Make Your Point > Archived Issues > SKELETAL

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connect today's word to others: In every episode of Pinky and the Brain, the laboratory mouse Brain hatches some scheme to take over the world, a scheme that usually boils down to: "...and while everyone else is thusly distracted, we'll take over the world." Brain's schemes are skeletal: meager, like a skeleton; bare bones, existing only as a rough framework or outline.  Of course, we can also use the word skeletal literally: "her legs are so thin they're skeletal," "all we caught was this one skeletal fish." In that sense, skeletal is a synonym of c_d_v_rous, which describes things and people who seem deathly thin, pale, and worn-out, as well as _m_c__ted, which describes things and people who are too thin, as if they're weakening and wasting away. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "SKELETAL" A skeletal thing or person reminds you of a skeleton. It might be way too thin, or more figuratively, too bare, like a basic list, outline, or framework that's missing all the important content. Pronunciation: SKELL uh dull Part of speech: Adjective: "a skeletal report," "it's so skeletal." Other forms: Skeleton(s), skeletally. You can skeleton something or skeletonize something, meaning you outline it in a bare, meager way--or reduce it to a bare outline. Then it's skeletoned, or skeletonized. How to use it: When you call something skeletal, you're comparing it to a bony, skinny skeleton, emphasizing how lacking it is in meat, muscle, content, or substance. For that reason, "skeletal" has a negative tone. It's a fun alternative to less picturesque words like "lean," "scrawny," and "tenuous." You might use "skeletal" literally and talk about a fashion model's skeletal figure, or the skeletal steel frame of a building under construction. But we'll focus on figurative use. Talk about a skeletal staff running a store overnight, skeletal plans and ideas, skeletal stories and explanations, skeletal outlines and frameworks, skeletal structures and networks, skeletal facts and data (lacking meaningful context or explanation), even skeletal wit and humor (lacking depth, substance, or elaboration). examples: I enjoyed its flamboyant musical numbers; it didn't seem necessary to follow Mamma Mia!'s skeletal plot. "The lyrics to 'Factory Girl' are spare and skeletal, deploying the same three-line-stanza structure as a traditional blues."    — Jack Hamilton, Slate, 6 December 2018 study it: Explain the meaning of "skeletal" without saying "bony" or "outlined only." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "It took (someone) (a certain amount of time) just to assemble a skeletal outline for the (paper, speech, proposal, presentation, etc.)." Example: "Science wasn't my subject. It took me two days in the library just to assemble a skeletal outline for the paper on viruses." 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, Jeopardy!" In each issue, I'll create three "answers" for you, and you supply the "questions." (That is, you'll respond in the form of a question, like "What is...?" or "Who is...?") From the previous issue: 1. Category: Dickensian Letters. Answer: W. M.: The hapless clerk. "Something will turn up!" Question: Who is Wilkins Micawber? 2. Category: Ditloids. Answer: Lincoln didn't start the fire: 4 S A 7 Y A. Question: What is "fourscore and seven years ago"? 3. Category: WWW. Answer: This tree, native to eastern Asia and bearing long, slim branches, symbolizes mourning. Question: What is a weeping willow? Try these today: 1. Category: Ditloids. Answer: "Forever invisible save to him that wore the Ruling Ring" (Tolkien): T 9 R. 2. Category: WWW. Answer: To some Native Americans, it's a conference or a spiritual ceremony. 3. Category: Rhyme Three Times. Answer: It's when the winter frosts have stiffened all your flowers and plants, but you forgive them.  review today's word: 1. One opposite of SKELETAL is A. DELICATE. B. SUBSTANTIAL. C. COMMONSENSE. 2. Having _____, he includes a skeletal account of the plot in his paper. A. seen the movie but never touched the book B. no knowledge of the story but plenty of chutzpah C. read the book at least once a year since fourth grade 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. B 2. A