Make Your Point > Archived Issues > BUSKING
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pronounce
BUSKING:
Say it "BUS king."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
Check out this busker, proudly busking in a no-busking zone.
When I stumbled on this word busking recently, I was delighted. Such a specific word! For such a common phenomenon! How could I have lived this long without knowing it?
I felt the same way when I met the word kn___ing, which means "the act of neatly and tidily arranging many items all on one surface." Can you recall that one?
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
"Busk" has many meanings, one of which is "to play music in public while collecting money from passersby." This meaning dates back to about 1776, but the behavior is, naturally, much, much older.
Although buskers might have permission to busk, they usually don't! Busking, then--the act of performing music and collecting donations in public--is often frowned upon. Buskers might even get fined or arrested.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Verb and noun: "They'll be busking all afternoon;" "Busking is illegal here."
Other forms:
Busk, busked, busker(s).
how to use it:
"Busking" is a fun, casual, specific word, a bit rare but easily understood in context.
You might talk about people busking in the streets, making a living by busking, getting discovered while busking, etc.
Although busking is usually musical, it can also be dramatic--done by actors, poets, mimes, puppeteers and so on. Anyone performing, begging for tips, and keeping an eye out for the authorities is probably busking.
examples:
"He and some friends got arrested once for busking on a subway platform."
— Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter, Hamilton: The Revolution, 2016
"Never Say Never shows a young Bieber playing the drums and busking on the streets of Ontario, Canada, before rising to fame through YouTube and Twitter."
— BBC, 17 February 2011
has this page helped you understand "busking"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "busking" without saying "performing music on the street" or "soliciting cash by playing music."
try it out:
Whether or not you play a musical instrument, describe how you'd feel about making a living by busking.
Imagine that it works, and that you earn enough to get by and then some. You provide well for your kids. There's wild applause for you every day. There's a roof over your head every night. Sometimes a jail roof, though.
Would you love that life? Hate it? Both? Why?
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 for this month: MYP Anagrams!
Rearrange the letters in the given word to form a word we've studied before. For example, if I give you THREAD, you give me DEARTH. To see the answer, scroll all the way down.
Try this one today:
Rearrange the letters in LINEUP to make an adjective.
To peek at the clues, highlight the hidden white text below.
The definition is… reminding you of wolves, either in appearance or behavior (e.g., greedy, dangerous, predatory, destructive).
The first letter is… L.
review this word:
A. IMPROVISING.
B. PERFORMING ON STAGE.
C. SHARING THE SPOTLIGHT.
2.
The word "busking" is a bit rare, but it does appear in an Onion article titled "_____."
A. Mars Introduces New Crab-Stuffed M&M's
B. Real Estate Agent Driven Insane By Endless Possibilities Of Nook
C. Street Musician's Mother Really On His Case About Practicing His Buckets
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:
On vocabulary...
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.
From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
A 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.
Check out this busker, proudly busking in a no-busking zone.
"Busk" has many meanings, one of which is "to play music in public while collecting money from passersby." This meaning dates back to about 1776, but the behavior is, naturally, much, much older.
Part of speech:
"Busking" is a fun, casual, specific word, a bit rare but easily understood in context.
"He and some friends got arrested once for busking on a subway platform."
Explain the meaning of "busking" without saying "performing music on the street" or "soliciting cash by playing music."
Whether or not you play a musical instrument, describe how you'd feel about making a living by busking.
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.
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. |