Make Your Point > Archived Issues > UNCHOREOGRAPHED
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pronounce
UNCHOREOGRAPHED:
Say it "un KORE ee uh graft."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
Do you ever think, "I know this word, but I still never think of it on my own when I could actually use it"?
If so, you probably just want to study the word a little deeper. Tuck it away a little more snugly into your brain, into a well-organized drawer of other words. Sure, the word is already in your brain, but it's crammed in the back of a drawer with other random informational doodads, and that makes it hard to find when you need it. You forget it's even there.
A good way to store a word securely in your brain--so you know it's there, so you can grab it whenever you want--is to build connections between it and other words you know. It's like storing it in a neatly organized drawer, with tidy compartments, every object sorted by type, easy to see, and easy to reach. (Ahhh.)
Here's one way to do that. Gather a big armload of the word's synonyms and sort the whole collection into three categories: "sounds positive," "sounds negative," and "could go either way."
If I ask you to list some synonyms of unchoreographed, you might come up with words like offhand, unrehearsed, ad-libbed, impromptu, spontaneous, extemporaneous, spur-of-the-moment, and unpremeditated.
Now let's open a mental drawer with three neat compartments. You might sort some of those words into the "positive" compartment ("Wow, what a sweet, spontaneous gesture!") and others into the "negative" one ("Ew, what a rude offhand comment!"). You'd probably put our word unchoreographed into the "either way" compartment: it can skew positive or negative.
Give that a try for any word you're studying. How about the word unprecedented? What are some synonyms? How would you sort them into "positive," "negative," or "either"? Where does your target word fall?
It doesn't matter too much whether you arrive at "correct" answers. And it certainly doesn't matter how fast or slow you did the sorting. It just matters that you've engaged meaningfully with the words, making an attempt to organize them and store them in your mind.
For more study methods, go here. Or just keep on opening up Make Your Point emails and checking out this top section. It's where I'm always trying to help us make connections, so we can better store and recall words.
definition:
"Choreography" has Greek bits that mean "dance writing."
In English, literally speaking, choreography is the art of dancing, or the specific planned movements that make up a dance. And to choreograph is to plan or design all the movements for a particular dance.
So, figuratively speaking, something choreographed is planned out in advance, step by step, as if it's a dance to be performed.
And something unchoreographed is not planned out in advance step-by-step: it's unplanned and invented on the spot, meaning it's likely to be messy or awkward but sincere.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Adjective: "an unchoreographed performance;" "The effort was sloppy and unchoreographed."
Other forms:
Choreograph, choreographed, well-choreographed, choreographing; choreography; choreographer(s); choreographic, choreographically.
how to use it:
"Unchoreographed" is a formal word, easy to understand, and delightfully specific. Not all dictionaries recognize it, but don't let that faze you.
You might use this word as a compliment, emphasizing how something unplanned and unpracticed seems warm, genuine, natural, meaningful, courageous, inspired, and/or inspiring.
Or, you might use it as a criticism, emphasizing how something unplanned and unpracticed seems sloppy, badly timed, inappropriate, and/or awkward to witness.
The opposite, "choreographed," can also take on either a complimentary tone (emphasizing order, thoughtfulness, and effectiveness: "Wow, such a finely choreographed ceremony!") or a critical tone (emphasizing fakeness, emptiness, rigidity, and formulaicness: "Ugh, such an obviously choreographed ceremony").
You might talk about unchoreographed speeches, arguments, interviews, fights, scenes, dances, performances, etc. You might notice an unchoreographed display of some sentiment, like love, support, or encouragement. You might talk more generally about people's unchoreographed excitement, enthusiasm, or outbursts--or about an unchoreographed schedule or unchoreographed free time. Or, you might say that something has an unchoreographed tone, feeling, nature, simplicity, or honesty.
examples:
"Colin Firth and Hugh Grant's first fight scene in the first film was completely unchoreographed – apart from when they were thrown through the window, because they were told stuntmen had to do it."
— Kimberley Dadds, Buzzfeed, 13 September 2016
"Models in monochrome outfits strut through an unfurnished industrial space; the brisk pace of their movements appears unchoreographed, but effortlessly in sync, like a school of minnows changing direction."
— Camille Sojit Pejcha, Document, 21 January 2021
has this page helped you understand "unchoreographed"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "unchoreographed" without saying "spur-of-the-moment" or "unrehearsed."
try it out:
Think back to when you were a kid, and how you spent your time on days when you didn't have school.
Were those days choreographed? That is, were they busy, planned out, or rigidly filled with activities?
Or, were those days unchoreographed? Were they open, unplanned, or filled with long stretches of free time?
Talk about why you liked or disliked either the choreographed days or the unchoreographed ones.
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is "Serious Words, Silliest Names."
Match each word to the silly name it evokes. For example, match "pecuniary" to Owen Cash, "hoodwink" to Howie Cheatham, and "debacle" to Oliver Sutton.
To see the answers, scroll all the way down. Enjoy!
Try this last set today:
ABSCOND: _____
ALSO-RAN: _____
BULWARK: _____
MENDACIOUS: _____
NOTORIOUS: _____
B. Esser
Barry Cade
Bonnie Anne Clyde
Robin Hyde
Skip Dover
review this word:
1.
CHOREOGRAPHED and UNCHOREOGRAPHED are precise opposites. But a pretty close opposite of CHOREOGRAPHED is
A. ARTISTIC.
B. SPONTANEOUS.
C. INTELLECTUAL.
2.
Steve Prokopy wrote, "Both films seemed intent on making their action sequences feel as... unchoreographed as possible. The results are some of the most _____ fight scenes I've seen in a long time."
A. fast and jerky
B. raw and shocking
C. sophisticated and surreal
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
On vocabulary...
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.
From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
A 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.
Say it "un KORE ee uh graft."
Do you ever think, "I know this word, but I still never think of it on my own when I could actually use it"?
"Choreography" has Greek bits that mean "dance writing."
Part of speech:
"Unchoreographed" is a formal word, easy to understand, and delightfully specific. Not all dictionaries recognize it, but don't let that faze you.
"Colin Firth and Hugh Grant's first fight scene in the first film was completely unchoreographed – apart from when they were thrown through the window, because they were told stuntmen had to do it."
Explain the meaning of "unchoreographed" without saying "spur-of-the-moment" or "unrehearsed."
Think back to when you were a kid, and how you spent your time on days when you didn't have school.
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
1.
CHOREOGRAPHED and UNCHOREOGRAPHED are precise opposites. But a pretty close opposite of CHOREOGRAPHED is
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. |
