Cornucopia: So Much of a Good Thing!
2022-11-27
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1And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
2On this program, we explore words and expressions in the English language. We give examples and notes on usage.
3Today we talk about a word connected to Thanksgiving.
4One of the traditional images of Thanksgiving is something called a cornucopia.
5This is a container shaped like a goat's horn.
6And it is overflowing with many kinds of fruits and vegetables, such as gourds, ears of corn, apples, and grapes.
7So, sometimes we call it a "horn of plenty."
8Plenty means to have a large amount of something.
9For example, if you live in the land of plenty, you live in an area with lots of resources -- natural as well as social and financial.
10But let's get back to the word cornucopia.
11This word describes a large amount or supply of something.
12For example, the holiday table held a cornucopia of food and drink.
13Anything you could possibly want for dinner was available.
14While the image of a cornucopia involves food, we use it for an abundance of good things.
15If something is abundant, there is plenty of it.
16Here is another example.
17A recent gathering offered a cornucopia of jobs from many industries.
18Representatives from more than 200 companies were there offering jobs.
19There was something for everyone!
20Sometimes the word cornucopia means there is an inexhaustible supply of something.
21If you exhaust something you use it all up.
22 So, if something is inexhaustible it seems limitless -- like a bottomless pit.
23For example, a library is a cornucopia of knowledge.
24I could go into a library every day for the rest of my life and learn something new!
25These examples have an abundance of good things: food, jobs, and knowledge.
26We do not use the word cornucopia to describe an abundance of bad things.
27Also note, we often add a prepositional phrase to explain what type of cornucopia it is: a cornucopia of food, a cornucopia of jobs, or a cornucopia of knowledge.
28Now, let's say that - for whatever reason - you are not a fan of the word cornucopia.
29In the examples with jobs and knowledge, you could easily replace cornucopia with wealth.
30In the food example, however, I would replace it with abundance or even bounty.
31And that's the end of this Words and Their Stories!
32Don't forget to check out other programs at VOA Learning English.
33Our website is a cornucopia of English learning materials.
34Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo.
1And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English. 2On this program, we explore words and expressions in the English language. We give examples and notes on usage. 3Today we talk about a word connected to Thanksgiving. 4One of the traditional images of Thanksgiving is something called a cornucopia. This is a container shaped like a goat's horn. And it is overflowing with many kinds of fruits and vegetables, such as gourds, ears of corn, apples, and grapes. So, sometimes we call it a "horn of plenty." 5Plenty means to have a large amount of something. For example, if you live in the land of plenty, you live in an area with lots of resources -- natural as well as social and financial. 6But let's get back to the word cornucopia. This word describes a large amount or supply of something. 7For example, the holiday table held a cornucopia of food and drink. Anything you could possibly want for dinner was available. 8While the image of a cornucopia involves food, we use it for an abundance of good things. If something is abundant, there is plenty of it. 9Here is another example. 10A recent gathering offered a cornucopia of jobs from many industries. Representatives from more than 200 companies were there offering jobs. There was something for everyone! 11Sometimes the word cornucopia means there is an inexhaustible supply of something. If you exhaust something you use it all up. So, if something is inexhaustible it seems limitless -- like a bottomless pit. 12For example, a library is a cornucopia of knowledge. I could go into a library every day for the rest of my life and learn something new! 13These examples have an abundance of good things: food, jobs, and knowledge. We do not use the word cornucopia to describe an abundance of bad things. 14Also note, we often add a prepositional phrase to explain what type of cornucopia it is: a cornucopia of food, a cornucopia of jobs, or a cornucopia of knowledge. 15Now, let's say that - for whatever reason - you are not a fan of the word cornucopia. In the examples with jobs and knowledge, you could easily replace cornucopia with wealth. In the food example, however, I would replace it with abundance or even bounty. 16And that's the end of this Words and Their Stories! 17Don't forget to check out other programs at VOA Learning English. Our website is a cornucopia of English learning materials. 18Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo. 19Anna Matteo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 20______________________________________________________________ 21Words in This Story 22plenty - n. a full supply; a large number or amount 23abundance - n. a large quantity 24inexhaustible - adj. incapable of being used up 25wealth - n. abundant supply : a great amount of money or possessions 26bounty - n. something given generously