Make Your Point > Archived Issues > SAVANT

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explore the archives: Closely related to today's "savant" is our previous word "sa_____," another word for "wisdom" that emphasizes deep understanding and good judgment. Could you recall this word? make your point with... "SAVANT" A savant is someone who is extremely knowledgeable and distinguished in his/her specific area of study. Pronunciation: Several ways are correct. I prefer "suh VONT." 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 savant or multiple savants.) Other forms: Savants, savantism. You can call a female savant a "savante," or just use "savant" for either gender. How to use it: "Savant" is a little more specific than "genius:" the savant is a brilliant person with specialized, extensive knowledge in a certain field. So of course, when you refer to someone as a savant, it's a compliment. You can be less direct and say someone reads like a savant, performs calculations like a savant, analyzes stock trends like a savant, etc. You can talk about certain kinds of savants: political savants, musical savants, statistics savants, and so on. Lastly, some people say "savant" when they mean "idiot savant:" someone with both an incredible, highly specific talent as well as a significant mental or social impairment. I don't recommend using the term this way: it's unclear. examples: The drawing was so perfectly done, every detail so finely executed, that it must have been created by a true savant. The author seemed blissfully ignorant of the extensive research already done on his topic--there was no mention of any of the influential savants in the field, no hint that he had even Googled his proposed solution to see if it had been tried before. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "savant" means when you can explain it without saying "authority" or "leader in his field." try it out: Think of someone incredibly smart, and fill in the blanks: "(Person) is a true savant in the field of _____." Example: "Chloe is a true savant in the field of cultural anthropology." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game and quote below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Playing With Words:  We're playing with clichés this month, examining the origins of some colorful ones. I’ll give you a cliché (some of which you might also call a proverb and/or an idiom) and pose a multiple-choice question about its origin. (I used this nifty book as a reference!) Yesterday's question: To “hang loose” is to chill out, to be relaxed. Did we take this cliché from team sports, investing, or sailing? Answer: Team sports! As James Rogers explains it in The Dictionary of Cliches, letting go of your tension makes for a better performance. Try this one today: “Boys will be boys.” Have we been saying this to excuse the messiness and rowdiness of boys since 1589, 1789, or 1989? A Point Well Made: Aristotle: “Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” review today's word: 1. The opposite of SAVANT is A. OLD SOUL B. IGNORAMUS C. GENTLEMAN 2.  Apparently these instructions were written for savants; they _____. A. have oversized, super-simple illustrations and no words B. keep showing all these diagrams of two and three people C. expect me to infer all kinds of complicated sub-steps Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, 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 review questions: 1. B 2. C