Make Your Point > Archived Issues > TUB-THUMPERY

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connect today's word to others: Can you name a funny or insulting synonym for the word pulpit? One is tub. In the US, tub-thumpers are loud, obnoxious public speakers, especially politicians or preachers. These speakers make such a racket it's as if they're thumping on a pulpit. Okay, now, remember that one-hit wonder "Tubthumbing" by the British band Chumbawumba, from their album "Tubthumper"? (No? You're so young.) The lyrics never say the word "tubthumping," and the whole song is just about going out drinking with friends. And getting knocked down and getting back up every time. No mention of politicians or preachers. What gives? According to UrbanDictionary.com, in the UK, tubthumping is going out drinking after protesting or rallying. "We wanted to make a very English album and the song is about the resilience of ordinary people," writes Boff Whalley, a guitarist for Chumbawumba. Finally, it all makes sense!  Still, in the US, tub-thumping, or the funnier-sounding tub-thumpery, means "loud, public, obnoxious ranting." The kind we hear all the time from gauleiters, scandalmongers, and other such fulminators. (Could you define those three words? If you need a refresher, give them a click.) make your point with... "TUB-THUMPERY" Tub-thumpery, or tub-thumping, is loud, angry, obnoxious public speaking. Pronunciation: TUB THUMP uh ree Part of speech: Uncountable noun. (Like "milk," "rice," and "advice," uncountable nouns are words for stuff that can’t be broken into exact units. You talk about "some milk," "the rice," and "a lot of advice," but you don’t say "a milk," "three rices," or "many advices." Likewise, talk about "the tub-thumpery," "this tub-thumpery," "her tub-thumpery," "such tub-thumpery," "no tub-thumpery," and so on, but don’t say "a tub-thumpery," "one tub-thumpery," or "tub-thumperies.") Other forms: People who tub-thump are tub-thumpers or tub-preachers. Alternatives to the noun "tub-thumpery" are "tub-thumping" and "tub-preaching." And when you need an adjective, you can use "tub-thumping" or "tub-preaching." How to use it: Pick this insulting, ridiculous-sounding term when you need to call attention to how someone is spewing angry, outrageous, obnoxious, highly critical and judgmental words at the public, most often in speech, but also in writing. Refer to that kind of person as a tub-thumper, or talk about his or her tub-thumpery: how we're subjected to his tub-thumpery, how we heed or ignore that tub-thumpery, how she (or her argument) devolves into tub-thumpery, etc. So, will you say "tub-thumping" or "tub-thumpery"? They mean the same thing. I suggest using "tub-thumping" to refer to specific instances while using "tub-thumpery" to refer to the entire idea or habit. It's a fine distinction and it might not matter to you--and you might even draw a different distinction than I did. And that's okay. examples: She kept the television off, wasting no time on the nightly news and its tub-thumpery. "To cap it all, the shadow foreign secretary and Unionist tub-thumper Douglas Alexander hijacked the row to berate the independence camp for lowering the debate's tone."    — Brian Logan, The Guardian, 7 May 2013 study it now: Look away from the screen to define "tub-thumpery" without saying "shouting" or "pulpit-slapping." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(Some person or publication) criticized _____ with a tub-thumping passion." Example 1: "That paper often criticizes the far right with a tub-thumping passion." Example 2: "Kirstie Alley has criticized vaccination requirements with a tub-thumping passion." 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. Complete the Limerick! In each issue this month, finish off the last line of the poem with a word or phrase we've checked out before. From the previous issue: The Springer show, back in its heyday, Was our after-school junk-TV mainstay. It had name-calling, line-crossing, Screaming, and chair-tossing: A delightfully loud, trashy melee. Try this one today: Your childhood memories can't be priced. The foods you loved best were the highlights Of your red-letter days, and Now just their taste Recreates for you your childhood ________. review today's word: 1. A close opposite of TUB-THUMPERY is A. ADMONISHMENT. B. EXAGGERATED SHOCK. C. QUIET COMMENDATION. 2. Let the tub-thumpers tub-thump: we aren't _____. A. cowed by their legal jargon B. provoked by their baseless criticisms C. intimidated by their bizarre, childish pranks 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. C 2. B