Make Your Point > Archived Issues > CHARLATAN

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connect today's word to others: Our word charlatan comes from French and Italian words meaning, respectively, "babbler" and "quack." Charlatans are smooth-talking people who pretend to be knowledgeable, often to trick others or to sell things. Or both. When I think of the word charlatan, I immediately think of Dr. Terminus from Pete's Dragon: that fast-talking villain in a cape and top hat, half salesman and half circus leader, who sold quack remedies to the crowds he attracted. Now, at the risk of y'all thinking I'm obsessed with Pete's Dragon, I'll tell you that I've mentioned Dr. Terminus three times before in Make Your Point. See if you can recall each of these words: 1. "In Pete's Dragon, Dr. Terminus is your typical d___ous quack." (That bold word means "sneaky, tricky, or dishonest.") 2. "Dr. Terminus is the b____stic villain in Pete's Dragon." (That bold word means "using inappropriately fancy language.") 3. "Dr. Terminus wanted to sell n___rums, like dragon bits, as cures for everything from thinning hair to growing old." (That bold word means "some substance for sale that promises to cure something or relieve a problem, but doesn't; or, any suggested fix for a problem that doesn't actually work even though people keep suggesting it.") Wow, what a creep, right? That charlatan Dr. Terminus. I hope his name cracks you up as much as it does me. Terminus was the Roman god of boundary markers, and Dr. Terminus was eager to play God. Plus, his name suggests the word terminal, as in fatal: what his "cures" would probably do to us. These words come from the Latin terminus, meaning an end or a boundary line. So does our word termless. Could you come up with all three separate meanings of termless? (Hint: try starting by recalling three different meanings of the word term.) (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "CHARLATAN" Charlatans are people who talk quickly and smoothly as they pretend to be knowledgeable, so that they can trick people or sell things to people. Pronunciation: SHAR luh tun Part of speech: Countable noun. (Countable nouns, like "bottle," "piece," and "decision," are words for things that can be broken into exact units. You talk about "a bottle," "three pieces," and "many decisions." Likewise, talk about one charlatan or multiple charlatans.) Other forms: The plural is "charlatans." For the adjective, we can either just use "charlatan" (as in "these charlatan tricks") or pick from these three options: "charlatanish," "charlatanical," and "charlatanic." (I love those last two because they sound a bit like "Satanical" and "Satanic.") For the noun for the action or the idea, we've got both "charlatanism" and my favorite, "charlatanry." How to use it: Use this word with care: it has a nasty tone. I'd say most charlatans don't even believe they ARE charlatans. Talk about people being or becoming or acting like charlatans, about people being exposed as charlatans, about people falling prey to charlatans, etc. examples: Beware the charlatans at the Amen Clinic, who promise to cure nearly any psychological condition with single-photon emission computed tomography. Alex Jones's talk show has drawn criticism for giving voice to Dr. Edward Group, a charlatan who falsely claims to have a degree from MIT and who hawks useless dietary supplements. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "charlatan" means when you can explain it without saying "quack" or "con artist." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "Shame on these charlatans for trying to sell _____ to _____." Example: "Shame on these charlatans for trying to sell false hope to cancer patients." 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, we're playing "Game of Games!" Guess the one-word title of each board game, using your knowledge of vocabulary. From our previous issue:  Designed by Matthew Dunstan and Brett J. Gilbert, and set in mythic Greece, this game has players competing for the favor of Olympian gods. The game's title means "a place or situation that's so perfect and happy that it reminds you of the blissful afterlife from Greek mythology." It's pictured below, with the title blurred out. What game is this? Answer: Elysium. Check out the game here and the word here. Try this today:  Designed by Eric Goldberg, Ben Grossman, Steve Marsh, Steven Marsh, Vincent Tsao, and Nikola Vrtis, this game has players grabbing power as they attempt coups and assassinations. The game's title means "a small group of people that takes control of a country and then rules it, or more generally, a group of people working toward a goal together (often a political goal)." It's pictured below, with the title blurred out. What game is this? review today's word: 1. The opposite of CHARLATANIC is A. GENEROUS. B. HONEST. C. HOLY. 2. _____ was the kind of charlatanry that ran rampant in the early 1800s. A. Cholera, an infection often spread by contaminated food or water, B. Phrenology, the idea that the shape of the skull reveals the personality, C. A modest garment, such as a long dress with full sleeves and a high waistline, 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. B 2. B