Make Your Point > Archived Issues > QUI VIVE

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pronounce QUI VIVE: Say it "key VEEVE." To hear it, click here. connect this word to others: Today, as we check out the term qui vive, literally "who should live?", see if you can recall some related phrases: 1. Literally "knowledge of how to live," s_____ vivre (two words) is knowledge of how to participate in polite, sophisticated society. 2. Literally "joy of life," j_______vivre (three words) is the pure happiness you feel by living your best life. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)  definition: In 14th-century France, a sentinel standing guard would ask someone approaching, "Qui voulez-vous qui vive?" "Whom do you wish to live?" In other words, "Hey, who are you, and are you on our side? Prove it by saying something like 'Long live the king.'" In English, around 1726, we started using qui vive ("who should live?") in the phrase "on (or upon) the qui vive," meaning "on watch, on guard, on the lookout." It may have been Jonathan Swift who first used the phrase that way, writing in a letter "Is it imagined that I must be..Alway upon the qui vive and The Slip Slop." (The Slip Slop? I don't know about that one.) "On the qui vive" took off from then. To be on the qui vive is to be watchful in an active, alert, careful way, as if you're standing guard. grammatical bits: Part of speech: Like "the alert" and "the lookout," "qui vive" is a noun. We pretty much always use it in the phrase "on the qui vive:" "After getting rear-ended, I've been on the qui vive, watching for anyone following too closely;" "This is a dangerous neighborhood, so stay on the qui vive." Other forms:  None, but you can italicize the French bit if you want to ("on the qui vive"), and in older texts you might see it written with a hyphen: "He's constantly on the qui-vive." how to use it: Compared to similar phrases like "on watch," "on the alert," "on high alert," and "with your eyes peeled," the phrase "on the qui vive" offers a little more style, flair, and flashiness. However, it can also sound stuffy and old-fashioned. On top of all that, it's rare, so pick it only when you're sure the context will make the meaning clear. Talk about someone being, becoming, staying, or even living on the qui vive. Or, talk about something that puts you (or keeps you) on the qui vive. You can also be on the qui vive for something ("He's always on the qui vive for a good sale"), or on the qui vive to do something ("She stays on the qui vive to alert us of any celebrity death"). examples: "The curious mind is constantly alert and exploring, seeking material for thought, as a vigorous and healthy body is on the qui vive for nutriment."    — John Dewey, How We Think, 1910 "I love big dangerous cities, always having to be on the qui vive."    — Annie Caulfield, Show Me the Magic, 2002 has this page helped you understand "qui vive"? Awesome, I'm glad it helped! Thanks for letting me know! If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. study it: Explain the meaning of "on the qui vive" without saying "on watch" or "on the lookout."  try it out: If you're on the qui vive, it might be because you're very interested--or in danger. Here's an example of kids being on the qui vive, with interest: "Once one of the huge fish was spied, everybody aboard the Hattie G. was on the qui vive. The boys climbed the ratlines to see. The girls borrowed the cook's old-fashioned spyglass to get a better view of the creature."    — Grace Brooks Hill, The Corner House Girls Under Canvas, 1915 And here's an example of adults being on the qui vive, in danger: "The night was awful. The mosquitoes seemed as thick as the blades of grass on the prairie, and swarmed and buzzed in clouds, and packs of half-famished wolves prowled and howled about us. There was no need for the sound of reveille. The wolves and mosquitoes, and perhaps some solemn thoughts, kept us on the qui vive."    — James Longstreet, From Manassas to Appomattox: Memoirs of The Civil War in America, 1896 With those examples in mind, talk about a time you were on the qui vive, and why it was either interesting or dangerous. If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.) 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 Subject Line Matching! Try matching each capitalized term below with the email subject line that introduced it. You can check your answers by scrolling all the way down. For an extra challenge, try recalling what each term means and how the subject line connects to it. Have fun! ANODYNE: _____ ANOMALY: _____ INSULAR: _____ PALATABLE: _____ PILLORY: _____ Does not compute! I Can Believe It's Not Butter please stand here while we mock you the Neutral Janet of words we do it island style, ONLY island style review this word: 1. A near opposite of ON THE QUI VIVE is A. OBDURATE (deeply stubborn). B. OBLIGATORY (required or expected). C. OBLIVIOUS (totally unaware). 2. A good _____ keeps on you on the qui vive. A. lazy beach read B. engaging mystery novel C. illustrated step-by-step manual Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. B Answers to the game questions: ANODYNE: the Neutral Janet of words ANOMALY: Does not compute! INSULAR: we do it island style, ONLY island style PALATABLE: I Can Believe It's Not Butter PILLORY: please stand here while we mock you 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:    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.