Vocabulary Mnemonics

“Lord, I was born a peripatetic man…”

In 1973 the Allman Brothers released their hit song, “Lord, I was born a peripatetic man.”

Just kidding! They, of course, went with “ramblin’.” But they could have chosen either word.

Peripatetic means “traveling from place to place.” Good examples of this are military family, traveling salesman, and unbeknownst to many, the richest American in history, John D. Rockefeller.

In his biography of Rockefeller, author Ron Chernow describes the titan as having a “peripatetic childhood” because of his frequent moves.

Here’s how you can remember this word. In the middle of peripatetic you find the word “pat.”

That happens to be the sound your feet make when you travel from place to place. “Pat-pat-pat-pat…”

So, just think “peripat-pat-pat-patetic” and you’ll remember that it means to be on the move.

Response

  1. katharineotto Avatar
    katharineotto

    I have been peripatetic in the past, but now in my septagenarian years, I have come home to roost, where my roots sink deeply into the soil. Despite climate changes by the second, floods, hurricanes, super high tides, and power outages, with soil eroding from around tree roots into the tidal river, my wanderlust now must be satisfied with trips in my aging car to the grocery store and gas station. The ground is shifting even there, with a new shopping center now being built, such that traffic is increasing and it takes all day to get back home. But my 12-plus year-old rooster just crowed, so Speckles is okay in the Now.

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