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Slide today's "ad infinitum" into a mental file with other two-word Latin phrases you know:
1. Literally "great work," this term describes the best thing that a person has ever created.
2. Literally "firm land," this means anything solid and substantial that you can use as a basis for something else.
3. Literally "unknown land," this one means any place or idea that's unknown and unexplored.
make your point with...
"AD INFINITUM"
This phrase is Latin for "to infinity." (The Latin ad means "to, into, or toward.") Something that happens ad infinitum happens over and over again in the exact same way, or happens forever.
Pronunciation:
AD in fin EYE dum
Part of speech:
Adverb.
(Adverbs usually describe actions:
that is, they tell when, where, how, and to what extent
something is being done.
You usually put them close to the action they describe:
"something happens ad infinitum.")
Other forms:
none
How to use it:
This term usually has a mildly negative tone. You most often use it to talk about things that irritate you with their monotony or their continuation.
Talk about something that happens ad infinitum: something that repeats or continues ad infinitum, something that lasts, goes on, or endures ad infinitum, something that varies or grows ad infinitum, and, less kindly, someone who talks ad infinitum.
You might talk about something "done and redone ad infinitum:" "they've used and reused this same idea ad infinitum," "I adjust and readjust the approach ad infinitum."
"Ad infinitum" can also cap off a list: "an analysis, an analysis of the analysis, and so on ad infinitum;" "excuses, more excuses, more excuses...ad infinitum."
Although foreign phrases generally take italics, our Latin "ad infinitum" is so common in English that nobody italicizes it anymore.
examples:
At HomeGoods, shoppers only reach the cashier after moseying past displays of bowls, spatulas, candy, pretzels, photo frames, dog toys, bouncy balls--ad infinitum. It's a hot mess, but I love it.
Sometimes you just have to make a choice instead of analyzing it ad infinitum.
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "ad infinitum" means when you can explain it without saying "endlessly" or "on and on and on."
try it out:
Think of someone who annoyed you by saying the same thing again and again. Fill in the blanks: "(Person) repeated ad infinitum that _____." Or, "(Person) repeated _____ ad infinitum."
Example: "The presenter repeated the filler word 'like' ad infinitum. It made my eye twitch."
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.
Language Techniques:
When language sounds beautiful or memorable, often there’s some particular technique responsible for that effect. Each day this month, I’ll give you a specific stylistic technique or quality, and I’d like you to recreate (as closely as you can) the quote that I’ve botched by removing it. We’ll work our way from the easiest to the hardest techniques. Enjoy!
From yesterday:
Part repetition, part parallelism, chiasmus involves repeating in reverse order some of the words you just used, as in "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail" (Ben Franklin) and "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." Oh, and you can't talk about chiasmus without quoting Kennedy: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Shakespeare didn't write, "Suit the action to the word and vice versa." What's the real version of that dictum?
Answer: "Suit the action to the word, the word to the action."
Try this one today:
Check out these lyrics from "Glad You Came" by The Wanted: "Turn the lights out now, now I'll take you by the hand, hand you another drink, drink it if you can." And here's Lord Byron: "The mountains look on Marathon – And Marathon looks on the sea." These are examples of anadiplosis: starting a new statement with the word you just used to close your previous statement. Yoda didn't say, exactly, that fear leads to anger, then hate, then suffering. Add the anadiplosis. What were his exact words?
review today's word:
1. The exact opposite of AD INFINITUM is AD FINITUM, but in English, the closest opposite of AD INFINITUM is
A. CEREMONIOUSLY
B. HOMOGENEOUSLY
C. TEMPORARILY
2. For the Baby-Sitters Club books, Ann M. Martin developed a _____ and executed it ad infinitum.
A. formula
B. set of ever-changing characters
C. story arch spanning the entire series
Answers are below.
a final word:
To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, 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
Slide today's "ad infinitum" into a mental file with other two-word Latin phrases you know:
"AD INFINITUM" This phrase is Latin for "to infinity." (The Latin ad means "to, into, or toward.") Something that happens ad infinitum happens over and over again in the exact same way, or happens forever. Pronunciation: Part of speech:
At HomeGoods, shoppers only reach the cashier after moseying past displays of bowls, spatulas, candy, pretzels, photo frames, dog toys, bouncy balls--ad infinitum. It's a hot mess, but I love it.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "ad infinitum" means when you can explain it without saying "endlessly" or "on and on and on."
Think of someone who annoyed you by saying the same thing again and again. Fill in the blanks: "(Person) repeated ad infinitum that _____." Or, "(Person) repeated _____ ad infinitum."
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. The exact opposite of AD INFINITUM is AD FINITUM, but in English, the closest opposite of AD INFINITUM is
To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
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