Mercurial
(pronounced mur-kyoor-ee-ul; "oo" pronounced as in "book" and not as in "boot") adjective
Definition
having qualities indicative of the metal mercury; changeable; volatile; lacking stability; easily upset or excited; characterized by quick and unpredictable changes in mood, temperament, etc.
[Note: Another sense of mercurial means animated, sprightly, lively, swift, etc. According to this author's research, that positive connotation is rarely implied, if ever, when America's articulate use this word, and therefore it's not featured in the examples below.]
Main Example
- In the days immediately following the S&P downgrade of U.S. credit rating from AAA to AA+, the stock market suddenly seemed to lose its footing, and the Dow Jones was at its most mercurial in recent years. Here is how the widely watched index performed on each weekday after that late Friday, August 5, downgrade: Monday--down 635 points; Tuesday--up 430 points; Wednesday--down 520 points; Thursday--up 423 points; Friday--up another 123 points. Not surprisingly, that week also witnessed a surge in complaints from investors to cardiologists about how the extreme volatility was causing them stress related problems such as heart attacks and arrhythmias.
Workplace Examples
- Just between you and me, a month ago Jill, our new manager, told me to start planning a direct mail campaign. Then, last week, she became lukewarm to the idea and told me to put it on the back burner. But this morning, she once again seemed gung ho and asked me to proceed with my planning. You know, such mercurial actions do not bespeak of great leadership.
- It's really hard to predict Bob's mood. One moment he's extremely calm and relaxed; then, just a few minutes later, gushing with excitement; and then, another five or ten minutes later, throwing a tantrum! Extremely mercurial! No wonder some people call him "Bipolar Bob."
Other Examples
- a financial analyst saying: "Our company's sales have been very mercurial this past year. Hard to detect any sort of trend. So, it's difficult to forecast what our activity levels will be like, say, a year from now."
- a manager commenting: "Celia is one of our smartest employees. The problem is her output: it's mercurial! If only she were a little more consistent."
- somebody with a mercurial personality, mercurial temperament, or mercurial nature; a person who is known for his mercurial moods
- President George H.W. Bush discovering how mercurial a politician's popularity can be, what with his approval numbers--which had skyrocketed to 89% in 1991, after the successful conclusion of the first Persian Gulf War--plunging into the 30s by November of the following year, when he lost reelection
