by Dwane | Sep 17, 2014 | Education, English, Latin, Vocabulary
Disabuse: To free from a mistaken belief or error; to undeceive; to disengage from fallacy or deception; to set right. It is our duty to disabuse ourselves of false notions and prejudices. Disabuse comes from the Latin prefix dis- (away) and the verb abusus sum...
by Dwane | Sep 16, 2014 | Education, English, Latin, Vocabulary
Abnormous: irregular; exaggerated; misshapen; enormous. This is an old word, one that has dropped out of use. What a shame. Let’s bring it back. Here’s a start: “Stop pulling me down with your abnormously negative attitude.” Abnormous is a combination...
by Dwane | Sep 15, 2014 | Education, Greek, Latin, Motivation
In those days a boy on the classical side officially did almost nothing but the classics. I think this is wise; the greatest service we can do to education today is to teach fewer subjects. No one has time to do more than a few things well before he is twenty, and...
by Dwane | Sep 13, 2014 | Education, English, Latin, Vocabulary
Acumen – a sharp point; and, figuratively, quickness of perception; keenness, shrewdness. For Example: Einstein’s powerful acumen revealed many secrets of the universe. Acumen derives from the Latin word for needle, acus.
by Dwane | Sep 12, 2014 | Education, English, Latin, Vocabulary
Acidic: a substance containing acid; a sour or sharp taste. Acidic may also describe a remark or comment. An acidic comment is a cutting comment. When you notice a co-worker on Facebook, you might mutter an acidic comment. “Hashtag. Do your job.” Acidic comes from...
by Dwane | Sep 12, 2014 | Education
It took me ten years to achieve fluency in Latin. During that time, I also developed the ability to rise early, speak in public, invest in real estate, read in Greek, French, and Italian. I used to bemoan the fact that these skills took so long to develop....
