Make Your Point > Archived Issues > CALUMNY

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"CALUMNY" Meaning: Calumny is anything said or written about someone that's both false and mean, and it damages that person's reputation. Pronunciation: CAL um nee Part of speech: Noun. It's often uncountable ("the calumny," "such calumny," "some calumny," etc.) but it can also be countable ("a calumny," "these calumnies," "they're inventing calumnies.") Other forms: A lot! Here they are: Calumnies, calumnius (said "kuh LUM nee us,") calumniate (said "kuh LUM nee ate,") calumniated, calumniating, & calumniator (the person who calumniates.) How to use it: Say that a statement or an accusation is calumny (or a calumny) when it's not only untrue but also hurtful to someone's reputation. So, you might talk about being subjected to calumny, reacting to calumny, rejecting calumny, considering a certain statement a calumny of the target (as in "we interpret this speech as a calumny of our organization,") and so on. And of course, you can accuse someone of issuing, inventing, uttering, spreading, publicizing, or propagating calumny (or calumnies.) You can also talk about someone's calumny, or the calumny of someone, when you mean that person is the one making the untrue and harmful statements: "My opponent's calumnies will not be tolerated," or "I will not tolerate the calumnies of my opponent." Lastly, you can talk about calumny in general: "He is above calumny." "We have no patience for calumny." Sometimes the best response to calumny is ignoring it altogether. That author withstands calumny like a champ--all kinds of accusations of idea theft and horrible writing--because her enduring popularity speaks for itself. Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "calumny" means when you can explain it without saying "slander" or "verbal attack." Think of a mean-spirited rumor about a particular person or group, and fill in the blank: "To suggest that _____ is a misunderstanding at best and a calumny at worst." Example: "To suggest that the company executives were slow to recall the damaged items because they don't care about the safety of consumers is a misunderstanding at best and a calumny at worst." Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game and quote below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Playing With Words: This month, we're playing New Word Order! It's a card game that I recently created; it involves figuring out the order in which certain words and phrases entered our language. I'll give you several words and/or phrases, and you'll use your knowledge of history, slang, technology, popular culture, fashion, psychology, etc. to put them into chronological order. I'll post the right answer to each question on the following day. If you like this game, you can download and print it to play with your family and friends. (It's free.) For the last three days of this month, I’m using New Word Order cards to throw some very challenging tasks your way. These types of questions aren’t part of the official game instructions, but you can use your creativity to do whatever you want with the cards… and there are 500 of them, so have fun!  Yesterday's task was to sort the following words into two groups: those that entered the language before the year 2000, and those that entered after. Your groups will each have 3 words:   Bridezilla   Defriend   Dubstep   Muggle   Retweet   Wi-Fi Answer: Pre-2000 words:   Bridezilla, 1995   Muggle, 1997   Wi-Fi, 1999 Post-2000 words:   Dubstep, 2002   Defriend, 2004   Retweet, 2007 Today's task: Spot the one word that's out of place on the timeline. Where does it belong?   Teleprompter   Miniseries   Nintendo   Klingon   Tardis Special preview of next month's game: In December, we'll be sampling questions from Orijinz, an awesome series of games about the origins of words, phrases, and quotes. Click here or on the logo below if you want to go ahead and check them out! A Point Well Made: Oliver Sacks: “Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and adventure.” 1. The closest opposite of CALUMNY is A. LUCK B. PRAISE C. ACCEPTANCE 2. As a journalist, she's known for _____ her subjects. A. heaping calumny on B. adding calumny to C. creating calumny toward Answers are below. To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each day for free by Mrs. Liesl Johnson, M.Ed., a word lover, learning enthusiast, and private tutor of reading and writing in the verdant little town of Hilo, Hawaii. For writing tips, online learning, essay guidance, and more, please visit www.HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. A Exploring the archives: Please don't take today's email subject line literally--don't make your point with calumny. :) It's that infuriating thing where people say stuff about you on purpose that isn't true AND is also damaging to your reputation because other people may actually believe it. If you're on the receiving end of calumny, unless you're a very mellow person, you will probably take u______ at it. Could you recall that word? It means a feeling of being offended, angry, and annoyed, all at once. (And if you're a Harry Potter fan, that word will remind you of a certain professor who treated the students horribly and constantly calumniated her opponents.)