lacks in pizzazz

[Tinkerbell]

And just like that, the simplest way to get across the lake occurred to me.
Standing up, I pointed a finger at the water. The surface
of the lake began to ripple, and then, with a great whooshing sound, the water in front of us slid back,
leaving a narrow, silver muddy trail along the lake’s
bottom. The path wove all the way to the base of the rocky island.
“What it lacks in pizzazz, it makes up for in practicality,”
I said, hoping Aislinn couldn’t hear how
terrified I was. But she put her hand on my shoulder—the first time she’d ever touched me—and said, “You’ll be


“What it lacks in pizzazz, it makes up for in practicality,” ??

 

[TheParser]

“What it lacks in pizzazz, it makes up for in practicality,” ??

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


(1) The New Oxford American Dictionary defines pizzazz as "an attractive combination of vitality and glamour."

The word may have been coined (invented) by an American fashion magazine in the 1930's.

(2) If I understand your paragraph correctly, those two persons simply walked back to the island on a narrow and

muddy path. Well, getting back to the island by just walking back did not involve any pizzazz (nothing "vital" or "glamorous"

about walking back on a trail or path), but it was very practical. That is, it got them back to the island safely. And that was

what they wanted.

(3) Here's another example: The Times newspaper (of London), which used to be the newspaper of the ruling classes, did

something very big in 1966: it put news on the front page. Until 1966, it had (almost) always put only small advertisements

on the front page. Of course, most people thought that it lacked pizzazz, so they would not buy it. Putting the news on the

front page along with interesting headlines and big photographs gave the paper some pizzazz. (Supposedly!)

(4) Just think of what might have happened if the guy in your paragraph had thought of an exciting and unusual

way to return to the island. Maybe Aislinn would have kissed him! (On the other hand, he could have chosen a

way full of pizzazz but lacking in practicality. So they would never have gotten back to the island!)

P.S. Did you watch on television the Academy Awards from Hollywood last night? Now, that is pizzazz!

 

[BobK]

It's worth noting that this is a format that is often used - especially in reviews: 'What it lacks in <thing1> it makes up for in <thing2>' for example 'What it lacks in finesse it make up for in enthusiam'.

b