In the passage about the World's Columbian Exposition (see

pages 32-33), the writer states that at least one person viewed the
choice of Chicago as the host city as "mad as a March hare."

"Mad as a March hare" is an idiom that means "showing little reason" or "foolish:" An
Idiom is a figure of speech; the words are not to be interpreted literally. Idioms are
informal expressions that are unique to every language. Although idioms are colorful
and expressive, they should be used sparingly in formal writing.

Choosing the Right Idiom

Read each sentence. Use context clues to figure out the meaning of each idiom in
boldface print. Then write the letter of the definition for the idiom in the sentence.

1. Although Jack was in agonizing pain, he ff Pt a stiff a. someone who can't

upper llp until the paramedics arrived. _f_lr__ be trusted

2. There were so many sales that I was able to buy this b. frustrated after several
unsuccessful attempts
dress for a song. C.

c. at a low price;
3. The boss thinks Eddie is a bad egg, and she wants
for very little
me to watch him closely. Gl
d. pay or contribute
4. I've gone over the house with a fine tooth comb, some money
and I can't firid my ring anywhere. ,) '
e. in. agreement
5. Ms. Robins is one smart cookie, so she's not _going
to believe that the dog ate your homework._._' _ f. postponed
6. My little nephews fight like cats and dogs, so I don't g. acted bravely or
enjoy babysitting them. , showed no fear

7. Zander better expect to pony up if he wants to buy h. bicker; argue intensely

that fancy motorcycle. f
i. someone who is not
8. The tutor was banging his head ag~lnst the wall easy to deceive
trying to explain algebra to me. b
j. in great detail;
9. My best friend Brianna and I are always on the same thoroughly
wavelength. -l .

10. Unfortunately, the plans fo~ he new pedestrian bridge

have been put on Ice.

Word 45
 1
Writing with Idioms
Find the meaning of each idiom. (Use a dictionary if necessary.) Then write a sentence
for each idiom.

1. get your feet wet

2. eat your heart out

3. hit the roof

4. keep a straight face

5. throw in the towel

6. iron in the fire

7· pull yourself up by your own bootstraps

B. make heads or tails of something

9. got your number

10. knock your socks off

11. stick out your neck

12. walk on clouds

46 Word Study
 When you look up a word's meaning in the dictionary,
you find the denotation. Denotation is the strict, literal
definition of a word. The meaning is neutral.

However, m~ny words also have connotations, or feelings or emotions that people
associate with them. These feelings can be either positive or negative.

consider these synonyms for the neutral word bold.

ambitious enterprising aggressive pushy
Ambitious and enterprising have positive connotations, whereas aggressive and
pushy are negative.

Think: Inventors are ambitious and enterprising, while a used

car salesman is aggressive and pushy.

Look at these examples of words. Notice how the connotation of each word varies.
NEUTRAL POSITIVE NEGATIVE
watchful vigilant spying

statement decree ultimatum

durable enduring never-ending

Whether they are writing advertisements or novels, writers know that words can carry
powerful emotions. By being aware of the power of connotations, or "shades of
meaning," a reader can be more sensitive to the power of words to shape a message
and elicit an emotional response. Not everyone reacts in an identical way to the same
words, however. A skilled writer understands that some words can evoke either a
positive or a negative emotion in different readers.

Shades of Meaning
Write a plus sign (+) in the box if the word has a positive connotation.
Write a minus sign(-) if the word has a negative connotation. Put a zero (0)
if the word is neutral.

1. adage 2. glut 3. bountiful 4. congested

5. bonanza D 6. allot 7. excerpt 8. wanton

9. durable 10. churlish 11. oblique 12. enterprising. D

13. maim 14. collaborate D 15. detriment D 16. unison

Word Study 47
 Expressing the Connotation
Read each sentence. Select the word in parentheses
. . thatf better
h expresses
tence the connotation
(positive, negative, or neutral) given at the begmnmg o t e sen ·

positive 1. I consider myself to be a (frugal, stingy) shopper and buy most of rn

clothes off-season.
negative 2. People who had been waiting for hours were outraged when a man
(brushed against, jostled) them on his way to the front of the line.
positive 3. Given her (daring, audacious) approach to life, I'm not surprised she
is always a topic of conversation!
neutral
4. Did you see that car (veer, turn) into the other lane without signaling
neutral
5. Kathryn looks forward to book club meetings because she enjoys all
the (banter, conversation).
positive
6. Aunt Marla was excited to meet the (legendary, well-known)
movie star.
neutral
7. My mother is one of three local citizens who are (vying, grasping) fo
a seat on the school board. 1

negative
8. When you act like a (willful, rebellious) child, people will not react
positively toward you.

' Challenge: Using Connotation

Choose vocabulary words from Units 1-3 to replace the boldface words in the
sentences below. Then explain how the connotation of the replacement word changes
the tone of the sentence.

servile
groping
incognito skittish
tethered
prodigious

1. Tossed into a dark cell, the prisoner bumped around feeling

for the walls and the door. ' -------

2. No_t only was William Blake a-great

artist as well. - - - - - - - poet, he was a talented

3. Many of the animals that were typically playful and trusting became bashful
- - - - - - - after the hurricane.

48 • Word Study
 wo;o STUDY:,
.
Clas:sical.~,
( oots This Latin root appears in revert (page 16), which means
"to return, to go back to a previous, or lower, condition."
vers, vert-to turn Some other words based on the same root are listed below.

controversy Inverse reversal verse

conversant pervert traverse vertiginous

From the list of words above, choose the one that corresponds to each of the brief
definitions below. Write the word in the blank space in the illustrative sentence below
the definition. Use a dictionary if necessary.

1. familiar by use or study; acquainted ("turning with")

Before we remodeled our house, we sought expert advice from someone
- - - - - - - - with the town's building code.

2. to turn away from the right course; to lead astray, distort ("thoroughly, utterly turned")
The defendant was accused of paying bribes to try to _ _ _ _ _ _ __
the justice system.

3. a lengthy dispute ("a turning against")

A new development in medical technology may spark a heated
________ within the field.

4. to travel across; to cross and recross; to extend over

We plan to ________ the countryside by bicycle this summer.

5. whirling or spinning; tending to make dizzy; affected by or suffering from dizziness

The ________ rides in amusement parks are popular with children
of all ages.

6. turned upside down or inside out; referring to a relationship in which one item
increases as the other decreases
Division is the ________ of multiplication.

7. a change or overthrow; a change of fortune (usually for the worse), setback

The press criticized the Supreme Court's-------- of the state
court's decision.

8. a line of poetry; poetic writing ("a turning, as of a line")

The teacher asked each student to recite a - - - - - - - - of a
favorite poem.

Word Study 49