Make Your Point > Archived Issues > OUSTER

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connect today's word to others: To oust people or things is to get rid of them, to kick them out. The word ouster, then, looks like it should mean "someone who ousts," and it does--but it more often means "an ousting, an expulsion, the act of kicking someone out or firing someone." I kept reading the word ouster in the news and thinking how weird it is: why do we say "they're calling for his ouster" instead of "they're calling for his ousting"? So, I found out that "ouster" is related to an earlier term that we borrowed from French: "ouster-le-main," which means, basically, "ousting the hand," or rejecting a king's right to claim your land. (Hands off, King.) Speaking of the French for "hand," main, see if you can recall a word that means "light of hand" or skillful trickery: le_____main. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "OUSTER" To oust people or things is to kick them out, to get rid of them, to exclude them, or to replace them. An ouster can be someone who kicks someone out, or someone who gets rid of something, and so on. But there's a second and more common meaning: An ouster is a firing or a removal of a powerful person. In other words, an ouster is the act of forcing someone out of his or her powerful position. Pronunciation: OUST ur (rhymes with "now stir") 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 ouster or multiple ousters.) Other forms: ousters, oust, ousted, ousting How to use it: Talk about an ouster, the ouster, this ouster and that ouster, an ouster at a company or an ouster in an administration, and so on. Or, talk about someone's ouster, or the ouster of someone: his ouster, her ouster, the ouster of Nixon, the ouster of the top FBI official, the ouster of Uber's CEO. You can also mention who's responsible for kicking someone out by talking about "someone's ouster of someone else:" the junta's ouster of the king, Khomeini's ouster of the shah, the network's ouster of Mr. O'Reilly. Often people call for someone's ouster or demand someone's ouster, or talk about what led to or prompted or forced someone's ouster. examples: Feeble little demands for his ouster have been echoing since the day he took office. Following the ouster of his aloof and corrupt predecessor, President Moon has vowed to remain open, engaged, and honest with the citizens. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "ouster" means when you can explain it without saying "removal" or "dismissal." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(Some particular problem, situation, or controversy) (ended, might end, will end, or won't end even) with (someone's) ouster." Example: "Hopefully, her misguided policies that harm schoolchildren will end with her ouster." 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: We need a felicitous name for a hard-partying robot. Is it Bender, Pliers, or Wrench? Why? Answer: Fellow fans of Futurama know Bender as the robot who bends girders and goes on benders, or drinking sprees. Try this today: Let's assign some felicitous names to these characters: 1, a pyromaniac cursed to burn in perpetual flames; 2, a friendly sidekick who happens to be a floating, talking skull; 3, a machine who breaks free from his mechanical identity to try to become human; and 4, a messy-haired hag who enjoys causing trouble just as much as she enjoys guiding people out of it. In no particular order, we'll use the names Nordom, Ignus, Morte, and Ravel. Who's who? Why? review today's word: 1. An opposite of OUSTER is A. INSTALLMENT B. RESTITUTION C. BENEFIT 2. When we saw the video of him _____, we called for his ouster. A. pranking his roommates B. lecturing his subordinates C. firing shots at an unarmed man Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. C