Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ORDURE

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explore the archives: Steel yourself! Ordure is a politer word for literal and figurative poop. And it made it into Paul Niquette's quirky and hilarious book 101 Words I Don't Use, which you can read online for free. (Spoiler: he doesn't use "ordure" because he prefers a synonym I can't write here!) Also on Niquette's endearingly cranky list is hubris: he doesn't like how its meaning has weakened over time. Could you recall what that meaning is? make your point with... "ORDURE" Literal ordure is poop, or filth or dirt. Figurative ordure is anything that's obscene or morally offensive. That's the meaning we'll focus on. Pronunciation: OR jur  Part of speech: Noun. It's usually uncountable ("the ordure," "such ordure," "this ordure," "no ordure") but occasionally it's countable ("these ordures," "yelling ordures at us"). Other forms: ordurous Is it related to "endure," "durable," etc.?: No, the similarity is a coincidence. "Ordure" comes from the Old French word ord, meaning "dirty, filthy, foul," and ord came from the Latin horridus. So, "ordure" is closely related to "horrid" and not other words with "dur" in them like you might expect. How to use it: When you're in polite company and you need to talk about how utterly foul or offensive something is, you may not want to use a curse word or even a milder one like "bull," so instead, use "ordure." This word lets us point out how certain things are even more disgusting and unacceptable than, say, "trash" or "scum." For example: "the ordure these comedians dump on their own culture," "a magazine filled with nothing but ads and ordure," "a club known for ordure and depravity," "ordure heaped on the outspoken radio host." Actions and things can be called ordure ("a government plagued by corruption and ordure," "a network showing nothing but ordure"), but more often, it's speech and writing that's called ordure ("piles of ordure in this publication"). And yes, people can be called ordure, but that's cruel, isn't it? ("The staff had difficulty eliminating its ordure.") examples: Asked why he had deleted his Facebook account, he said he got tired of scrolling through tedium and ordure. Full of celebrity deaths and political upheaval, 2016 is, according to popular sentiment, an ordurous heap that we're eager to fling out. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "ordure" means when you can explain it without saying "disgusting actions or words" or "deeply offensive things." try it out: Think of something with good qualities even though it can also be foul or offensive. Fill in the blanks: "If you (get past or clear away) the ordure, you'll find (something interesting or valuable) in _____." Example: "If you get past the ordure, you'll find thought-provoking observations in his stand-up routine." 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 the original and literal meanings of familiar words. I'll give you three words and their original or literal definitions, and you'll match them up. Easy! But then the following day, see if you can recall those old meanings. Hard! :) Our game has two purposes. One, we'll visit the interesting, thought-provoking old meanings of words. And two, we'll remind ourselves of a powerful learning strategy: delayed recalling. Let's play! First, try to recall from yesterday the literal meaning of "matador" and the original meanings of "ouch" and "recipe." Answers appear at the bottom of this issue. Next, one last time, match these words to their original or literal definitions in the answer bank below: 1. "Gusto" originally meant _____ 2. "Comma" literally means _____ 3. "Exaggerate" originally meant _____ Answer bank: A. "to accumulate." B. "a piece cut off." C. "a fondness for something." review today's word: 1. The opposite of ORDURE is A. CHAOS B. VOLUNTEERING C. WHOLESOMENESS 2. The company's reputation has never been strong, but now it has a _____ of ordure clinging to it. A. strand B. shade C. whiff 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 game questions: 1. "Ouch" originally meant "a clasp or brooch." 2. "Matador" literally means "killer." 3. "Recipe" originally meant "a formula for a medicine." Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. C