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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
I'm not writing about accessories so much as about other slightly similar words:
adjuvant
adjunct
appurtenant
auxiliary
subsidiary
ancillary
...to name a few. I'm considering things that are added on--not the initial creation, but what is added, and, finally, even necessary in order for the initial creation to exist.
There's the school and its auxiliary gym to handle overflow; there's the factory and the ancillary plants (at least according to Webster's)...and so on.
Adjuvant is completely new to me.
My question is: Which of the words is most likely to approach the realm of being an unnecessary peripheral in your judgment? Subsidiary seems to be the least essential to me, but maybe not.
Anyway, I think it's an interesting group because there is implication that this set of brothers and sisters are less in value than their essential mothers and fathers.
[Oh, the reason this inquiry came about is today in class I used the word 'ancillary,' and one of my kids asked, "What does THAT mean? Is that another big word you want us to use in our essays?" It cracked me up! I keep telling the kids to try to explore words that go a little beyond the basic understanding of elementary school kids...average kids, that is.
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 619
addict
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addict
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 619 |
to name a few ... My question is: Which of the words is most likely to approach the realm of being an unnecessary peripheral in your judgment? Subsidiary seems to be the least essential to me, but maybe not
Assuming your own list is not exhaustive, Wordwind [from your preface "to name a few"], I would like to add:
accretion
accoutrement
flourish
embellishment
accent
frill
minutia
accomplice
and, from this appendage, I would choose "frill" as "the most unnecesary peripheral".
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 619
addict
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addict
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 619 |
adjuvantI always thought an "adjuvant" was a staff officer who assists a commanding officer but, upon reflection, that's an "adjutante".  Upon further analysis, I would pick "commanding officer" as "the most unnecessary peripheral". [And so would his adjutante, I hazard to guess. ]
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,027
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,027 |
most likely to approach the realm of being an unnecessary peripheral
redundant?
optional?
inessential?
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