Make Your Point > Archived Issues > HAMSTRING

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connect today's word to others: You probably don't mind being eyed, faced, armed, or even elbowed, but no one wants to be kneed, scalped, brained, or hamstrung--ouch. Speaking of body parts, see if you can recall a noun that means "a grip around someone's throat," or more figuratively, "a cruel or overly tight control of someone or something." (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "HAMSTRING" In humans, the "ham" is the back of the knee, and the hamstrings are the tendons there. Imagine that someone's hamstrings have been cut, so now the person can't walk or do much else. To hamstring someone or something is to cripple it, to stop it from being active or efficient, as if you're cutting its hamstrings. Pronunciation: HAM string Part of speech: Verb, the transitive kind: "it's hamstringing us," "they were hamstrung by it." Other forms: hamstrung, hamstringing How to use it: When we're talking about sports or anatomy, we'll use the word "hamstring" literally, often to talk about people stretching their hamstrings or suffering a hamstring injury. But to use the word figuratively, say that one person, group, thing, or event hamstrings another.  For example, a recession is hamstringing Europe, a business is hamstringing its competitors, a shortage of TSA agents is hamstringing air travelers, a lack of data is hamstringing this study. Often we'll use the passive tense to focus on who or what is hamstrung by something else: one politician hamstrung by another; a department hamstrung by budget cuts; a man on trial, hamstrung by a jury who hated him at first sight. And we can use "hamstrung" like an adjective: this hamstrung government, a hamstrung program with no funding. examples: Hamstrung by an outrageously packed daily schedule, he had no time to read, think, or daydream. "It's absurd that we are free to determine our method and criteria for gleaning, but not the number of gleanings we accomplish. We are hamstrung every minute of every day, because we must always consider whether we are gleaning too much or too little."    — Neal Shusterman, Scythe, 2016 study it: Explain the meaning of "hamstring" without saying "immobilize" or "incapacitate." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(Some flaw or problem, such as apathy, anxiety, a lack of funding, a lack of public interest or public support) has hamstrung (some person, group, society, goal, program, or creative project or product)." Example: "The lead actress, who keeps insisting on script changes and walking off set, has hamstrung the film's production." before you review, play: Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first. Controversial Catchphrases! This month, let's consider all kinds of important, ongoing controversies in our world. I'll give you a handful of key phrases that people use when they argue over a controversial question, and you try to pinpoint what that question is. I'll be drawing these issues and phrases from ProCon.org, a fantastic resource for understanding controversial issues (and for introducing those issues to your kids). From the previous issue: People who argue "yes" say things like "protects consumers," "promotes competition," and "free speech on the Internet." People who argue "no" say things like "less access," "higher costs," and "overreaching regulations." What's the question? The question is, "Should net neutrality be restored?" (Explore this issue at ProCon.org.) Try this one today: People who argue "yes" say things like "reformed," "disenfranchisement," and "racially disproportionate impact." People who argue "no" say things like "untrustworthy," "unconstitutional," and "a state issue, not a federal one." What's the question? review today's word: 1. A close opposite of HAMSTRING is A. CREATE. B. ENABLE. C. ENTERTAIN. 2. The aliterate--people who can read but choose not to--have hamstrung _____. A. themselves B. their frustrated teachers C. interests in games, movies, and other media 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. B 2. A