Make Your Point > Archived Issues > MILQUETOAST

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connect today's word to others: Someone weak and wishy-washy is a milquetoast, also known as a ne__ish. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "MILQUETOAST" Like chicken noodle soup, milk toast is a mild dish that's easy to digest, great for little kids and sick people. It's toasted bread with warm milk, butter, sugar, and sometimes other ingredients like cinnamon or raisins. (Sounds yummy!) That's the dish that H. T. Webster was thinking of in 1924, when he created a cartoon called The Timid Soul, featuring Caspar Milquetoast, "the man who speaks softly and gets hit with a big stick." So, since about 1931, we've used the word "milquetoast" to mean "a weak, timid, feeble person" or just "weak, timid, and feeble." Pronunciation: MILK toast Part of speech: Both a noun ("he's a milquetoast") and an adjective ("she's milquetoast"). Other forms: none How to use it: This is a colorful but insulting word; if you're calling someone a milquetoast, or calling something milquetoast, that's pretty mean. Sometimes, instead of using the cartoonist's spelling, "milquetoast," we just write "milktoast." And sometimes we capitalize it, especially when using it as a noun: "That Milquetoast on our team is useless." We might talk about milquetoast people and groups, milquetoast ideas and plans, milquetoast laws and resolutions, milquetoast statements and excuses, etc. examples: It what seems to have been only a coincidence, the milquetoast name "Drumpf," anglicized, transformed into the bold, bumptious "Trump." "Milquetoast in mood, scolding in tone, [What to Expect When You're Expecting is] a book you kind of need but don’t want."    —Mary Pols, Time Magazine, 18 May 2012 study it now: Look away from the screen to define "milquetoast" without saying "sissy" or "unassertive." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(In a certain movie, or on a certain show), (an actor or actress) plays (a character), the milquetoast (type of person) (who or whose) _____." Example: "On Scrubs, Sam Lloyd plays Ted, the milquetoast attorney who can't even get a phone that dials out." 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. Apt Adjective Anagrams!  I'll invent a person's name and a brief description of that person, and you unscramble the letters in the name to form an adjective that aptly describes the person or the person's situation. For example, if I say "Naomi Cirous is still holding a grudge," then you rearrange the letters in "Naomi Cirous" to form the adjective "acrimonious," meaning "sharp, bitter, and mean"--an appropriate adjective for someone holding a grudge. From the previous issue: Carl Rebe has three advanced degrees. Answer: He's cerebral. Try this today: Ed Fit is in desperate need of a hot, soapy shower. review today's word: 1. The opposite of MILQUETOAST is A. COORDINATED. B. COURAGEOUS. C. CRUDE. 2. At the start of the novel, he's a milquetoast, _____. A. sheltering his sheep from thieves and wolves B. throwing a fit when he doesn't get his way C. trembling at the mention of blood 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. C