PE 8/25 Stephen Colbert – Knox College Commencement Speech

* thorough: performed with care and completeness

ex> Fred spent two hours giving the bathroom the most thorough cleaning it’s ever had.

* diversity: range of different things or people

ex> Because the city was damaged many times, it has a diversity of building styles.

* go out on a limb: to take a risky, dangerous position, esp. by stating an unusual viewpoint

ex> I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this show will become a huge hit.

Note> This expression is often used sarcastically and humorously to describe obvious situations. It is used this way in today’s speech excerpt.

* mainstream: normal and conventional attitudes, trends, activities, etc.

ex> The world has been shaped by people who operated outside of the mainstream.

ex> I really like Harold, even though his taste in clothes is a bit too mainstream.

* give one the credit: to claim that one is the reason for a positive result

ex> Alistair did most of the work, but the boss gave Dale all the credit.

* blogosphere: the collective world of personal websites and blogs

ex> The blogosphere is alive with discussions of the celebrity couple’s breakup.

* fitting (adjective) The word “fitting” is also a noun, which has two very different meanings. It can describe a procedure or appointment for checking the sizes of custom made clothing. It is also used to describe a small part attached to furniture, lamps, or equipment.

ex> That would be fitting. She was my roommate last year, and we got along great.