Make Your Point > Archived Issues > OVATION

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connect today's word to others: In Roman history, an ovation wasn't quite as fabulous or lavish as a triumph: both were a kind of "welcome home from war" parade, but a partial victory meant an ovation (you had to walk, and you got only a myrtle wreath) and a full victory meant a triumph (with a chariot ride and a laurel wreath). Here's an odd fact: some sources say that in these ceremonies, the officer placing the wreath on the hero would say "M_____ m___," or "Remember that you're mortal"--a little warning, maybe, against becoming self-a_____ing amid all that exultation. Happily, though, we've forgotten all those overtones of death and coming in second; we now use the word ovation to describe enthusiastic approval. Even though most of us are already familiar with this word, it's worth taking a look at it--and its adjective, ovational--because we can apply them figuratively. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "OVATION" This word comes from the Latin ovare, "to rejoice." An ovation is a happy, excited reaction (often with clapping) from a group of people.  Pronunciation: oh VAY shun 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 ovation or multiple ovations.) Other forms: Ovations, ovational. The verb is very informal: ovate, ovated, ovating. How to use it: An ovation doesn't have to be a literal crowd of people cheering and clapping--it can be any widespread, enthusiastic reaction. Talk about people giving and receiving ovations, or people greeting (or responding to) an accomplishment, a decision, an event, or a comment with ovations. Or flip that around and say that an accomplishment or whatever has prompted, sparked, triggered, or met with an ovation. Or, focus on an ovation to or for someone or something: "Ovations to the authors poured in." "We should question the unthinking ovation for this trend." The adjective is rare but easily understood. Talk about ovational fervor, excitement, or enthusiasm; ovational crowds and fans; ovational welcomes; ovational celebrations, etc. The verb, "ovate," is very informal. Some respected newspapers have printed it, but it sounds weird to me. So although I don't recommend it, you can talk about people ovating each other ("they ovated him as a hero") or people ovating, period ("they stood up and ovated"). examples: Where Facebook has earned censure for suspending the victims of hate speech, Twitter has earned an ovation for shutting hate speech down. The blurry Polaroids of Taylor Swift were included with her CD, I understand, in order to send her younger fans into ovational rapture. But I found them creepy. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "ovation" means when you can explain it without saying "acclamation" or "hooray." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "The ovation for _____ grew quieter as _____." Example: "The ovation for Mini Coopers grew quieter as more and more consumers complained of maintenance issues." 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 "A Vocabulary of Movie Quotes." Jean Picker Firstenberg at the American Film Institute (AFI) says, "Great movie quotes become part of our cultural vocabulary." I believe it! I bet you can recall, verbatim, any of the AFI's "100 Greatest Movie Quotes of All Time" if all I give you is a single word from the quote. For example, if I give you the word KANSAS, I bet you can recite this: "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore," from The Wizard of Oz (1939). I'll share each answer in the following issue. And we’ll work our way forward in time, starting with the oldest movies. Let’s play! From the previous issue: From a 1964 film, what's the famous quote that includes the word SHAKEN? Answer: From Goldfinger: "A martini. Shaken, not stirred." Try this today: From a 1967 film, what's the famous quote that includes the word COMMUNICATE? review today's word: 1. One opposite of OVATION is A. DECRYING B. SUPPLYING C. OCCUPYING 2. His first _____ in this chapter: that we give _____ ovation to any attempt to help kids develop grit. A. observation .. a financial B. complaint .. an uncritical C. recommendation .. a suspicious 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. B