15 Big Little Words

15 Big Little Words 15 Big Little Words 15 Big Little Words By Mark Nichol Sometimes, short and sweet is best, and English includes many three-letter words that help us accommodate our yearning for concise composition or, to be brief, fix our yen for curt prose. Some are workhorse words the article the, the pronouns his and her, conjunctions like and, prepositions such as for, verbs like put and say. However, other three-letter words pack a lot of punch as nouns, adjectives, and verbs (sometimes adaptable to all three forms of speech), and are suitable for purposes as diverse as fitting into a tight headline or packing a punch in prose. Here’s a list of vivid vocabulary consisting of three letters: 1. Apt: appropriate, or suited or inclined 2. Ire: anger 3. Ken: something known or understood, or to know or recognize 4. Wee: small 5. Vex: to distress, irritate, agitate, or puzzle 6. Eke: to accomplish with great effort (also used to mean â€Å"increase† or â€Å"also†) 7. Cog: a tooth on a gear, or, in a figurative sense, a person as an insignificant part of an enterprise; a similar projection on a piece of wood for interconnecting with another piece; also, flattering, or throwing dice unfairly (also used to mean â€Å"to cheat or deceive,† as well as referring to a medieval sailing vessel) 8. Cwm: a valley or hollow 9. Err: to make a mistake, or to transgress 10. Ere: before 11. Gig: a short-term job 12. Yen: a yearning or urge for something 13. Bar: a beam or rod or other manufactured device or natural feature, or a counter for serving drinks or a commercial enterprise for this purpose, but also a verb meaning â€Å"to obstruct or prevent† or in reference to an exception (â€Å"barring that†) 14. Jet: a powerful stream of material, a jetlike emanation, or an airplane that uses jet propulsion, but also a very dark black, a type of glossy coal often used as jewelry 15. Ram: a male sheep, or a tool used for forcing movement or for breaking through a door or other structure, or a part of a vehicle or vessel designed to damage other vehicles or vessels; to use a tool or similar device Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Masters Degree or Master's Degree?Top 11 Writing Apps for iOS (iPhone and iPad)Epidemic vs. Pandemic vs. Endemic

Rasmussen Surname Meaning and Family History

Rasmussen Surname Meaning and Family History Rasmussen is a patronymic surname meaning son of Rasmus, a Scandinavian form of the personal name Erasmus. Erasmus derives from the Greek ÃŽ µÃ ÃŽ ±ÃÆ'ÃŽ ¼ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ¿Ãâ€šÃ‚  (erasmios) which means beloved.   Spellings of Rasmussen that end in -sen are most likely Danish or Norwegian in origin, while those that end in -son could be Swedish, Dutch, North German, or Norwegian. Rasmussen is the 9th most popular surname in Denmark  and the 41st most common last name in Norway. Surname Origin:  Danish, Norwegian, North German, Dutch Alternate Surname Spellings: RASMUSEN, RASMUSON, RASMUSSON, RASMUS   Famous People with the Surname RASMUSSEN: Saint Erasmus (Saint Elmo) - 4th-century martyr and patron saint of sailors.Theodore Rasmussen - Canadian neurosurgeon and scientist who gave his name to the rare disease, Rasmussens encephalitis.  Knud Rasmussen - Greenlandic anthropologist and polar explorer; the first European to cross the Northwest Passage via dog sledScott Rasmussen - co-founder of the sports television network ESPNLars and Jens Rasmussen - brothers and creators of Google Maps Where is the RASMUSSEN Surname Most Common? Considering its Scandinavian origins, its not surprising that Rasmussen is most prevalent today in Denmark, where it ranks as the 8th most common surname in the country. Surname distribution data from Forebears also identifies the surnames popularity in Norway, where it ranks 41st, as well as the Faroe Islands (12th) and Greenland (10th). WorldNames PublicProfiler also indicates that Rasmussen is by far most commonly used by people living in Denmark. Norway comes in a distant second. Within Denmark, the surname is found most frequently in Fyn and Stà ¸rstrom, followed by Aarhus, Vestsjà ¦lland, Vejle, Roskilde, Frederiksborg, Kà ¸benhavn, Bornholm and Staden Kà ¸benhavn. Genealogy Resources for the Surname RASMUSSEN Rasmussen Family Crest - Its Not What You Think: Contrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Rasmussen family crest or coat of arms for the Rasmussen surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.Rasmussen DNA Project: Rasmussen is a Scandinavian patronymic surname, meaning that your DNA matches will not necessarily (or likely) even be people named Rasmussen. This project will help you determine which Scandinavian and/or haplogroup projects are best to join for research into your Rasmussen heritage.RASMUSSEN Family Genealogy Forum: This free message board is focused on descendants of Rasmussen  ancestors around the world. Search the forum for posts about your Rasmussen ancestors, or join the forum and post your own queries.  FamilySearch - RASMUSSEN  Genealogy: Explore over 1.5  million  results from di gitized  historical records and lineage-linked family trees related to the Rasmussen surname on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. RASMUSSEN Surname Mailing List: Free mailing list for researchers of the Rasmussen surname and its variations includes subscription details and searchable archives of past messages.GeneaNet - Rasmussen Records: GeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Rasmussen surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries.The Rasmussen Genealogy and Family Tree Page: Browse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Rasmussen surname from the website of Genealogy Today.Ancestry.com: Rasmussen Surname: Explore over 1.4  million digitized records and database entries, including census records, passenger lists, military records, land deeds, probates, wills and other records for the Rasmussen surname on the subscription-based website, Ancestry.com.