Make Your Point > Archived Issues > SCURRILOUS

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explore the archives: Language that is coarse, profane, and indecent is scurrilous. And maled______s, or vulgar insults, are examples of scurrility. Let's brighten the mood by recalling the opposite of male_______s, too: bened_______s, or kind wishes for someone else's success or happiness. make your point with... "SCURRILOUS" Scurrilous things are rude, insulting, and indecent. Often, scurrilous things are supposed to be funny but instead are inappropriate and offensive. Pronunciation: SKUH ruh luss Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "a scurrilous thing." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was scurrilous.") Other forms: scurrilousness/scurrility ("skuh RILL it ee"), scurrilously How to use it: Talk about scurrilous language, talk, chatter, and comments; scurrilous publications and websites; scurrilous rumors, claims, and accusations; scurrilous jokes and stories; scurrilous nicknames; and even scurrilous people, characters, and reputations. examples: Following her scurrilous complaints on Facebook about her new job, she was fired. It's sad that we've grown used to his scurrility--now we're more concerned about his inability to complete a sentence. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "scurrilous" means when you can explain it without saying "vulgar" or "crass." try it out: Think of a place, event, or situation that calls for proper language or respectful treatment of others. Fill in the blank: "There's no place for scurrility at/on/in _____." Example: "There's no place for scurrility in line at the grocery store and yet, the tabloids."  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. This month, we're playing with KWIKORD, an addictive, challenging new word game for solo or group play, created by Wayne Ellice.  We're dipping our toes into the game this month, trying some simple challenges first and working our way toward harder tasks. (Check out my interview with the game's creator here, and order your own copy of the full version of KWIKORD here.) You'll see a sample answer to each puzzle the following day. Enjoy! Yesterday, you took the letters NPRLAEIO and arranged them into as many words as possible while trying to reach all 4 corners within a 4x4 grid. We're multiplying the number of words we made by the number of corners we reached, trying for the maximum score of 32. There were lots of ways to do that. Here are two: Try that one last time today with the letters KMNPEEIO. See if you can score 32 points by making 8 words and reaching all the corners. Draw three vertical and three horizontal lines on some scrap paper, and go for it! review today's word: 1. A close opposite of SCURRILOUS is A. AMBLING B. COMPLIMENTARY C. EGOTISTICAL 2. Fake news and scurrilous _____ dominated social media this year. A. glitches B. rumors C. reaction buttons Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, 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. B