Make Your Point > Archived Issues > INFRA DIG

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connect today's word to others: From Arrested Development, here's the snooty Lucille, who's dismayed to find herself in a casual diner:    Lucille: "I'll have the Ike and Tina Tuna."    Waitress: "Plate or platter?"    Lucille: "I don't understand the question, and I won't respond to it." It was beneath her dignity, so she thought. It was infra dig. When you consider something infra dig, whether it's distinguishing between a plate and a platter at a greasy spoon or scrubbing the bathrooms in your office, you won't ab___ yourself by doing it: that is, you won't allow it to drag down your reputation or your sense of self-respect. But for a person of h__il__y (a person with no inflated sense of pride or haughtiness), little to nothing is infra dig. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "INFRA DIG" "Infra dig" is Latin, short for the phrase infra dignitatem, which means "beneath the dignity of." Something infra dig is undignified, or beneath your dignity: to do it would embarrass you, hurt your pride, make you look silly, or make you look less important. Pronunciation: IN fruh DIG Part of speech: Adjective. (For "infra dig," we usually put it after a linking verb, as in "it was infra dig," or "that would be infra dig for them." Unlike with most other adjectives, we don't often put "infra dig" before a noun; that is, we don't often say "this is an infra dig task.") Other forms: none How to use it: This is a casual phrase. Even though it's Latin, it has the same clipped, breezy feel as clipped words like "refs" (referees) and clipped phrases like "poli sci" (political science).  We use it to point out how certain tasks or actions are low, lowly, rude, humble, or unbecoming. And, we use it to point out how snobby people are because they think they're above certain tasks or actions. Talk about people thinking that certain things are infra dig. Or, talk about people deeming, believing, or considering certain things infra dig. You can also say "it's infra dig to do something" or "it's infra dig for someone to do something." examples: We were in high school, working for minimum wage at one of the theme parks; for reasons that I now can't fathom, we deemed it infra dig for us to walk around the grounds sweeping up spilled popcorn. "Like many venerated troupes, the 235-year-old Bolshoi must dwell in both the pure world of performing art and the grubby world of corporate gimmicks. But it considers the latter especially infra dig. Private sponsorship was illegal in the U.S.S.R. and is still unsavory to the culturati."    —Simon Shuster, Time Magazine, 29 October 2011 study it now: Look away from the screen to define "infra dig" without saying "unbecoming" or "degrading." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) won't _____; (he or she) considers it infra dig." Example: "He won't greet his own clients at the door; he considers it infra dig." 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. Apt Adjective Anagrams!  I'll invent a person's name and a brief description of that person, and you unscramble the letters in the name to form an adjective that aptly describes the person or the person's situation. For example, if I say "Naomi Cirous is still holding a grudge," then you rearrange the letters in "Naomi Cirous" to form the adjective "acrimonious," meaning "sharp, bitter, and mean"--an appropriate adjective for someone holding a grudge. From the previous issue: Michaela Alvin will do anything to claw her way to the top of the company. Answer: She's Machiavellian. Try this today: Carl Rebe has three advanced degrees. review today's word: 1. The opposite of INFRA DIG is A. ABOVE ONE'S STATION. B. WITHIN ONE'S POWER. C. BELOW ONE'S MEANS. 2. Deeming it infra dig to do so, he _____. A. claims first dibs on all the best shifts B. has a friend find out if his crush likes him C. doesn't respond to intrusive personal questions 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