Make Your Point > Archived Issues > WHOLE-SOULED

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"WHOLE-SOULED" Meaning: Just like it sounds, something whole-souled is done with 100% of your enthusiasm or 100% of your devotion. Pronunciation: HOLE SOLD 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 "a whole-souled acceptance." 2. After a linking verb, as in "Their acceptance was whole-souled.") Other forms: none How to use it: "Whole-souled" instantly defines itself and should be clear to listeners unfamiliar with it. It's worth knowing for when "whole-hearted" doesn't quite express what you mean. Plus, the rhyming syllables make it emphatic and fun to say. Usually we talk about whole-souled actions or feelings, meaning things that are done or created or felt with all of your energy or commitment: a whole-souled effort, a whole-souled manner of speaking or writing, their whole-souled resentment, our whole-souled embrace of the scientific method, his whole-souled patriotism, her whole-souled belief in the transformative power of music, etc. You can also have a whole-souled person: a whole-souled advocate, a whole-souled kindergarten teacher, a whole-souled believer, a whole-souled American, and so on. If you simply say someone is a whole-souled woman, a whole-souled boy, etc., then you mean they have personalities that are earnest, sincere, and committed. The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra is a hilariously terrible movie about Dr. Fleming, a whole-souled scientist: Ranger Brad: Oh, say... You don't believe those old legends about the Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, do you? Dr. Roger Fleming: Ranger Brad, I'm a scientist. I don't believe in anything! I admit to a whole-souled love of cats. If my Facebook feed could be all cat pictures, all the time, I'd be fine with that. Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "whole-souled" means when you can explain it without saying "whole" or "soul." Think of a person or thing you admire intensely, and fill in the blank: "I've got this whole-souled admiration for _____." Example: "I've got this whole-souled admiration for people who successfully quit cigarettes or other tobacco products. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to fight against the addiction and win." Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game and quote below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Playing With Words:  We're playing with clichés this month, examining the origins of some colorful ones. I’ll give you a cliché (some of which you might also call a proverb and/or an idiom) and pose a multiple-choice question about its origin. (I used this nifty book as a reference!) Yesterday's question:  “Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.” This means that you’re headed into a terrible situation and there’s no way to win. Is this cliché from the Bible, a Shakespearean play, or Dante’s Inferno? Answer: From Dante’s Inferno, an epic poem from the 14th century, this cliché was first a warning in the story to anyone entering Hell. Try this one today: “Batten down the hatches” means to get ready for trouble. Did this cliché come from railroad workers, seamen, or pilots? A Point Well Made: John F. Kennedy: “We believe that if men have the talent to invent need machines that put men out of work, they have the talent to put those men back to work.” 1. The opposite of WHOLE-SOULED is A. INDECENT B. INDIFFERENT C. INTERCHANGEABLE 2. I kind of have to _____ their whole-souled _____ of "YOLO." Not just the term, but the idea. A. roll my eyes at .. misunderstanding B. respect .. embrace C. comprehend .. neglect Answers are below. To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each day for free by Mrs. Liesl Johnson, M.Ed., a word lover, learning enthusiast, and private tutor of reading and writing in the verdant little town of Hilo, Hawaii. For writing tips, online learning, essay guidance, and more, please visit www.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. B 2. B Exploring the archives: Today's "whole-souled" is American in origin, a rarity for us. But we did take a look at a previous Americanism: "h___scr_____," which was first used by Lewis and Clark to describe a prairie. Could you recall that word? It means requiring a difficult, constant, desperate struggle.