Bill Conrad's Blog - Posts Tagged "vocabulary"
Capacitor (noun)
Two weeks ago, I passed a grueling test. I work as an Electrical Engineer developing electronics, and, by definition, I do all the usual activities associated with this profession. Unfortunately, this test was designed for IT (computer network) technicians with three or more years of experience. The topics focused on IT basics, network security, system attacks, and computer organizations. Of course, I have no IT training and limited computer networking experience. However, because my work is a government contractor, all employees with computer access needed to pass this test.
The material was super difficult, and I struggled for three solid weeks to grasp the basic concepts. A big part of the studying was learning unfamiliar vocabulary. The hardest part was IT specific acronyms. As I studied, I realized there was more to IT terms than basic definitions.
Let me explain why by taking a dive into my world. In electronics, we use a device called a capacitor. Here is the ten-page Wikipedia article which does a so-so job of describing the topic:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor
The article discusses capacitor history, function, math, and applications. However, I have been working with capacitors for many years, and I know far more about the topic than the information presented. I will further say that reading this page will give electronic beginners a false sense of security. For example, there are many manufactures, and each has multiple product lines. As a result, I could spend over 20 minutes discussing that single aspect with no preparation. Keep in mind that this aspect is not even a technical topic, but it is critical to understand the manufacturing process, people who sell these components, inventory, quality, limitations, price, and specific characters not listed in the datasheets. The Wikipedia entry falls so short in this area, it is laughable.
I am sure a doctor could also spend hours describing scalpels. To me, they are “body knives.” Probably one type? Right? Of course not. They are sophisticated instruments made by many manufactures to accomplish many tasks, and they have an extensive history spanning thousands of years. I am sure a doctor could also spend 20 minutes discussing scalpel manufactures.
All areas of technology, art, science… have specific technical terms with detailed meaning. Simply reading the Wikipedia page will not turn a person into an expert. A person requires years to master their field of interest.
Yet, somehow, I needed to pass the test without years of experience. So, I studied like mad and passed with a minimum margin. The bad news is that I gammed the test and I will have to take it in three years. What does gamming mean? It means that I only learned the narrow test topics. I have no actual network security knowledge. Yet, I have the certificate, proving I have extensive security knowledge. What a sham!
There is a silver lining. I learned some new topics. But I now have a better understanding of how critical technical words are. What about the term blog?
The material was super difficult, and I struggled for three solid weeks to grasp the basic concepts. A big part of the studying was learning unfamiliar vocabulary. The hardest part was IT specific acronyms. As I studied, I realized there was more to IT terms than basic definitions.
Let me explain why by taking a dive into my world. In electronics, we use a device called a capacitor. Here is the ten-page Wikipedia article which does a so-so job of describing the topic:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor
The article discusses capacitor history, function, math, and applications. However, I have been working with capacitors for many years, and I know far more about the topic than the information presented. I will further say that reading this page will give electronic beginners a false sense of security. For example, there are many manufactures, and each has multiple product lines. As a result, I could spend over 20 minutes discussing that single aspect with no preparation. Keep in mind that this aspect is not even a technical topic, but it is critical to understand the manufacturing process, people who sell these components, inventory, quality, limitations, price, and specific characters not listed in the datasheets. The Wikipedia entry falls so short in this area, it is laughable.
I am sure a doctor could also spend hours describing scalpels. To me, they are “body knives.” Probably one type? Right? Of course not. They are sophisticated instruments made by many manufactures to accomplish many tasks, and they have an extensive history spanning thousands of years. I am sure a doctor could also spend 20 minutes discussing scalpel manufactures.
All areas of technology, art, science… have specific technical terms with detailed meaning. Simply reading the Wikipedia page will not turn a person into an expert. A person requires years to master their field of interest.
Yet, somehow, I needed to pass the test without years of experience. So, I studied like mad and passed with a minimum margin. The bad news is that I gammed the test and I will have to take it in three years. What does gamming mean? It means that I only learned the narrow test topics. I have no actual network security knowledge. Yet, I have the certificate, proving I have extensive security knowledge. What a sham!
There is a silver lining. I learned some new topics. But I now have a better understanding of how critical technical words are. What about the term blog?
Perfect Words
Our vocabulary is nonexistent when we are born, but we see the big people making noises and want to join in. My first spoken word was “apple,” and my daughter’s was “mom.”
As our vocabulary grew, we began reading and understanding the power of words. Soon, we were writing and creating our sentences that other people could understand. This ability allows us to look at something and explain how it looks, works, feels, tastes, and smells. See that? I am using words to describe words.
How did I do it? To write that sentence, I needed a mental database of words and used my writing experience to choose the right words and logically string them together. The result was easy to understand and conveyed my exact thoughts.
All adults have a broad vocabulary after many years of life experience, reading, and writing. From this immense number of words in my vocabulary, I chose the best ones to describe my thoughts.
Yet, my sentence could have been better. Instead of “looks, works, feels, tastes, and smells,” I could have written, “appears, functions teases my fingers, and fills my nostrils with sent.” That second attempt is not as direct, but it is more flowery. Flowery? Wow! What an extraordinary word. In fact, it is the perfect word to describe that second attempt.
This is the area I wanted to explore. In every sentence, there is a possibility of having the perfect word (or phrase). This single gem outshines all the others and makes the writer look like a superstar.
Here are four bad/good examples. “Let’s adjust and tweak the controls for the best performance.” “Let’s optimize the controls for the best performance.” “Paint that section light-blue.” “Paint that section turquoise.” “Add a pinch more salt.” “Add 1/8 tablespoon more salt.”
How about a real-life example? My Uncle Al was a larger-than-life man who went far out of his way to make a powerful impression. I remember a conversation where somebody attempted to impress Al by bringing up a useless fact. Al commented, “Aren’t you a potpourri of information,” Potpourri? A perfect word that shut the arrogant person down.
In another conversation with Al, we were going deep sea fishing. He hooked a “giant fish” and reeled it in as fast as possible. Because of the depth, this took time, and Al boasted about the epic size as he cranked away. Near the top, the fish became unhooked, or a seal took it.
The six hooks and weight came out of the water, revealing a tiny fish. “Nice keychain,” was my brash comment. We still speak fondly about that conversation, all because of one word.
I view sentences like a pyramid with a single word standing on the top. Yet, perfect sentences are difficult to create. Take the word blue. When I plug it into thesaurus.com, it lists blue-green, azure, beryl, cerulean, cobalt, indigo, navy, royal, sapphire, teal, turquoise, ultramarine, and blue-gray. Beryl, cerulean? I have never read these words before.
This brings up an important point. A writer must consider their audience. Take the previous example. “Paint that section blue.” “Paint that section beryl.” (I had to look the word up. It means dark-blue.) If I spoke that sentence to a color expert, it would sound impressive, but it would be nonsense to the rest of us.
How do we choose the perfect word? It is tempting to answer, “Keep a thesaurus nearby.” However, I often find that the perfect word comes from outside the topic.
I have found that an excellent source of outside-the-box words and examples of how to use them comes from comic strips. To create these, the cartoonist must think ultra-carefully about each word because they only get a few. The Farside cartoons by Gary Larson are perfect examples. Each one contains a gem of a sentence, and I keep them in the back of my bonkers mind as examples of humor.
Am I advising you to read cartoons and use their wisdom to write the perfect sentence and have a robust vocabulary? Umm, yeah. Umm, yeah? Wow, that is not a powerful sentence to make my point.
You’re the best -Bill
August 16, 2023
As our vocabulary grew, we began reading and understanding the power of words. Soon, we were writing and creating our sentences that other people could understand. This ability allows us to look at something and explain how it looks, works, feels, tastes, and smells. See that? I am using words to describe words.
How did I do it? To write that sentence, I needed a mental database of words and used my writing experience to choose the right words and logically string them together. The result was easy to understand and conveyed my exact thoughts.
All adults have a broad vocabulary after many years of life experience, reading, and writing. From this immense number of words in my vocabulary, I chose the best ones to describe my thoughts.
Yet, my sentence could have been better. Instead of “looks, works, feels, tastes, and smells,” I could have written, “appears, functions teases my fingers, and fills my nostrils with sent.” That second attempt is not as direct, but it is more flowery. Flowery? Wow! What an extraordinary word. In fact, it is the perfect word to describe that second attempt.
This is the area I wanted to explore. In every sentence, there is a possibility of having the perfect word (or phrase). This single gem outshines all the others and makes the writer look like a superstar.
Here are four bad/good examples. “Let’s adjust and tweak the controls for the best performance.” “Let’s optimize the controls for the best performance.” “Paint that section light-blue.” “Paint that section turquoise.” “Add a pinch more salt.” “Add 1/8 tablespoon more salt.”
How about a real-life example? My Uncle Al was a larger-than-life man who went far out of his way to make a powerful impression. I remember a conversation where somebody attempted to impress Al by bringing up a useless fact. Al commented, “Aren’t you a potpourri of information,” Potpourri? A perfect word that shut the arrogant person down.
In another conversation with Al, we were going deep sea fishing. He hooked a “giant fish” and reeled it in as fast as possible. Because of the depth, this took time, and Al boasted about the epic size as he cranked away. Near the top, the fish became unhooked, or a seal took it.
The six hooks and weight came out of the water, revealing a tiny fish. “Nice keychain,” was my brash comment. We still speak fondly about that conversation, all because of one word.
I view sentences like a pyramid with a single word standing on the top. Yet, perfect sentences are difficult to create. Take the word blue. When I plug it into thesaurus.com, it lists blue-green, azure, beryl, cerulean, cobalt, indigo, navy, royal, sapphire, teal, turquoise, ultramarine, and blue-gray. Beryl, cerulean? I have never read these words before.
This brings up an important point. A writer must consider their audience. Take the previous example. “Paint that section blue.” “Paint that section beryl.” (I had to look the word up. It means dark-blue.) If I spoke that sentence to a color expert, it would sound impressive, but it would be nonsense to the rest of us.
How do we choose the perfect word? It is tempting to answer, “Keep a thesaurus nearby.” However, I often find that the perfect word comes from outside the topic.
I have found that an excellent source of outside-the-box words and examples of how to use them comes from comic strips. To create these, the cartoonist must think ultra-carefully about each word because they only get a few. The Farside cartoons by Gary Larson are perfect examples. Each one contains a gem of a sentence, and I keep them in the back of my bonkers mind as examples of humor.
Am I advising you to read cartoons and use their wisdom to write the perfect sentence and have a robust vocabulary? Umm, yeah. Umm, yeah? Wow, that is not a powerful sentence to make my point.
You’re the best -Bill
August 16, 2023
Unassailable
I use the word optimize in every possible place it fits. Optimize that recipe. I have optimized my walking style. Can my driving be optimized? You bet! The word rolls off my tongue even when I am silently typing.
I never use some words because I do not fully understand their meaning and do not want to sound like an idiot. Argyle? Something to do with socks. Bloodthirsty? Umm, I think that has something to do with motivation. Googleplex? That’s a big number, but I do not know how big. Ribosomes? It’s some silly biological term. Myocardial? A doctor used that once in a health video. Metastatic? I think that was the same doctor.
That’s all understandable, but there is one word I avoid, like the plague, yet I fully understand the meaning. Unassailable describes a condition that cannot be argued against. If there is a video of a person committing a crime, their guilt is unassailable. Writers often use it in mathematics, law, engineering, and critical discussions.
Now, hold on. There are some conditions where I know the word legitimately applies. 2+2=4. The math is unassailable. Yes and no. The logic is flawless, but 2+2=4 is not unassailable; it is a correct equation with room for disagreement. Two apples plus two oranges do not equal four planes.
It seems like this word has many applications, so do I hate it with a passion? Because it is offensive to the reader. It is as if I said, “Hey, I discovered something, and you cannot contradict me, jerk!”
I can show you why I hate this work with this very sentence. I do not know who will read my words. You could be a serial killer, truck driver, or someone who accidentally clicked on a link. Yet, I have the same goal: for you to be entertained, educated, and enjoy my creation. Yet, there is no guarantee of success. My sentence might even bring resentment, but deep in my heart, I tried my best to present something enjoyable.
Allow me to make a brief exception with one awful sentence. Jack, and, Jill, went, up, a, hill, to, fetch, a, pale, of, water. Wow, those comas were so annoying. And that sentence? Could I have been any more cliché? Anger is boiling, and words are turning green like the Hulk. Roar!
Reading the word unassailable feels the same as that awful sentence. Why would I want to insult the people I am trying to entertain? “I am smarter than you!” Nobody likes that attitude. I want my readers to smile, but that word goes against every writing instinct I have. It is like it has a poor attitude reservoir.
I suppose we all have our little quirks. Grammar mongers dislike improper punctuation and go to great lengths to point out mistakes. Wordsmiths take great joy in using obscure words in everyday sentences. I love the band Rush, which probably makes the people who adore classical music freak out. Oh, well, that’s life, which is an unassailable conclusion.
You’re the best -Bill
December 13, 2023
I never use some words because I do not fully understand their meaning and do not want to sound like an idiot. Argyle? Something to do with socks. Bloodthirsty? Umm, I think that has something to do with motivation. Googleplex? That’s a big number, but I do not know how big. Ribosomes? It’s some silly biological term. Myocardial? A doctor used that once in a health video. Metastatic? I think that was the same doctor.
That’s all understandable, but there is one word I avoid, like the plague, yet I fully understand the meaning. Unassailable describes a condition that cannot be argued against. If there is a video of a person committing a crime, their guilt is unassailable. Writers often use it in mathematics, law, engineering, and critical discussions.
Now, hold on. There are some conditions where I know the word legitimately applies. 2+2=4. The math is unassailable. Yes and no. The logic is flawless, but 2+2=4 is not unassailable; it is a correct equation with room for disagreement. Two apples plus two oranges do not equal four planes.
It seems like this word has many applications, so do I hate it with a passion? Because it is offensive to the reader. It is as if I said, “Hey, I discovered something, and you cannot contradict me, jerk!”
I can show you why I hate this work with this very sentence. I do not know who will read my words. You could be a serial killer, truck driver, or someone who accidentally clicked on a link. Yet, I have the same goal: for you to be entertained, educated, and enjoy my creation. Yet, there is no guarantee of success. My sentence might even bring resentment, but deep in my heart, I tried my best to present something enjoyable.
Allow me to make a brief exception with one awful sentence. Jack, and, Jill, went, up, a, hill, to, fetch, a, pale, of, water. Wow, those comas were so annoying. And that sentence? Could I have been any more cliché? Anger is boiling, and words are turning green like the Hulk. Roar!
Reading the word unassailable feels the same as that awful sentence. Why would I want to insult the people I am trying to entertain? “I am smarter than you!” Nobody likes that attitude. I want my readers to smile, but that word goes against every writing instinct I have. It is like it has a poor attitude reservoir.
I suppose we all have our little quirks. Grammar mongers dislike improper punctuation and go to great lengths to point out mistakes. Wordsmiths take great joy in using obscure words in everyday sentences. I love the band Rush, which probably makes the people who adore classical music freak out. Oh, well, that’s life, which is an unassailable conclusion.
You’re the best -Bill
December 13, 2023
