Make Your Point > Archived Issues > HIDEBOUND
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"Hidebound" takes "stubborn" to the next level. What if you need a more positive word that also means "stubborn," one that describes people who seem to bite down on a goal or an idea and not let go? You might pick "h___-b_____".
make your point with...
"HIDEBOUND"
Someone or something hidebound is very narrow-minded. In other words, hidebound people stubbornly cling to their opinions and won't change.
Pronunciation:
HIDE bound
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 hidebound industry."
2. After a linking verb, as in "The industry is hidebound.")
Other forms:
None are common enough to mention.
How to use it:
"Hidebound" originally described cattle whose skin clung too tightly to their bones, due to poor nutrition. (That is, their hides, or skin, are bound too tightly to their bones.) Hidebound people are the same way, figuratively: it's as if they're wearing their opinions like an overly tight skin, and there's no room at all for flexibility in their thinking.
With that in mind, you realize that "hidebound" is a fairly harsh term. Use it with caution to describe people and minds, groups and industries, ideas and opinions, perspectives and viewpoints, moods and attitudes, and reasoning and judgments.
examples:
I can't help but wonder if we're keeping ourselves hidebound by self-selecting all the political content we view.
The director's choice of only traditional choral pieces year after year seems hidebound to some members, consistent and praiseworthy to others.
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "hidebound" means when you can explain it without saying "inflexible" or "obstinate."
try it out:
Think of a group of people who will never change their ways, and fill in the blanks: "In the hidebound world of (some particular group,) (something in particular will always be done)."
Example: "In the hidebound world of academia, publishing will always involve a series of hoops to jump through."
before you review:
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game and quote below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
Playing With Words:
We're playing with clichés this month, examining the origins of some colorful ones. I’ll give you a cliché (some of which you might also call a proverb and/or an idiom) and pose a multiple-choice question about its origin. (I used this nifty book as a reference!)
Yesterday's question: Here’s one I really like. If you’re actually very tough, but you remain calm and gentle on the outside, you’ve got an “iron hand in a velvet glove.” Who made that up: Shakespeare, Napoleon, or Martin Luther King?
Answer: It was Napoleon; the cliché expresses how he thought France needed to be ruled.
Try this last one today: Here’s the most beautiful cliché I know of: “hope springs eternal.” (Meaning: even the worst situation can’t make us lose hope.) Who wrote it: Mark Twain, Alexander Pope, or Fyodor Dostoevsky?
A Point Well Made:
Malala Yousafzai: "Even if you win three or four times, the next victory will not necessarily be yours without trying."
review today's word:
1. The opposite of HIDEBOUND is
A. OPEN-MINDED
B. BIG-HEARTED
C. SURE-FOOTED
2. Experience teaches you how to deal with hidebound _____.
A. issues
B. sensitivities
C. bureaucracies
Answers are below.
a final word:
To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, 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. A
2. C
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