Context:
Your advice was so valuable because it went far beyond the cookie-cutter tips typical of coffee chats or quick phone calls.
-
9Can you please show an example sentence with such an antonym, using, say XXX for the antonym?– Weather VaneCommented Oct 16, 2019 at 17:32
-
9The title of your post suggests that the ideomatic terms "cookie-cutter" and "boilerplate" have the same meaning. Could you please explain why you think that?– BoldBenCommented Oct 16, 2019 at 18:19
-
1'Incisive' mixes metaphors nicely.– Edwin AshworthCommented Oct 16, 2019 at 18:23
-
1cookie-cutter and boilerplate do not fit in the same pot. [buzzer]– LambieCommented Oct 17, 2019 at 21:32
-
1You're already putting a positive spin on 'negative' words. "Your advice was [not] valuable because it [did not go] beyond..." - You don't need an antonym, just state the antithesis.– MazuraCommented Oct 19, 2019 at 5:07
|
Show 2 more comments
9 Answers
While lbf's answer is also good, I prefer bespoke:
1 a: CUSTOM-MADE // bespoke suit
I would argue that bespoke has the connotation of being particularly fancy, which draws a nice contrast to boilerplate or cookie-cutter.
I'm not sure if it's quite ideal for your situation, but here's how you could incorporate it:
Your bespoke advice was so valuable because it went far beyond the cookie-cutter tips typical of coffee chats or quick phone calls.
Another option that works for this particular context is singular:
3: being out of the ordinary : UNUSUAL
Possible ways singular could be incorporated:
Your singular advice was so valuable because it went far beyond the cookie-cutter tips typical of coffee chats or quick phone calls.
Your advice was singularly valuable because it went far beyond the cookie-cutter tips typical of coffee chats or quick phone calls.
answered Oct 17, 2019 at 3:56
-
12
-
1
-
1This is not correct. boilerplate is text that is pre-written, as it were. It is not the opposite of– LambieCommented Oct 17, 2019 at 21:32
-
1@Lambie — I agree that boilerplate is text that is pre-written. I don't understand your point. Bespoke text would be text that is made-to-order, which is the opposite of pre-written. Commented Oct 18, 2019 at 2:54
-
1
(adj) 2a. restricted to a particular individual, situation, relation, or effect
(adj) 3. free from ambiguity
Which can be used in various ways, to show why you appreciated that advice:
Thank you for giving me such specific advice.
Meaning; thank you for giving me advice, that was directed at my individual situation, and for me personally.
I really appreciate your advice and how you give me specific solutions.
As in; thank you for not just giving me generalizations; but giving me unambiguous steps to follow that I can use to solve my problem.
-
3Given the example, "specific" is the only answer that makes sense in context of "advice". "Cookie-cutter" or "boilerplate" advice is generic, so the antonym of that usage is specific. Commented Oct 17, 2019 at 15:54
As in:
Your custom advice was valuable because it addressed my particular needs.
made to the specifications of an individual customer
This sense of custom can also describe something that is made just the way you want it.
-
10
-
1
-
2"Custom" is overwhelmingly used for things that are made. We don't "make" advice, so it sounds weird to describe it as "custom advice".– KrisWCommented Oct 17, 2019 at 9:40
-
1
-
1
There's also tailor-made:
1: made by a tailor or with a tailor's care and style
2: made or fitted especially to a particular use or purpose
3: factory made rather than hand-rolled
(With the second definition)
FYI - the Wikipedia page for "Bespoke" has some good info on "tailor-made" vs "bespoke"
thoughtful advice
: characterized by careful reasoned thinking
e.g. a thoughtful essay
definition 1b at Merriam-Webster
or
considered advice
: matured by extended deliberative thought
e.g. a considered opinion
Could also work: sagacious and insightful, but I more like "thoughtful" and "considered" to describe good or detailed advice.
Edit: All my suggestions have some non-zero history of usage.
My first thought after reading the title was "bespoke."
But I think context matters and bespoke may not be the best word to use for your example.
Bespoke connotes tailored clothes. The opposite of bespoke is "ready to wear." I've also seen bespoke used for other products beside clothes, but the usage seems to be about things hand made.
You example context is different. It's about communication. Written communication in the case of boilerplate.
I can send a boilerplate email, but for the opposite, sending a bespoke email doesn't seem like the right usage.
Maybe for personal communication the opposite of boilerplate is... personalized. The communication is specific to the person. "Thank you for your personalized advice. It was much more helpful that the boilerplate answer on the website FAQ."
I'd probably use unconventional here.
Cookie cutter means adhering to the norm. I don't know that I'd typically describe advice that way, but that's the term you requested a semantic opposite. I'd personally use the term conventional like in conventional wisdom.
Thank you for your unconventional advice! It was much more helpful than the run-of-the-mill conventional wisdom I got from everyone else.
Outside the box also has currency here. It means that the thought process in question was unconventional or from a new perspective.
Thank you for your outside the box perspective. It was far more helpful than the conventional advice I received elsewhere!
tailored
from tailor (v):
- make (clothes) to fit individual customers
- make or adapt for a particular purpose or person
targeted is also fitting here
Useful
1 Able to be used for a practical purpose or in several ways.
‘aspirins are useful for headaches’
1.1 British informal Very able or competent in a particular area.
‘He is a healthy sceptic to much paranormal activity, and would be a useful expert to have.’
Used in your original sentence:
Your advice was so useful because it went far beyond the cookie-cutter tips typical of coffee chats or quick phone calls.
