Daily English Vocab
PDF 23rd Dec 2016
The United States And The Word
Trumpisms and Bushisms constitute the very essence of Americanisms.
Donald Trump's (perhaps) unintended coining of a new word “unpresidented” is hardly
unprecedented.
Considering some of his predecessors(पर्ू वर्र्ती) have also added new words and expressions to the
English language, philologists (भाषाशास्त्री/ भाषा वर्ज्ञानी) may have mis-underestimated (to borrow
George Bush's felicitous (धन्यर्ाद पात्र) contribution) the US President-elect. Or have they?
Notwithstanding his Ivy League education, Trump has shown he is no mug with neologisms
(नर्वनवमवर्त प्रयोग), spoonerisms (a verbal error in which a speaker accidentally transposes the
initial sounds or letters of two or more words, often to humorous effect), malapropisms (the
unintentional misuse of a word by confusion with one that sounds similar) and other lapsus
linguae that characterised the Bush innings in the White House. From his patented “yuge!” (for
huge) to “bigly“ (for big league), to “I'm not unproud,“ (of his tweets trashing a former Miss
World), Trumpisms have made a mild splash in Lingua Americana modestly enriched by
Bushisms.
American presidents going back to its founding fathers have had a reputation of being language
mavens (वनपण
ु /प्रर्ीण), albeit underwritten by erudition (ज्ञानवर्स्र्तार/वर्द्वत्ता) that is alien to Bush and
Trump. Presidential historians and lexicographers say George Washington coined, among many
others, the expressions “hatchet man” and “out-of-the-way” (for secluded), and popularized the
word “indoors” and “administration” (for government).
Thomas Jefferson was a matchless neologiser (someone who coins new words) who fabricated
“belittle” to convey something less important by verbising the word little. Among some 100-plus
words he contributed were “Anglophobia” and “odometer”. From his days in Paris, he fashioned
the word “pedicure” to describe the care of feet, toes and toenails. “I am a friend to neology. It is
the only way to give to language copiousness and euphony (सश्र
ु व्यर्ता/जो सनु ने में अच्छा लगे), “he wrote
to John Adams.
Lincoln sweetened the language with “sugarcoat” and FDR came up with “iffy” to tactfully knock
down Supreme Court decisions with which he disagreed. It was Theodore Roosevelt, forging terms
such as “lunatic fringe” and “bully pulpit” among others, who was a linguistic “loose cannon”
(also his expression).
Around this time, American politics also threw up many election-related terms such as whistlestop,
barnstorming and stump speech, as maverick (अपरंपरागर्त/स्र्र्तंत्र वर्चार र्ाला) candidates (after Samuel
Maverick, a Texas rancher who refused to brand cattle like others did) travelled the countryside in
trains, making campaign speeches on tree stumps (hence, stumping) outside barns.
By the turn of the 20th century, the US was getting over anti-British sentiment. Shakespeare
arguably the greatest wordsmith in English history was all the rage. Lincoln had the Complete
Works of Shakespeare in his study in the White House, and in early 1900s, it was said American
households typically kept two books at home: the Bible and Shakespeare.
Americans loved the Bard because they saw in him a pioneer (अग्रगामी /प्रथम/ नर्): an inventive
wordsmith who coined new words and expressions 1,700 by one estimate all the time. In fact,
when the Folger Shakespeare library was inaugurated in Washington DC in 1932, it was said the
US capital had three great memorials that “stand out, in size, dignity and beauty, conspicuous
above the rest: the memorials to Washington, Lincoln, and Shakespeare.”
Yep, not Thoreau or Twain, Shakespeare was the literary icon. There were calls to bestow (प्रदान
करना) honorary US citizenship on the Bard. Further down in history Kennedy, Reagan and Clinton
were all avid (उत्साही/उत्सुक/लालवयर्त) Bardolators, frequently citing a man who bedazzled America
with new-fangled words such as scuffle and swagger.
Typical of America, swagger has now been sized down to “swag” to denote stylish confidence, a
quality that Bush and Trump possess despite their obvious lack of scholarship. Although Bush's
coinage of “misunderestimated” found qualified praise, with some linguists appreciating one
compact word to describe “underestimating by mistake”, his periodic murder of grammar was
underscored by a query he once posed at a school event: “Rarely is the question asked: Is our
children learning?” Trump has chipped in with “Somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400
pounds” while describing sedentary (अवधक बैठा रहने र्ाला/वनष्क्रीय/आसीन) hackers.
President Obama himself is no great shakes with neologisms despite his soaring oratory and
literary flourish evident in his two books. During his election campaign, he startled Americans by
sending out an email with the subject-line “Hey!” Apparently, his digital team tested 18 different
combinations of emails and subject lines before concluding that the casual, informal “Hey!”
worked better than any official and presidential greeting.“Hey!“ became his signature call.
Another time, Obama berated critics of his healthcare bill for getting “all wee-weed up”.
Wordsmiths got their knickers in a twist trying to decipher (समझना) this unheard of expression,
forcing the White House to clarify that “bed wetting would be the more consumer-friendly
version” of wee-weed up.
The American love of language was brought home starkly to me one evening on InterState-90
when I was pulled over by a cop, a term that originated in England but was banned by the Brits
because it was seen as insulting to policemen. When he had walked languidly over and asked me
for my registration, I told him it was in my dicky. “What is a dicky, sir?” he asked. “The boot of
the car, officer,” I responded. That still left him bemused.
The American word for dicky, aka boot, is “trunk”. A lengthy discussion on the discreet charms
of the English language during which time I was hoping he would forget my infraction did not
save me from the $150 ticket. He did not misunderestimate my honey-tongued spiel (भाषण देना).
(Courtesy: The Times of India)
1. Predecessor (adjective): An individual who held a job or office before the current holder.
(पूर्वर्र्ती)
 Synonyms: Forerunner, Precursor, Antecedent, Prior, Former.
 Antonyms: Derivative, Descendant, Successor.
Example: Hopefully the new president will follow in the footsteps of his predecessor and
continue to help the country flourish financially.
2. Philologist (noun): Someone who studies of literature and of disciplines relevant to literature
or to language as used in literature. (भाषाशास्त्री/ भाषा वर्ज्ञानी)
 Synonyms: grammarian, interpreter, lexicographer, polyglot, glottologist.
Example: As humorist, scholar and philologist, Gigli would take a high place in the literature of
any land.
Related words:
 Philology (noun) – भाषाशास्त्र
3. Felicitous (adjective): Well chosen or suited to the circumstances./ pleasing and fortunate.
(धन्यर्ाद पात्र)
 Synonyms: Apt, Opportune, Propitious, Applicable, Apposite, Apropos, Pertinent.
 Antonyms: Unsuitable, Improper, Inappropriate, Infelicitous, Inopportune.
Example: As the graduate accepted her diploma, she had a felicitous smile on her face.
Related words:
 Felicitously (adverb) - उपयक्त
ु रूप से
4. Maven (adjective): One who is experienced or knowledgeable. (वनपुण/प्रर्ीण)
 Synonyms: Connoisseur, Expert, Adept, Ace, Virtuoso, Deft, Dexterous.
 Antonyms: Ignoramus, Inept, Unskilled, Gullible.
Example: John happens to be a maven when it comes to all the problems in relation to the IT
infrastructure of the company.
5. Erudition (noun): The quality of having or showing great knowledge or learning.
(ज्ञानवर्स्र्तार/वर्द्वत्ता)
 Synonyms: Knowledge, Learnedness, Literacy, Lore, Savvy, Scholarship.
 Antonyms: Ignorance, Goofiness.
Example: Lack of erudition as a college graduate indicates that one has acquired little knowledge.
Related words:
 Erudite (adjective) - विद्वान

Eruditeness (noun) - विद्वत्ता
6. Maverick (adjective): An unorthodox or independent-minded person. (अपरंपरागर्त/स्र्र्तंत्र वर्चारों र्ाला)

Synonyms: Nonconformist, Free Spirit, Unorthodox Person, Unconventional Person,
Original, Trendsetter, Bohemian.
 Antonyms: Conservative, Moderate.
Example: John being a maverick person always brings out the new ideas related his ongoing
project.
7. Pioneer (adjective): Develop or be the first to use or apply (a new method, area of knowledge,
or activity). (अग्रगामी /प्रथम/ नर्)
 Synonyms: Head, Inaugural, Initial, Lead, Original, Primary, Prime.
 Antonyms: Secondary, Following, Last, Later.
Example: A lot of pioneers from Eastern Europe came to America to take up farming on the
plains around the turn of the century.
Verb forms: Pioneer, Pioneered, Pioneered.
Related words:
 Pioneer (verb) – अग्रगामी होना /पथ प्रदशशन करना
8. Bestow (verb): Confer or present (an honor, right, or gift)./ to give as a tribute or gift. (प्रदान करना)
 Synonyms: Confer, Grant, Award, Devote, Gift, Impart.
 Antonyms: Deny, Keep, Refuse, Withhold, Deprive.
Example: The king will bestow a title and land to the man who saved the princess.
Verb forms: Bestow, Bestowed, Bestowed.
Related words:
 Bestowal (noun) – प्रदान
9. Avid (adjective): Having or showing a keen interest in or enthusiasm for something.
(उत्साही/उत्सक
ु /लालवयर्त)

Synonyms: Keen, Eager, Enthusiastic, Ardent, Passionate, Devoted, Dedicated, Fervent,
Fervid, Zealous.
 Antonyms: Apathetic, Cold, Cool, Disinterested, Dispassionate, Dull.
Example: Janet is an avid reader of mystery novels and considers herself an amateur sleuth.
Related words:
 Avidity (noun) – उत्सक
ु ता

Avidly (adverb) – उत्सक
ु तापिू शक
10. Decipher (verb): Succeed in understanding, interpreting, or identifying (something). (समझना)

Synonyms: Perceive, Read, Fathom, Interpret, Understand, Comprehend, Apprehend,
Grasp.
 Antonyms: Conceal, Confuse, Hide, Obscure, Suppress, Code.
Example: When teenagers text, they use secret codes most parents cannot decipher.
Verb forms: Decipher, Deciphered, Deciphered.
Related words:
Decipherable (adjective) – स्पष्ट करने योग्य
Decipherment (noun) – स्पष्टीकरण
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