Make Your Point: LUCRE

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pronounce LUCRE:

LOO cur

connect this word to others:

You've probably heard the word lucre in the phrase "filthy lucre," due to its biblical association with greed and violence and wolves. More on that in a second. First, see if you can recall a word that means "greedy and violent, like a wolf:" it's _u__ne.

Even if you haven't heard of lucre, filthy or otherwise, I bet you could guess its meaning because you know the word lucrative ("profitable: earning money, bringing in plenty of money"). I'll just point out that while lucrative can have a neutral or even positive tone, lucre's tone is always negative. Let's see why!

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

"Lucre" traces back to the Latin lucrum, meaning "riches, wealth, profits."

That's still the meaning we use today in English, but always with a negative tone, probably because of how the word was used in this Bible verse: "The princes... were as wolves ravishing prey, to shed out blood, and to lose men, and in following lucres greedily."

In other words, lucre is money or wealth that's gotten through cruel, greedy behavior.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Noun, the uncountable kind: "All they care about is lucre;" "The plantations generated lucre from slavery."

Other forms:

None are in use today.

how to use it:

"Lucre" is a formal, semi-common word that's always spoken in a harsh negative tone, like this: "It's disgusting how he shows off his lucre. We know it's from blood diamonds."

So, when you want to sound serious, even biblical, as you label the money people have earned from truly terrible behavior, call it lucre. For example, you might call someone's income or riches lucre if they got it from selling drugs, from human trafficking, or from otherwise abusing people or animals.

The phrase "filthy lucre" is popular and helps your audience understand what "lucre" is, but it's a little redundant.

examples:

"A lot of companies out there [are] keeping tabs on your online activity. The motivation normally comes down to filthy lucre – tracking your interests helps them push relevant ads your way."
— Darien Graham-Smith, The Guardian, 13 May 2017

"I was tired of acting in the stupid movies and sitcoms and commercials that made me my filthy lucre. Sick of being a tiny well-paid cog in a giant soul-sucking multinational corporate machine making its billions by convincing citizens that the spiritual hole in their soul can be filled with a bigger TV and a better car..."
— David Henry Sterry, Salon, 14 February 2013

has this page helped you understand "lucre"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this term, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "lucre" without saying "ill-gotten gain" or "dirty money."

try it out:

Melanie McFarland described the movie "Sorry To Bother You" as "a parable about selling out." She went on:

"The concept of selling out means different things to different people and different generations. Millennials drowning in debt have no problem with it, we've been told, because they have no other choice. Generation Xers railed against it, or so we were informed in movies like 'Reality Bites.' If you had talent, the worst thing you could do for your soul was allow some corporate entity to claim and corrupt it in exchange for filthy lucre. (That was before our joints started giving out and we realized how expensive health insurance is.)"

What do you think? Is it awful for your soul to sell your talent to a company "for filthy lucre"? Is that what it means to "sell out"? Would you do this if you had the chance? Do you already do this to some extent?

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for this month is Make Your Point Before & After!

I'll give you a clue, and you give me a verbal mashup including at least one word or phrase we've studied before.

For example, if I give you "It's the kind of theatrical stage setting that encourages the actors to radically overact," then you give me "mise en scenery chewing," a mashup of "mise en scene" and "scenery chewing."

Try this one today: It's the way people used to pay their dues or lay their cash on the table, back in the good old days.

To reveal the first two hints, highlight the hidden white text.

Hint 1: The number of words in this Before & After is... four.

Hint 2: The first word in this Before & After is... "status."

Hint 3: Use this term.

To see the answer, scroll all the way down.

review this word:

1. The opposite of LUCRE could be money earned

A. slowly or gradually.
B. fairly or honorably.
C. privately or secretly.

2. In Donna Tartt's The Secret History, a character says, "By the way. Meant to ask. How does your pop earn his _____ lucre?" and another replies, "_____."

A. filthy .. Oil
B. extra .. Odd jobs
C. trifling .. Teaching

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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