Vocabulary Mnemonics

Sept. 13, 2025

Matt’s words

Vermilion (n): a vivid reddish orange; an old color that was hard to mine; also, a sign of wealth and beauty

Joseph Hoang of Biloxi, Mississippi, caught a vermilion snapper using an electric reel. —Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2025

Mnemonic: Imagine a vermin worth millions because of its reddish orange color.

Afflatus (n): inspiration; a divine imparting of knowledge

Carrie was now lightened by a touch of this divine afflatus.

In 2003, powered by an afflatus of unknown origin, Barbour ran for governor of Mississippi. —Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 19 Dec. 2019

Mnemonic: From Merriam-Webster, afflatus in Latin means “the act of blowing or breathing on.” The Latin verb flate means “to blow.” So imagine the God inflating you with inspiration – your head getting bigger but for a good reason.

Pugilist (n): a boxer; the Latin word pugil means “boxer.” 

The two pugilists entered the ring.

Listen guys, let’s not resort to pugilism.

She is next slated to appear in the boxing drama Christy, based on the life of real professional pugilist Christy Martin. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 14 Aug. 2025

Mnemonic: Imagine a big boxer named P-Huge. He comes into the ring with a list.

Expostulate (v): express strong disapproval of someone’s choice; remonstrate

They expostulated with their teen about his decision to do XYZ…

But her style, it is suggested (for what happened at those audiences was wholly confidential), was never to expostulate – merely to ask a leading question, or to drop a subtle hint. —Sarah Gristwood, CNN, 12 Sep. 2022

Mnemonic: Think of your ex posting messages about you on social media because you’re late. She’s expressing strong disapproval.

Dissolute (adj): lacking restraint especially with things like drinking and women

The extravagant, dissolute life Prince Albert II of Monaco continues to bolster arguments of those who think that hereditary monarchies should not be allowed to exist in the 21st century. —Martha Ross, Mercury News, 18 June 2025

Mnemonic: This is someone you would diss a salute.

Dr. Mom’s words

Dogma (n): a point of view or set of tenets put forth as authoritative without adequate grounds; arrogant conviction

It had long been biological dogma that whales were scarce in the open ocean, but the Navy was picking up whale songs thousands of miles from land. —Sharon Begley et al., Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2000

 Mnemonic: Little children are often more familiar with dogs than other animals. A toddler will point to a squirrel, perhaps, and say, “Dog!” Ma tries to correct him, but he insists it’s a “dog, Ma!” although that is not true.    

Recrudescence (n): a new outbreak of something after a period of abatement or inactivity; renewal, but in a negative sense

Who would benefit from the end of community fluoridation and a recrudescenceof tooth decay? —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024

The coverage of Italy’s recent elections in the American press has portrayed the success of Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party as a sudden and dangerous recrudescenceof Italy’s fascist past. —Alexander Stille, The New Republic, 4 Oct. 2022

Mnemonic: The word begins with “re-crude” or “re-cruel.” “Re” means back to or again, so you’re talking about something crude or cruel happening again.

Curate (v): to select and organize things–usually artistic works–for presentation in something, such as an exhibit or show

[Hans] Zimmer has curated the show himself and it will be conducted by Gavin Greenaway and will star Lisa Gerrard. —Rory Cashin

Mnemonic: Imagine you are selecting eight foods (e.g., meats, cheeses, vegetables) to cure for your cooking show. You’re going to “cure eight.”

Mirth (adj): gaiety or jollity, especially when combined with laughter

The bride’s clumsy attempt to cut the cake and feed it to her new husband was the cause of much mirth among the wedding guests.

Metzler did a wonderful job blending misery and mirthin Maid, a series that was an often-downbeat class critique in which bursts of satire worked as a release valve. —Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2025

Mnemonic: Think “eat, drink, and be mirthy.”

Brevity (n): shortness of duration, especially conciseness of expression

The book’s brevity is its major defect. Admittedly, readers of military history have been smothered by portentous tomes of a thousand pages or more. But 365 pages are too few to tell the Normandy story. —Drew Middleton, New York Times Book Review, 15 Aug. 1982

Mnemonic: When you speak with brevity, you keep things brief. Briefs are little shorts men wear, too.

COLOSSAL COMPILATION:

Uncle Larry, erstwhile a dissolute but mirthful pugilist with a vermillion nose, was never known for his brevity; rather, he expostulated with an air of afflatus his dogma about curating a collection of amazing athletes to launch a recrudescence of gladiator culture in modern-day Rome.