Mind Your Ps and Qs (especially your Ps) Quiz

Answer: pattern, typical example, archetype

"It's a paradigm shift." How often have you heard that somehow pretentious sounding phrase, as if the user is just throwing out something they've heard, without really knowing what they're saying? At least we can get the pronunciation right - "para dime." It is a somewhat obscure, subtle concept/meaning, originating with the Greek "paradeigma," which literally means "to show side by side," and it came to mean a conceptual framework or model.

It has now evolved to a meaning described by the phrase, "dominant world view." Want a current example? We are possibly in the early stages of one of the greatest paradigm shifts ever: Artificial Intelligence.

Answer: conjurer, illusionist, magician

Where does this word come from? Take the French word "preste" (from the Italian "presto" meaning quick) add the Latin word "digitus," meaning finger, combine, and PRESTO! You have a fun, ten dollar word which rolls of the tongue impressively and would make Harry Houdini proud.

After all, it's the sleight of hand, the smooth, well-executed physical deception which so delights young and old alike when being entertained and surprised by a good magician.

Answer: flair, charisma, elan

This is another word of French origin, from at least as far back as 1550. The literal meaning was "a plume or tuft of feathers," describing the adornment worn on the hat of a cavalryman. The adjective connotes a dashing, devil-may-care, swashbuckling attitude. With his dashing good looks, long mane of hair, and over the top showmanship, Liberace brought an unmatched panache to his live performances.

The Three Stooges? I'm afraid their panache quotient was zero!

Answer: heartrending, emotionally impactful, touching

This is a powerful and useful adjective, providing a one word description of those emotional moments which can bring some sadness or regret, yet make human experience unique and meaningful. Your teenage son or daughter unexpectedly shares an intimate detail of a breakup with you; an old friend is moving away and comes to say goodbye; a reunion, a conversation about forgiveness.

These are bittersweet moments, poignant moments.

Answer: foreshadow, augur, presage

If something that happens takes on a special significance or is given meaning in relation to some other event yet to happen, we call it an omen. The event PORTENDS, that is to say, hints at or predicts, something in the future. The tendency for human beings to create meaning from possibly random events continues to fascinate psychologists, anthropologists and other behavioral scientists.

The relevant Latin root word is "porto," meaning carry, and it has contributed scores of words to the English language.

Answer: kayak, canoe, outrigger

A pirogue is a generic term referring to any one of several types of dugout canoes, traditionally made from a hollowed out log. These water craft are endemic to many areas, especially Central America and the Caribbean. The word is French, from the Spanish "piragua," which in turn derived from the Carib word "piraua." The Lewis and Clark expedition used such boats as they explored the vast tract of land acquired in the Louisiana purchase, and pirogues are still in vogue in present day Louisiana, used by locals to traverse the bayous and marshes. Repeat after me so we never forget: "PIROGUE does not mean 'a fish'"!

Answer: grease, cream, hair oil

Pomade is a greasy, waxy substance used to style hair. Originally made from bear fat or lard, it can also be primarily petroleum, beeswax, lanolin or a combination of these. Or, it can be water based. It's yet another French derived word by way of a Latin root meaning "apple." Evidently the ancient Romans used something similar combined with mashed apples.

This product appears prominently and with humor in the Coen brothers' masterpiece 2000 movie "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?", which captures the spirit of old time hustlers and con men in the American south during the early 20th century. George Clooney's character Delbert buys pomade by the case and he is not okay unless his hair is slathered with it and appropriately coiffed. The shiny, slick, carefully styled look of pomaded hair has made a comeback in the 21st century.

Answer: timid, cowardly, afraid

Surpassing the "ten letter word" threshold, this enjoyable adjective almost drips scorn when applied to a weak person who cannot display the requisite courage. The word is from the French and is Latinate in origin, from "pusilla" (small) and "anima" (spirit).

It is NOT connected etymologically to "pussycat," "pussy," or any other of the slang derivatives commonly in vogue meaning "soft," "docile" or anything else. These latter terms are Germanic in origin.

Answer: mollify, soothe, appease

"The harried babysitter tried to placate the wailing toddler with a bowl of ice cream." If you placate someone who is angry, you attempt to pacify them and calm them down by doing something which makes them feel better. The word comes from the Latin "placere" which is also gives us the verb "to please."

Answer: collage, paste-up, imitation

From the French, a pastiche is similar to a parody, in that it is a work of art, literature, theater, or music that imitates or calls to mind an earlier known work. Unlike a parody, it seeks to celebrate or pay homage to the original, rather than to mock or satirize it.

A good example in literature is Alexandra Ripley's 1991 novel "Scarlett," which borrows the premise and style of the Margaret Mitchell classic "Gone With the Wind," and attempts to be its sequel. In music, some have described compositions by rap artists which use extensive sampling techniques, as "pastiche."