Basic Details
Word: Idiosyncrasy
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: A habit, way of behaving or way of thinking that is unusual and belongs to one particular person.
Synonyms: quirk, peculiarity, eccentricity, oddity
How to Spell Idiosyncrasy
Syllables: id - i - o - syn - cra - sy
Tricky part: The middle has a y (syn), and the ending is -crasy with an s, not -cracy as in democracy. Students also write an e at the start, but the word opens with idio, as in idiom.
Watch out for: ideosyncrasy, idiosincrasy, idiosyncrisy
Memory tip: It is three Greek pieces meaning 'my own mixture': idio (own, as in idiom) + syn (together, as in synonym) + crasy (mixing). Democracy is about rule and takes c; a quirk rules nobody, so it keeps the s.
Usage Examples
Example 1: My uncle has an idiosyncrasy of tapping the table three times before he eats.
Example 2: The writer's idiosyncrasies, like never using the letter z, made her books easy to recognise.
Example 3: Every cricket coach learns to live with the idiosyncrasies of his star bowlers.
Fun Fact
Doctors still use the related word idiosyncratic for a rare reaction to a medicine that only a few patients have and nobody can predict.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. accomodate 2. persistant 3. embarassment 4. idiosyncrasy
a) a feeling of shame or awkwardness
b) continuing firmly in spite of difficulty
c) a habit or way of behaving that is peculiar to one person
d) to provide room or space for someone
Show answer
c) a habit or way of behaving that is peculiar to one person. Accommodate needs double c and double m, persistent ends in -ent, and embarrassment has rr and ss, which leaves idiosyncrasy.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
id_os_ncr_sy
a) i, y, e
b) e, i, a
c) i, y, a
d) i, i, a
Show answer
c) i, y, a. Spell it as idio + syn + crasy and the three gaps fill themselves: i, then the y of syn, then a.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word idiosyncrasy as used in the sentence:
Leaving the last bite on her plate at every meal was an idiosyncrasy her brothers loved to tease her about.
a) grudge
b) quirk
c) norm
d) talent
Show answer
b) quirk. A small habit that belongs to one person is a quirk; a norm is what everybody does.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these is best described as an idiosyncrasy?
a) a market that is closed on every Monday
b) a bus that leaves the depot at eight daily
c) a teacher who marks every paper in green ink
d) a school where all pupils wear a uniform
Show answer
c) a teacher who marks every paper in green ink
2. A person whose ways are full of idiosyncrasies is ____.
a) unusual in many small ways
b) rich and very powerful
c) often ill during winter
d) unable to speak clearly
Show answer
a) unusual in many small ways
