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Today's super-short "nix" comes from the German nichts, meaning "nothing" or "not anything." From German, we've also checked out the terms Herrenvolk, hinterland, lebensraum, Weltanschauung, Weltschmerz, and zeitgeist. How many of these could you define?
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"NIX"
To nix something is to cancel it or reject it. "Nix" can also mean to criticize something in a dismissive way.
Pronunciation:
NICKS
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 nix something.)
Other forms:
nixed, nixing
How to use it:
Pick "nix" instead of "cancel" or "reject" when you need to be especially brief or emphatic.
Talk about nixing something, often from something else: nixing someone or something from consideration, nixing a plan or idea or option, nixing a product or a process, nixing a habit or behavior, nixing an ingredient or a food from your diet, and so on.
When critics or publications nix a book, film, or other product, they're criticizing it strongly, as if to completely reject it.
examples:
In a wise move, the association nixed the swimsuit competition from the beauty pageant.
As the Los Angeles Times has pointed out, plenty of people are in favor of nixing the entire TSA (Transportation Security Administration) and just letting airlines handle security measures.
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "nix" means when you can explain it without saying "veto" or "refuse."
try it out:
Think of a possibility, plan, or idea that you decided against, and fill in the blanks: "Ultimately I nixed _____ (optionally, from _____) because _____."
Example: "Ultimately I nixed high heels from my wardrobe because comfort is just more important to me than fashion."
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:
Anaphora is a specific kind of repetition: the kind where you keep using the same word(s) again and again at the start of phrases. For example, Charles Dickens began A Tale of Two Cities with "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness..." In describing the Grinch's struggle to realize how he'd failed to ruin Christmas, Dr. Seuss didn't write, "It came without ribbons, tags, packages, boxes, or bags." What memorable anaphoric sentences did he write instead?
Answer: "It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, or bags."
Try this one today:
Epistrophe is the opposite of anaphora: it's the kind of repetition where you keep using the same word(s) again and again at the end of phrases. For example, Corinthians 13:7 beautifully states, "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." In a 1965 speech, Lyndon Johnson didn't say "There is only an American problem, not a Negro, Southern, or Northern one." What memorable series of sentences did he deliver instead?
review today's word:
1. The opposite of NIX is
A. ACCEPT
B. CONSIDER
C. DENY
2. Nixing the sugar _____.
A. cuts down on the total calories in the recipe
B. should be done before adding in the wet ingredients
C. makes the final product too sweet for most adult palates
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. A
2. A
Today's super-short "nix" comes from the German nichts, meaning "nothing" or "not anything." From German, we've also checked out the terms Herrenvolk, hinterland, lebensraum, Weltanschauung, Weltschmerz, and zeitgeist. How many of these could you define?
"NIX" To nix something is to cancel it or reject it. "Nix" can also mean to criticize something in a dismissive way. Pronunciation: Part of speech:
In a wise move, the association nixed the swimsuit competition from the beauty pageant.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "nix" means when you can explain it without saying "veto" or "refuse."
Think of a possibility, plan, or idea that you decided against, and fill in the blanks: "Ultimately I nixed _____ (optionally, from _____) because _____."
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 opposite of NIX 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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