Make Your Point > Archived Issues > VOX POPULI

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connect today's word to others: Latin for "the voice of the people," vox populi entered our language from a longer Latin maxim: "Vox populi vox Dei," meaning "the voice of the people is the voice of God." Speaking of "Dei," can you recall a term that literally means "a god from a machine," or a swift, complete, almost magical resolution of a complex problem? That's a deus __ _______. Vox populi also shares a root with advocate, unequivocal, and viva voce. Can you explain how each of these terms has something to do with voices? (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "VOX POPULI" The vox populi is the voice of the people, or popular opinion. In other words, it's what many (or even most) people want, think, or believe when it comes to any particular topic. Pronunciation: VOCKS POP yuh lye 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 the vox populi or, rarely, multiple voces populi.) Other common forms: None.  Although dictionaries don't recognize this, some people use "vox populi" loosely as an adjective, as in "a vox populi system"--any system that depends on input from many people. How to use it: Talk about agreeing or disagreeing with the vox populi; sampling, researching, or understanding the vox populi; pleasing, obeying, pandering to, or capitulating to the vox populi; or ignoring, dismissing, or disregarding the vox populi. Or, talk about the vox populi demanding something, bemoaning something, celebrating something, etc. You might say that a person or publication is a vox populi if they speak up and say, publicly, what most people are wanting, thinking, or believing. (Or tries to, anyway.) Journalists who talk about "vox pops" are referring to informal opinion polls, especially those conducted on the street. examples: A good graduate program in education gives you the tools to question the vox populi, to push past tradition and clinical intuition and find out what really helps students learn. In The Myth of the Spoiled Child, Alfie Kohn reviews the research on coddling, helicopter parenting, participation trophies, and that lazy no-good generation known as the millennials, ultimately urging the vox populi to hush their unfounded complaints. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "vox populi" means when you can explain it without saying "what everyone is thinking" or "popular opinion." try it out: Fill in the blank: "(Something incredibly popular) is, apparently, exactly what the vox populi has been calling for." Example: "Game of Thrones is, apparently, exactly what the vox populi has been calling for." 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 the previous issue: OKAY. 1. When something is OKAY because it's as good as it needs to be, but just barely, and definitely no better than that, then instead of OKAY, call it _____. 2. When something is OKAY because it's not great but it does make you reasonably happy, then instead of OKAY, call it _____. 3. When something is OKAY because it hasn't been broken or damaged in any way, then instead of OKAY, call it _____. Suggested answers: 1, adequate; 2, satisfactory; 3, intact. (Your answers might be different but just as precise.) Today: COOL. 1. When something is COOL because its low temperature makes you feel awake and happy, then instead of COOL, call it _____. 2. When someone seems COOL because he stays in control of his own emotions and behavior, then instead of COOL, call him _____. 3. When something is COOL because it's so unfriendly that it gives you the shivers, then instead of COOL, call it _____. review today's word: 1. A close opposite of VOX POPULI is A. UNPOPULAR OPINION B. ANCIENT CIVILIZATION C. FORGOTTEN TRADITION 2. As for the American Dream, no matter how hazy or impractical it may be, the vox populi has long _____. A. gazed approvingly at it B. trained its sights on it C. sung its praises 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. C