Of Loves and Fears and Hates

1. acrophobia: abnormally intense fear of being in high places.

2. bibliophile: one who loves books; a book collector. The opposite is a biblioclast.

3. claustrophobia: an abnormal dread of being in closed or narrow spaces. One who has a fear of open spaces suffers from agoraphobia.

4. Francophile: an admirer of France, its people, and its customs. It may also be used as an adjective.

5. hydrophobia: feat of water; rabies. One of the symptoms of the disease caused by the bite of a rabid animal is an inability to swallow; hence, the name hydrophobia for the disease itself.

6. misanthropy: hatred of or distrust of mankind. The misanthropist has his opposite in the philanthropist, that is, one who loves mankind—and has the means to support worthy causes.

7. misogyny: hatred of women

8. paranoid: showing unreasonable distrust, suspicion, or an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance. Paranoia is usually a chronic condition characterized by delusions of persecution or of grandeur that the afflicted strenuously defends with apparent logic and reason.

9. philately: the collection and study of postage stamps, post marks, and related materials. The derivation, from the Greek philo. (“loving”), and ateles (“without charge”) reminds us that the original stamp indicated a tax-free shipment.

10. Philistine: a sumg, ignorant, especially middle-class person who is held to be indifferent or antagonistic to artistic and cultural values; boorish or barbarous; an ignoramus or outsider.

11. phylogeny: love of or fondness for women.

12. philology: historical and comparative linguistics; the study of human speech, especially as the vehicle of literature; literary or classical learning. The philologist is known by other related labels, the philologer and the philologue.

13. Russo phobia: dislike or fear of Russia or its policies

14. triskaidekaphobia: fear of the number 13. Though the word is long, the arithmetic etymology from Greek is simple: treis (“three”), kai (“and”), and deka (“ten”)

15. xenophobia: an unusual fear or contempt of strangers or foreigners, especially as reflected in one’s political or cultural views.

Exercises

I. Which Word Comes to Mind
In each of the following, read the statement, then circle the word that comes to mind.

1. Bats and beavers are prone to this
(claustrophobia, hydrophobia, phylogeny)
2. No member of the famous trapeze artist, The Flying Valencias, ever had this
(Francophilism, misanthropy, acrophobia)
3. Jack the Ripper must have been one
(misogynist, philatelist, philologist)
4. Beware of Friday the 13th
(bibliophile, triskaidekaphobia, Philistine)
5. Many U.S. citizens like anything that is American and detest anything else
(xenophobe, Russophobe, paranoid)
6. In an elevator, invariably I grow nervous
(phylogeny, claustrophobia, philology)
7. My uncle spends every vacation in Paris
(Francophile, xenophobia, bibliophile)
8. Our neighbors trust nobody, absolutely nobody!
(acrophobia, Philistine, paranoid)
9. Franklin D. Roosevelt was a noted stamp collector
(philately, misanthropy, phylogeny)
10. At the start of A Christmas Carol, Scrooge hates everybody.
(bibliophile, misanthropy, triskaidekaphobia)

II. True or False?
In the space provided, indicate whether each statement is true or false.

____ 1. A bibliophile is a file clerk in a library.
____ 2. A Francophile would feel quite at home in Philadelphia
____ 3. you can assume that a hermit is a misanthrope.
____ 4. Some men dream of having a harem, but not the misogynist
____ 5. A philistine would be a frequent visitor to the museums
____ 6. Scholars who specialize in philology are likely to be expert musicians
____ 7. His xenophobia led him to retire from the world.

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Words with Tales attached

1. accolade: praise or approval; an embrace of greeting or salutation. When French generals kiss the cheeks of the man being honored, they are continuing a custom of the early French kings who placed their arms around the neck (Latin ad “to” and colum “neck”) of the new knight in order to kiss him. William the Conqueror used his fist to confer knighthood. Later a gentle stroke with the flat of the sword on the side of the neck became the accepted method.

2. conclave: a private or secret meeting; an assembly or gathering, especially one with authority, power, and influence. When a pope is to be elected, the College of Cardinals meets in a room locked on the inside and outside. No one is permitted to leave until a new pope has been chosen. From Latin, then, a conclave is a meeting in a room locked with (con) a key (clavis). You can recognize the same root in clef, clavicle, and conclude.

3. dirge: a funeral hymn; a slow sad song, poem, or musical composition; a lament. Dirge is a contraction of the first word of a Latin funeral service that begins, “Dirge, Domine…” (“O Lord, direct my way in Thy sight”) This in turn is based on the words of a Psalm. (“…Make Thy way straight before may face”)

4. draconian: harsh or vigorous; a law or code of extreme severity. Draco was an Athenian lawgiver whose code or laws, established in 621 B.C., called for the most severe penalties for the smallest offense.

5. epicurean: devoted to the pursuit of pleasure; fond of the good food, comfort, and ease. The followers of Epicurus are associated with the pursuit of pleasure, so that Epicureanism has become synonymous with luxurious living. The early Epicureans were contrasted with the Stoics, followers of Zeno, who taught that the wise man should be free from passion and submissive to natural law. The Stoic today is one who endures the hardships of life without complaint.

6. gossamer: soft, sheer, gauzy fabric; fine film of cobwebs seen in autumn; anything delicate, light or insubstantial. Lexicographers theorize that this word, derived from Middle English goose and somer, was first used as a name for Indian summer, when gees were in season.

7. immolate: to kill, as a sacrifice; ;to destroy or renounce for the sake of something else. Ground grain or meal (Latin mole) was sprinkled by the Roman priest on the head of an animal before it was sacrificed. Later, this preparatory act of sprinkling, immolation, came to mean the sacrifice itself.

8. juggernaut: anything that exacts blind devotion or terrible sacrifice; any terrible, irresistible force. Juggernaut is the Hindu god whose idol is dragged in a religious procession on an enormous car. Devotees are sometimes crushed under the wheels of the advancing car. The word today is applied to any large, overpowering, destructive force or object such as war, a giant battleship or a powerful football team.

9. junket: a party, banquet, or an outing; a trip taken by an official and paid for with public funds. Junket began as a Latin word juncos (“a twig”) and referred to as basket made of rushed and twigs. Soon the word was applied to delicacies, especially cream and cheese preparations served in these baskets. Finally, it became the feast served out of doors, a picnic. The political slant to junket probably stems from the clambakes or beef-and pretzel-feasts once offered by political clubs to their followers. After moving into the political sphere, the word acquired its modern meaning of an official trip underwritten by the taxpayer-a long way from the twigs and cheese.

10. ostracism: a rejection or exclusion form a group or society by general consent. In ancient Athens, if the assembly decided a person was endangering the public welfare or liberty a vote was taken to send the guilty one into exile. A potsherd or oyster shell (from the Greek ostra) on which was written the name of the person to be ostracized was dropped into an urn. The modern blackballing of members from organizations closely follows this method.

11. proletariat: the working class; the unprotected class. Proles, a Latin word for “offspring” is the source of proletariat or the poor class, who, because they were prolific, served the state only by producing offspring.

12. rigmarole: confused, incoherent, foolish talk; a complicated and petty procedure. Rigmarole is an alternation of ragman roll, a series of documents in which the Scottish noblemen acknowledged their allegiance to Edward I of England.

13. rubric: a title, heading, or direction in a book written or printed in red or otherwise distinguished form the rest of the text; an established custom or rule of procedure; a short commentary or explanation covering a broad subject. In the monasteries, the monks who copied the works of the ancient authors often adorned their manuscripts with beautiful decorations. For headings, they followed the Roman practice of using red ink (Latin rubber). Thus rubric came to mean not only the initial ornamental letters but also the directive or rule of conduct that was often part of the heading.

14. Socratic: Pertaining to Socrates or his philosophical method of repeated questioning to elicit truths implicit in all rational beings. Socrates, a Greek philosopher and the chief speaker in Plato’s Dialogues, developed his ideas by constantly asking questions or forcing admissions from his opponents. Condemned to death for irreverence to the gods and corrupting the youth, Socrates is now remembered as a seeker after truth and a man who taught his disciples how to think.

15. sycophant: a self-seeking, servile flatterer; fawning parasite; one who attempt to win favor or advance himself by flattering persons of influence. Since the Greek roots mean “showing figs,” two possible explanations have been offered for the story behind sycophant. One is that the gesture of a fig was used to denounce a criminal, making a sycophant an informer. The other is more literal. it was unlawful to export figs and one who reported such an act was called a sycophant, or fig-shower. The modern meaning derives form the informer’s cringing and servile manner.

Exercises

I. Which Word Comes to Mind?
In each of the following, read the statement , then circle the word that comes to mind.

1. They are the backbone of our industrial power
(rubric, proletariat, juggernaut)
2. The silent treatment
(conclave, dirge, ostracism)
3. In some underdeveloped countries, a thief is punished by having his hand cut off.
(Socratic, draconian, junket)
4. Eat, drink, and be merry
(epicurean, immolate, sycophant)
5. This play describes the Drama Critics’ Award.
(accolade, rigmarole, gossamer)
6. The president and his cabinet deliberated for three hours.
(rubric, conclave, dirge)
7. Screen stars are often surrounded by flatterers
(sycophant, immolate, proletariat)
8. Detective Brady went through the lengthy process of reading the prisoner his rights
(juggernaut, accolade, rigmarole)
9. Belonging to the library board allowed me to take many expense-free trips to conventions
(sycophant, dirge, junket)
10. The wailing of the widow could be heard over the sound of the organ at the funeral.
(dirge, ostracism, draconian)

II. True or False?
In the space provided, indicate whether each statement is true or false.

____1. A sycophant speaks with sincerity
____ 2. A dirge would be inappropriate at a wedding.
____ 3. A rigmarole is a tall masted sailing ship
____ 4. A rubric has to be written in red
____ 5. A model sailing ship in a bottle is a good example of a juggernaut.
____ 6. Professor Smith lectured the entire period in true Socratic fashion
____ 7. With accolades still ringing in his ears, the star thanked the audience.
____ 8. The warden resorted to draconian measures to get the truth out of the felon.
____ 9. His alibi, lacking in substance, was as light as gossamer.
____ 10. Harold organized a taxpayer’s protest against congressional junkets.

III. Synonyms and Antonyms
Indicate whether the following pairs of words are the same, opposite, or unrelated in meaning by writing S.O. or U in the space provided.
____ 1. ostracism-acceptance
____ 2. accolade--encomium
____ 3. immolate--soften
____ 4. rigmarole--fabrication
____ 5. epicurean--pleasure-bound


IV. Fill in the Blank
Insert one of the new words in the proper space in each sentence below

1. After their leader’s death, the government radio station began to broadcast a ______________.
2. We felt that the new rules were __________________, but our protests were unheeded.
3. The first victims of AIDS were subject to __________________, by people who were generally ignorant of the disease.
4. In order to get a loan, you have to go through a tremendous _______________at a local bank.
5. The famous movie producer was surrounded by _________________.
6. The Chicago Bulls _______________ rolled over their opponents with startling ease.
7. In addition to the loud _______________, each star received a floral tribute.
8. The revolution’s leaders sought to win the support of the _________________.
9. At an all-night ___________________, the angry reporters decided to resign.
10. With his __________________ tastes, Vincenzo found it easy to mingle with the sybarites.

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Size and Shape

1. archaeology: the systematic recovery by the scientific methods of material evidence remaining from man’s life and culture in past ages, and the detailed study of this evidence.

2. elfin – fairylike; delicate; small and charmingly merry or mischievous. In folklore, an elf was a tiny, often prankish fairy who lived in the woods and possessed magical powers, like Shakespeare’s Puck.

3. infinitesimal – too small to be measured. Mathematicians, philosophers, and photographers are accustomed to dealing in concepts that range from the infinite (too large to be measured) to the infinitesimal

4. Lilliputian – very small; tiny, narrow-minded; petty. In Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, the hero was shipwrecked on the island of Lilliput, the inhabitants of which stood six inches tall.

5. megalopolis – an extensive, heavily populated, continuously urban area, including any number of cities. This larger than a metropolis since it includes an inner city, suburbia, and any adjacent towns.

6. minimize – to reduce to a minimum; decrease to the least possible amount or degree; belittle. Again we meet a synonym for “small.” minim, this time combined with the suffix ize , “to make,” and denoting as in the definition for infinitesimal, making something appear to be of the least possible amount, value, or importance
.
7. minutiae – small or trivial details; trifling matters. The word is not restricted in meaning to unimportant details since a seemingly minor point can prove to be of major significance

8. palatial – like a palace; large and ornate. A closely related word derived from the same Latin root palatine (palace), refers to royal privileges, a high official, a Roma soldier as well as to the chief of the seven hills upon which Rome was built.

9. peccadillo – a small sin or fault. We admire the person who dresses impeccably, “without fault,” perhaps are tolerant to the peccadillos of our friend; and probably forgive the person who offers his peccavi (confessions, or literally “I have sinned)

10. picayune – of little value or account; petty or prejudiced. Originally, this meant a coin of small value. Inevitably, the meaning was transferred to a person of low esteem because of his or her criticism or bias.

11. simulacrum – a slight, unreal, or superficial likeness or semblance; an image or representation of something

12. soupcon – suspicion; a slight trace or flavor; a very small amount.

13. teeming: swarming; prolific or fertile. The Old English word terman meant “to produce offspring.” Indeed, an obsolete meaning of teeming was “to become pregnant and produce offspring.” What is perhaps more interesting is that our word team also comes from the Old English team, which meant “childbearing” or “brood”

14.titanic: of enormous size, strength, or power. In classical mythology the Titans were a race of giants who ruled the world before gods and goddesses. Cronus, perhaps the most famous (think of our word chronology), swallowed all his children in an attempt to avert a prophecy of doom, but one son, Jupiter (Zeus), survived and eventually overthrew his father.

15. vista: a far-reaching intellectual view, a view or prospect, especially one seen through a long, narrow avenue or passage; a mental view extending over a long period of time or embracing many remembrances or experiences.

Exercises

I. Which Word Comes to Mind?
In each of the following, read the statement, then circle the word that comes to mind.

1. The myriad molecules on the head of a pin
(infinitesimal, vista, picayune)
2. The two cities have grown so quickly you can hardly tell where on ends and the other begins.
(megalopolis, Lilliputian, palatial)
3. Most of their points were scored when out best man was in the penalty box
(amplitude, elfin, minimize)
4. Mac stumbled once over his lines but otherwise his performance was perfect
(minutiae, peccadillo, simulacrum)
5. This is the biggest rocket in our arsenal.
(soupcon, titanic, teeming)
6. The seven dwarfs of Disney
(Lilliputian, palatial, vista)
7. I was bogged down in petty details.
(megalopolis, minutiae, titanic)
8. We took a guided tour of Buckingham Palace
(teeming, palatial, soupcon)
9. The defense kept objecting to every minor point that was raised in court
(picayune, elfin, peccadillo)
10. After climbing to the top of the mountain, we looked out on a marvelous landscape.
(minimize, teeming, vista)

II. True or False?
In the space provided indicate whether each statement is true or false

____ 1. An elfin creature is huge and lumbering
____ 2. Soupcon is the call to dinner
____ 3. You should feel complimented if your mental powers are called Lilliputian
____ 4. Vista galleries are so called because they attract many visitors.
____ 5. A teeming street is dilapidated and deserted.
____ 6. It took a titanic effort to open the car door under water.
____ 7. The amplitude of the harvest gratified the farmers.
____ 8. In summers, we seek to trade our megalopolis for the country air.
____ 9. Don’t minimize Fermi’s contributions to the development of the atomic bomb.
____ 10. My parents are willing to overlook an occasional peccadillo.

III. Synonyms and Antonyms
Find and circle two words on each line which are either synonyms or antonyms.

1. infinitesimal titanic pompous hopeful
2. swarming cooperative teeming moderate
3. economy amplitude pettiness range
4. picayune searching serviceable unbiased
5. exaggerate imitate minimize assemble

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Mystery and the Occult

1. alchemy – a method of miraculous change of one thing into another. In the Middle Ages, the chief aim of honest and dishonest experimenters was to change base metals into gold and to discover the elixir of eternal youth
2. arcane – beyond comprehension; mysterious; secret. The Latin word arcanus means “shut up” or “hidden”
3. conundrum – a riddle; any puzzling question or problem
4. demonology – the study of demons or of beliefs about them.
5. exorcise – to drive away an evil spirit by charms or incantations
6. inscrutable – mysterious; completely obscure; unfathomable
7. pallor – lack of color; unnatural paleness
8. phenomenology – the science that classifies and describes unusual happenings.
9. polygraph – an instrument that records changes in blood pressure, respiration, pulse rate, etc; a lie detector
10. purloin – to steal
11. ritual – a system of rites, religious or otherwise; a prescribed form or procedure; ceremony
12. shamus – private detective. The caretaker of a synagogue is also called a shamus
13. soothsayer – one who predicts the future. Sooth is an Anglo-Saxon word meaning “true,” hence, a soothsayer is a “sayer of truth”
14. thaumaturgy – magic; the supposed working of miracles
15. warlock – sorcerer; conjurer; male witch. From the Anglo-Saxon word for traitor or liar. A warlock was supposed to be able to cast a magic spell because of a compact he made with the Devil.

Exercises

I. Which Word Comes to Mind”
In each of the following, read the statement, then circle the word that comes to mind

1. The last page of the murder mystery, with all the guests in the living room
(thaumaturgy, demonology, shamus)
2. “As I gaze into my crystal ball….”
(warlock, soothsayer, arcane)
3. “Man, your face is as white as a ghost’s”
(pallor, conundrum, inscrutable)
4. A pickpocket’s nimble fingers
(purloin, alchemy, ritual)
5. “Would you be willing to take a test to prove your innocence?”
(exorcise, phenomenology, polygraph)
6. A good poker player’s face
(alchemy, inscrutable, thaumaturgy)
7. With the IQ of a genius, Luz can solve any mathematical puzzle
(conundrum, warlock, ritual)
8. An alien warship was reported to have flown over Seattle
(phenomenology, demonology, shamus)
9. We recite the Pledge of Allegiance each morning
(exorcise, soothsayer, ritual)
10. At the museum we needed an expert to explain the meaning of the strange painting
(arcane, purloin, alchemy)

II. True or False?
In the space provided, indicate whether each statement is true or false

____1. A warlock has military responsibilities.
____2. To wear your heart on your sleeve is to have an inscrutable expression.
____3. A cattle rustler is on who would purloin a sirloin.
____4. When we say, “It’s Greek to me,” we are referring to something that is arcane.
____5. Abracadabra is the start of a familiar ritual.
____6. My father’s stockbroker practiced alchemy by converting our assets into debits.
____7. I was shocked by the shut-in’s pallor.
____8. After months of exorcise, Tonio was in great shape.
____9. Accused of theft, the bank teller offered to submit to a polygraph.
____10. Macbeth’s witches area subject for demonology.

III. Fill in the Blank
Insert one of the new words in the proper space in each sentence below.

1. Harry Houdini, the celebrated magician, was a master of ______________
2. As part of his morning ____________, Andre shined his shows, pressed his trousers, and put a flower in his buttonhole.
3. Many employers would like their workers to take ___________tests, but the unions oppose that procedure.
4. Helen may know several ________languages, but that hasn’t helped her to earn a living in today’s society.
5. A famous mathematical ____________, which has stumped the experts for a century, recently was solved with the aid of a microcomputer.
6. Through some amazing ___________, the shy reporter became Superman.
7. The Edison Hotel hired a ___________ to deal with recent thefts.
8. A waxen ___________had come over Audra’s usually florid face.
9. Colonel Snyder’s mission was to ___________the enemy’s atomic documents.
10. Awaiting the announcement of the Academy Awards, the composed actor maintained an ___________ expression.

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Appearances and Attitudes

1. circumspect: careful; cautious; prudent. The original meaning of this word was “to look about.” A person who “looks about” is cautious-hence, circumspect.

2. demure: modest; shy. It comes from a Latin word that means “mature” or “proper”

3. dispassionate: fair; impartial; calm.

4. dolorous: painful; mournful

5. edacious: devouring; consuming. It comes from the Latin edere (“to eat”)

6. effete: worn out; spent and sterile. The Latin word effetus means “that which has brought forth offspring”

7. feisty: touchy; excitable; quarrelsome

8. flaccid: weak; feeble; flabby.

9. flippant: disrespectful; saucy; impertinent.

10. florid: ruddy; rosy; ornate. Florid also means “highly-colored,” which reveals its connection with the Latin word for flower, floris.

11. glabrous: bald, smooth

12. imperious: overbearing; arrogant; domineering. It is easy to see the relationship of this word to emperor.

13. ingenious: clever; original; inventive; resourceful.

14. intractable: hard to manage; unruly; stubborn.

15. intransigent: uncompromising; refusing to come to an agreement.

Exercises

Which Word Comes to Mind?
In each of the following, read the statement, then circle the word that comes to mind.

1. A married man takes his secretary to a dark restaurant.
(florid, circumspect, intransigent)
2. My father is the absolute boss in our house
(dispassionate, glabrous, imperious)
3. An argument is in progress; neither side wants to give in.
(intractable, flaccid, edacious)
4. The night club comedian upset his conservation audience
(flippant, dolorous, effete)
5. A blush stole over the teenager’s cheek.
(feisty, ingenious, demure)
6. Our pit bull is hard to handle
(feisty, circumspect, flippant)
7. The inventor devised a gadget that can work miracles
(glabrous, florid, ingenious)
8. She cried at the sad organ music
(effete, edacious, dolorous)
9. Not much hair for the barber to cut
(flaccid, glabrous, demure)
10. We’ll never give in
(intransigent, dispassionate, edacious)

II. True or False?
In the space provided, indicate whether each statement is true or false

____ 1. Intransigent people are definitely intractable
____ 2. A glabrous person is usually vain about his attractive hair
____ 3. The winner’s headquarters was filled with dolorous sounds when the victory was announced
____ 4. Julius Caesar’s imperious manner befitted his position as a dictator.
____ 5. Clark Kent’s effete appearance was a way of disguising his true identity as Superman.
____ 6. Shut away from sunlight for two years, Vanya’s face had a florid glow.
____ 7. After strenuous gym workouts, my cousin’s muscles are no longer flaccid.
____ 8. Quentin’s flippant responses caused him to be suspended from school.
____ 9. The English actor impressed us with his circumspect behavior and reserved manners.
____ 10. Dolorous music tends to liven up any party.

III. Fill in the blank
Insert one of the new words in the proper space in each sentence below.

1. Surprisingly, it was a teenager who devised an ____________solution to the scheduling problem.
2. The ______________baseball manager was ejected after pushing the umpire.
3. Several irate customers complained about the ___________ attitudes of our salespeople.
4. When the private detective was hired, he was reminded of the need to be__________.
5. Private Williams had to do fifty push-ups because of his _________answers to Sergeant Doyle.
6. Our pleas were in vain because Ernesto had adopted an _____________ position.
7. The transition from hard-bitten cynic to a ___________ young thing was unrealistic.
8. As we approached the funeral parlor, ____________music greeted our ears.
9. Baseball umpires are expected to be ______________ in rendering their decisions.
10. Governor Walsh’s pompous acceptance speech was filled with _________language.

IV. What’s the Antonym?
Which of the new words is most nearly opposite in meaning to the one provided?

1. careless ___________________
2. virile ___________________
3. hairy ___________________
4. flexible ___________________
5. pale ___________________
6. opinionated ___________________
7. arrogant ___________________
8. dull ___________________
9. respectful ___________________
10. calm ___________________

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Legal Language

1. adjudicate: to hear and settle a case by judicial procedure. A transitive verb, adjudicate means to settle the rights of the parties in a court case. As an intransitive verb, it means simply to act as a judge

2. appellate: having the power to hear appeals and to reverse lower court decisions. An appellant is the one who appeals from a judicial decision or decree. An appellee is one against whom an appeal is taken.

3. collusion: a secret agreement for a deceitful or fraudulent purpose; conspiracy. Though the word has a serious connotation today, it is derived from the Latin ludere (“to play”), and ludus (“game”). A collusion often implies an attempt to defraud a person of his rights by the forms of law.

4. deposition: testimony under oath, especially a written statement by a witness for use in court in his or her absence. In ordinary usage, deposition refers to the act of depriving of authority, or the placing or laying down, as of a sediment or precipitation.

5. equity: something that is just, impartial, and fair; the value of a business or property in excess of any claim against it; justice applied in circumstances not covered by law.

6. exhume: to dig out of the earth; disinter; reveal. From the Latin humus (“ground’).

7. incommunicado: without the means or right of communication with others, as one held in solitary confinement.

8. intestate: having made no valid will; one who dies without legal will.

9. ipso facto: by the fact itself; by the very fact.

10. lien: the right to take and hold or sell the property of a debtor as security or payment for a debt; mortgage. The word is related to the Latin ligare (“to blind”) indicating that certain possessions are bound or tied to the payment of the debt.

11. litigation: legal action or process. A person who will sue at the drop of a hat, a handkerchief, or a word is said to be litigious.

12. perjury: the deliberate, willful giving of false, misleading, or incomplete testimony by a witness under oath in a criminal proceeding.

13. pettifogger: a petty, quibbling, unscrupulous lawyer; a shyster. Shyster comes form the American lawyer Scheuster, who in 1840 was rebuked in court for his objectionable practices. Pettifogger, similarly, is derived from the pettiness of the Fuggers, a sixteenth-century German family of financiers and merchants.

14. tort: any wrongful act not involving breach of contract for which a civil suit can be brought. The Latin tortum (“twisted”), is related to torque, a twisting force, and torture.

15.tribunal: a seat or court of justice. The tribune was the Roman official chosen by the plebeians (commoners) to protect their rights against the patricians (wealthy class)

Exercises

Which word comes to Mind?
In each of the following, read the statement, then circle the word that comes to mind.

1. No evidence of a will was found
(equity, intestate, litigation)
2. Any statement made now can be held against you
(deposition, tort, ipso facto)
3. If we do not get satisfaction here, we will take this case to a higher court.
(collusion, tribunal, appellate)
4. The witness has told only half the story in court
(adjudicate, perjury, exhume)
5. Lie low till the furor subsides
(incommunicado, pettifogger, lien)
6. The basketball players all agreed to lose the game
(equity, collusion, perjury)
7. Fido’s remains were dug up and buried elsewhere
(exhume, ipso facto, adjudicate)
8. Debts had to be paid before we could acquire the house
(lien, incommunicado, tribunal)
9. He conspire to get me fired
(exhume, appellate, tort)
10. In and out of court regularly
(collusion, litigation, equity)

II. True or False?
In the space provided, indicate whether each statement is true or false

____ 1. A collusion is an intellectual c lash between two strong lawyers.
____ 2. An adjudicated settlement is one made out of court.
____ 3. Torts involve an injury or damage done without breach of contract.
____ 4. A pettifogger is overly concerned with trifles.
____ 5. Ipso facto refers to facts, like axioms, that are universally accepted.
____ 6. We turned to the appellate division to get justice.
____ 7. A deposition is related to a proposition.
____ 8. The government’s witness was held incommunicado.
____ 9. Because he died intestate, no surgery was required.
____ 10. Different American Indian families belong ot special tribunals.

III. Fill in the Blank
Insert one of the new words in the proper space in each sentence below.

1. It would take a Solomon to ________________ the difficult child custody case.
2. There were contradictions between David’s recent testimony and his earlier ____________.
3. We were greatly relieved when the court lifted the _______________ against the sale of our home.
4. Some people sue at the drop of a hat but most prefer to avoid ________________.
5. When both stores offered the exact sale prices, we began to suspect _________________ between the managements.
6. I am searching for __________________, not an unfair advantage.
7. The suspected spy was held ________________ for 48 hours.
8. As an eighteenth-century revolutionary __________________, the French nobleman was found guilty.
9. Although he was cautioned about committing ________________, the witness continued to lie.
10. Since my uncle died __________________, the family has spent a fortune trying ot get its hands on the bulk of his estate.

IV. What’s the Antonym?
Which of the new words is most nearly opposite in meaning to the one provided?

1. bury _________________
2. truth _________________
3. partiality _________________
4. accessible _________________
5. legal act _________________

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Countdown Numbers

1. atonement-amends for wrong-doing; expiation. The theological use of this word can be readily understood if it is interpreted to mean “being at one” with God. Taking the proper action to correct an injury or repaid a relationship.

2. bicameral-composed of two houses, chambers, or branches. It is easy to identify the prefix bi, which we find in bicentennial, biceps, and binomial. The second part, obviously related to camera tells us that photography, like the legislature, requires a chamber in which to function

3. Decalogue-the Ten Commandments. The precepts spoke by God to Israel on Mt. Sinai are the basis of Mosaic Law.

4. decimate-to destroy a great number or proportion of. The word is traceable to the cruel punishment for mutiny—selecting by lot and killing one in every ten people. The same Latin root, decem (“ten”), gives us decimals, decade, and even December ( the tenth month if u begin as the Romans did, with March).

5. dichotomy-division into two usually contradictory parts or opinions. The Greek root means something cut in two. In modern usage the word has special significance in logic ( a division into mutually exclusive groups) and in botany(a branching into two equal subdivisions)

6. double-think-the belief in two contradictory ideas at the same time. This, as well as other forms of Newspeak, was formulated by George Orwell in his novel, 1984

7. millennium-a span of a thousand years; a period of general righteousness and happiness, especially in the indefinite future

8. nihilism-total rejection of established laws and institutions; total destructiveness toward the world and oneself. The nihilist adopts the extreme position that nothing exists or can be communicated; hence, he lives in a lonely, empty world.

9. penultimate-next to last. The Latin paene (“almost”) and ultimus (“last”) combine to form this word

10. primeval-original; belonging to the first or earliest ages. It is important to differentiate between primeval and its synonyms; prime “first in numerical order” and primitive “suggesting the simplicity of original things.” Other synonyms are pristine and primordial.

11. protocol-forms of ceremony and etiquette observed by diplomats and heads of states; the first copy of a treaty or document. The Greek roots refer to the first leaf glued to the front of the manuscript and containing the notes of the contents.

12. quatrain-a stanza or poem of four lines, usually with alternate rhymes

13. quintessence-the most perfect embodiment of something; the purest or most typical instance. In ancient philosophy, the fifty and highest essence quinta essentia (“either”) was supposed to be the constituent matter of the heavenly bodies, the others being air, fire, and water.

14. tessellated-like a mosaic; checkerboard. A variety of the Latin tessera (“four”), the wor finds its most practical application in art, architecture and the building trades.

15. untrammeled-unhampered; unrestrained. The fishermen of the Middle Ages made a three-layered net (tres macula) of varying degrees of coarseness so that the fish would be entangled in one of more the meshes

Exercises

I. Which Word Comes to Mind?
In each of the following, read the statement, then circle the word that comes to mind.

1. Negotiations to settle a strike are broken off
(atonement, dichotomy, double-think)
2. A young lady practices curtsying for hours in preparation for meeting royalty
(quatrain, tessellated, protocol)
3. A Golden Age is just around the corner
(quintessence, millennium, bicameral)
4. A baseball game’s eight inning
(penultimate, decimate, untrammeled)
5. The radicals weapons were terrorism, rioting, and subversion
(primeval, nihilism, Decalogue)
6. A chemical company has to make payments to victims of pollution
(protocol, atonement, quatrain)
7. Locusts will destroy most of the crop
(decimate, penultimate, primeval)
8. God and Moses
(bicameral, nihilism, Decalogue)
9. The model was described by many as being a symbol of pure beauty
(quintessence, double-think, tessellated)
10. A meeting of Senate and House leaders
(untrammeled, bicameral, quatrain)

II. True or False?
In the spaces provided, indicate whether each statement is true or false.
____ 1 Double-think suggests a careful analysis of both sides of a problem.
____ 2. A tessellated floor and a quatrain of poetry are both related to the same number.
____ 3. The Decalogue is a play with ten speaking parts
____ 4. A prisoner being released from jail feels untrammeled.
____ 5. Dichotomy and bicameral have prefixes with the same meaning.
____ 6. As part of the German’s atonement, they had to pay reparations to the state of Israel
____ 7. The Black Plague severely decimated Europe’s population.
____ 8. Our complete agreement pointed up the remaining dichotomy between us.
____ 9.Many cities planned celebrations for the millennium.
____ 10. The real estate developer’s nihilism led him to a successful career as a builder.

III. Fill in the Blank.
Insert one of the new words in the proper space in each sentence below.
1. Observing the proper _______________, Mrs. Berman curtsied before the monarch.
2. In an act of _____________, the former criminal contributed a million dollars to the family he had swindled.
3. Scientist fear that a new virus could _______________ much of Europe’s population.
4. Abandoning his youthful adherence to ______________ Ned became a constructive thinker and responsible citizen.
5. Numerous __________________ species are being destroyed each year as mankind continues to pollute the forests and the waterways.
6. Our ______________ of opinions on euthanasia will be addressed in a debate.
7. The candidate’s hoped-for image is that he is the _______________ of honesty.
8. After dessert as the ______________course, the meal ended with coffee.
9. Some previous dictatorships have given way to constitutional ______________ legislative bodies.
10. When the entire class scored 1000% on the spelling test, my teacher exclaimed, “The _______________ has arrived!”

IV. What’s the Antonym?
Which of the new words is most nearly opposite in meaning to the one provided.
1. restrained __________________
2. modern __________________
3. final __________________
4. togetherness ___________________
5. governance ___________________
6. lack of regret ___________________
7. add to ___________________
8. blank ___________________
9. rudeness ___________________
10. dictatorial ___________________

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Animal World

1. bovine-an ox, cow, or related animal; having oxlike qualities; slow, dull, stupid, or stolid.

2. equine-a horse; of, like, or a characteristic of a horse.

3. feline-a member of the family that includes lions, tigers, jaguars, and wild and domestic cats; resembling or suggestive of a cat, as in suppleness, slyness, treachery, or stealthiness

4. hircine-of or characteristic of a goat, especially in strong odor or lustfulness. Pan, the god of woods, fields, and flocks, had a human torso with goat’s legs, horns, and ears. He is often represented as frightening the nymphs in the forest.

5. leonine-of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a lion. Like Felix the cat and Bossie the cow, Leo the lion takes his name from the original Latin.

6. lupine-wolflike; rapacious or ravenous

7. ophidian-snakelike; a snake or serpent

8. ovine-designating sheep or sheeplike; an ovine animal

9. piscine-of, pertaining to, or typical of a fish or fishes. Pisces, the twelfth sign of the zodiac, is also called “the fish.”

10. porcine-of or pertaining to swine or pigs; piglike. The cartoon character Porky the Pig derives his name from the Latin porcus, pig.

11. saurian-of or having the characteristics of lizards; a lizard. The names of the prehistoric animals, like the dinosaur and the brontosaur, used combining forms with the Greek root saurios (“lizard”).

12. taurine-of or resembling a bull. The second sign of the zodiac is Taurus the bull.

13. ursine-of or characteristic of a bear. The constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, popularly called the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper, appeared to be ancients to have the outlines of a “Great Bear” and a “Little Bear.”

14. vixen-a female fox, a quarrelsome shrewish or malicious woman. Vixen can be used as an ajective.

15. vulpine-of, resembling, or characteristic of a fox; clever, devious, or cunning. The famous play Volpone, or The Fox, was an early seventeenth-century drama by Ben Jonson.

Exercises

I. Which Word Comes to Mind?
In each of the following, read the statement, then circle the word that comes to mind.

1. Carmen signs to her lover before he enters the arena
(bovine, saurian, taurine)
2. The sour-grapes fable
(equine, vulpine, leonine)
3. Little Bo Peep
(vixen, ovine, feline)
4. A lady-killer
(lupine, ophidian, porcine)
5. Sure-footed mountain climber
(ursine, piscine, hircine)
6. The Adam and Eve story
(vixen, ovine, ophidian)
7. The Kentucky Derby
(feline, equine, porcine)
8. Meow
(hircine, feline, saurian)
9. MGM movies start with the lion’s roar
(leonine, ursine, piscine)
10. In 1996 Great Britain had to deal with “mad cow” disease
(ovine, vulpine, bovine)

II. True or False?
In the space provided, indicate whether each statement is true or false.

____ 1. Ophidians and saurians had much in common
____2. Both lions and tigers can be described as leonine.
____3. Horse racing would be impossible without equines.
____4. An aquarium would house many ursine creatures.
____5. A bovine and taurine animal make a natural pair.
____6. Overeaters are often described as porcine.
____7. Because Lou loved dogs, he received an award from the Feline Society of America.
____8. Hircine milk is taken from brown cows only.
____9. The actor who starred as a vampire was given a lupine appearance.
____10. We rely on our ovine animals for warm woolen garments.

III. Find the Imposter
Find and circle the one world one each line that is not related to the other three.

1. equity equine equerry equestrian
2. ephemeral fleeting feline transient
3. shrew vexing virago vixen
4. bullish matador terrain taurine
5. anger finny piscine angular

Medical Science

1. abscess-swollen, inflamed area of body tissues. It is from the Latin abscessus (“to grow from”). In was originally though that the humors (liquids) went from the body into the swelling.

2. aphasia-loss of the power to use or understand words, usually caused by brain disease or injury.

3. arteriosclerosis-a thickening and hardening of the walls of the arteries as in old age.

4. biopsy-the cutting out a piece of tissue for diagnostic examination by microscope.

5. cadaver-dead body; corpse for dissection. It is from the Latin word cardere, which means “to fall.”

6. carcinogen-any substance that causes cancer.

7. comatose-as if in a coma; lethargic. The Greek word coma means “deep sleep.”

8. etiology-the science of the causes and origins of disease.

9. malingerer-one who fakes illness and pretends to be suffering.

10. mastectomy-the surgical removal of a breast.

11. prosthesis-replacement for a missing part of the body.

12. simian-of or like a monkey or an ape.

13. therapeutic-curative; serving to heal.

14. tumescence-swelling.

15. vasectomy-the surgical removal of a duct that conveys the male sperm—the vas deferens

Exercises

I. Which Word Comes to Mind?
In each of the following, read the statement, then circle the word that comes to mind.

1. Eugene O’Neill’s play, The Hairy Play
(vasectomy, biopsy, simian)
2. The Federal Drug Administration’s report on harmful food addictives
(aphasia, carcinogen, prosthesis)
3. Breast surgery
(etiology, malingerer, mastectomy)
4. Days of anxious waiting for the unconscious patient to awaken
(abscess, comatose, therapeutic)
5. A disease of old age
(tumescence, cadaver, arteriosclerosis)
6. Malignant or benign
(comatose, biopsy, aphasia)
7. Visit to the morgue
(cadaver, abscess, simian)
8. A great pretender
(etiology, malingerer, carcinogen)
9. Walking with a wooden leg
(prosthesis, comatose, arteriosclerosis)
10. Vigorous exercise
(therapeutic, tumescence, apasia)

II. True or False?
In the space provided, indicate whether each statement is true or false.

____ 1. Good news can serve as a therapeutic drug for many patients.
____2. Speech therapy is prescribed for many people who suffer from aphasia.
____3. When the government suspects the presence of a carcinogen in a food, it increases sales and distribution
____4. A wooden leg was a common prosthesis years ago.
____5. Most motion picture horror stories have at least one cadaver to boast about.
____6. After the doctor drained my abscess, I immediately felt better.
____7. While awaiting the results of the biopsy, Eleanor fainted.
____8. Snakes have a traditional simian characteristic.
____9. Researchers are at work on the etiology of lung cancer.
____10. In a comatose state, Manute was able to resume his basketball career.

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