Make Your Point > Archived Issues > MADCAP

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"MADCAP" Pronunciation: MAD cap 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 madcap plot.” You mostly see it used this way. 2. After a linking verb, as in “It was madcap.” You see it this way occasionally.) Meaning: Something madcap is reckless, hasty, and wild. Other forms: A madcap is also a person who is reckless, hasty, and wild. How to use it: Talk about madcap plans, plots, schemes, ideas, adventures, and escapades; madcap glee, magic, and clothes; a madcap mind or personality; a madcap group of friends; a madcap night or weekend; madcap cartoon physics, and so on. My sister and I used to love watching the show Clarissa Explains It All, mainly for the title character's madcap outfits. (Seriously, check them out on Google Images and get ready for blindingly bright colors and patterns.) Rather than going on a madcap dash to experience every single ride and show at a theme park, Barb always recommended being selective and, therefore, relaxed. Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "madcap” means when you can explain it without saying “impulsive” or “lively." Think of a crazy-fun time you once had with your friends, and fill in the blanks: "We had a madcap (day/night/week, etc.) (doing something in particular)." Example: "My college friends and I often had a madcap night playing around in Wal-Mart and Steak 'n Shake until sunrise." Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game and quote below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Playing With Words: Messages that go through an automated translator into several languages and back into English again often end up sounding funny and garbled-- but still somehow meaningful. We’re having fun with that phenomenon this month as we play our game: Guess the moral from Aesop’s Fables after it has been translated into a few foreign languages and back again by a computer program. Some of the morals may be very familiar to you, others not so much. You don’t need to quote Aesop verbatim but rather just understand the message being conveyed. Try it out each day and see the right answer the following day.   Yesterday’s answer: The translation-babble said, “It is better to slavery than to rule on the safety risk.” Aesop said, “It is better to serve in safety than to rule in peril.” Try this last one today: “Each person has their own reasons for the do of the self.” A Point Well Made: John Steinbeck: “And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.” 1. The opposite of MADCAP is A. JUDICIOUS B. INSANE C. ORGANIC 2. Many of our most memorable nights at Camp Sequoya were madcap; we'd _____ A. sit around the campfire and roast marshmallows. B. climb onto the roof of the cafeteria, run wild, and play pranks. C. gather by the lake and try to creep each other out with ghost stories. Answers are below. To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each day for free by Mrs. Liesl Johnson, M.Ed., a word lover, learning enthusiast, and private tutor of reading and writing in the verdant little town of Hilo, Hawaii. For writing tips, online learning, essay guidance, and more, please visit www.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. B