Make Your Point > Archived Issues > LOCKSTEP

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explore the archives: Lockstep, with its harsh consonants, sounds like two firm boot steps. So does b__tst__p, a word we checked out recently that means to help yourself succeed, on your own, even when it seems impossible. With lockstep, we imagine shoes moving firmly downward, but with b__tst__p, we imagine shoes moving firmly upward. Why? make your point with... "LOCKSTEP" Imagine soldiers or prisoners marching in close, perfect formation. Their steps seem to be locked together. Both literally and figuratively, lockstep is that rigid way that people (or things) stick close together as they move. Pronunciation: LOCK step Part of speech: Most often a noun. Specifically, the uncountable kind. (Like "milk," "rice," and "education," uncountable nouns are words for stuff that can’t be broken into exact units. You talk about "some milk," "the rice," and "a lot of education," but you don’t say "a milk," "three rices," or "many educations." Likewise, talk about "the lockstep," "this lockstep," "their lockstep," and so on, but don’t say "a lockstep," "one lockstep," or "locksteps.") Other forms: none in common use How to use it: Talk about the lockstep of two closely linked things: "the lockstep of stress and final exams." Or, talk about the lockstep of a certain process or realm: "the lockstep of academic life." Or, say that one person or group is in lockstep with another (or that it broke its lockstep with another, that it fell out of lockstep, and so on). Your view or thoughts might be in lockstep with someone else's. And people, groups, and things can think, talk, work, act, move, march, evolve, increase, rise, decrease, or fall in lockstep with each other: "The companies raised prices in lockstep." Sometimes we'll extend that kind of phrase and say that people, groups, or things are in lockstep in opposition to someone or some issue, that they're marching in lockstep against someone or some issue, that they're in lockstep on or over a certain issue, etc. To use "lockstep" as an adjective, talk about lockstep marches and movement, lockstep methods and processes, lockstep commands and imperatives, lockstep environments and worlds, etc. And to use it as an adverb, talk about marching lockstep, walking lockstep, moving lockstep, going lockstep, etc. (But it's much more common to use "lockstep" as a noun: marching in lockstep, walking in lockstep, moving in lockstep, going in lockstep.) Very rarely, we use it like a verb. In that case, we need a hyphen: "the students lock-stepped back to their classroom," "fans will lock-step to the new album." Lastly, here's a friendly reminder to compare apples to apples. It's less important in casual speech, but in writing, try to make only logical statements with "lockstep." It makes sense to talk about opinions in lockstep with other opinions, or about people in lockstep with other people. But it's less logical to talk about, say, people in lockstep with opinions. examples: I don't feel like removing my shoes or my laptop, but I march along in lockstep obedience with the other travelers.  When we notice a possible correlation--for example, that autism diagnoses have risen in lockstep with increased vaccinations--that should prompt us to research and wonder and explore, not to hastily conclude that one thing caused the other. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "lockstep" means when you can explain it without saying "seeming to march together like a line of soldiers" or "mindlessly executed process." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "_____ is a lockstep procedure: you have to _____ before you can _____." Example: "Madeline Hunter's teaching method is a lockstep procedure: you have to confirm that students understand something before you can move on to practicing it with them." 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 lines of poetry that include words we've checked out together in previous issues. I’ll give you a few lines from the poem, with a blank where our word appears, along with its definition. See if you can come up with it. Each answer will appear in the following issue. Enjoy! From the previous issue: From Scott Cairns's poem "A Lot:"    "And this poorly measured, semi-      rectangle, projected and plotted with the familiar      little flags upon a spread of neglected _____ _____      also offers brief apprehension..." Definition: a more formal term for "solid ground." (Hints: two words, two syllables each, starts with T.) Answer: terra firma. Try this today: From Franklin Pierce Adams's poem "A Ballad of Baseball Burdens:"    "O the hope,        The _______ hope, the hope that’s half a fear..." Definition: weak, flimsy, and insubstantial. (Hints: three syllables, starts with T.) review today's word: 1. A close opposite of LOCKSTEP is A. TANDEM B. RETROGRADE C. SCATTERSHOT 2. It was only when he _____ that his supporters fell out of lockstep. A. promised to heal their divides B. began to repeat himself C. called for violence Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, 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. C