Prodigy and Protege Commonly Confused Words

The noun prodigy refers to a highly talented young person or to a wondrous event. The noun protà ©gà © refers to someone whose training or career is advanced by an influential person. Examples Everybody hates a prodigy, detests an old head on young shoulders. (Erasmus)​Abraham Lincoln was a protà ©gà © of Henry Clay, the Kentuckian who had orchestrated the great Missouri Compromise of 1820-21. Practice (a) Stephen Sondheim, a _____ of Oscar Hammerstein II, composed the lyrics for West Side Story and Gypsy.(b) Gary Burton, the one-time teenage _____, is still an astonishing master of the vibes after 40 years. Answers (a) Stephen Sondheim, a  protà ©gà ©Ã‚  of Oscar Hammerstein II, composed the lyrics for  West Side Story  and  Gypsy.(b) Gary Burton, the one-time teenage  prodigy, is still an astonishing master of the vibes after 40 years.