Vocabulary Mnemonics Episode 79: Holus Bolus, excursive, soothfast, and more
Aug 16, 2025
Dive into the playful meaning of 'holus bolus'—doing things all at once—coupled with an exploration of 'excursive', which highlights enjoyable digressions in conversation. Discover the intriguing concept of 'interlocutor' and the influence of AI in communication. Learn about proprioception, the body's innate sense of position compared to robot movement. Finally, enrich your vocabulary with words like 'motley' and 'soothfast', understanding their origins and meanings through captivating stories and mnemonic tools.
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Episode notes
All At Once: Holus Bolus
- Holus bolus means doing something all at once and traces to a word for a lump eaten in one go.
- Use an eating image (eat the whole bolus) to remember the meaning quickly.
Speech That Takes A Detour
- Excursive describes speech that wanders off into digressions or tangents.
- Remember it by linking excursive to taking an excursion physically away from the topic.
Happily Means By Chance
- Happily (archaic) means by chance or luck rather than joyful feeling.
- Think of an added 'l' standing for luck to remember 'happily' as fortunate happenstance.