Make Your Point: RAILLERY

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pronounce RAILLERY:

RAIL uh ree

connect this word to others:

(Source)

Raillery is good-natured joking and teasing that takes place among friends. It might be loud and crude, but it's still good-intentioned.

And it's unique here in Make Your Point, because every other time we've explored a noun ending in "-ery," it's always carried a negative tone.

Check out all these nasty -ery words:
chicanery,
Comstockery,
demagoguery,
drudgery,
effrontery,
skullduggery,
trumpery,
and tub-thumpery.

As you look over that list, which word do you think is the most intensely negative? Why? Could you make a good choice even if you don't know the exact meaning of each word: could you rely on your intuitive ear for English?

Speaking of your intuitive ear for English, could you recall a single word that means "your intuitive ear for English"? It's a borrowing from German, and it literally means "speech feeling." It's Spr___g____l, as in "I may not know exactly what trumpery is, but my Spr___g____l tells me it's bad. Really bad."

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

One meaning of the verb "to rail" is "to complain, or to tease: to joke around with someone." That verb, "rail," traces back to a French one with the same meaning (raillier), and from there, it might trace further back to a Latin one (ragere) meaning "to roar."

Which all makes sense when you think about good friends complaining about each other—or at least pretending to complain—at top volume, because raillery is the act of friends teasing each other, or making fun of each other in a good-natured way.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Noun, the uncountable kind: "We'd watch That '70s Show for the fashion and the raillery."

Other forms:

The verb is "rail," and it's usually intransitive: "The characters are always railing with each other in the basement." The other forms are "railed" and "railing."

how to use it:

Pick the semi-common, somewhat formal word "raillery" to strike an academic tone as you describe the easygoing teasing between close friends: the kind that's boisterous, sarcastic, or even vulgar as it expresses genuine affection.

You might talk about the raillery in or at a place, or the raillery between or among people: "She joined in the raillery among the kitchen staff;" "We laughed at the raillery between the groom and his best man;" "The raillery between Rory and Lorelai on Gilmore Girls is a little too witty to seem realistic."

examples:

"Family traditions [include] plaid pajamas, raillery and eggnog."
— Jesse Green, New York Times, 23 July 2018

"The raillery between Beatrice and Benedick [in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing]... inspired a lifelong expectation that romance must include snark."
— Michael Sims, Washington Post, 9 September 2021

has this page helped you understand "raillery"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "raillery" without saying "ribbing" or "teasing."

try it out:

In Salon, Langdon Cook captures the essence of raillery:

"Hanging out with this pair reminded me of the sort of male camaraderie that develops in close quarters. You'll find it in school dormitories, on fishing boats, in the military. Old pals, they knew each other's foibles and weaknesses all too well and exploited them in an ongoing raillery of inside jokes, ragging, and general good-natured BS."

With this description in mind, talk about the time in your life when you engaged in the most raillery. It may have been when you lived in a dorm, attended a camp, or shared an apartment with roommates.

Or, if raillery has never been your thing, talk about 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 is "Oh Hey, That's the Title!"

I'll give you a short excerpt from a novel, a play, or a short story. In this excerpt, a character or a narrator actually says the story's title. (If not verbatim, then almost.) And you give me the story's title.

Highlight the hints if you need them, and see the answer by scrolling all the way down. Enjoy!

Try this one today:

"Jody asked again—'Mine?'

Billy became professional in tone. 'Sure! That is, if you look out for him and break him right. I'll show you how. He's just a colt. You can't ride him for some time.'

Jody put out his bruised hand again, and this time _____ _____ _____ let his nose be rubbed. 'I ought to have a carrot,' Jody said."

To reveal the hints below, highlight the hidden white text.

Hint 1: This story was published in the year... 1937.
Hint 2: This story was written by... John Steinbeck.
Hint 3: The first letters of each word in this title are... "Th_____ R_____ P_____."

review this word:

1. A near opposite of RAILLERY is

A. HEDONISTIC PLEASURE.
B. RESPECTFUL SERIOUSNESS.
C. YOUTHFUL RECKLESSNESS.

2. In American culture, raillery tends toward _____, as it's typically _____.

A. boyishness or masculinity .. rough and rowdy
B. girlishness or femininity .. subtle and reserved
C. openness or acceptance .. warm and welcoming

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.

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