Make Your Point > Archived Issues > TOOTHLESS

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explore the archives: To remove the teeth from something--like an order, an argument, a corporation, or a piece of legislation--is to def___ it. Now it's toothless: it has no keen edge, it has no corrosive power, it can't bite. Words like def___ and toothless are so simple and easy to understand that they often fail to come to mind when we need them. That's why they're worth our time. make your point with... "TOOTHLESS" Something toothless has no "teeth:" it doesn't have the power to be effective. Pronunciation: TOOTH less 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 toothless thing" or "a toothless person." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was toothless." or "He's toothless.") Other forms: toothlessly, toothlessness How to use it: Talk about toothless authority and power, toothless leaders and organizations, toothless critics and enemies, toothless laws and regulations, toothless orders and commands, toothless threats and insinuations, toothless bans and boycotts, toothless plans and goals, toothless responses and reactions, etc. examples: Young teachers have to avoid getting too chummy with students, a mistake that renders their authority toothless. If you're like me, always setting earnest but toothless goals, something that really helps is the acronym SMART: goals that work are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "toothless" means when you can explain it without saying "having no bite" or "unenforceable." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "Because there is/are no (fines, punishment, consequences, or accountability), the rule forbidding _____ is utterly toothless." Example: "Because there are no consequences, the rule forbidding parents from parking in the fire lane to drop off their kids is utterly toothless." 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. License Plate Words! You’ve spotted a cluster of three letters on a license plate. Keep all three letters together—don’t insert any letters between them—but add any letters you like to the left and/or right of the cluster to form words. For example, when you spot the cluster CKG, you can form BACKGROUND and BACKGAMMON (and all their related words, like BACKGROUNDER and BACKGAMMONING, for a total of 8 possible words). We’ll move from easy to hard clusters as the month goes on. (For the curious, you can generate a complete list of answers using a tool like this one.) Let's play! Our previous question: If you spot the cluster ENU, you can use it to form 185 words. Give yourself a minute or so. How many can you think of? Possible answers: You may have thought of AVENUE, DENUDED, DENUNCIATE, ENUMERATE, GENUFLECT, GENUINE, HYPOTENUSE, MENU, PRENUPTIAL, TENUOUS, and/or TENURE. Try this today: If you spot the cluster BST, you can use it to form 179 words. Give yourself a minute or so. How many can you think of? review today's word: 1. One opposite of TOOTHLESS is A. EAGER B. MARKETED C. EFFECTUAL 2. As one law professor pointed out, the bill's _____ would render it toothless. A. sheer length B. imprecise wording C. widespread support 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. B