10 Things You Can Do When You Get to Unknown Words in a Book

Picture this: You're happily reading about how kind-hearted Jenny went to visit her mother, then the author hits you with the word, 'diaphanous', 'apocryphal', 'garrulous', or 'lugubrious'. What the heck?! It's okay. Stay calm. We can deal with unknown words together. Let's work out what to do next.

Alrighty. No need to feel dumb. It's all good in the hood.

Let me present you with a list of options to deal with unknown words in a book:

If I can't see it, it's not there, right?!

10 Things You Can Do When You Get to a Word in a Book That You Don't Know

1. Ignore it and keep reading

   This is the easiest and best option for all of the lazy people who just don't care.

2. Make it up

   Jenny's mother looked 'diaphanous'.

   Diaphanous reminds me of the word 'diaphragm', which is a body part. Anous reminds me of 'anus', so definitely something body-related. She looked like she had a body? Great! That will do. Moving on...

3. Use context and take a guess

   If Jenny's mother is sick, and the house looks 'lugubrious', then maybe it looks unkempt? Messy? Like a disaster zone? Vomit-covered? Like a sick old lady's house?

4. Ask someone

   I asked my 5-year-old sons what 'garrulous' means. One of them said that it's like "you're stuck, in a tunnel". The other one said he didn't know. So, 'stuck in a tunnel' it is.

5. Keep reading to see if the book gives you more information

   Jenny's mother's story was 'apocryphal'. The book then goes on to say that there were time gaps in the story that didn't add up, Jenny's mother kept glancing away, and she avoided a question about who she saw. So, perhaps the story was sketchy? Vague? Incomplete? Untrue? Boring? Choose one.

6. Write to the author and ask

   Authors love hearing from their readers! Send an email and ask what the word means. You bet they want to tell you!

7. Throw the book away

   If it takes too much effort to read, then get rid of it! You don't need any more work in your life.

8. Calculate the value of the word

   If A=1, B=2, C=3 and so on; Then, apocryphal:

   A=1 P=16 O=15 C=3 R=18 Y=25 P=16 H=8 A=1 L=12

   1 + 16 + 15 + 3 + 18 + 25 + 16 + 8 + 1 + 12 = 115

9. Break it up

   Apocryphal

   Apo = My dad goes 'apo' sometimes i.e. He gets mad.

   Cryp = Isn't that online currency?

   Phal = Fall with a 'ph'

   So, the fall of angry money, perhaps?

10. Look it up

    Alright Madam Boring. Fine! Look up the word on that nifty little device that is permanently lodged in your back pocket. Google it, use the dictionary, thesaurus. Whatever floats your boat.

    You've got this!

    
    

Nobody owns one of these anymore, do they?

Definitions

Diaphanous:

1. very sheer and light; almost completely transparent or translucent.

2. delicately hazy.

Apocryphal:

1. of doubtful authorship or authenticity.

2. Ecclesiastical.

   1. (initial capital letter),  of or relating to the Apocrypha.

   2. of doubtful sanction; uncanonical.

3. false; spurious.

   He told an apocryphal story about the sword, but the truth was later revealed.

Garrulous:

1. excessively talkative in a rambling, roundabout manner, especially about trivial matters.

2. wordy or diffuse.

   a garrulous and boring speech.

Lugubrious:

1. mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially in an affected, exaggerated, or unrelieved manner.

   lugubrious songs of lost love.

Put that hard book in the bin! (Make sure you recycle)

All definitions are from dictionary.com

Happy reading!

Much love,

Marley

P.S. Please don't really do this

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P.P.S. My books don't have too many hard words (I'm not that smart). Check them out: HERE