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Something red-letter is wonderful and special, as if it's been written in bright, shining lettering on a calendar amidst all the plain back lettering.
And someone or something _lustr____ is also wonderful and special, as if it's a bright, sparkling light that you can see from far away.
make your point with...
"RED-LETTER"
Imagine a calendar with the holidays written in red letters to show their importance. Something red-letter (like a red-letter day or a red-letter night) is important and memorable in a happy way.
Pronunciation:
RED LET er
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 red-letter thing." This is almost always how we use "red-letter."
2. After a linking verb, as in "It was red-letter." This is rare.)
Other forms:
None in common use.
How to use it:
Talk about a red-letter day, a red-letter night, even a red-letter week, month, season, or year.
Or, how about a red-letter afternoon, hour, or moment? You might remember Jasmine's line in the song "A Whole New World" from Disney's Aladdin: "Every moment red-letter." (Putting the adjective after the noun like that, with no linking verb, makes it extra dramatic.)
Although a red-letter day or night often stands alone ("I'll remember last December 16th as a red-letter day"), you can also have clusters of them ("These were red-letter days for the company").
We'll often call a certain day a red-letter one for people: "a red-letter day for the team," "this red-letter day for the company."
You can also get a red-letter start to something: "the year is off to a red-letter start," "the program launches soon, and we hope for a red-letter start."
Some people prefer to leave out the hyphen ("red letter"), but I recommend keeping it in.
examples:
I write in a journal on red-letter days, taking down all the happy details I want to remember.
For the families gathering for their toddlers' very first on-stage performance, it was a red-letter night.
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "red-letter" means when you can explain it without saying "memorable" or "a joyful occasion."
try it out:
Fill in the blank: "I'll never forget that red-letter day when (something wonderful happened)."
Example: "I'll never forget that red-letter day when we signed the closing documents for our first home."
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.
Our game this month is called One-Word Titles! Rely on your cultural knowledge, your vocabulary, or both as we consider the power and simplicity of one-word titles. We'll recall movies, songs, books, television shows, and musicals with brief, meaningful, well-chosen titles of only one word each. Let's play!
From yesterday: The title of this 2010 movie, directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, means "a beginning, an origination." The title is _________.
Answer: Inception.
Try this today: The title of this 2007 movie, directed by Kevin Lima and starring Amy Adams, means "captivated, delighted, under a spell." The title is _________.
review today's word:
1. Though its exact opposite is BLACK-LETTER, RED-LETTER is also the opposite of
A. PANORAMIC
B. PARSIMONIOUS
C. PEDESTRIAN
2. It was a red-letter night for the _____, whose _____.
A. chef .. restaurant was opening for the first time and drawing a large crowd
B. customers .. rumbling stomachs and tapping toes evinced their growing impatience
C. host .. bow tie was askew and whose hair grew more unkempt as the difficult, busy shift wore on
Answers are below.
a final word:
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@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. C
2. A
Something red-letter is wonderful and special, as if it's been written in bright, shining lettering on a calendar amidst all the plain back lettering.
"RED-LETTER" Imagine a calendar with the holidays written in red letters to show their importance. Something red-letter (like a red-letter day or a red-letter night) is important and memorable in a happy way. Part of speech:
I write in a journal on red-letter days, taking down all the happy details I want to remember.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "red-letter" means when you can explain it without saying "memorable" or "a joyful occasion."
Fill in the blank: "I'll never forget that red-letter day when (something wonderful happened)."
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.
1. Though its exact opposite is BLACK-LETTER, RED-LETTER is also the opposite of
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com
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