Starting word of the day

Time to start the word of the day section here, mostly to improve my own vocabulary, and mostly to understand the words I would normally just skip right over when reading, say, an Economist or other magazine or book.

What?

Skip right over words you don't know?

Who does that?

Back in the fifth grade (way back when I was but a wee lass (heh)), my teacher said something to the effect of, "I don't want you skipping over words you don't know. If you don't know the word, look it up." I'm sure Mrs. Pullins meant it as a way to encourage us to learn new words. Tragically, her words had the exact opposite effect on me. My reaction to her words? Something like,

"What? I can skip over words I don't know? Really?

But I never thought about doing that..."

And from that point on I started skipping over words I didn't know when I was reading. My vocabulary stopped expanding at the 11 year old level. Eh, it might have been at the 12 year old level, as I was in the 6th grade English class, but it was a young person's vocabulary. In later years, I would recognize the folly of the word-skipping as I struggled on the verbal section of the SAT.

Even after college I studied word books to expand my vocabulary. I wrote up flash cards, kept word lists with me, looked up words I didn't know and wrote them in a word journal, did everything I could to make up for those lost years from 11 to 16 when I just skipped right over the words I didn't know.

I feel I still struggle to this day.

Some people have suggested using a word of the day calendar. While I agree they can be useful in expanding one's vocabulary, they don't necessarily help me with the words I'm currently reading. The problem I have is that I don't understand certain words I'm reading right now. Looking them up, then writing them down will help me retain the words (or so claims my dad: "Look 'em up! You'll remember them longer.").

So, as I'm reading my magazine a day I'll keep a list of words I don't know, look them up, and keep my list here.

Then maybe I'll remember them.

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