Make Your Point > Archived Issues > TRUMPERY

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connect today's word to others: Another word for nonsense, rubbish, tr__k__ry, and foo___w is the brash, brassy, brazen word trumpery. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "TRUMPERY" One old meaning of the word "trump" is "to cheat, to deceive." That's where we got the noun "trumpery," which first meant "fraud, deceit, or trickery." Over the years, though, the meaning of "trumpery" has changed. Now it means "useless stuff--either the trashy kind or the showy kind, and either real items or just words." Pronunciation: TRUM puh ree Part of speech: Noun, usually the uncountable kind. (Like "milk," "rice," and "advice," uncountable nouns are words for stuff that can’t be broken into exact units. You talk about "some milk," "the rice," and "a lot of advice," but you don’t say "a milk," "three rices," or "many advices." Likewise, talk about "the trumpery," "this trumpery," "its trumpery," "such trumpery," "no trumpery," and so on, but we don’t often say "a trumpery," "one trumpery," or "trumperies.") Other forms: trumperiness How to use it: Well, tread carefully, folks! Fun as it is to say and use, "trumpery" is rare enough that your listeners might not know it; they'll likely assume you mean "President Trump-iness." And maybe that is what you mean. As noted by the writer Mark Peters, some people use a capital T for that meaning: not just "trumpery" but "Trumpery." Whether you're being literal (referring to objects as trumpery) or figurative (referring to words, comments, speeches, articles, etc. as trumpery), you might talk about a heap of trumpery, an abundance of trumpery, something jammed or crammed with trumpery, or someone's trumpery (or the trumpery of someone). Or you might talk about dumping out all the trumpery, selling off all their trumpery, ignoring his trumpery, shutting down her trumpery, and so on. Finally, even though it sounds weird to me, you can also use "trumpery" loosely like an adjective: talk about trumpery jewelry and accessories, trumpery decorations, trumpery claims and articles, trumpery fights and disputes, even trumpery people. examples: The show has such a big budget, so much hype, so many zealous fans--I was disappointed to find it boring, just glossy and commercialized trumpery. "These mountebanks at one end of their stage place their trunk, which is replenished with a world of new-fangled trumperies."    —Thomas Frost, Mountebanks and Medicine,1896 study it now: Look away from the screen to define "trumpery" without saying "rubbish" or "hogwash." try it out: Fill in the blank: "It'd be nice if we could _____ without all this trumpery." Example: "It'd be nice if we could start up a Disney DVD without all this trumpery." 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: Steven Jencu looks younger every time you see him. Answer: He's juvenescent. Try this today: Traci Atloid micromanages all her employees. It's her way or the highway. review today's word: 1. A close opposite of TRUMPERY is A. STRAIGHT TALK. B. POETIC GARNISH. C. FRIENDLY TEASING. 2. Harwin Street shops overflow with both trumpery and _____. A. more affordable wares B. healthier options C. quality goods 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. A 2. C