I think using Free Rice so often has subconsciously beefed up my vocabulary.
A few months back the word 'emergent' rolled from my mouth as if it had been a long time resident of my tongue. But the very second I said it, my head cocked and I asked myself "where did that word come from?"
Still, I never looked it up. It seemed logical to me that if something can be an emergency than things too can be emergent. But the more I used it, the more I realized no one knowingly knows that word. People I know and consider to be highly intelligent were caught off guard by my use of 'emergent' in conversation. Then they'd laugh, ask me where I heard it, and call me "silly" or "cute" for making up my own words.
Alas! The great internet dictionary tells me that it is a word and, greater than that, I have been using it correctly. Since many of my smartest friends had never heard the word before, I have determined that I must have Free Rice to thank for this new addition to my vocabulary. Back to the game! Time to learn new words!
And by the way, if you haven't played Free Rice before, I highly recommend it. It's fun, brain-stimulating, and for each answer you get right, they donate 10 grains of rice through the World Food Programme in an effort to help end hunger. It's a simple and beautiful model for helping from home, work, or on-the-go.
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