Make Your Point > Archived Issues > TOPLOFTY

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explore the archives: Honestly, I know it's better to say nothing at all if you can't say something nice. But we have so many words to describe arrogant people and their arrogance. Here are just a few, on a rough scale from casual to formal: Toploftiness, uppitiness, snobbishness, haughtiness, superciliousness, ha___ur, impe____ness, hu___s.  Could you recall those last three? What else would you add to this list, and where would you put it? make your point with... "TOPLOFTY" Like it sounds, "toplofty" can mean way up high. More often, toplofty things and people are stuck up, acting high and mighty, as if they're better than everyone else. Pronunciation: TOP loff tee 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 toplofty thing" or "a toplofty person." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was toplofty." or "She's toplofty.") Other forms: The noun is "toploftiness." The adverb is "toploftily," but not all dictionaries recognize it. Variations: Sometimes you'll see this term written with a hyphen ("top-lofty") or written as two words ("top lofty"). "Toploftical" is an alternate form. You can hear how it carries a bit more sneering judgment compared to "toplofty." How to use it: It's rare. It's American in origin and attitude. And it's a little slangy in tone. But "toplofty" is fun to say, and it'll be instantly understood by your audience. Talk about toplofty people ("toplofty professors," "toplofty idealists"), toplofty behaviors and gestures ("a toplofty shrug"), toplofty statements ("these toplofty denials"), and toplofty feelings and qualities ("toplofty disdain," "toplofty cleverness"). You can use the word more loosely, too, to describe things that are both concrete ("toplofty appetizers") and abstract ("toplofty principles"). And of course, you can be literal: "a toplofty perch on the mountainside," "these toplofty hats blocking our view of the race." examples: Her excuses are as vague as they are toplofty. "Oh, heavens, no, I couldn't possibly make time for that." We'd been told never to buy a house with linoleum floors, but we couldn't afford any toplofty extras--tile, stainless steel, rooms shaped like something other than a rectangle. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "toplofty" means when you can explain it without saying "uppity" or "putting on airs." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "At the time, I was focused on _____, not on some toplofty (goal, notion, or principle) like _____." Example: "At the time, I was focused on getting lesson plans done for all the classes I'd teach the following day, not on some toplofty notion like getting the students to transcend to higher planes of understanding." 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. License Plate Words! You’ve spotted a cluster of three letters on a license plate. Keep all three letters together—don’t insert any letters between them—but add any letters you like to the left and/or right of the cluster to form words. For example, when you spot the cluster CKG, you can form BACKGROUND and BACKGAMMON (and all their related words, like BACKGROUNDER and BACKGAMMONING, for a total of 8 possible words). We’ll move from easy to hard clusters as the month goes on. (For the curious, you can generate a complete list of answers using a tool like this one.) Let's play! Our previous question: If you spot the cluster EDP, you can use it to form 9 words. Give yourself a minute or so. Can you think of some? Answers: You may have thought of BEDPAN, BEDPOST, BLEED-PROOF, and/or SEEDPOD. Try this today: If you spot the cluster ULY, you can use it to form 9 words. Give yourself a minute or so. Can you think of some? review today's word: 1. One opposite of TOPLOFTY is A. HARD B. HUMBLE C. HIGHFALUTIN 2. Hoping to appeal to _____, the city decided to tone down its toplofty slogan, "_____." A. more affluent visitors .. Y'all Come on Back, Now B. both millennials and retirees .. Swipe Right For The Time of Your Life C. a broader base of potential newcomers .. The Only Place to Live Well 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. C