A New Year’s tradition common to many cultures is the setting off of fireworks at midnight to mark the passing of the old year, and to celebrate the new. Sydney, Australia has one of the largest fireworks shows, with the famous bridge over Sydney Harbour being completely lit up by the bright explosions. In Paris, the Eiffel Tower is illuminated top to bottom with spectacular rocket bursts on New Year’s Eve. People of all ages enjoy these pyrotechnic displays.

The word pyrotechnic comes from the Greek roots pyr- (“fire”) and tekhne (“art, skill”). When you know the meaning of these root words, you’ll be able to deduce the meanings of other related words, like antipyretic, which refers to something that reduces fever (a “fire” in the body) and technology (literally, “the study of skills”). Be careful of the false cognates we’ve mentioned before, though. Although it shares the same three-consonant cluster pyr, the word pyramid doesn’t have anything to do with fire. The ancient Egyptian word for pyramid was pimar, and that was translated into the ancient Greek pyramis. The plural of pyramis was pyramides, which eventually led to our English term for the flat-bottomed four-sided geometrical shape.

Besides referring to the colorful explosions we enjoy seeing in the sky, the word “fireworks” can also refer to explosions that we might not welcome quite as much.

Example: Craig is notorious for his quick temper, and his departmental meetings frequently end in fireworks as he vents his anger on whoever is unlucky enough to be in charge of a failing project.

Like a sparkling fireworks display, the vocabulary you choose can illuminate your conversation and correspondence to attract and impress people. We hope that in 2011 you’ll devote at least fifteen minutes each day to learning beautiful words and how to correctly use them. Remember, even though fireworks are rarely seen except at special celebrations, you can dazzle your listeners with high-impact vocabulary words at any time of the year!