Make Your Point > Archived Issues > PICAYUNE
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connect this word to others:
If it's worth twenty-five cents, call it two-bit.
If it's worth five cents, call it picayune.
If it's worth one or two cents, call it c____penny.
And if if it's worth just under a cent, call it a dime a dozen.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
make your point with...
"PICAYUNE"
The Louisiana French word picaillon means "five-cent coin," and we brought that word into English as "picayune."
"Picayune" can still mean "a coin of very small value," but more often, it's an adjective meaning "having a very small value."
In other words, picayune things are small, petty, trivial, or unimportant, as if they're worth five cents or less.
Pronunciation:
PICK uh YOON
Part of speech:
Adjective: "a picayune detail," "their chances were picayune."
Other forms:
An alternate adjective is "picayunish."
And the noun is either "picayunishness" or, my preference: "picayunity."
How to use it:
Use this rare, colorful, informal word to call attention to just how trifling, worthless, or insignificant something is.
Talk about picayune amounts, differences, changes, rewards, punishments, chances, details, concerns, rules, objections, reasons, excuses, inconveniences, etc.
examples:
"Duterte's beef with the U.S. spans historical atrocities and picayune slights — such as being denied a visa to visit his college girlfriend."
— Joseph Hincks, Time, 26 October 2016
"The Justice Department charged Fokker Services in 2014 with conspiracy to unlawfully export goods and services, but prosecutors agreed to drop the charge... if the company paid a $21 million penalty. ... But U.S. District Judge Richard Leon refused to approve the deal, writing in a February ruling that the penalty was picayune compared with the company's admitted conduct."
— Joe Palazzolo and Christopher M. Matthews, Wall Street Journal, 7 September 2015
has this page helped you understand "picayune"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "picayune" without saying "paltry" or "frivolous."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "(Some major fee, price, mistake, or offense) makes (some previous fee, price, mistake, or offense) look picayune."
Example: "What you pay today for a semester of college makes what I paid look picayune."
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.
Our game this month is "Inspired by, but in no way associated with, the game show Chain Reaction."
In each issue, try filling in both puzzles—the easier one and the tougher one—by supplying the terms to complete the chains.
From the previous issue:
An easier puzzle:
Abject
H_____
Movie
A tougher puzzle:
Slow
G____
M_____
Dexterity
Answers:
Abject
Horror
Movie
Slow
Going
Mental
Dexterity
Give these a try today:
An easier puzzle:
Abrasive
P__________
Test
A tougher puzzle:
Discordant
V_____
C____
Weight
review this word:
1. The opposite of PICAYUNE is
A. GENEROUS.
B. CONSIDERABLE.
C. INDISCRIMINATE.
2. I can't help it; in their endless stream of emails and flyers, every picayune _____ makes my eye twitch.
A. font
B. error in grammar
C. series of exclamation points
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my 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.
If it's worth twenty-five cents, call it two-bit.
"PICAYUNE" The Louisiana French word picaillon means "five-cent coin," and we brought that word into English as "picayune."
"Duterte's beef with the U.S. spans historical atrocities and picayune slights — such as being denied a visa to visit his college girlfriend."
Explain the meaning of "picayune" without saying "paltry" or "frivolous."
Fill in the blanks: "(Some major fee, price, mistake, or offense) makes (some previous fee, price, mistake, or offense) look picayune."
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
1. The opposite of PICAYUNE is
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