--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Almost any word can be drafted to serve…" description: "\"Almost any word can be drafted to serve as a verb, even words we think of as eternal and unchanging, stuck in their more traditional roles.\" — Erin McKean" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb6/erin-mckean-13646_almost_almost-any-word-can-be-drafted-to-serve_222781.png" --- # Almost any word can be drafted to serve as a verb, even… ![“Almost any word can be drafted to serve as a verb, even words we think of as eternal and unchanging, stuck in their more traditional roles.” quote by Erin McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb6/erin-mckean-13646_almost_almost-any-word-can-be-drafted-to-serve_222781.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb6/erin-mckean-13646_almost_almost-any-word-can-be-drafted-to-serve_222781.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb6/erin-mckean-13646_almost_almost-any-word-can-be-drafted-to-serve_222781.png) > “Almost any word can be drafted to serve as a verb, even words we think of as eternal and unchanging, stuck in their more traditional roles.” [Erin McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-mckean/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Language is flexible; words can be repurposed as verbs, even those traditionally seen as fixed. **In simple terms:** Words can become verbs. Key Takeaway Experiment with word usage. Themes linguistics creativity grammar Mood playful thoughtful Type observational inspirational When to use this quote - writing - advertising - branding - teaching Key Concepts Morphology semantic shift Questions to Reflect On - How does verbing a noun affect clarity? - When is it effective to innovate language? A Different Perspective Not all contexts accept such shifts; may cause confusion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Eternal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternal/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Unchanging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unchanging/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) ## Related quotes > [Only when we realize that there is no eternal, unchanging truth or absolute truth can we arouse in ourselves a sense of intellectual responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hu-shih/only-when-we-realize-that-there-is-no-eternal-unchanging-truth-or/) [Hu Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hu-shih/) > [Change itself is changing. The process of evolution itself is evolving. There is a meta-evolution, or a metachange that is taking place. And in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasuhiko-kimura/change-itself-is-changing-the-process-of-evolution-itself-is-evolving/) [Yasuhiko Kimura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasuhiko-kimura/) > [That alone is Real which exists by itself, which reveals itself by itself and which is eternal and unchanging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-maharshi/that-alone-is-real-which-exists-by-itself-which-reveals-itself-by/) [Ramana Maharshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramana-maharshi/) > [The rate of change is global now. I think there's a kind of mind that is so ill at ease with that transformation that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/the-rate-of-change-is-global-now-i-think-there-s-a-kind-of-mind-that/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [The truth has a central core that is eternal and unchanging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/the-truth-has-a-central-core-that-is-eternal-and-unchanging/) Senoraroy > [We've been using 'rejuvenate,' meaning to restore youth, to make young again, as a verb for at least 200 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-mckean/we-ve-been-using-rejuvenate-meaning-to-restore-youth-to-make-young/) [Erin McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-mckean/) > [Objections to verbification in English tend to be motivated by personal taste, not clarity. Verbed words are usually easily understood. When a word like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-mckean/objections-to-verbification-in-english-tend-to-be-motivated-by/) [Erin McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-mckean/) > [“The Words You Think “Your thoughts lay the foundation for your life’s experience. Are you utilizing your thoughts for your highest good or are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/the-words-you-think-your-thoughts-lay-the-foundation-for-your-life-s/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [Choose your words, think carefully, and then speak up your thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/choose-your-words-think-carefully-and-then-speak-up-your-thoughts/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Sow the right words! Think the good thought.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaachynma-n-e-agu/sow-the-right-words-think-the-good-thought/) [Jaachynma N.E. Agu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaachynma-n-e-agu/) > [When using conversation try not to use the words I think think is an indecision. Start it with either I know or I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/when-using-conversation-try-not-to-use-the-words-i-think-think-is-an/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [Action speaks lounder than words.what do you think??](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junior-steilyn/action-speaks-lounder-than-words-what-do-you-think/) Junior Steilyn > [I don't think you can bury words. I think the more you try to dismiss them, the more power you give to them, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/i-don-t-think-you-can-bury-words-i-think-the-more-you-try-to-dismiss/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [I love words, I think they're fascinating and incredibly wonderful things and part of the joy of my work is that I not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bush/i-love-words-i-think-they-re-fascinating-and-incredibly-wonderful/) [Kate Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bush/) > [He read a lot. He used a lot of big words. I think maybe part of what got him into trouble was that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-krakauer/he-read-a-lot-he-used-a-lot-of-big-words-i-think-maybe-part-of-what/) [Jon Krakauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-krakauer/) ## More by Erin McKean > [People say to me, ‘How do I know if a word is real?’ You know, anybody who’s read a children’s book knows that love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-mckean/people-say-to-me-how-do-i-know-if-a-word-is-real-you-know-anybody-who/) [Erin McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-mckean/) > [“This isn’t a thrift store… We’re not selling them something less expensive, we’re selling them something more special. We have to tell them the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-mckean/this-isn-t-a-thrift-store-we-re-not-selling-them-something-less/) [Erin McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-mckean/) > [You don’t owe prettiness to anyone. Not to your boyfriend/spouse/partner, not to your co-workers, especially not to random men on the street. You don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-mckean/you-don-t-owe-prettiness-to-anyone-not-to-your-boyfriend-spouse/) [Erin McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-mckean/) > [I think we would all like to believe that every new event demands a new word. But we're environmentally conscious with our words. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-mckean/i-think-we-would-all-like-to-believe-that-every-new-event-demands-a/) [Erin McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-mckean/) > [There are hundreds of thousands of words that aren't in any print dictionary today... because there's no space for all of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-mckean/there-are-hundreds-of-thousands-of-words-that-aren-t-in-any-print/) [Erin McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-mckean/) > [Uniforms are intended to make the wearer look as strong as possible. Soldiers could fight in leotards, but that's never going to happen because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-mckean/uniforms-are-intended-to-make-the-wearer-look-as-strong-as-possible/) [Erin McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-mckean/) > [It's difficult to choose a Word of the Year in the year that you're in. It's one of those things that hindsight makes more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-mckean/it-s-difficult-to-choose-a-word-of-the-year-in-the-year-that-you-re/) [Erin McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-mckean/) > [Words are so lovable. How could you not love words?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-mckean/words-are-so-lovable-how-could-you-not-love-words/) [Erin McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-mckean/) > ['Aging' has been bad ever since we figured out it led to dying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-mckean/aging-has-been-bad-ever-since-we-figured-out-it-led-to-dying/) [Erin McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-mckean/) > [And I don't like people who eat powdered doughnuts. I don't car how careful you are, they're just plain messy. I can't believe they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-mckean/and-i-don-t-like-people-who-eat-powdered-doughnuts-i-don-t-car-how/) [Erin McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-mckean/) > [If words are doing their job, then their novelty will not be the most noticeable thing about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-mckean/if-words-are-doing-their-job-then-their-novelty-will-not-be-the-most/) [Erin McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-mckean/) > [There are very few good ways to get publicity for a dictionary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-mckean/there-are-very-few-good-ways-to-get-publicity-for-a-dictionary/) [Erin McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-mckean/) > [Lexicographers are language reporters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-mckean/lexicographers-are-language-reporters/) [Erin McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-mckean/) > [“The rule is, don't speak of the dead, not don't speak ill of the dead's terrible relatives.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-mckean/the-rule-is-don-t-speak-of-the-dead-not-don-t-speak-ill-of-the-dead-s/) [Erin McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-mckean/) > [Serendipity is when you find things you weren't looking for because finding what you are looking for is so damned difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-mckean/serendipity-is-when-you-find-things-you-weren-t-looking-for-because/) [Erin McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-mckean/) [Explore all 49 Erin McKean quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-mckean/) ## More Almost quotes > [My mother worked in the white world, but I lived almost exclusively in a black world. 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I like structured things that you can throw on,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liberty-ross/my-favourite-designers-always-create-a-strong-silhouette-like-mcqueen/) [Liberty Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liberty-ross/) > [Harry Truman wrote scathing letters, but he almost never sent them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/harry-truman-wrote-scathing-letters-but-he-almost-never-sent-them/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [It's almost inevitable there's going to be an escalation on both sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-luther/it-s-almost-inevitable-there-s-going-to-be-an-escalation-on-both-sides/) Bill Luther > [I like men who are very cool but who are also so brilliant that they are almost insane. Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, Bob Dylan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jolene-blalock/i-like-men-who-are-very-cool-but-who-are-also-so-brilliant-that-they/) [Jolene Blalock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jolene-blalock/) > [If you watch wrestling, you now know the hip-hop culture is being represented with wrestling. For the longest time, the cultures have almost been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cena/if-you-watch-wrestling-you-now-know-the-hip-hop-culture-is-being/) [John Cena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cena/) > [Almost every Monday I have a charity thing. I like that. I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yogi-berra/almost-every-monday-i-have-a-charity-thing-i-like-that-i-do/) [Yogi Berra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yogi-berra/) > [Pete Seeger is a modest, unassuming, cheerful, and kind-natured man. He's a good folk singer, if you can stand folk singing. And he's such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/pete-seeger-is-a-modest-unassuming-cheerful-and-kind-natured-man-he-s/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Almost immediately, I remember right when Tikrit even fell, a few days after Baghdad fell, there was talks of insurgency, there was talks of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farnaz-fassihi/almost-immediately-i-remember-right-when-tikrit-even-fell-a-few-days/) Farnaz Fassihi > [While it is often true that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, it seems like Yahoo's almost obsessive focus on Google is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kara-swisher/while-it-is-often-true-that-the-enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend-it/) [Kara Swisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kara-swisher/) > [I'd had episodes before, but I swept them under the carpet. This time, I couldn't do that because everyone knew. I got on with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-kidder/i-d-had-episodes-before-but-i-swept-them-under-the-carpet-this-time-i/) [Margot Kidder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-kidder/) > [I was hit by a car. I almost died. My show was taken away from me. I was frightened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-brennan/i-was-hit-by-a-car-i-almost-died-my-show-was-taken-away-from-me-i-was/) [Eileen Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-brennan/) > [With \*NSYNC, we shopped our deal for a year in America, sang a capella in everybody's office, then moved to Germany for almost two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jc-chasez/with-nsync-we-shopped-our-deal-for-a-year-in-america-sang-a-capella/) [JC Chasez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jc-chasez/) Browse all 1,672 Almost quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Almost any word can be drafted to serve as a verb, even words we think of as eternal and unchanging, stuck in their more traditional roles.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Erin McKean" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-mckean/almost-any-word-can-be-drafted-to-serve-as-a-verb-even-words-we-think/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Almost" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-mckean/almost-any-word-can-be-drafted-to-serve-as-a-verb-even-words-we-think/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb6/erin-mckean-13646_almost_almost-any-word-can-be-drafted-to-serve_222781.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb6/erin-mckean-13646_almost_almost-any-word-can-be-drafted-to-serve_222781.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb6/erin-mckean-13646_almost_almost-any-word-can-be-drafted-to-serve_222781.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Almost any word can be drafted to serve as a verb, even words we think of as eternal and unchanging, stuck…” — Erin McKean", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Erin McKean", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-mckean/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Almost any word can be drafted...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-mckean/almost-any-word-can-be-drafted-to-serve-as-a-verb-even-words-we-think/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-mckean/almost-any-word-can-be-drafted-to-serve-as-a-verb-even-words-we-think/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```