Make Your Point > Archived Issues > SINE DIE

Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.

connect today's word to others: Is the phrase sine die a new one for you? Then, carpe diem! Let's explore it! :) Sine die literally means "without day," so could you explain why it looks a little like sans and a lot like sinecure? make your point with... "SINE DIE" This is Latin for "without day." Something that happens sine die is happening without a certain day being scheduled for it to stop or change. In other words, "sine die" means "indefinitely" or "for the time being, and maybe even forever."  Pronunciation: Several ways are acceptable. I recommend "SIN ay DEE ay." Part of speech: Usually an adverb. (Adverbs usually describe actions:  that is, they tell when, where, how, and to what extent something is being done. You usually put them close to the action they describe: "Let’s adjourn sine die." "It was postponed sine die.") Other forms: none How to use it: This phrase is rare, serious, formal, and sophisticated, with a legal flavor. When that's the tone you need, pick "sine die" instead of simpler words like "indefinitely" and "continually." You'll see it in italics in older texts (sine die), but these days we don't italicize it. Talk about people adjourning sine die, or talk about meetings, caucuses, or conventions adjourning sine die. And, talk about people shelving things sine die, postponing things sine die, or putting things off sine die. What kinds of things do we shelve, postpone, or put off sine die? Talks, discussions, possibilities, ideas, votes, events, tasks, trips, etc. Although you can also say that things continue sine die--or do other things sine die--it's really rare. Here's Robert Peston at BBC News: "a region tottering sine die on the brink of catastrophe." And here's J. B. Jones, a clerk who lived through the Civil War: "Not a gun has been heard by me to-day, and the mysterious silence defies my powers of penetration. I only hope it may continue sine die." Finally, you can use "sine die" loosely like an adjective, as in "a sine die adjournment." examples: Because the project would be ambitious, requiring years of grunt work before any payoff, I postponed it sine die. "There was nothing to be done in that direction; so we shelved Mademoiselle Jeanne sine die, and talked of the other one."    — Felix Moscheles, Fragments of an Autobiography, 1899 study it now: Look away from the screen to define "sine die" without saying "without end" or "for the foreseeable future." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "As if hoping to defer the matter sine die, (someone) said, '_____.'" Example: "As if hoping to defer the matter sine die, she said, 'Have your lawyers discuss it with ours.'" 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. Our game last month was "Complete the Clichés!" In each issue, I presented a general theme and a handful of common expressions that apply to it--but only the first few words of each expression. You aimed to complete each set. In the previous issue, the theme was "Hey, that reminds me of a Make Your Point word:" A. To tilt at...  (reminds you of "qu_____c") B. Afraid of his own...  (reminds you of "M_______st") C. To throw the apple... (reminds you of "er___ic") D. To burn the midnight...  (reminds you of "l________ons") E. To cast into... (reminds you of "o_____ze") Answers: A. To tilt at windmills (reminds you of "quixotic") B. Afraid of his own shadow (reminds you of "Milquetoast") C. To throw the apple of discord (reminds you of "eristic") D. To burn the midnight oil (reminds you of "lucubrations") E. To cast into outer darkness (reminds you of "ostracize") Our game for this month is "A Doodad Named After a Thingamajig." If I give you two categories, X and Y, can you think of an X that was named after a Y? We'll start off easy--these first few questions will have lots of correct answers each that you might think up--and we'll work our way toward harder questions that, as far as I know, have only one correct answer each. Try this today: Can you think of a restaurant named after a raw ingredient? review today's word: 1. A close opposite of SINE DIE is A. FOR A SPECIFIED PURPOSE. B. FOR A SPECIFIED CONDITION. C. FOR A SPECIFIED PERIOD OF TIME. 2. _____, the club adjourned sine die. A. With an understanding of each member's responsibilities, and with a shared sense of determination B. Accepting that both interest and funding had reached an all-time low C. Agreeing to reconvene the night before the next debate 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. C 2. B