Aplomb (uh-PLOM) — from a French phrase meaning “balanced” — is imperturbable self-assurance. (It literally means “on the plumb line.”)
Example (as used by Peter Fogel today): “But though my friend has proven that you don’t need high self-esteem to be an effective speaker (or a successful entrepreneur) — he’s also shown that you need to be able to present your material with aplomb and conviction.”
Weltanschauung (VELT-ahn-shou-oong) — German for “world” + “perception” — is an individual’s personal philosophy, the ideas and beliefs through which he sees and interprets the world. (more…)
Something that’s acrimonious (ak-ruh-MOH-nee-us) — from the Latin for “sharp” or “sour” — is resentful, caustic, or bitter. (more…)
“Eighty-six” is diner slang for taking an item off the menu or canceling an order. It’s also used by bars and restaurants when they refuse to serve an unruly or drunk customer. By extension, it can mean rejecting, discarding, or getting rid of anything or anyone (especially gangster style). (more…)
Laissez-faire (lay-zay-FARE) — French for “allow to do” — is the economic policy of allowing markets to be free of intervention by the government. (more…)
Parsimonious (par-suh-MOH-nee-us) is another way of saying miserly or excessively frugal.
Example (as used by Michael Masterson today): “Stingy rich people are parsimonious because they enjoy being so. Pinching pennies isn’t a financial planning strategy for them, it’s a twisted hobby.” (more…)
A predilection (pred-l-EK-shun) — from the Latin for “to choose or love before others” — is a preconceived preference — a tendency to think favorably of something in particular. (more…)
Consternation (kon-ster-NAY-shun) — from the Latin for “to throw into confusion” — is the state of being utterly bewildered.
Example (as used by Bob Cox today): “Imagine my consternation (and embarrassment) when the new CEO declined to come downstairs to the conference room to meet with us.”
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A lexicon (LEK-sih-kon) — from the Greek for “speech” or “word” — is the vocabulary used by a particular language, profession, social class, or individual.
Example (as used by Rich Schefren today): “There is something about the [Starbucks] lexicon that makes us feel like we are members of a club. (With club locations seemingly on every street corner.)”
An ideologue (AYE-dee-uh-lawg) — from the French — is a zealous supporter of a particular system of beliefs and values.
Example (as used by Dr. Mardy Grothe and quoted by Michael Masterson today): “In Man and Superman (which is [George Bernard] Shaw’s re-telling of the Don Juan story) the hero of the play is John Tanner, a witty ideologue who in Shaw’s fictional world is the author of ‘The Revolutionist’s Handbook.’”
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Horse Sense is a folksy way of saying common sense. The expression was inspired by the cow ponies of the Old West. They were trained to herd cattle, and were so intelligent that they could do the work with very little direction from their riders.
Example (as used by John Wood today): “Now asking something like ‘Is your oil at the proper level today, sir?’ would seem to be just good horse sense. A line so simple you’d think most gas station owners would naturally come up with it — but few did.”
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An inherent (in-HERE-unt) quality, attribute, or characteristic is one that is permanent — inseparably attached or connected. The word is derived from the Latin for “to stick.”
Example (as used by Bob Bly today): “Self-publishing is not inherently better than traditional publishing. Nor is the reverse true.”
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Limelight was an early type of lighting used to illuminate a stage. The light was created by using a flame to heat a cylinder of lime to incandescence, and then intensifying the light with a lens. These days, we use the word metaphorically to mean the center of attention.
Example (as used by Robert Ringer today): “Where would Oliver North and Mark Fuhrman be today had they not been thrust into the limelight through accidents of history?”
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An autoresponder is a program that automatically generates a reply to incoming e-mails. Some people use autoresponders to deliver “out of office” messages when they are away from their computers for any length of time. Internet marketers use them to follow up with customers who’ve made a purchase online and prospects who have signed up to receive information from them.
Example (as used by Jay White today): “If you’re an Internet marketer and you’re not taking advantage of autoresponders to accelerate your profits, listen up. (And if you are, listen up anyway. Because I have a few tricks up my sleeve for you.)
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A gastronome (GAS-truh-nome) is a gourmet — a connoisseur of fine food and drink. The word is derived from the Greek for “stomach.”
Example (as used by Michael Masterson today): “If you are selling inexpensive domestic caviar, you could create a story about how a group of gastronomes ridiculed your product until they tasted it.”
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of increasing a website’s visibility — and, thus, the amount of “organic” (free) traffic it gets — by making it search engine friendly. SEO techniques include choosing targeted keywords, arranging for inbound links from other relevant websites, and making sure the site’s content contains plenty of useful information.
Example (as used by Edwin Huertas today): “Because she had limited funds, the main business-building strategy I recommended was to drive free traffic to her site using search engine optimization (SEO).”
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker... build your self-confidence and intellect... increase your attractiveness to others... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's Words to the Wise CD Library.]
Autonomy (aw-TON-uh-mee) — from the Greek for “self” + “law” — is freedom; independence.
Example (as used by Rich Schefren today): “When I made the decision to develop a business that would give me the autonomy to spend more time with my family and friends, I went with the one thing I knew I could ‘hang my hat on’ and pursue with a passion — helping others do the same.”
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker... build your self-confidence and intellect... increase your attractiveness to others... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's Words to the Wise CD Library.]
A lettershop is a business that handles large-volume mailings for direct-mail marketers. Its services include assembling and inserting package contents, addressing, sorting, and delivering the packages to the post office.
Example (as used by Clayton Makepeace today): “Twenty years ago, if you had told me that one day I’d be able to reach millions of prospective customers without paying a penny in printing, postage, or lettershop fees … and without paying through the nose for print space or TV and radio time … I would have smiled and backed away from you v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y.”
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker... build your self-confidence and intellect... increase your attractiveness to others... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's Words to the Wise CD Library.]
To vet is to carefully examine or evaluate, checking for such things as accuracy, validity, and authenticity.
Example (as used by Michael Masterson today): “Luckily, [the Bentleys'] bank suggested that they have their business plan vetted. That’s how they met Allen Shapiro, a retired executive with more than 30 years of retail experience.”
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker... build your self-confidence and intellect... increase your attractiveness to others... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's Words to the Wise CD Library.]
A conduit (KON-dwit) — from the Latin for “to lead together” — is a passageway through which something (usually fluids, wires, or cables) is conveyed, transmitted, or distributed.
Example (as used by Michael Masterson today): “Teachers are the conduits through which our children’s minds are shaped. They are the advice givers who provide the future with the wisdom of the past.”
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker... build your self-confidence and intellect... increase your attractiveness to others... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's Words to the Wise CD Library.]
Demographics (dem-uh-GRAF-iks) are statistical data that identify the characteristics of a segment of the population — things like age, income, and level of education. In marketing, demographics are used to identify a targeted group of consumers.
Example (as used by John Forde today): “Pile up a customer profile. Warm up with the general, aim for the specific. Use demographics and mailing lists. Surveys and focus groups.”
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker... build your self-confidence and intellect... increase your attractiveness to others... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's Words to the Wise CD Library.]
Someone who is crotchety (KROCH-ih-tee) is cranky, bad-tempered, or capriciously stubborn. The word is derived from “crotchet,” which once meant a fancy or whim.
Example (as used by Bob Cox today): “There is nothing worse than going into a meeting tired and crotchety. I would rather not go at all.”
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker... build your self-confidence and intellect... increase your attractiveness to others... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's Words to the Wise CD Library.]
Burly (BUR-lee) — from the Old English for “noble” or “excellent” — means physically strong, muscular, and heavily built.
Example (as used by Alex Green today): “I got the willies just looking down through the 300-foot span as we crossed it. This was a murderous height. It would have taken at least three burly men to get me out on that platform.”
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker... build your self-confidence and intellect... increase your attractiveness to others... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's Words to the Wise CD Library.]
To bandy (BAN-dee) — from the name of a form of ice hockey — is to hit or toss a ball back and forth. We use the expression bandy about when referring to an exchange of words; a casual discussion.
Example (as used by Michael Masterson today): “Keeping sales letters short is a ‘common sense’ idea that’s been bandied about for at least 30 years. But thousands of tests have proven it wrong.”
Hawking — from the Middle English — is offering goods for sale in public. The word was originally connected with peddlers who aggressively sold their wares by going door to door or shouting in the street.
Example (as used by Bob Bly today): “GL is worried that there are already more than enough people hawking e-books, DVDs, and courses on the Internet.”
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker... build your self-confidence and intellect... increase your attractiveness to others... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's Words to the Wise CD Library.]
Catholicity (kath-uh-LIS-ih-tee) — from the Greek for “universal” — is the quality of being all-inclusive.
Example (as used by James Wolcott in Vanity Fair): “In my bohemian days … I owned a jukebox — a huge honker, a neon-trimmed sarcophagus — which I studiously stocked with 45s to showcase the catholicity of my pop sensibility … .”
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker... build your self-confidence and intellect... increase your attractiveness to others... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's Words to the Wise CD Library.]