Improve Your Vocabulary Tape From The 1980s

April 1, 2013 2:55 PM

When I was a kid, my grandfather bought me an audiotape meant to improve my vocabulary: 25 Power Words, or something. It was pitched, I think, as a way to get ahead in business -- and read in a very serious, very radio-y voice. We used to play it on long car rides, endlessly, when I was in elementary school (in the early 80s). I'd really like to find a copy of the tape, but I can't remember its title.

Here are the words I remember being on it:

• Cogent
• Malevolent
• Sycophant
• Denizen
• Excoriate
• Abound
• Exacerbate
• Rancor

posted by buriedpaul to Education (4 answers total)

Power Words?
posted by milkrate at 5:05 PM on April 1, 2013

Response by poster: Thanks Milkrate, but that's not it. The tape had fewer words -- 25 or 50, I think -- enough that I learned and understood them all, even though I was in the fourth grade.
posted by buriedpaul at 6:41 PM on April 1, 2013

Best answer: I'm almost certain that this is Verbal Advantage. As soon as I read your description, I remembered that serious, almost scolding voice saying people judge you by the words you use, googled it, and presto: "Millions of Americans know this phrase from radio and print advertising for the Verbal Advantage audio series, which has sold over 100,000 copies."

I believe the original series of cassettes was published in 1986. Good luck!
posted by Mothra Pisces at 5:06 AM on April 2, 2013

Response by poster: I think that must be it -- we must've just had the first cassette. (Maybe the others were withheld till I was older, then forgotten.) I vaguely remember the people-judge-you business. Thanks!
posted by buriedpaul at 1:45 PM on April 3, 2013