Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ALLAY

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connect today's word to others: Let's say we're playing Magic: The Gathering, and I play the card titled Allay. It allows me to destroy a target enchantment--basically to calm and soothe the angry forces headed my way. Should we keep playing? You lay down B____ion Protector, which renders your creatures unkillable, as if you've placed them safely inside a protective castle. Then I play Cardboard Car___ce, which adds an outer layer of protection to my creature, as if he's grown a shell like on a turtle or a lobster. It's all over when you play De___g, the card that prevents any damage I would have done to you--as if you'd removed my teeth. Good game.  Now back to work! :) Today we're checking out the word allay, so let's recall some of its synonyms: 1. When you s__ve something, you soothe it, as if you're applying a healing, pain-relieving goop to it. 2. When you m___gate something, you make it less bad, less hostile, or less troublesome. (Something unm___gated is as bad, as hostile, or as troublesome as it can possibly be.) 3. When you p___fy a person, you soothe him and calm him down; and, when you p___fy a thing, you settle it down and make it peaceful. 4. When you qu___ something, you put an end to it or get it under your control. Doing that could be violent, like qu___ing an uprising, or it could be gentle, like qu___ing a friend's nerves. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "ALLAY" The roots inside "allay" literally mean "lay down" or "lay aside." To allay things is to calm them, soothe them, or make them less intense. Pronunciation: uh LAY 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 allay something.) Other forms: allayed, allaying, allayer(s), allayment; allayable, unallayable How to use it: Notice that you allay bad things, like fears and concerns, but not good things, like joy or excitement. To expand on that, we talk about people and actions allaying fears, anger, worries, panic, concerns, outrage, suspicions, agitation, hunger, thirst, and so on. And it's less common, but you can also talk about allaying costs, allaying a crisis or a situation, allaying a controversy, etc. examples: After the discussion, his fears allayed, he scheduled the surgery. We won't be trying any self-driving cars until the industry can allay our concerns about their safety. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "allay" means when you can explain it without saying "ease" or "mollify." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "_____ would allay my worries about _____." Example: "Better leadership in the Department of Education would allay my worries about our schools." 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. This month, see if you can associate a snippet of song lyrics with a word we’ve studied before. For example, here's Dave Matthews: "Wasting time, let the hours roll by doing nothing for the fun. A little taste of the good life." Those lyrics call to mind the word LOTUS-EATING. From our previous issue:  In "Where I Find My Heaven," the members of a band with a name I can't print here sing: "And a whispered word in my spirit lies. And the sacred moments of silliness are Where I find my heaven Where I find my heaven Where I find my heaven Heaven." Do those lyrics call to mind the word NIRVANA, ELEPHANTIASIS, or CAMARADERIE? Why? Answer: NIRVANA. Generally speaking, your nirvana is your place or situation in which you feel totally happy, totally peaceful. Try this today: In "Something About The Way You Look Tonight," Elton John sings: "And I can't explain But it's something about the way you look tonight Takes my breath away It's that feeling I get about you, deep inside And I can't describe But it's something about the way you look tonight." Do those lyrics call to mind the term HAUTEUR, JUSTE MILIEU, or JE NE SAIS QUOI? Why? review today's word: 1. One opposite of ALLAY is A. REST. B. ABANDON. C. EXACERBATE. 2. Before the presentation she paced, checked her equipment, arranged and rearranged her notes. Her _____ was unallayable. A. confidence  B. dry throat  C. anxiety 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. C 2. C