Word Of The Day
synergy (noun) which means the interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements, contributions, etc.; synergism (from Dictionary.com)
synergic / synergistic (adjective)
synergistically / synergetically (adverb)
1) Naveena - It's wonderful to have so much synergy between both clubs.
2) Pei Lun - by adding lemon juice to water, you get a new synergy water
3) Hyder - your speech was a synergy of .... (sorry, I failed to capture the beautiful words...)
4) Vidhi - synergistically (failed to capture the whole sentence)
5) Nathaniel - synergy between humour and sarcasm
Brickbats
(1) Grammar
- he teach me a few chords (taught)
- he touches my hand (touched)
- they hanged out (hung out)
- now that you guys have casted your votes (cast)
- how do vitamin c help us in our body? (does)
- how AIA has feed me (has fed)
- all qualifies for voting (all speakers qualify for voting)
- the list are wonderful (the list of evaluators is wonderful)
- it would have lead us (have led)
(2) Vocabulary
- there is this guy who is my classmate (boy)
- I really respect this guy (man)
- I would like to share with you guys (all of you)
- this satisfied feeling (feeling of satisfaction)
- to mention the objectives (read out)
- he had tattoos all over his hands (arms)
- out of so many occupations you can do (choose)
- oh my god...this is one hell of an energetic lady (This lady is both impressive and impassioned.)
- so beautifully and lovely (so beautifully and delightfully/excellently)
- I found the inner child in me coming up (I discovered my inner child)
(3) Sentence structure
- my life hangs in his hands (My life is in his hands)
vs hang in the balance = to be in a precarious situation, unsure of the future. (eg. His life was left hanging in the balance after being shot in the side.)
- I am fated with this company (I am fated to remain in this company.)
- really really temptation to want to pull you over (I was really tempted by the generous offers made by the other companies)
- It was so accomplished and implementable (It is easy to accomplish and implement.)
(4) Pronunciation (hyperlinks from Dictionary.com)
opportunity click here to listen
acronym click here to listen
distinctive click here to listen
collagen (KOLuhjuhn) click here to listen
informative click here to listen
fill vs feel
saga (SAHguh) click here to listen
emulate (EMyuhleyt) click here to listen
photographer click here to listen
Bouquets
(1) Alliteration
- digestion and detoxification (also a rhyme)
- helpless... hopeless (also a rhyme)
- constant companion
- milestones, mistakes and memories (also a triad)
- nurturing nature
- grace and gratitude
(2) Similes
- as busy as a bee
- as hungry as a wolf
- if you have strip like Arjun, do it; if you have to dance like Linda, do it (also use of parallel structure)
(3) Rhyme
- not ever, never
- you become tougher, you become stronger
- Man gives you an award but God gives you the reward
- she's not only Punctual Lee but quickly
- begin strongly, not quickly
- beautifully and deeply
(4) Metaphor
- Linda Punctual Lee... Punctual is my middle name
- this is just an appetizer
- this life is not a rehearsal
- sweat and climbing are not good friends
- it's not just about the hardware but also the software (also use of contrast here)
- hunger was my constant companion
- recipe for success
- you will be a Mount Everest climber next time round
- roasted her so well that she appeared delicious
(5) Personification
- as though the oil and water were having a fight
(6) Triads
- white lie, gray lie or black lie (gradation of colours)
- those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who wonder what happened?
Brickbats
(1) Grammar
- NUS Alumni Toastmaster Club => NUS Alumni Toastmasters Club
- most of the thing I wanted to do => most of the things I wanted to do
- where did the act of piracy took place? => where did the act of piracy take place?
- when Raffles hears this, he saw an opportunity => when Raffles heard this, he saw an opportunity
(2) Vocabulary
- A friend of mine psychoed me => A friend of mine inveigled me
(NB. inveigled means to entice, lure or ensnare by flattery or artful talk)
- I anyhow join a few clubs => I randomly chose some clubs to join
- to do their projects => to present their projects
- so I will cut it short => so I will keep it short
- I did very bad in the first round => I did very badly in the first round
- save our asses => to save us from dire situations
- her lung was broken => her lung was damaged/impaired
- that made her adoption family => that made her adoptive family
- she doesn't want to bother the family => she didn't want to burden the family
- you do a great speech => you delivered a great speech
- you did a story => you shared a story
- three other things for improvement => three areas for improvement
- the point seems a bit lagging => the point seemed a bit lacking
- improve on your position => improve on your stance
- to marry someone that loved you => to marry someone who loves you
- that I felt in my opinion => I felt that ... (in my opinion is redundant)
- I will make things more easier => I will make things easier
(3) Sentence structure
- Once upon a time, there was a email pop up => once I received an email
- anybody who come after me is new => any member who joined after me is considered a new member
- not long after he came to the earth => not long after she was born
- due to the finance reason, she was adopted by her uncle => due to her family's financial difficulty,...
- bring your speech into life => help to make your speech come alive
(4) Pronunciation
(click on each word to hear the correct pronunciation... hyperlinks from Dictionary.com)
think
mouth
mesmerize
anxious
especially
lilac
intrigue
allies
iteration
abrupt
detect
monotony
monopolize
Wang (rhymes with hung)
Vu (voo)
Bouquets
(1) Alliteration
Confident and convincing
Interview and immerse
stand steady
Projection, pacing, pauses, pitch, polished
(2) Rhyme
- fake it until you make it
- positivity and creativity
- educational and historical
- facts tell, stories sell
- innovate and create
- loving and dating
(3) Metaphor
- butterflies in my stomach
- colourless life
- could bring colour back into her life
- ballooned to 5 thousand
- eventually I saw sunlight in our life
- fountain of youth
(4) Repetition
- very, very very nervous
- wish me luck, wish me luck
- look forward, move forward
- do new things, try new things, learn new things
- born anonymously, live anonymously and die anonymously
(5) Triads
- encouraged, persuaded, enticed
- pleasant, natural and sincere
- when you're hungry, when you're thirsty and when you don't have what you want
(6) Quotations (Table Topics)
- Learning is an experience, everything else is just information. - Albert Einstein
- Don't go through life, grow through life (also showing parallel structure & contrast)
- Work hard, stay positive, get up early - it's the best part of life.
- The key to successful aging is to pay as little attention to it as possible
- There is only one happiness in this life - to love and be loved.
- You are never too old to set another goal or to dream another dream.
- Success is nothing more than a few disciplines practised everyday.
