Blog Schedule

I post on Monday with an occasional random blog thrown in for good measure. I do my best to answer all comments via email and visit around on the days I post.

Monday, January 30, 2017

Alternatives, Introducing... Brain Ticklers, Being Thankful

Alternatives is an occasion post in which I give synonyms for an over used word. Click on the tab above for a "complete" list of over used words.


Today's word is:

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I was quite surprised by the comparatively large number of synonyms this word has. I was pleased to see juxtaposition, which for some reason is a word I like. Perhaps because it isn't all that easy to say and has an X in it. So-so is also on the list, as is ratherish, which makes me feel rawther British.

Although there are quite a few deadly adverbs, there are plenty of others to pick from that aren't.


Depending on how you use it, this list may come in handy for finding another way to say the same thing.


acting as, adjectively ,after a fashion, alike, allegorically, alliteratively, allusively, almost
analogously, approximately, analogy, appositely, appreciably, as, at any rate, at best
at least, at the least, at most, at the most, at the outside, at worst averagely

ballpark figure, being, bit, by its nature

circa, close to, closely, comparably, comparative, comparison, conditionally, consonantly, contrastingly, correspondingly

detectably

enough, equally, equation, equivalently, essentially, evenly, ever so little

fairly, foil, for instance, functioning as

generally, germanely

halfway, hardly

identically, illustratively, in a certain degree, in a manner, in the manner that, in the same manner with, in a similar way, in a way, in accordance with, in common. in moderation, in part, in some measure, in some way, in the ballpark, in the region of, in the same degree, in the same manner, in the same way, in the same way as, incompletely, identical to

just as, just for, juxtaposition

kind of

leastwise, less, like, likewise, little, loosely

merely, metaphorically, mildly, moderately, modestly, more, more or less

near, nearly, not absolutely, not comprehensively, not entirely, not exhaustively, not far from, not totally

only, ornamentally

parallel, part, partially, partly, passably, perspective, pertinently, pretty, pro tanto, proportionately, proximately, purely

quite

rather, ratherish, reasonably, relational, relative, relatively, relevantly, restrictedly

serving as, similarly, simply, slightly, so far, so to speak, some extent, some thus far, something, somewhat, sort of, so-so, such as

temperately, to a certain extent, to a degree, to a point, to an extent, to some degree, to some extent, tolerably

uniformly

upwards of

very close, visibly, within bounds, within limits, within reason

***

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FDR in 1893And now, I'd like to introduce you to Brain Ticklers, a new occasional post in which I will give you a writing prompt or two to tickle your brain.

Of course you can do with them what you will.

Today is Franklin Delano Roosevelt's birthday. He was born in 1882.

For a Brain Tickler, perhaps you could juxtaposition him with a few other presidents, a compare and contrast, if you will.

Or maybe you can look at the young lad in the picture and make up a story about a boy name Delano, a boy who has a dream. What is his dream? What is he thinking? ("Hurry up and take the picture, I want to go riding!") Maybe he dreams of being a jockey. He was 18 at the turn of 20th century. What might he have thought or experienced? Might he have caroused with some buddies, or would he have contemplated what it meant to enter the year 1900?

***

Being Thankful

Today I'm thankful for our newly trimmed cedar elm. And also, the lovely sunrise.

What are you thankful for? Got a favorite alternative for comparatively? What do you think about Brain Ticklers (please be honest, my feelings won't be hurt if you think it's a waste of my time.) Do you know any interesting facts about our 32nd president? 

12 comments:

  1. Gosh ratherish doesn't sound like a real world, and I say that even though I’m rawther British. :-) I love the way you find all these words. I often find myself using the same word repeatedly, so these lists are really helpful. (So is a word I use all the time, which is so annoying!)

    I’m thankful for interesting blogs (like yours) that always give me something to think about, and I like your Brain Ticklers idea, although sadly I know next to nothing about Franklin Delano Roosevelt – hangs head in shame.

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    1. I like ratherish too, even if it isn't a "real" word. English is such a pliable language I'm sure we'll be forgiven. After all we coin new words all the time. Chortle didn't exist until Lewis Carroll used it in Through the Looking Glass!

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    2. I didn't know that Bish, thank you. I can honestly say I learn something new every time I visit your blog.

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  2. That is a nice sunrise.
    Lots of non-ly words that work, which is good.
    Roosevelt certainly got a lot more done than some of our recent presidents. We wouldn't have state parks without him.

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    1. I'm not sure if it was FDR who gave us state parks, but he did pull us out of the Depression and get us through most of WWII.

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  3. Comparatively speaking, old FDR was one accomplished man. It's interesting to think how he would have handled wars like Vietnam and this current Middle East mess. I don't think he would have backed down and let Russia take the lead, that's for sure. Of course, we were allies with Russia when FDR was in office. Ah, how times to changes.

    And I guess that's what I'm grateful for. Times and things change. That's one constant we can count on.

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    1. Yes, I'm grateful that things change too. Paul Harvey said during Nixon's presidency, "In times like these, it's helpful to remember there have always been times like these."

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  4. Comparatively does have a lot of synonyms.

    Fun Brain Tickler. That's a good idea to get people's creative juices flowing.

    Lovely picture!

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    1. Glad you like the idea of the Brain Tickler. I do enjoy playing around with prompts.

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  5. I loved using the word "juxtapose" in college essays. FDR was quite a player. He broke his wife's heart when he had an affair with her social secretary, Lucy Mercer. Eleanor never forgave him. He also had close relationships with many women while he was president, but no one knows if they were physical affairs because he was paralyzed from the waist down because of polio. He can be juxtaposed with his distant cousin, Theodore Roosevelt, who had a horror of being unfaithful to his wife in any way. TR struggled with marrying again after his first wife died. He felt that a second marriage would demonstrate a lack of faithfulness to first wife Alice. Eventually, though, he did remarry. Both presidents named Roosevelt remained married to the day they died: Franklin not very happily, although he appreciated his wife's work and political acumen, and Theodore very happy with second wife Edith, though his later years were marred by the death of his youngest son in the first world war. I like your Brain Tickler. It has me thinking about Franklin as a young man, too. He was a huge mama's boy.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. Oh, Janie! You know a lot about FDR and Teddy too! Thanks for sharing.

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Your Random Thoughts are most welcome!