Make Your Point > Archived Issues > TOADY

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explore the archives: If you're a fan of Toadies, the rock band from Fort Worth, Texas whose song "Possum Kingdom" will transport you back to 1994, you'll wonder why they chose such an insulting name. A toady is a flatterer: someone who clings to a more powerful person and says or does anything to get (or stay) on that person's good side. Here's the backstory from hundreds of years ago. A quack, a charlatan, a trickster, you know, some seller of nos____s, would have an assistant who pretended to swallow a poisonous toad, so that the trickster could "heal" the toad-eater, thereby fooling the crowd into buying his fake remedies. The toad-eater was a servile follower. And "toad-eater" morphed into "toady." Gross story, right? But it shows us the kind of self-ab___ment implied by the word toady. (Oh, and the only explanation I could find for the band Toadies calling themselves toadies is this: according to an interview with them, their name is supposed to be "whimsical." I suspect it's a reference to actual toads.) make your point with... "TOADY" A toady is a person who always hangs around someone else while acting like that person's adoring servant. Pronunciation: TOAD ee 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 toady or multiple toadies.) Other forms: The plural is "toadies." For the noun for the activity--the behavior of toadies--use "toadying," which also works like an adjective: "these toadying fools," "a toadying manner." "Toady" is also a verb: you can toady to someone or toady up to someone. How to use it: "Toady" has a strong negative tone. Refer to someone as a toady, or as his toady or her toady, or as a toady to someone else. Like groupies, fans, followers, and servants, toadies often appear in groups: "the chancellor's toadies," "these toadies trying to latch onto his power." For the verb, we most often talk about someone who toadies to someone else: "We refuse to toady to him." "They were accused of toadying to the wealthy." You can also just toady: "I love how he never toadies." examples: It must be lonely being that powerful, having toadies instead of friends. In the fifth book, appropriately enough, Professor Umbridge resembles a toad and clearly has been toadying to government officials, eager to become one herself. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "toady" means when you can explain it without saying "kiss-up" or "obsequious person." try it out: Think of a situation in which flattery will get you nowhere. Fill in the blanks: "You can't (accomplish something specific for yourself) just by toadying to (a specific powerful person)." Example: "You can't get a higher grade on the project just by toadying to the professor." 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. Our game this month is called One-Word Titles! Rely on your cultural knowledge, your vocabulary, or both as we consider the power and simplicity of one-word titles. We'll recall movies, songs, books, television shows, and musicals with brief, meaningful, well-chosen titles of only one word each. Let's play! From yesterday: The title of this 2009 movie, directed by James Cameron and starring Sam Worthington, means "a manifestation, an incarnation." The title is ______. Answer: Avatar. Try this today: The title of this 1952 movie, directed by and starring Charles Chaplin, means "a means of lighting a stage, or the attention and focus given to someone famous." The title is _________. review today's word: 1. The closest opposite of TOADY is A. CRITIC B. AUDITOR C. SYCOPHANT 2. At meetings, these toadies _____. A. wait until the presenters are finished to pepper them with questions B. clutch their coffee mugs and glower silently at the presenters C. echo and cheer the presenter's every word 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. A 2. C