Say This, Not That

It can accurately be said that one of the most valuable skills a person can possess is the ability to speak intelligently. In fact, the way that we presents ourselves verbally is what often makes the strongest impression on those we meet.

Unfortunately, we live in a society that favors truncated text-message style communication over refined elocution, and as a result, the art of speaking is often left underdeveloped.

The following is a list of 12 simple vocabulary-boosting word swaps that, when incorporated into general conversation, will make you sound at least 78% smarter with almost no effort required.

Swap #1

Don’t Say: A red sky in the morning means that there will be stormy weather.

Say This: A red sky in the morning is indicative of coming storms.

The word “indicative” (in-dik-etiv) is used to show, suggest or point out something that is true.

Swap #2

Don’t Say: You shouldn’t underestimate how important laughter is.

Say This: You should never underestimate the intrinsic value of laughter

The term “intrinsic value” (in-trin-zic) expresses the importance of something in and of itself.

Swap #3

Don’t Say: The idea of debt-spending has quickly spread throughout our society.

Say This: The debt-spending mentality has rapidly propagated throughout modern culture.

The word “propagate” (prop-uh-gayt) stems from the idea of biological reproduction and can be used to replace the word “spread”.

Swap #4

Don’t Say: Danny liked to list other people’s flaws.

Say This: Daniel loved to enumerate the faults of others.

To enumerate (eh-new-mur-ate) is to list items individually or to number something.

Swap #5

Don’t Say: Can you tell me more about that?

Say This: Would you care to expound on that?

When a person is asked to expound (ex-pound) on a thought, they are being asked to describe the thought in greater detail.

Swap #6

Don’t Say: Quantum physics is a really complicated field and not many people can understand it.

Say This: Quantum physics is, by virtue of its intricacies, quite an esoteric field.

The word “intricacy” (in-trick-ah-see) refers to something that has many aspects or parts, which are arranged together in a complex manner. Something that is esoteric (es-oh-ter-ic) is beyond the comprehension of the majority.

Swap #7

Don’t Say: Jack can be a jerk sometimes.

Say This: Jack can be so obtuse at times.

The term “obtuse” (ob-toose) is a great insult that means dull or slow-witted.

Swap #8

Don’t Say: Peanut butter and smoked fish are two flavors that do not fit together well.

Say This: Grape jelly and dill pickles are incongruent flavors.

You may remember this one from comparing triangles in geometry class, the term “incongruent” (in-kong-groo-ent) refers to things that do not correspond to each other.

Swap #9

Don’t Say: Many scientific breakthroughs do notseem to make sense at first.

Say This: Many scientific discoveries seem counterintuitive at first.

Something that is counterintuitive (kownter-intoo-itiv) runs contrary to what one would naturally assume or expect.

Swap #10

Don’t Say: The United State’s position in Iraq is very similar to what their position was during the Vietnam war.

Say This: The United State’s current military position in Iraq is not dissimilar to that of the Vietnam war.

In school you were most likely taught to avoid double-negatives like the plague (and in 99.9% of cases you absolutely should) but, in this case, the term “not dissimilar” can give the impression of something that is almost ironically similar to something else.

Swap #11

Don’t Say: I love you more that I could ever say.

Say This: My love for you is unquantifiable.

When something is unquantifiable (un-kwonte-fi-ebl) then its magnitude or amount cannot be expressed, usually because it is too big.

Swap #12

Don’t Say: I don’t think parents should give in to their child’s demands.

Say This: I don’t believe that parents should pander to the demands of their children.

The word “pander” (pan-dur) expresses the idea of indulging someone’s weaknesses or questionable wishes.

While, by no means an exhaustive list, these simple word replacements, when paired with proper grammar and enunciation, will lead to more intelligent-sounding speech, which can go a long way in the quest for personal self-development. And while a better vocabulary may not be as appreciated in our society as, let’s say, a six-pack set of abs or a fat bank account, it will at the very least, help you to avoid looking stupid on your next job interview. Who knows, you might even score that cute librarian’s phone number.