Make Your Point > Archived Issues > NOSTRADAMIC
Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.
pronounce
NOSTRADAMIC:
Say it "NOSS truh DAM ick."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
In his song "Tinderbox" (ooh, that's a cool metaphor, a tinderbox), Elton John sings:
Nostradamus said, "I predict
That the world will end at half-past six."
What he didn't say was exactly when...
Well, he got us spooked, anyway.
And that pretty much sums up the word Nostradamic, which describes vague, doomed-filled things that spook you for no good reason.
Nostradamic has a cool synonym rooted in Greek myth that we've checked out before. Can you recall it? Someone or something Sib____ne reminds you of mythical fortune-telling, or is simply mystic and mysterious.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
We know him as Nostradamus, but his full name was Michel de Notredame (sometimes spelled "de Nostredame"): the French guy who published Les Prophéties in 1555, a book of hundreds of short rhyming poems that made hazy, unclear predictions about the future, full of darkness and doom.
Here's one:
"Alas one shall see a great nation bleed
And the holy law & all of Christendom
Reduced to utter ruin by other creeds,
Each time a new gold, silver mine is found."
As you can see, Nostradamus kept everything vague. What nation is he talking about? When? What are the other creeds? What did he mean by "new gold;" was that a metaphor?
Really, then, like any horoscope, any of these spooky little predictions can be interpreted however you like; you can take any one of them and argue that it, like, oh-my-god, totally came true in one way or another. "The young lion will overcome the older one." Sure, okay, that could refer to anything.
So, if you call something Nostradamic, you mean it reminds you of Nostradamus and his vague, gloom-and-doom prophecies. In other words, Nostradamic things are hazy and full of dark, gloomy, violent predictions of destruction. Or, they're simply full of dark, gloomy violence and destruction, like the kind Nostradamus predicted.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech: adjective, the proper kind, meaning you always capitalize it: "her Nostradamic outlook," "the predictions were Nostradamic."
Other forms: You can call someone a Nostradamus. Here's Clifton Fadiman: "the utterances of press and radio Nostradamuses."
how to use it:
Even though "Nostradamic" is a rare term, people will know what you mean when you use it.
So, to strike a tone that's funny, dismissive, or just very emphatic, talk about Nostradamic guesses, warnings, predictions, prophecies, descriptions, outlooks, perspectives, stories, lore, etc.
examples:
"Earth passed through the great Leonid meteor storm, a Nostradamic fiery flow of sparks if there ever was one. But once again Earth abided, the day of wrath unaccountably postponed."
— Julian May, Intervention, 1987
"It doesn’t matter that... the founder/pastor only a few weeks earlier used to be an unemployed graduate or a wandering, lost, disoriented Nigerian also looking for a way to survive the terror of being Nigerian. Once he calls the name of God and he quotes the Holy Books and lays claims to Nostradamic distinction, a ready crowd immediately surrounds him; lost, troubled souls who are also in search of meaning, they open doors for him, fawn on him, and grant him the stature and the importance that he seeks."
— Reuben Abati, The Cable, 2 July 2019
has this page helped you understand "Nostradamic"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "Nostradamic" without saying "apocalyptic" or "tenebrous."
try it out:
By definition, Nostradamic things are hazy: they're unclear, general, non-specific.
So, to get sarcastic, apply the word "Nostradamic" to some prediction that is very specific.
Think of something surprising and funny that happened in your life, or in the news. Then, fill in the blanks: "In a Nostradamic warning, we were told that (some period of time) would (start or end) with (something very specific and unexpected happening)."
Here's an example from Scott Marks in the San Diego Reader:
"The following Nostradamic text, signed Anonymous, arrives at the stroke of midnight: 'The year will end with Shia LaBeouf’s self-penned biopic cracking your top ten.'"
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 Lightning Rhyming Recall!
In each issue this month, see how fast you can recall three words. They’re unrelated in meaning--probably--but they rhyme. To check your answers, scroll to the bottom of the issue. We’ll start out easy and ramp up the difficulty as the month goes on. Enjoy!
Each word below rhymes with MIST:
A. (1 syllable, noun) Raw materials that you turn into advantages are...
B. (1 syllable, noun) An encounter that seems sneaky and/or romantic is a…
C. (3 syllables, noun) A factor that speeds along a process or event is a...
review this word:
A. ROSY.
B. NOVEL.
C. ENTERTAINING.
2. The "Nostradamic outlook on history and the future," says the historian Pierre Brind'Amour, is _____ of ideas and _____.
A. a "roadmap" .. innovations
B. a "muddle" .. contradictions
C. a "castle in the air" .. expectations
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.
In his song "Tinderbox" (ooh, that's a cool metaphor, a tinderbox), Elton John sings: We know him as Nostradamus, but his full name was Michel de Notredame (sometimes spelled "de Nostredame"): the French guy who published Les Prophéties in 1555, a book of hundreds of short rhyming poems that made hazy, unclear predictions about the future, full of darkness and doom.
Part of speech: adjective, the proper kind, meaning you always capitalize it: "her Nostradamic outlook," "the predictions were Nostradamic."
Even though "Nostradamic" is a rare term, people will know what you mean when you use it.
"Earth passed through the great Leonid meteor storm, a Nostradamic fiery flow of sparks if there ever was one. But once again Earth abided, the day of wrath unaccountably postponed."
Explain the meaning of "Nostradamic" without saying "apocalyptic" or "tenebrous."
By definition, Nostradamic things are hazy: they're unclear, general, non-specific.
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.
|