Make Your Point > Archived Issues > LOGJAM
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connect today's word to others:
Imagine hundreds of logs jamming a river, interrupting its flow. A logjam. More generally, a logjam is any delay or blockage that prevents situations from moving forward smoothly.
Now picture a frozen river whose ice suddenly shatters, sending water gushing forth. That's a literal de_____, and a figurative one is any total, sudden disaster.
make your point with...
"LOGJAM"
Here's an image, courtesy of Wikipedia:
Just like it sounds, a logjam is a group of logs jamming up a river, interrupting its flow.
And figuratively, a logjam is a delay or a blockage that interrupts the flow of a process or situation, usually because there's too much stuff (or too many people) jammed into that process or situation.
Pronunciation:
LOG jam
Part of speech:
Countable noun.
(Countable nouns, like "bottle," "piece," and "decision," are words for things that can be broken into exact units. You talk about "a bottle," "three pieces," and "many decisions."
Likewise, talk about one logjam or multiple logjams.)
Other forms:
Just the plural: "logjams."
You might see this word written with a hyphen (log-jam) or as two words (log jam), but today the most common way to write it is one word: logjam.
How to use it:
"Logjam" is useful and fun to say, and it places a concrete image in your listener's mind.
Call something a logjam when it's either the delay itself or the problem that's causing the delay.
Talk about people preventing a logjam, noticing a logjam that's building, having a logjam, working their way around a logjam, getting past a logjam, breaking a logjam, removing a logjam, etc. (Logjams might also break on their own.)
Or, talk about actions, events, and situations that create logjams, cause logjams, worsen logjams, etc.
examples:
Different advisors insisted on taking my thesis in different directions, creating a logjam.
People hoping to emigrate to the United States often encounter a regulatory logjam that's impossible to break through.
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "logjam" means when you can explain it without saying "jam" or "impediment."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "(A certain poem, book, speech, ad, film, video clip, etc.) is a/an (much-needed, important, timely, startling, tiresome, overdone, tedious, etc.) jeremiad against _____."
Example: "Titled 'The Earth is a Hot Mess,' the first episode of Bill Nye Saves the World is a timely jeremiad against complacency and inaction when it comes to climate change."
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.
Our game this month is called Felicitous Names.
A felicitous name for a fictional character is a highly appropriate name, a name that fits that character so perfectly that you just know the writer picked it on purpose. This month, draw on your knowledge of both vocabulary and fiction to pick out the right name for the character described. Enjoy!
From our previous issue: Think of a character who's teen royalty, someone who rules the school. Is the most felicitous name for this character Regina George, Cady Heron, or Janice Ian? Why?
Answer: Regina George. "Regina" is Latin for "queen," and "George" suggests any of the King Georges of England. In fact, Regina George dominates her school in the movie Mean Girls.
Try this today: What’s the most felicitous name for a love interest who's distant, cold, beautiful, and dazzling: Emma, Ermengarde, or Estella? Why?
review today's word:
1. A close opposite of LOGJAM is
A. PROGRESS
B. AGGRESSION
C. REGRESSION
2. We hired more staff members, who helped _____ the logjam of customer inquiries.
A. surmount
B. improve
C. clear
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. A
2. C
Imagine hundreds of logs jamming a river, interrupting its flow. A logjam. More generally, a logjam is any delay or blockage that prevents situations from moving forward smoothly.
"LOGJAM"
Here's an image, courtesy of Wikipedia:
Just like it sounds, a logjam is a group of logs jamming up a river, interrupting its flow. Part of speech:
Different advisors insisted on taking my thesis in different directions, creating a logjam.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "logjam" means when you can explain it without saying "jam" or "impediment."
Fill in the blanks: "(A certain poem, book, speech, ad, film, video clip, etc.) is a/an (much-needed, important, timely, startling, tiresome, overdone, tedious, etc.) jeremiad against _____."
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.
1. A close opposite of LOGJAM is
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com
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