Make Your Point > Archived Issues > VOUCHSAFE

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connect today's word to others: Vouchsafe started out as two separate words; the "vouch" and the "safe" gradually fused. Maybe the same process will occur with the phrase "a lot" if enough people keep writing "alot" instead, as teachers like me cling desperately to the past. See if you can recall some other compound words: - Someone all mixed-up in the mind and therefore stupid is a__lepa__d. - Someone very hard and rigid in her opinions, unable to change even a little bit, is br___bo__d. - An item that's cheap, almost worthless, and designed to catch people's attention so they accept it fast, is ca___pe__y. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "VOUCHSAFE" To vouch for something is to guarantee it. So, you can see why "vouchsafe" literally means to guarantee that something is safe.  But here's the meaning we use today: to vouchsafe something is to give it, to grant it, or to allow it. Pronunciation: vouch SAFE Part of speech: Transitive verb. (Like "eat," "try," and "want," all transitive verbs do something to an object. You eat a banana, try a game, and want a new phone. Likewise, you vouchsafe something.) Other forms: vouchsafed, vouchsafing How to use it: "Vouchsafe" has a serious tone, so when you talk about things being vouchsafed, you're being either serious ("The founding fathers vouchsafed us with these principles," "Lord, vouchsafe to me thy grace") or sarcastic, emphasizing how someone is being snooty ("He vouchsafed us with not a single word about his plans throughout the entire interview," "Perhaps you will vouchsafe to explain your intentions").  Often we'll say that someone (or something, like a law, a group of people, human evolution, or a historical document) can vouchsafe people something, or vouchsafe people with something: "The creator vouchsafed us this instinctual urge to love and protect babies." "Evolution vouchsafed the cheetah with remarkable speed." Another way to phrase this is that someone or something vouchsafes something to someone. "They vouchsafed these human rights to us." Or, flip that word order: "They vouchsafed to us these human rights." What other kinds of things get vouchsafed? Glances and nods, acknowledgement and recognition, comments and replies, answers and hints, explanations and information, secrets and plans, wisdom and advice, favors and requests, protection, understanding, consolation, advantages, etc. examples: Scrooge changes only after the ghost vouchsafes him with a glimpse into his own grim future. Last year I wrote to Dictionary.com, burning with curiosity about how they calculate their "difficulty index" for each word. They vouchsafed no explanation. Do you think that means they piggybacked off someone else's data? Oh, snap! study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "vouchsafe" means when you can explain it without saying "bestow" or "offer." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "I (hope or pray) that (someone) vouchsafes (someone else) with (some kind of blessing)." Example: "I hope that the college vouchsafes her with a scholarship--or at least a loan that won't cripple her." 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 Banishing Bland Adjectives. In each issue, we're strengthening our word-finding skills as we take aim at a vague little adjective and think up three ways to make it more specific. Resist the urge to sneak off to the thesaurus! From yesterday: BAD. 1. When something is BAD because it doesn't work the way it's supposed to, then instead of BAD, call it _____. 2. When something is BAD because it makes you worry and stress over it all the time, then instead of BAD, call it _____. 3. When something is BAD because it came out of nowhere and hurt a lot of people or things, then instead of BAD, call it _____. Suggested answers: 1, defective; 2, vexing; 3, disastrous. (Your answers might be different but just as precise.) Today: FUN. 1. When something is FUN because everyone there is in a good mood and is making a lot of noise, then instead of FUN, call it _____. 2. When something is FUN because it gives you waves of strong emotions or waves of strong physical sensations, then instead of FUN, call it _____. 3. When something is FUN because it holds your attention for a long time and even makes you laugh, then instead of FUN, call it _____. review today's word: 1. The opposite of VOUCHSAFE is A. DENY B. NEGOTIATE C. COOPERATE 2. He spent twenty minutes carefully drafting the email to his professor, who vouchsafed _____. A. a three-word reply B. several contradictory requirements in her lengthy syllabus C. subtle retribution for emails that fail to strike a respectful tone 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. A 2. A