Vocabulary Mnemonics

March 22, 2025

Matt’s words

Polemic/Polemicist (n): A contentious speech or article expressing a strong attack on another position.

I was hoping the book was an even-handed history of the war; it turned out to be a polemic against it.

Synonym: One-sided argument

For her inaugural festival, Tuttle has made an effort to downplay political polemics, in an attempt to avoid scenes like those at last year’s Berlinale, which saw the closing night ceremony turn into a very loud and public debate over the war in Gaza. —Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Feb. 2025

Mnemonic: Someone with a “mic” plants their pole (instead of a flag) on their current position.

Assonance (n): repeating vowel sounds in place of rhyming

Example: Holy Baloney

I was in a dark room, loud tunes, looking to make a vow soon. —Kendrick Lamar, “Swimming Pools (Drank)” – Grammarly.com

At the same time, the poem’s strong slam rhythms, coming in rising and falling waves, with frequent internal rhymes, repetitions, and plays of assonanceare strong, effective, unmistakable. —Tim Parks, The New York Review of Books, 31 Mar. 2021

The fairy even hovers over Harbart’s suicide, and a similar lighter touch informs the prose, enlivened by assonanceand alliteration. —John Domini, chicagotribune.com, 7 Aug. 2019

Mnemonic: Instead of resonance you start the word with an “a” since we’re talking about vowels.

Mnemonic 2: Sonar means “sound.” You put an “a” in front because you’re dealing with vowels.

Circumspect (adj):prudent; careful to consider all circumstances and possibilities

The CEO is always circumspect when talking to reporters.

Both sets of lawyers were circumspect outside following this morning’s hearing.—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 3 Feb. 2025

Mnemonic: Circum means “around” (circumference, circumnavigate), spect means “to look” (spectator)

Diction (n):word choice; pronunciation

No one is better than Didion at using flatness of affect and formality of diction to convey seething anger and disdain.      —New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2001

Along with her appearance, she also honed her acting with meticulous attention to diction and technique. –from BBC

Mnemonic: Think of “dictate.” When you’re dictating you need to be clear and you need to use the right word.

Syntax (n):word order; the way words are put together

Examples from Yoda: Through the force, things you will see.

Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.

Coming from a great distance and wholly unrelated to the Teutonic, Latin and Slav languages that fence it in, Hungarian has remained miraculously intact. Everything about the language is different, not only the words themselves, but the way they are formed, the syntax and grammar and above all the cast of mind that brought them into being. —Patrick Leigh Fermor, Between the Woods and the Water, 1986

Mnemonic: The word sounds like “sin tax.” The order you put those words in makes a big difference. In the first you have to pay a tax on something sinful. Flip it around and you’ve sinned in the way you paid taxes.

Dr. Mom’s words

Apricity (n): the warmth of sunlight, especially in winter; even just the presence of the sunlight

The apricity covered his hair, his arms, his whole body. And there he stood, dazed, under the winter sky. –Medium

Mnemonic: Think of April in the city. Sunshine is (finally) peeking through any opening between the skyscrapers to warm you after a long winter’s nap.

Pablum (n): colloquial pejorative for something that is bland, simplistic, or lacking intellectual substance

In its place, there is only nonspecific pablumabout the power of community. —Constance Grady, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018

Mnemonic: Pronounce the second syllable as “bluh.” What you’re experiencing is just pa-bluh, nothing substantive.

Note: Pabulum, on the other hand, means, broadly, anything nourishing, substantive

Assail (v): to make a concerted or violent attack upon; to criticize strongly; to be disturbed or worried

The Scots army assailed Edward’s army from the rear.

He was assailed by conflicting emotions over a recent decision.

Mnemonic: Most of us are familiar with the idea of an assailant. An assailant is one who attacks, criticizes, etc.; i.e., an assailant assails.

Ensorcell (v): to bewitch, enchant, fascinate charm

The poems leapt off the page: ungoverned, astronomical, astrological,…witty, ensorcelling, and brave. —Lucie Brock-Broido, The New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2017

Mnemonic: “Sor-cell” reminds us or sorcerer, a magical, enchanting, bewitching figure. A sorcerer ensorcells you.

Diurnal (adj): active chiefly in the daytime; relating to daytime; occurring every day; having a daily cycle

…diurnal tasks…    or    …diurnal tides…

My dog is unfortunately not diurnal but rather seems to have enjoyed a previous life as an owl.

Mnemonic: From Middle English, it was a service book containing day hours. One would keep notes of the events of a day, or a journal (in French, jurnal). A di-jurnal would be someplace you write twice a day.

COLOSSAL COMPILATION:

 A well-crafted polemic—perhaps one pronounced with British-worthy diction and utilizing clever assonance, circumspect thought, and superb syntax—has potential either to ensorcell you like the apricity you enjoy on your diurnal walk, or conversely, to be pablum that assails you with its inanity.