Make Your Point > Archived Issues > LILLIPUTIAN

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explore the archives: Today we're revisiting the story Gulliver's Travels with lilliputian, meaning "tiny." Could you recall another L-word from that same novel? It means "absurd and impractical," a reference to the characters who tried, for example, to pull sunbeams out of cucumbers. make your point with... "LILLIPUTIAN" In Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels, the Lilliputians, citizens of Lilliput, stood "not six inches high." That's about 9% of the average man's height. But don't take those numbers too literally. Something lilliputian is simply very small. Pronunciation: lil ih PYOO shun 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 lilliputian thing." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was lilliputian.") Other forms: The noun Lilliputian, capitalized or not, means "a very short adult." Its literal use would be in poor taste. How to use it: "Lilliputian" adds surprise and whimsy to descriptions both accurate and exaggerated, but you don't want to overuse it. When you do use it, you knowingly embrace the humor of picking a large word that means "tiny." (I doubt any readers need this reminder, but here it is anyway: using large words just to look smart is the opposite of clear, effective communication. Plus it'll get you mocked on r/iamverysmart.) So, when the situation calls for it, talk about lilliputian objects, maybe arranged in lilliputian clusters, ranks, rows, etc.; lilliputian amounts or changes or efforts; lilliputian dimensions or measurements, and so on. If you do call people lilliputian, you probably mean they're petty: small of mind ("lilliputian statesmen"). Unless you're gently teasing, calling people lilliputian and meaning it literally is unkind at best. You can take your Jonathan Swift reference further by talking about lilliputian bonds or lilliputian cords--the kind the Lilliputians used to tie down Gulliver--like Mrs. Humphry Ward does in Eleanor: "He felt himself bound and pricked by a thousand delicate lilliputian bonds." Lastly, although the Oxford English Dictionary doesn't approve, most everybody uses a lowercase letter now for "lilliputian," just like any other common adjective. examples: Even before we found out we were having a girl, at Target I was gleefully losing my composure over pink lilliputian socks and shoes. A surprising benefit of maturing: the problems that before loomed so large become lilliputian. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "lilliputian" means when you can explain it without saying "teeny" or "tiny." try it out: Think of something humorously small: something that amuses you because it's so cute or unexpected. Fill in the blanks: "I laughed when I saw a lilliputian (thing) (being somewhere or doing something)." Example: "I laughed when I saw a lilliputian pocket on my toddler's jeans. Maybe it would hold one Cheerio." 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 "You Know, That Thing!" This game challenges your powers of recall. Start a timer: twenty seconds if you're an adult, longer if you're a kid or an English language learner. Read the description of each thing, and come up with its name. Try to name all three before your timer runs out. (Scroll all the way down for the answers.) Ready? Go! 1. In a novel, the first introductory part of the story, before Chapter 1, is the… 2. A red mark or rash you got from a carpet or rug is a … 3. The longer of the two moving pointers on a clock, the one that shows the minute, is the… review today's word: 1. The opposite of A LILLIPUTIAN is A. A YAHOO (SOMEONE BRUTAL) B. A HOUYHNHNM (SOMEONE WISE) C. A BROBDINGNAG (SOMEONE HUGE) 2. Surprised by the snowstorm, and lacking a shovel, I made some lilliputian progress on the driveway with _____. A. a broom B. several buckets of salt C. a neighbor's snowblower Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. A Answers to game questions: 1. prologue (or in nonfiction: introduction, foreword, preface, or preamble) 2. carpet burn, rug burn, or friction burn (or skinning/chafing) 3. minute hand