Make Your Point > Archived Issues > BANAL

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connect today's word to others: Something national is related to a nation, and something original is related to an origin, so something banal is related to a ban, right? Historically speaking, yes! One definition of "ban" in Old French is "payment for using something communal, like an oven or a mill." So, the word banal in French started out meaning "commonplace" in a literal sense, and today in English it means "commonplace: overdone, boring, trite." See if you can recall these synonyms of banal: 1. ha____yed: common, worn out, and boring; and 2. sh____rn: worn out and unimpressive from being used too often. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "BANAL" Something banal is common, overdone, NOT new, and NOT creative. Pronunciation: I suggest "buh NALL." (It rhymes with "the mall.") Also acceptable are "BAY null"  and "buh NAL" (rhymes with "canal"). Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "a banal thing." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was banal.") Other forms: banally, banality, banalities How to use it: This word has a negative tone and often sounds snobby. Be careful with it! Talk about banal activities, banal details, banal chitchat, banal comments and declarations, banal phrases, banal plots and stories, banal art and music, banal shows and movies, banal scenes and dialogue, banal sounds and images, etc. examples: In your opinion, is small talk a comforting social ritual or a banal waste of time? When a Portland police chief agreed that people's garbage couldn't be considered private property, journalists for the Willamette Week promptly went to snatch the chief's own garbage--and reported everything they found, from the banal (toast, receipts, a broken pen) to the bawdy (an "extremely personal note on a dinner napkin, handwritten in pencil"). study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "banal" means when you can explain it without saying "the usual old stuff" or "not exciting." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "There's no (shortcut, magic pill, ancient secret, or astounding life hack) for _____, just the banal process of _____." Example: "There's no ancient secret for weight control, just the banal process of eating less and moving more." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Subject Line Redux! You know how I fill the subject line of each Make Your Point email with a little comment about the word? Let's revisit some of those subject lines; they make a good study tool. That is, you'll improve your chances of recalling our words when you need them later if you do this now: look at the little comment from the subject line and use that to recall the word, its meaning, and how it connects to the little comment. (For more on active recall and how you can employ it to strengthen your vocabulary, please go here.) In each issue this month, I'll share a puzzle or other activity that prompts you to recall 5 previous words based on their subject lines. (To make your own activities like these, check out the fun and useful Vocabulary Worksheet Factory.) And I'll share the answers in the following issue. From our previous issue:  Answers: Try this today: review today's word: 1. The opposite of BANAL is A. FRESH. B. RELAXED. C. OPEN-MINDED. 2. Why do we keep _____ when all we expect are banalities like _____? A. electing idealists .. legislative deadlock B. interviewing these athletes after the game .. "we gave 110%" C. taking calls from unknown numbers .. scammers posing as IRS agents Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. 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. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. B