Showing posts with label word of the week. Show all posts
Showing posts with label word of the week. Show all posts

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Word of the Week...

Our extemporaneous dancing/jumping party in the Cherry Blossom park near the Fushinogawa.

Extemporaneous

Meaning improvised; done without preparation.

Merriam-Webster's definition:
1. a (1) : composed, performed, or uttered on the spur of the moment : impromptu
(2) : carefully prepared but delivered without notes or text

b: skilled at or given to extemporaneous utterance

c : happening suddenly and often unexpectedly and usually without clearly known causes or relationships

"a great deal of criminal and delinquent behavior is…extemporaneous — W. C. Reckless"

2 : provided, made, or put to use as an expedient : makeshift

ex·tem·po·ra·ne·ous·ly adverb

ex·tem·po·ra·ne·ous·ness noun


One of my students was inclined to give extemporaneous piano performances, though she often said she played "at random." At the time, I suggested she use "I played an improvised piano piece" (suggesting no prior preparation) but she could say: "I played an extemporaneous piano piece" if there were some preparation ahead of time...


-Brian