Make Your Point > Archived Issues > MANNA

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explore the archives: It'd be easy to mix up today's manna with mana. But don't! :) (Could you recall what mana means?)  Though both words have a magical flavor, they have different meanings and different pronunciations. Rhyme "mana" with "Donna;" rhyme "manna" with "Hannah." make your point with... "MANNA" From a Bible story about food that magically appears, manna is anything pleasant or helpful that you get in a lucky or unexpected way. Whatever your manna is, it reminds you of magical, God-given nourishment. Pronunciation: MAN uh (rhymes with "Hannah" and "Nana") Part of speech: Uncountable noun. (Like "milk," "rice," and "education," 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 education," but you don’t say "a milk," "three rices," or "many educations." Likewise, talk about "the manna," "such manna," "this manna," "no manna," and so on, but don’t say "mannas.") Other forms: The adjective is "manna-like." How to use it: Talk about receiving manna, gathering manna, sending manna or dropping manna, manna that pours down, etc. The idea is always that manna comes from above, figuratively. Often you'll say something is manna from a source: manna from on high, manna from the government, manna from their own opponents. And just as often, something is manna for the receiver: manna for the masses, manna for conservatives, manna for fans of Harry Potter. "Manna from heaven" and "heavenly manna" are common phrases. Because they make the meaning of "manna" pretty obvious, they're useful when you're not sure if your audience knows what "manna" is. examples: When I was a teenybopper starving for accurate transcriptions of song lyrics, that new thing, the Internet, was manna from heaven. I hope to teach my daughter to start things on her own: to make things happen rather than to sit around waiting for manna. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "manna" means when you can explain it without saying "a sudden blessing" or "miraculous sustenance." try it out: Think of an announcement or a bit of news that excited you and made you feel hopeful. Fill in the blanks: "The (news/announcement) that _____ was manna for me." Example: "The news that The BFG would be made into a movie was manna for me." 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. This month, we’re playing with anagrams: rearrangements of the letters in a word to form new words. (For example, “care” has two anagrams: “acre” and “race.”) Looking for these makes you a stronger player in other word games. But more importantly, it helps you practice thinking flexibly and methodically. Plus you get to giggle at potential non-words and discover new real words. We’ll work our way from shorter to longer anagrams. And at any point if you wonder why I left out a word you wanted to list, or why I included a word you think isn’t a real one, hold your fire: our authority for this game is ScrabbleWordFinder.org, which draws from a highly inclusive dictionary. Let’s play! From yesterday: What is the 1 anagram for CHART? Answer: RATCH. This has many meanings, some of which relate to ratchet. One other meaning of "ratch" is a stripe down the face of a horse. Try this one today: What are the 2 anagrams for PEACH? review today's word: 1. The opposite of MANNA is A. DULLNESS or MONOTONY B. STARVATION or CURSE C. SPICE or EDGINESS 2. When you _____ those tired old proverbs _____ us, they're not the manna you think they are. A. drop .. on B. pitch .. at C. roll .. toward 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. B 2. A