Make Your Point > Archived Issues > WHITEWASH

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"WHITEWASH" Meaning: Literally, of course, to whitewash something is to coat it with whitewash, that cheap stuff that makes walls and other surfaces white.  Figuratively, to whitewash something is to cover up how bad it really is and try to make it seem more honest or more respectable. If you're a sports fan, you also know that whitewashing your opponent means to beat them so well that they don't even score. The idea here is the same: you're slapping something onto someone else (that'd be your superior skills) and the result is that you've removed all their power or efficacy. Pronunciation: WHITE wash Part of speech: Transitive verb. (Like “eat,” “try,” and “want,” all transitive verbs do something to an object. You eat a banana, try a game, and want a new phone. Likewise, you whitewash something) Other forms: whitewashed, whitewashing How to use it: This is the word we need when it's not "sugarcoating" that's going on--that is, we're not making something sound good when it's actually bad--but we're making something bad sound less bad. Talk about people who whitewash crimes or atrocities, whitewash problems or issues, whitewash a story or an account or a history, whitewash a past experience or an incident or a memory, whitewash the severity of something, whitewash someone's role or guilt in a situation, etc. Occasionally you might say someone is "whitewashing something away" or "whitewashing one thing to another thing:" "with heavy editing, they whitewashed the crimes away," "we somehow whitewashed the frightening memory to a funny one." No one wants to admit that they're whitewashing something, so we usually say this word with a critical tone. That is, you accuse people of whitewashing the issues, you criticize the culture of whitewashing, you expose and try to correct any whitewashed historical accounts or whitewashed reports, and so on. One blogger claims to have whitewashed every trace of violence from the Harry Potter novels as she read them aloud to her kids. So... how was that even possible? There's a battle of some sort in every book. We have to accept a certain level of whitewashing in elementary school history textbooks. Learning the whole truth about slavery or the Holocaust can wait. Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "whitewash" means when you can explain it without saying "cover up" or "paint over the bad parts." Think of a book or movie about history that you like, and fill in the blanks: "(Title) (never whitewashes / definitely whitewashes) the (issue/period) of _____." Example: "Go Set a Watchman definitely whitewashes the violent period just before the Civil Rights movement." Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game and quote below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Playing With Words: This month, challenge your powers of memory and recall (or just get ready to reign supreme on Wheel of Fortune) as we play with two-word phrases that you’ll find in a dictionary. We’ll start off with easy tasks and advance to harder ones as the month goes on. See the right answer to each question the following day. You might even see a new phrase that inspires your curiosity and makes you look it up. Have fun! (Note: Every dictionary recognizes a different set of two-word phrases. I used the OED to make these game questions.) Yesterday's question: You’ll see the first word of each phrase, along with plenty of letters in the second word. See how many of them you can think of: love b_ll_d love ch_rm love d_tt_ love d__t love _l_g_ love p__try Answers: love ballad love charm love ditty love duet love elegy love poetry Try this one today: You’ll see the first word of each phrase, along with plenty of letters in the second word. See how many of them you can think of: permanent d__ permanent f_v_ permanent g_s permanent h__dn_ss permanent __k permanent l__n permanent m__k__ permanent t__th A Point Well Made: Scott Adams: “Frankly, I’m suspicious of anyone who has a strong opinion on a complicated issue.” 1. The opposite of WHITEWASH is A. BLEMISH B. CATASTROPHIZE C. MISAPPROPRIATE 2. Any short film is bound to at least slightly whitewash _____. A. the deeply diverse people or deeply complex history that it tells the story of B. the minor characters who simply don't get enough screen time to seem well-rounded C. the faction of viewers who have already formed a strong opinion on the subject matter Answers are below. To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each day for free by Mrs. Liesl Johnson, M.Ed., a word lover, learning enthusiast, and private tutor of reading and writing in the verdant little town of Hilo, Hawaii. For writing tips, online learning, essay guidance, and more, please visit www.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. B 2. A Exploring the archives: Whitewashing something means you're trying to make it seem less bad. What if you really are trying to make something less bad, for real? We've looked at two particular sophisticated words that do that job: 1. Mit_____. It means to make something less hostile or less troublesome. (We'd focused mostly on its opposite, "unmit____ed," meaning "hostile or troublesome to the max.") 2. Pal_____. It means to make something less serious.