Vaughan’s Vocabulary was originally on a Starkville radio station more than 25 years ago. Each morning I gave the listeners a word, followed by four choices. It was fun and educational.
Increasing my vocabulary became important to me when I was an undergraduate trying to wend my way through reading assignments in textbooks and journal articles. When I came upon a word I didn’t know, I looked up its meaning and wrote it and the definition in a notebook.
Having a good vocabulary will improve oral communication, reading comprehension and writing skills. It can also heighten your credibility, confidence, self-esteem and might even help your love life. I encourage clipping out Vaughan’s Vocabulary and saving them in a folder or notebook. See how you do with these five words.
1. motific (mo-TEEF-ik)
A. causing motion
B. of or pertaining to a design or thematic element
C. pertaining to a single or repeated color
D. the adjective form of the noun motif
I must confess that this is the first time in my life to use the adjective motific; I love the word. All four are correct for No. 1.
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2. redoubtable (ri-DOUBT-uh-bul):
A. being doubly suspicious
B. causing fear or alarm
C. creating confidence
D. second guessing
No. 2 is B.
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3. attenuate (uh-TEN-uh-ate)
A. to reduce the severity, virulence or vitality
B. to give close heed to something being said or demonstrated
C. to block out noise that could be distracting
D. to memorize
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4. ingénue (OHN-juh-new)
A. a genius
B. someone carelessly generous with his or her money
C. a lady who appears to be much younger than she really is
D. an actress playing a naïve girl or young woman
No. 3, attenuate, is A. No. 4, ingénue, is D. The ingénue in “Dial M for Murder” is Margot Wendice. An ingénue is the stage role of a naïve girl or young woman; an actress playing such a role is an ingénue.
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5. de rigueur (duh-ri-GUR)
A. a quick fix
B. required by etiquette or fashion
C. a well thought-out solution
D. French for “a sign of spring”
From the French language, de rigueur literally means “of strictness.” I tell my public speaking students that casual-professional attire, especially solid color tops (with no writing or pictures on them) are de rigueur at the podium. B is the answer.
Editor’s Note: Dr. Don Rodney Vaughan is the pastor of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church near Eupora and is on the faculty of East Mississippi Community College, Golden Triangle Campus. Contact him at dvaughan@eastms.edu.
