicitly-scribbled work of public art or defacement, whether it's rude and ugly, insightful and artistic, or anything in between: "I was inspired by a graffito on my way to work;" "Have you seen that graffito of the mayor over by the subway?"
If you don't like the singular form "graffito"--maybe you find it a little snobby--then feel free to continue using "graffiti" as the uncountable form. Many writers do. "Check out all this colorful graffiti."
examples:
"The graffito was scrubbed off the bridge by authorities after a few hours but pictures of it became an internet sensation."
— Tom Parfitt, The Guardian, 8 April 2011
"Although there are no statues of Mr. Castro, who died on Friday at the age of 90, his influence is pervasive... One graffito near the downtown Havana Libre hotel said simply: 'He's gone.'"
— José de Córdoba and Dudley Althaus, Wall Street Journal, 28 November 2016
has this page helped you understand "graffito"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "graffito" without saying "a scribble on a wall" or "a work of public art or public defacement."
try it out:
In the Guardian, Germaine Greer wrote, "What is art? Art is anything an artist calls art... A graffito on a railway bridge is... likely to be art, most probably bad art, but art just the same."
Talk about whether you agree or disagree with Ms. Greer. If you're not sure, you might get some ideas by running a Google Image search for graffiti (which might not be appropriate for kids or for the office).
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:
HASSLES ME: "The Gallagher children manage to raise themselves in spite of Frank's lack of parenting and unusual parenting style when he does choose to act like a father."
review this word:
A. WORDLESS.
B. UNARTISTIC.
C. UNEMBLAZONED.
2.
In response to an angry bride who found that one of her wedding guests had _____ a graffito on _____, Dear Prudence recommended laughing it off, or even displaying it in a prominent place in the house.
A. spilled .. the pedestal for a flower vase
B. scribbled .. the matting for a framed photo
C. deleted .. the hand-lettering of a wooden sign
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.
It was only this year that I first bumped into the word graffito--the lovely singular form of the more-familiar graffiti--which is odd because, you know, I've been speaking English for thirty-hhrmph years already.
"Graffito" is basically Italian for "a scratch." You can trace it back to the Greek graphein, "to write."
Part of speech:
Pick the precise, sophisticated word "graffito" to refer to any illicitly-scribbled work of public art or defacement, whether it's rude and ugly, insightful and artistic, or anything in between: "I was inspired by a graffito on my way to work;" "Have you seen that graffito of the mayor over by the subway?"
"The graffito was scrubbed off the bridge by authorities after a few hours but pictures of it became an internet sensation."
Explain the meaning of "graffito" without saying "a scribble on a wall" or "a work of public art or public defacement."
In the Guardian, Germaine Greer wrote, "What is art? Art is anything an artist calls art... A graffito on a railway bridge is... likely to be art, most probably bad art, but art just the same."
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.
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
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