Make Your Point > Archived Issues > NOCUOUS

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explore the archives: Something nocuous is poisonous or harmful. Could you recall a one-syllable noun starting with "B" that expresses a similar idea? It's either a literal poison, or something awful that causes a lot of destruction. make your point with... "NOCUOUS" Something innocuous is harmless. Something nocuous is, literally or figuratively, harmful, hurtful, or poisonous. Pronunciation: NOCK you wuss Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "nocuous things" or "nocuous people." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was nocuous" or "They were nocuous.") Other forms: "Nocuously" and "nocuousness," but they're both rare. How to use it: Even if your spellchecker balks at it, "nocuous" is recognized by dictionaries and understood by your listeners, thanks to our understanding of its opposite "innocuous." (Folks used "nocuous" to describe tobacco in 1627 and media sensationalism in 1992, with plenty of cited usages in between--see the OED.) "Nocuous" lets us say, in a single word, "No, it's not harmless! It's harmful!" To be literal, you might talk about nocuous plants and animals, nocuous pathogens, or something that's nocuous to, say, your liver. To be figurative, talk about nocuous beliefs and intentions, nocuous plans and ideas, nocuous programs and laws and requirements, nocuous effects, nocuous messages, etc. Nocuous side effects might be literal or figurative: the nocuous side effects of this medicine; the nocuous side effects of that legislation. And you can be literal or figurative as you discuss nocuous agents, forces, or creatures. examples: Stories of nocuous trees like the Gympie-Gympie might lead you to the hasty conclusion that everything in Australia wants you dead. We do what we can to counter that nocuous us-against-them nationalism. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "nocuous" means when you can explain it without saying "not innocent" or "not harmless." try it out: Think of something that expressed a harmful, sneaky, or mixed message--it might be an ad you've seen, a speech you heard, or a conversation you had. Fill in the blanks: "Under _____ is/was the nocuous message that _____."  Example: "Under the spokesperson's promises of quality was the nocuous message that if you aren't using the product, you're recklessly endangering your family." 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: A staple technique in essays, textbooks, and speeches, hypophora is raising a question and then instantly answering it yourself. My favorite example is from Oscar Wilde: "What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing." Protesters wouldn't make much impact if they chanted something like, "We want fair pay. Also, we want it now." Restore the hypophora. What would they chant instead? Answer: "What do we want? Fair pay. When do we want it? Now."  Try this one today: Although one meaning of "apostrophe" is, as my students like to put it, "a sky comma," the other meaning of apostrophe is speaking to someone who isn't there or speaking to something that isn't actually a person. It's pure drama. Here's Edgar Allan Poe talking to science as if it were a woman: "Science! true daughter of Old Time thou art!" When Romeo is told that Juliet is dead, he doesn't say, "Then I defy the stars." That's nearly right, but put the apostrophe back in and hear how emphatic the real version is. review today's word: 1. One opposite of NOCUOUS is A. SAFE B. MUTED C. TOXIC 2. The post reveals some of the company's nocuous missteps, like _____. A. including common allergens in its products without bothering to label them B. requiring cancellations to be done over the phone, two months in advance, with a passcode no one remembers C. posting signage before checking the spelling or grammar 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