Make Your Point: ABOVEBOARD

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pronounce ABOVEBOARD:

uh BUV bord

connect this word to others:

As we explore the word aboveboard, see if you can recall another word that arose from high-stakes card games:

Originally "to stake a certain sum on your hand of cards," to v__ now means "to compete with others, or to carry on a rivalry."

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

Since the late 1500s, we've used some form of the word "aboveboard" to describe the way some gamblers play their card games: holding their cards above the table (above the board), where the other players can see them, as opposed to hiding them under the table so they can cheat.

In a more general sense, aboveboard things, or things done in an aboveboard way, are open and honest, with no hiding or cheating.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

It's often an adjective, as in "aboveboard business practices."

It's also an adverb, as in "They ran the business aboveboard."

Other forms:

If you prefer, write it hyphenated, "above-board," or as two words, "above board." I like the compound "aboveboard" because it's tidier.

how to use it:

Pick the formal, semi-common word "aboveboard" when you want to emphasize that, despite having the opportunity to be sneaky, someone isn't taking it, and is instead doing things in an open, honest way.

You might talk about people being aboveboard or staying aboveboard. Or talk about certain means, practices, or operations that are (or aren't) aboveboard. Often these practices take place in the world of business, but they can take place in any other competitive or high-stakes situation, such as athletics or academics.

examples:

"When a customer comes to your site and signs in via social login... the user passes dozens of data fields to you including: name, email, birthdate, hometown, relationship status, political views, interests, activities, work history, religious views and education level. It's the holy grail of customer information which is easily attainable in an aboveboard and responsible way."
— Patrick Sayler, Forbes, 4 August 2012

"[Miranda Beck has] mummified a friend's ferret, taxidermied a mole to dress him like Hamlet and started a small business selling Christmas ornaments made of deer bones. She works on her dining room table. All of this is aboveboard, according to the [taxidermy shop's] proprietors, because Beck and others are careful to get their animals through legal means."
— Jessica Contrera, Washington Post, 8 September 2018

has this page helped you understand "aboveboard"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this term, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "aboveboard" without saying "honest" or "in clear view."

try it out:

In an article titled "Can AI Replace Actors?," Lauren Leffer wrote:

"If one person's face can be easily swapped over another's, then what's to stop filmmakers from putting Tom Cruise in every shot of every action movie? What will prevent studios from replacing 100 background actors with just one and using AI to create the illusion of many? ... The actor who played the video game villain felt comfortable being scanned for his role last year. 'The company I worked with was pretty aboveboard,' he says. But in the future, he may not be so quick to enter agreements."

Notice how she described what an aboveboard filmmaker could do but wouldn't: deny acting work to actors.

With this in mind as an example, as you think about your own field of work or hobby, talk about something an aboveboard person could, but wouldn't, do.

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game this month is "Fill In For the Poet."

I'll give you a few lines from a poem, with a blank where a word that we've studied before appears, along with the word's definition. See if you can come up with it. If you can't, that's fine: fill in the blank to your satisfaction.

To check out some examples, head here.

Try this today:

From Archibald MacLeish's poem "Hypocrite Auteur:"

Our taste is for the _____ pause
Before the end comes. If the end is certain
All of us are players at the final curtain:
All of us, silence for a time deferred,
Find time before us for one sad last word.

Definition: "rich, sumptuous, showy, as if produced by much labor."

To see the word the poet chose, scroll all the way down.

review this word:

1. The opposite of ABOVEBOARD could be

A. UNDER THE GUN.
B. UNDER THE TABLE.
C. UNDER THE WEATHER.

2. According to the historian Amy Butler Greenfield, a government official who "liked to be aboveboard in everything" was troubled when asked to "_____."

A. [break] into the secret messages of foreign powers
B. [maintain] the Coast Guard's extensive radio network
C. [voyage] across the Atlantic to deliver a gift to Britain

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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