Vocabulary Mnemonics

May 31, 2025

Matt’s words

Attestation (n): Verification or proof that something is true

Before publishing a document, it’s important to perform an official attestation.

The signed document provided attestation of his involvement.

Mnemonic: Think of “at test,” putting something to the test.

Taradiddle (n): a small lie or fib

Dad’s stories from his childhood were full of taradiddles.

Mnemonic: Think of a girl in your class named Tara. Someone pulled a prank/trick on the teacher, and everyone said, “Tara did.”

Indemnification (n): compensation (or protection) for harm or loss; to make good after a loss

If you live in Florida, you need an insurance policy with indemnification for hurricane damage.

The document attempts to be a non-disclosure, non-disparagement, intellectual property rights and indemnification agreement all at once for Diddy and anyone affiliated with him, in any shape or form. –Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 13 May 2025

Mnemonic: “In” means “not.” Damnus means “to damn” or “damage.”

Extraterritoriality (n): Freedom from local law (through diplomatic negotiations; taking place outside the laws of a country; extraterritorial privileges/rights

Texas has vowed to pursue these cases regardless of those laws, and legal experts are divided on where the courts may land on this issue, which involves extraterritoriality, interstate commerce, and other thorny legal questions last meaningfully addressed before the Civil War. –Eleanor Klibanoff, Them, 16 Dec 2024

Mnemonic: “Extra” means “other.” Add this to territory, and you have happening in other territory.

Neuroplasticity (n): the ability of the brain to form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experience or following injury; two types are structural plasticity and functional plasticity.

Neuroplasticity offers real hope to everyone from stroke victims to dyslexics.” –dictionary.com

Mnemonic: “Neuro” has to do with the brain. Plastic means something can change shape.

Dr. Mom’s words

Indolent (adj): lazy, wanting to avoid activity or exertion

The football players were too indolent to work out because it was 115 degrees outside.

Living a life of nothing but pleasure can make you indolent.

Mnemonic: Think of the “dull” in the middle of the word. A person who won’t get out of the chair is definitely dull.

Rictus (n): A frozen, fake smile; a smile that doesn’t convey delight or happiness–instead, it’s a kind of horrified, involuntary grin

His face twisted into a rictus of pain as he realized his mistake. (Merriam Webster online)

The creature’s rictus was a chilling display of its predatory nature. (Merriam Webster online)

Mnemonic: When you’re wearing a rictus, you’ve unknowingly e”rict”ed a bizarre smiling expression on your face.

Extirpate (v): to root out or destroy completely

I’d like to extirpate every scintilla of self-doubt I have, but maybe that wouldn’t be such a good thing.

Mnemonic: Extirpate sounds like “exterminate,” which means to get rid of.

Musit (n): a gape or hole in the fence or hedge

Ranchers who get complacent about musits in their fencelines may come out in the morning to an empty pasture.

Mnemonic: Picture cows approaching a gap in the fence or the hedge and saying, in cow language, “Moos-it,” or “move it” to get the other cows out of the hole.

Lackadaisical (adj): lacking life, spirit, or zest; be careful, though—the word is NOT pronounced “lax-a-daisical,” though it can be shorted to “lax.”

As a teacher, one of my biggest challenges was trying desperately to motivate lackadaisical teenagers.

Mnemonic: “Lackadaisical” originated as “alack the day,” or basically “alas for the day,” a cry of sorry and despair. Think of someone who lacks any enthusiasm for the day.

COLOSSAL COMPILATION:

The star witness attested in court that her indolent, lackadaisical, rictus-faced neighbor used a musit in an extraterritorial law to extirpate himself from trouble related to his refusal to indemnify the patent holder of a new drug thought to enhance neuroplasticity.