Building a Better Vocabulary

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z To remember the meaning of prosaic, think of prose writing, which
we tend to consider less creative and imaginative than poetry. Prose
transmits information in a straightforward manner.

Quotidian (adjective)


Daily, customary, ordinary, usual.

z Quotidian describes the mundane, unexciting things that we all do
routinely, such as washing the dishes, making the bed, and going
to work.

z You can use quotidian to emphasize the everyday, regular nature
of something, such as a quotidian routine, or you can use it to
emphasize the mundane, commonplace, nature of something, such
as the quotidian talent of an average artist.

z One way to remember quotidian is to highlight the last part of the
word, dian, which comes from the Latin word dies, meaning “day.”
This connection gives us the “daily” meaning in quotidian.

z Synonyms for quotidian include everyday, garden variety, frequent,
common, and routine.

Hoi Polloi (noun)


The ordinary masses; the common people.

z Many people confuse hoi polloi with hoity-toity, which refers to
people who think they are better or smarter than others. For this
reason, people often think that hoi polloi refers to the elite, rich, and
famous. But actually, hoi polloi means the opposite of elite; it refers
to the ordinary masses.

z +RLSROORL is a transliteration of two Greek words that literally mean
“the many.” It’s often used as a derogatory term by elitist snobs to
refer to the great unwashed masses.
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