but they generally have different connotations (secondary
meanings that include the array of associations with a word).ż Both DVN and request share the same general denotation:
to inquire of someone. However, request has the added
connotation of being more formal and polite than DVN. When
you request something, it is often as a favor or courtesy.
Clearly, request was not the “just right word” in the context of
President Kennedy’s speech.z In French, mot means “word” and juste means “exact”; literally,
mot juste is the “exact word.” Mot juste is sometimes confused with
bon mot, “good word,” which is a witty comment or clever remark.Insouciant (adjective)
Free from concern, worry, or anxiety; carefree; nonchalant.z Insouciant is another borrowing from French, used to describe a
condition we seem to experience all too rarely—that of being
lighthearted and carefree. Synonyms for insouciant include
debonair, breezy, and jaunty.Gestalt (noun)
A pattern possessing qualities as a whole that cannot be described merely
as a sum of its parts.z In its most literal meaning, gestalt is a German word meaning
“shape, form, appearance.” The word is often used in English to
mean the gist of something or its general qualities. It is the general
outline that matters with gestalt, not the details.z You might hear gestalt used as an adjective, as in: “Rather than
grade the students’ essays by analyzing each component, such as
style, voice, and word choice, the English teachers decided to take a
gestalt approach, evaluating each essay as a whole.”