important im-por-tant / ĭm-pôr-tnt adjective 1. significant, of consequence Listening is the most difficult skill to learn and the most important to have. African Proverb 2. prominent; influential; widely known and well respected I suppose it’s part of being a good politician to be able to spot the most important men in any group without outside assistance. Leslie Ford (pseudonym of Zenith Jones Brown), 1898 – 1983 3. authoritative I... Read More

Be Awesome!  Be a Book Nut! Dr. Seuss, 1904 – 1991 awesome awe-some / ô-səm adjective 1. inspiring a feeling of overwhelming wonder It is an awesome thing to comprehend that what a human being dreams and imagines can be realized.  Vanna Bonta, 1958 – 2014 2. conveying or displaying a feeling of overwhelming wonder The most universally awesome experience that mankind knows is to stand alone on... Read More

civility ci-vil-i-ty / sĭ-vĭl-ĭ-tē noun 1. graciousness towards others, courtesy, politeness Civility costs nothing, and buys everything.  Lady Mary Wortley Montagu 1689-1792 2. an act of consideration for others The civilities of the great are never thrown away. Samuel Johnson, 1709 – 1784 etymology Through the Middle English and Old French noun civilite (politeness, civility) from the Latin noun civilitas (the science of politics, behavior appropriate for a citizen, politic... Read More

conclude con-clude / kən-klo͞od verb 1. to finish The teacher should guide the thought of his class, but, if he attempts to do all the talking, he will find when he concludes, that he has been left to do all the thinking. Alonzo Reed, ? – 1889 2. to finalize or settle Germany has concluded a Non-Aggression Pact with Poland. Adolf Hitler, 1889 – 1945 3. to form an... Read More

oleaginous o-le-ag-i-nous / ō-lē-ăj-ə-nəs adjective 1. pertaining to oil; oily The gems cling to the oleaginous substance. From “An African Adventure” by Isaac F. Marcosson, 1877 – 1961      2. overly smug or ingratiating; unctuous The man of law consoled him with oleaginous phrases: told him he very much underrated the power of money. From “White Lies” by Charles Reade, 1814 – 1884 etymology From the Latin adjective oleaginus (of the... Read More

benchmark bench-mark / bĕnch-märk adjective 1. relating to an acknowledged measure for comparing others known as a benchmark Remember, benchmark performance — beta — can be had for virtually free; alpha is what active managers are paid to generate. Paul McCulley, 1957 – noun 1. an acknowledged measure by which others are compared Economic yardsticks and benchmarks get distorted and do not allow for meaningful analysis of the... Read More

awkward awk-ward / ôk-wərd adjective 1. lacking physical coordination or skill; clumsy The awkward person always breaks the board in riding on the surf.  Hawaiian Proverb 2. not graceful when moving I didn’t grow up in the dance world, I didn’t grow up having dance lessons, so everything looks a little awkward and sometimes I get very publicly shamed for my awkwardness. Katy Perry, 1984 – 3. difficult... Read More

grand slam grand slam / grănd slăm noun 1. in baseball, a home run hit with runners already on all three bases I hit a grand slam off Ron Herbel and when his manager Herman Franks came out to get him, he was bringing Herbel’s suitcase. Bob Uecker, 1935 – 2. the winning of all major competitions in a sport, such as tennis or golf, in a single... Read More

motivate mo-ti-vate / mō-tə-vāt verb 1. to drive one to act; to provide with desire to do something Satisfied needs do not motivate. It’s only the unsatisfied need that motivates.  Stephen R. Covey, 1932 – 2012 etymology From the Latin verb moveo, movere, movi, motus (move, set in motion). Thank you to Allen Ward for providing this etymology.

tide tide / tīd noun 1. regular rise and fall of the ocean caused by the pull of the sun and the moon Time and tide wait for no men. English Proverb 2. a current Good luck comes in slender currents, misfortune in a rolling tide.  Irish Proverb 3. something that fluctuates by increasing or decreasing A rising tide lifts all boats. John F. Kennedy, 1917 –... Read More