standards

(n) - Standards are levels that are considered to be acceptable, or the levels that someone or something has achieved.

• Synonyms: principles, benchmarks, ideals, models, examples
• Etymology: Mid 12th-Century, probably from the Frankish word *standhard, which literally means "stand fast or firm," a compound word from standan meaning "to stand" + hardus meaning "hard." This word got its name because a flag was fixed to a pole or spear and stuck in the ground to stand firmly upright. The meaning for this word as "a rule, principal or means of judgment" comes from the 1560s.
• Example: I have high standards when it comes to your learning and behaviors, otherwise you would not be in this class!

Did you know that we have standards for math?

Want to know what they are?

abrupt

(adj) - If something is abrupt, it is sudden and unexpected. If a person is abrupt, they probably seem rude and unfriendly, especially because they do not waste time in friendly conversation.

• Synonyms: direct, blunt, short, snappy, sudden
• Antonyms: gentle, calm, kind
• Etymology: 16th Century Latin, from ab- meaning "off" + rumpere meaning "break" (as in rupture)
• Morphology: adv - abruptly
• Example: A fire drill could cause our learning to come to an abrupt halt.

menacing

(adj.) - Something menacing is unpleasant, threatening, and scary. If the sky is menacing, you can see there is going to be a storm. If someone's look is menacing, you know they are about to do something horrible.

• Synonyms: threatening, intimidating, frightening, looming
• Antonyms: unthreatening, pleasant
• Etymology: 1300 Latin, from minæ meaning "threats, projecting points"
• Morphology: noun = menace
• Example: Rescue Josh McGuire, pg 79 - "He had to crawl into the menacing black space."

And now presenting...

Menacing Molly!

taboo

(n) - If you commit a taboo, you do somthing that other people consider to be wrong.
(adj) - Something that is considered taboo is bad and is just not done.

• Synonyms: not allowed, forbidden, wrong, off-limits
• Antonyms: ok, acceptable, allowed
• Etymology: 1777 English, this word was first recorded in Captain James Cook's "A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean," meaning "forbidden, unclean or cursed." This word is explained in some English sources as being from the Tongan (Polynesian language of the island of Tonga) word ta-bu meaning "sacred," which comes from ta meaning "mark" + bu meaning "especially."

• Example: A taboo subject, word, or activity is one that people avoid because it may be offensive or embarrassing.

Have you ever played the game Taboo?

 The objective of the game is for you to have a partner guess the word on the card without using the taboo word itself or without saying the five other words listed on the card!

Click here or on the image below to try it!

reputation

(n) - A reputation is the opinion that people have about someone or something because of what has happened in the past.

• Synonyms: fame, honor, influence, position, regard, character
• Antonyms: disregard
• Etymology: Late 14th Century Latin, from re- meaning "again" + putare meaning "to reckon, consider"
• Morphology: repute, reputable
• Example: Spiders, like the one Emma found in her yard, have a reputation for being scary killers... 

vigor

(n) – Vigor is physical or mental energy and determination.

• Synonyms: power, energy, bounce, get-up-and-go, liveliness, strength
• Antonyms: weakness, inactivity, laziness
• Etymology: 1300 PIE , from *wog- or *weg- meaning “be lively or active"
• Morphology: vigorous
• Example: Recess always seems to bring out the vigor in kids…ok, and maybe grown-ups, too.

This 1936 Popeye cartoon is called Vim, Vigor, and Vitaliky.

Can you guess why?
Explain the title of this cartoon.

Don't forget to use today's word!

intricate

(adj) - Something intricate contains many small parts or details that all work or fit together.

• Synonyms: complicated, detailed, elaborate
• Antonyms: simple, understandable, easy
• Etymology: Late 15th Century Latin, from in- meaning "in" + tricæ meaning "toys, tricks"
• Morphology: intricacy
• Example: If you look at a road map, you will see many more intricate details about places in our country than if you look at a physical map.

The human brain is an incredibly intricate piece of machinery! Look at these images to see what I mean...

 

incredulous

(adj.) - If you are unable or unwilling to believe something, you are probably incredulous about it.
*incredible means 'unbelievable' and incredulous means 'unbelieving'

• Synonyms: disbelieving, distrustful, doubtful, doubting, mistrustful, questioning, suspicious, uncertain, unconvinced, wary
• Antonyms: believing, convinced
• Etymology: 1570s, from Latin, from in- meaning "not" + credere meaning "to believe"
• Morphology: incredible, incredulity
• Example: The results of some science experiments may cause you to be incredulous.

imply

(v) - If you imply something, you suggest that it is true, without saying this directly.

• Synonyms: hint at, suggest, mention
• Antonyms: state, tell directly; infer
• Etymology: 1374 Latin implicare meaning "involve, entangle," from im- meaning "in, into" + plicare meaning "to lay, fold, twist"
• Morphology: implication, implicate
• Example: When I give you “the look,” I am trying to imply that you need to change your behavior.

What is Jon trying to imply by giving Garfield "the look?"

infer

(v) - When you infer, you form an opinion that something is probably true, simply because of the information that you have.

• Synonyms: assume, conclude, understand
• Antonyms: misunderstand, imply
• Etymology: 1529 Ancient European bher- meaning “to take, carry”
• Morphology: inference
• Example: When my mom gives me “the look,” I should infer that I need to change my behavior.

ironic

(adj.) - An ironic situation is one that is unusual or amusing because something strange happens or the opposite of what is expected happens or is true. It can also be using words that are the opposite of what you really mean, often in a joking way.

• Synonyms: sarcastic, oddly funny, defiant, twisted
• Antonyms: ordinary, expected
• Etymology: 1500 Greek, from eironikos meaning "dissembling, acting ignorant." It originally came from eiron meaning "dissembler," which may have actually come from the word eirein meaning "to speak"
• Morphology: irony - n
• Example: It would be ironic if you were walking down the street and you found a penny, but you did not pick it up; then, when you tried to take the bus, you were missing a penny, and so you had to walk.

Congratulations - you researched Chuck Hoberman this week!  It was 10 years ago that his famous creation was used in the Opening Ceremonies for the Olympic Games.

modify

(verb) - If you modify something, you make small changes to it in order to improve and make it better or more effective.

• Word Family: modification
• Synonyms: adjust, change, tweak, transform, vary
• Antonyms: leave alone
• Origin: Late 1300s Latin, from modus meaning "measure, manner" + facere meaning "to make"
• Example: If your hypothesis turns out to be wrong in science, you may have to modify it.

commute

(v) - When you commute, you regularly travel, usually a long distance, to get back and forth to and from work. To commute can also mean to exchange one thing, especially one kind of payment, for another.

• Synonyms: travel, trade, exchange, go back and forth, transfer
• Antonyms: keep, stay
• Etymology: Mid-15th Century Latin, from com- meaning "with" + mutare meaning "to change." The sense of this word as "go back and forth to work" came from 1889.
• Morphology: commuter, commutative
• Example: Some people who work in big cities choose to live further away, and commute to work by bus or train everyday.

associate

(n) - An associate is someone who you work with.
(v) - If you associate with someone, you hang out or work with them. If you associate two things, you make a connection in your mind between them.
*This word can even be used as an adjective!

• Synonyms: (n) - coworker, colleague, partner, peer, friend, comrade, buddy; (v) - accompany, assist, mingle, hang out, get together
• Antonyms: (n) - enemy, opponent, stranger; (v) - avoid, disassociate, disjoin, divorce, separate
  
• Etymology: Mid-15th Century Latin, from ad- meaning "to" + sociare meaning "unite with," which comes from socius meaning "companion"
• Morphology: association, associated
  
• Example: In our class, we have the opportunity to associate with many different types of associates!

persevere

(adj) - If you persevere, you continue trying to do something in a very determined way, even though it may be difficult - this is a compliment!

• Synonyms: carry on, continue, stick it out, keep going, pursue, be strong
• Antonyms: give up, leave, quit, stop
• Etymology: Mid-14th Century Latin, from per- meaning "very" + severus meaning "strict" (which is where we get the word sever)
• Morphology: perseverance, perservative, perseverant
• Example: When the going gets tough, the tough persevere!

This week's Fab Five person is relevant to this object:

Who invented this object?

Do some research to find out!

It may be difficult, but don't give up - just persevere!

Hint:  C---- H-------

relevant

(adj) - If something is relevant, it is related to something that is being talked about at the time.

• Word Family: related, relative
• Synonyms: related, appropriate, fitting
• Antonyms: irrelevant, inappropriate, unsuitable, random
• Etymology: 1481 Latin, from re- meaning "again" + levare meaning "to lessen, lighten" (as in relieve)
• Morphology: relieve, irrelevant, relevance
• Example: Someone might wonder how a topic like baseball is relevant to a subject like math.

Click here or on the image below to find out!

deft

(adj.) - skillful and quick

• Synonyms: skillful, clever, smart, good at
• Antonyms: clumsy
• Etymology: No date, Old English gedæfte meaning "mild, gentle;" during the middle ages, this word “morphed” into daft, which is now considered an antonym.
• Morphology: deftly
• Example: With time and practice, you will become as deft at adding and subtracting decimals as you are at finding sums and differences of whole numbers.

Click here or on the image below to practice!

interrogate

(v.) - To interrogate someone is to ask a lot of questions for a long time in order to get information, sometimes using threats.

• Synonyms: examine, inquire, ask, grill, query, question, quiz
• Antonyms: answer, reply
• Etymology: Late 15th Century Latin, from from inter- meaning "between" + rogare meaning "ask, to question"
• Morphology: interrogated, interrogating, interrogation, interrogative
• Example: A detective has to interrogate his witnesses, as well as his suspects to figure out whether his conjecture is accurate or not.

In the game 20 Questions, the guesser must interrogate the thinker in order to figure out the mystery object. Let's see if the computer can correctly identify our object through its interrogation!

reluctant

(adj) - If you are reluctant to do something, you are slow and unwilling to do it.

• Synonyms: unsure, hesitant, afraid, shy
• Antonyms: ready, willing, enthusiastic
• Etymology: 1641 Latin, from re- "again" + luctari "to struggle."
• Morphology: reluctance, reluctantly
• Example: If you would be reluctant to bring home an orphaned bear cub, well you should be!

 I wonder if Ben Mikaelsen feels that way today...