Tag: adjectives

Controversial Revisited

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CONTROVERSIAL

Here are some quotations from famous people using last week’s Awesome Adjective:

I am continually fascinated at the difficulty intelligent people have in distinguishing what is controversial from what is merely offensive.  – Nora Ephron

I am not afraid that the book will be controversial, I’m afraid it will not be controversial.   – Flannery O’Connor

If you’ve got a big mouth and you’re controversial, you’re going to get attention.   – Simon Cowell

A child who is protected from all controversial ideas is as vulnerable as a child who is protected from every germ. The infection, when it comes – and it will come – may overwhelm the system, be it the immune system or the belief system.  – Jane Smiley

Like religion, politics, and family planning, cereal is not a topic to be brought up in public. It’s too controversial.   – Erma Bombeck

Ninety-eight percent of the things that come out of my mouth are intended to be harmless or even charming. They’re not ever intended to be offensive or controversial.   – Megan Fox

It’s really easy to avoid the tabloids. You just live your life and don’t hang out with famous people who are in the tabloids. Don’t do anything controversial and be a normal person. Have friends. And get a job and keep working.  – Amanda Seyfried

What I can say is that for may years jazz musicians had to go to Europe, for instance, to be respected and to be sort of treated not in a discriminatory way. I don’t think there is anything controversial about me saying that. This is just a fact.   – Sonny Rollins

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Awesome Adjective: Controversial

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Meaning: Causing arguments and disagreements.

Examples:

You should avoid controversial topics like politics and religion on a first date.

The candidate for president has some very controversial opinions.

He’s a controversial historical figure. Some say he was a great man, some say he was evil.

Pop Quiz:

Which could be described as controversial?

A.  A book that makes a lot of people angry.

B.  A movie that makes a lot of people angry.

C.  A singer that makes a lot of people angry.

To see the correct answer, click on “Continue reading”:

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Raw Revisited

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Here’s an informative article from Time Magazine using last week’s Awesome Adjective:

You Asked: Why Can’t I Eat Raw Meat?

Well, you could. But you’d be rolling the dice.

Sushi restaurants are nearly as rampant as Starbucks stores. So why is raw fish okay to consume, while raw beef, pork and other land animals are typically not on the menu?

For one thing, the parasites and bacteria that set up shop in raw animal meat are different and more dangerous than the ones you’d find in raw fish, says Dr. Robert Tauxe, deputy director of the Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)…

To continue reading, click here.

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Awesome Adjective: Raw

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Meaning: Uncooked or unhealed.

Examples:

This chicken’s still raw! You’d better cook it for longer.

He likes his steak very red – almost raw, in fact.

I got two teeth taken out yesterday, so the inside of my mouth’s still pretty raw.

Pop Quiz:

How do you like your carrots?

A.  Boiled

B.  Steamed

C.  Raw

To see the correct answer, click on “Continue reading”:

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Awesome Adjective: Bitter

US Adult Literacy2 Comments

Meaning: For food, harsh-tasting (like coffee without cream or sugar); for people, angry and frustrated because of a bad experience.

Examples:

He’s still pretty bitter about the divorce.

I don’t think this fruit is ripe yet – it tastes bitter.

I don’t know why you’re so bitter – you’ve had an easy life compared to most people.

 

Pop Quiz:

What’s the opposite of bitter?

A.  Sweet

B.  Happy

C.  Sour

To see the correct answer, click on “Continue reading”:

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Happy Year of the (Fire) Monkey!

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monkey 2

2016 is the Year of the Monkey – specifically, the Fire Monkey. Read this short article about the Fire Monkey from Wikipedia, paying special attention to the bold words. All of these bold words are adjectives, some of them positive-sounding, some of them negative-sounding, some of them depending on the context. Do any of them describe you?

From Wikipedia:

The Fire Monkey is the most active and aggressive of the Monkeys. Naturally dominant, he automatically gravitates towards leadership roles and is competitive in whatever he is doing. He will need to be careful not to let this overwhelm him and turn into toxic jealousy.

He also constantly strives to be in control of whatever situation he is in, which can become overbearing. The main drive for whatever he embarks on is to head straight for the top and stay there. However, when he is in charge of a situation, his people skills kick in and he does nurture those under his charge who need it.

With his Fire energy, this agile, impulsive Monkey often leaps where angels fear to tread. This reckless behavior sometimes turns out to not be to the Fire Monkey’s advantage. However, he is very creative, dynamic and has a particularly good talent at drawing people to him – this often helps him get out of scrapes. He’ll leap from tree to tree – whichever has the most fruit at the time – then find the quickest, cleverest escape before others get to him.

In general though, the Fire Monkey is flamboyant and charmingly friendly, and has a large social circle.

Life Lessons:

The Fire Monkey’s aggression needs to be channeled correctly to correct and positive directions, or he risks become very destructive and harmful. If the Fire Monkey could develop more patience, it would be good for him and those who work with him. The Fire Monkey also needs to think through his ideas before acting on them in order to safeguard his own interests.

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