I spent the morning looking at jobs posted today, because I need one that pays real money, nice and reliable. The word ‘modicum’ came up in two different job postings. Neither were for particularly professional or swanky jobs. It was interesting to see it used this way.
Usually job postings just say “Some experience required.” These said “Experience: a modicum”. The woman I was reading job postings with did not know what the word meant. I don’t know where I knew it from, but I did know it’s basic meaning. She thought it could be some new kind of software she hadn’t heard of yet. In the way it was used, it could have been software, or something else.
According to my large Funk and Wagnalls Canadian College Dictionary… a modicum is a moderate or small amount. Nice to know I remembered it right.
Do you keep track of words you don’t know when you come upon one? It’s a nice feeling to be the local hero when you alone know what some oddity of a word means.