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connect today's word to others:
The Latin word jocus means "a joke, a jest, something done for fun," and it gave us the words joke, joc__d ("happy and cheerful"), and today's jocose, which describes people and things that playfully joke around.
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"JOCOSE"
Jocose people and things are playful and joking in a lighthearted way.
Pronunciation:
joe KOSE
(rhymes with "low dose")
Part of speech:
Adjective.
(Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late."
They can be used in two ways:
1. Right before a noun, as in "a jocose thing" or "a jocose person."
2. After a linking verb, as in "It was jocose." or "He was jocose.")
Other forms:
jocosely, jocoseness/jocosity ("joe KOSS ih tee")
How to use it:
"Jocose" is more sophisticated than synonyms like "joking," "humorous," and "waggish."
Talk about jocose dramas and parodies, jocose comments and observations, jocose speech and writing, jocose conversations, jocose faces and expressions and voices, a jocose style, a jocose tone, etc.
If you're a jocose person, you might have a jocose spirit or a jocose personality, meaning you're that way all the time, or you might be jocose only in certain situations or with certain people: "She's reserved at school but jocose with the children she babysits."
Finally, you might talk about a jocose quality or attitude--like jocose gallantry, jocose solemnity, jocose indignation and so on--meaning it's just pretend or in jest.
examples:
His lectures are brimming with jocosity, vivid examples, and unforgettable demonstrations, which explains his high rating on RateMyProfessors.com.
Because he'd been coerced into saying the blessing over Thanksgiving dinner, and because he hoped to never be asked again, he settled into a jocose solemnity and blessed each individual dish, praising its taste and texture, specifying its sauces and ingredients, appreciating its appearance and abundance.
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "jocose" means when you can explain it without saying "facetious" or "playful."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "(A certain place) (is/was) (alive or buzzing) with jocose (chatter or teasing)."
Example: "The camp cafeteria was alive with jocose chatter."
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 "Game of Games!" Guess the one-word title of each board game, using your knowledge of vocabulary.
From our previous issue:
Desig
ned by Bernd Brunnhofer, this game has players attempting to please an unpredictable set of gods with prayer, temples, and monuments. The title's most general meaning is "a set of important people or things that are worshiped or treated with respect." It's pictured below, with the title blurred out. What game is this?
Answer: Pantheon. Check out the game here and the word here.
Try this today:
Designed by Max J. Kobbert, this game sends players on a treasure hunt in a maze-like structure with shifting rows of tiles. The title means "something complicated, confusing, and tough to navigate that reminds you of a complex set of paths or passages." It's pictured below, with the title blurred out. What game is this?
review today's word:
1. The opposite of JOCOSE is
A. ACADEMIC.
B. FEMININE.
C. EARNEST.
2. His material is jocoserious, _____.
A. as dark and as moribund as anything by Lovecraft or Poe
B. establishing a line between philosophy and practicality
C. a blend of weighty wisdom and potty humor
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. C
2. C
The Latin word jocus means "a joke, a jest, something done for fun," and it gave us the words joke, joc__d ("happy and cheerful"), and today's jocose, which describes people and things that playfully joke around.
"JOCOSE" Jocose people and things are playful and joking in a lighthearted way. Part of speech: Other forms:
His lectures are brimming with jocosity, vivid examples, and unforgettable demonstrations, which explains his high rating on RateMyProfessors.com.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "jocose" means when you can explain it without saying "facetious" or "playful."
Fill in the blanks: "(A certain place) (is/was) (alive or buzzing) with jocose (chatter or teasing)."
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.
Answer: Pantheon. Check out the game here and the word here.
Try this today:
1. The opposite of JOCOSE is
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. |