The Irish author Samuel Beckett once wrote, “Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” I love this idea, in talking about communication skills as well as so many other areas of life.

Today’s question for you is what’s the Latin origin of the word “compete”? Is it to be the best? Is to work hard? Is it to strive together? Is it the physical collision of two bodies? Only one of those is correct. Think on that.

And while we’re thinking about competition, consider the word (or should I say words?) "lineup" and "line up." Kindergartners line up with their classmates. A football team’s lineup is set before the game begins (and hopefully if you’re playing fantasy football, yours is too). It’s one of those words that baffles. People tend to have their thumbs hovering over that space bar, quivering, nervous about that space or no space, or hyphen! Yes, that’s it, hyphen! No, wait, it’s just one word… I get it. It’s the little things that are sometimes never explained.

And since we’re talking about competitions and lineups today, let’s also turn to the fascinating background of the word "boycott." Have you ever boycotted something? Do you know where this word came from?

This is the "Words You Should Know" podcast, Season 3: Episode 3. Words. Language. Communication. You've got this.