Make Your Point > Archived Issues > PHLEGMATIC

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connect today's word to others: I bet you're familiar with it, and we've referred to it before: that medieval theory about how personalities depend on people's physical balance of fluids. It went like this... 1. If you've got too much black bile: you're melancholic (sad). 2. Too much yellow bile: you're ch____ic, or bil___s (cranky). 3. Too much blood: you're san___ne (cheerful). 4. And too much phlegm: you're phlegmatic (sluggish). (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "PHLEGMATIC" "Phlegm" is another word for "mucus," the fluid in the body that we often cough up when we're sick. In ancient, prescientific times, people thought that having too much phlegm was a sign (or maybe a cause) of having a sluggish personality. Because of that ancient way of thinking, we still use the word "phlegmatic" to describe people and things as calm, sluggish, unemotional, and unenthusiastic. Pronunciation: fleg MAT ick Part of speech: Adjective: "a phlegmatic voice," "they're so phlegmatic." Other common forms: An alternate adjective is "phlegmatical," but I say let's stick to the shorter "phlegmatic." The adverb is "phlegmatically." "Phlegmatic" can also be a noun meaning a person who's dull, sluggish, and emotionless: "All these phlegmatics in the elevator are creeping me out." When you need a noun for the idea of being phlegmatic, pick "phlegmatism" (my preference, pronounced "FLEG muh tiz um") or "phlegmaticness." How to use it: Pick the word "phlegmatic" when you need to strike a tone that's formal, serious, scholarly, or reflective. Talk about phlegmatic people and personalities; phlegmatic minds, moods, attitudes, manners, and perspectives; phlegmatic voices, expressions, and postures; phlegmatic reporting and journalism; phlegmatic feelings or emotions, like phlegmatic skepticism or resignation; even phlegmatic music, literature, television, films, performances, etc. You can also say someone is phlegmatic on or about some topic, issue, event, possibility, etc. examples: Talking with her friends, she bubbles over with warmth and excitement--but presenting to the class, she lapses into a phlegmatic monotone. "He speaks in a crackly, papery voice that’s terse with authority, keeping his phlegmatic gaze fixed to gather knowledge and ripen insight in the inner silence of his own counsel."    — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 30 May 2017 study it: Explain the meaning of "phlegmatic" without saying "apathetic" or "torpid." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "Asked about (some event, experience, plan, idea, or possibility), (someone) responded phlegmatically." Example: "Asked about her day at school, my daughter responded phlegmatically." before you review, play: Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first. Tidbits and Titles! I provide the tidbits; you provide the title. From our previous issue: Here's a quote from a book: "A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts." And here are some terms and phrases that often appear in that book: active voice, avoid, colloquial, construction, emphatic, independent clauses, misused, relative clause, semicolon, split infinitive, thought, violation, writer. What's the book's title? Answer: The Elements of Style. Try this today: Here's a quote from a book: "In the long run, the sharpest weapon of all is a kind and gentle spirit." And here are some terms and phrases that often appear in that book: beautiful, boy friend, Dear Kitty, downstairs, Germans, happy, hiding, laugh, miserable, night, quarrel, quiet, wonder. What's the book's title? review today's word: 1. A near opposite of PHLEGMATIC is A. BUMPTIOUS. B. CHAPFALLEN. C. DEMONSTRATIVE. 2. His humor is phlegmatic, his best jokes delivered with _____. A. outrageous accents and gestures B. apparent reluctance and a straight face C. a voice and a smile both earnest and bright 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. C 2. B