Travel

1. antipodal: on the opposite side of the globe; diametrically opposite

2. cartography: art or business of drawing or making charts or mats. The original meaning of chart was a map for the use of navigation indicating the outline of coasts, position of rocks, sandbanks, and channels.

3. concierge: doorkeeper; caretaker; custodian; janitor. The concierge in French and other European hotels has a more important position than is implied by the title of janitor or custodian

4. hegira: any flight or journey to a more desirable or congenial place than where one is. Hegira was the flight of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina to escape persecution in 622 A.D., a date regarded as the beginning of the Muslim era.

5. hustings: the route followed by a campaigner for political office; an election platform; the proceedings at an election. The original Old English word referred to a lord’s household assembly as distinct from a general assembly.

6. landmark: any fixed object used to mark the boundary of a piece of land; any prominent feature of the landscape, serving to identify a particular locality; an event or discovery considered as a high point or a turning point in the history of development of something.

7. peripatetic: moving from place to place; itinerant; of the followers of Aristotle, who walked about the lyceum while he was teaching

8. portmanteau: a case or bag to carry clothing while traveling, especially a leather trunk or suitcase that opens into two halves. The literal French meaning is “cloak carrier” A more recent use of the word in linguistics is to define a blend, a word made by putting together parts of other words, as dandle, made from dance and handle.

9. safari: a journey or hunting expedition, especially in East Africa; the caravan of such an expedition; a long, carefully planned trip, usually with a large entourage.

10. tandem: a two-wheeled carriage drawn by horses harnessed one behind the other; a bicycle with two seats and sets of pedals placed one behind the other; a relationship between two persons or things involving cooperative action and mutual dependence. Tandem may be a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.

11. transmigrate: to move from one habitation or country to another; in religion, to pass into some other body at death (of the soul). Believers in reincarnation and metempsychosis also feel that the souls of the dead successively return to earth in new forms and bodies.

12. traverse: to pass, move, or extend over or across; oppose; to survey or inspect carefully; to swivel or pivot; to move across a mountain slope in an oblique direction (as in skiing); a zigzagging course.

13. trek: to travel by ox wagon; to travel slowly or laboriously. Colloquially the word means “to go, especially on foot.” Trek is also used as a noun.

14. wanderlust: an impulse, longing, or urge to have or wander.

15. wayfarer: a person who travels, especially form place to place on foot.


Exercises

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

1. A train makes whistle-stops across the Midwest
(trek, hustings, hegira)
2. Infanticipate, slithy, swalm
(peripatetic, concierge, portmanteau)
3. The Supreme Court decision on school integration
(cartography, landmark, antipodal)
4. Tracking lions in their native habitat
(safari, wayfarer, wanderlust)
5. A bicycle built for two
(transmigrate, tandem, traversel)
6. In total disagreement
(traverse, tandem, antipodal)
7. the annual trip to a summer residence
(landmark, safari, hegira)
8. The “feel of flesh” aspect of electioneering
(wayfarer, hustings, trek)
9. Miles to go before I sleep
(traverse, peripatetic, transmigrate)
10. Take only what is necessary
(tandem, trek, portmanteau)

II. True or False?
In the space provided, indicate whether each statement is true or false?
____ 1. A safari can properly be described as a trek through the jungle
____ 2. The art of cartography has proved to be helpful for navigators.
____ 3. The early Peripaletics were philosophers
____ 4. Transmigration is a form of ESP
____ 5. Wanderlust describes the sensuality of the homeless criminal.
____ 6. Gaining the good will of the concierge can prove very helpful for a detective
____ 7. People who see eye to eye for the most part are said to be antipodal
____ 8. Transmigration can refer to movements of the soul as well as of the body
____ 9. Broadly speaking, cartography includes traveling by wagon, car, train, or plane
____ 10. The handshake of the former enemies was considered a landmark gesture.

III. Find the Imposter
Find and circle the one word on each line that is not related to the other three.
1. peripatetic hegira globe-trotting parabolic
2. vagabondage wayfarer valediction nomadism
3. tirade trek harangue diatribe
4. astronaut travail navigator pilgrim
5. anticipate antipodal different antithetic

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History and Government

1. canon: an ecclesiastical or secular law or code of laws; a basis for judgment; any officially recognized set of books. Canon has many specialized meaning in religion and in literature referring to the authoritative list of accepted books.

2. hegemony: leadership; preponderant influence or authority, especially of a government or state.

3. oligarchy: form of government in which the ruling power lies in the hands of a select few

4. peonage: a system by which debtors are bound in servitude to their creditors until debts are paid; the condition of being an unskilled day laborer, especially in Latin America and the southwestern United States. The word peon ultimately is traceable to the Latin word for “walker” and therefore also developed a meaning of “foot soldier”

5. pharisaical: making an outward show of piety but lacking the inward spirit; hypocritical. Originally, Pharisaism referred to the doctrine and practices of the Pharisees, the Hebrew sect that followed the path of withdrawal, separation, and dedication and became the mainstream of Jewish belief. Later chirstological history gave the work a negative connotation.

6. plebiscite: a direct vote of the qualified electors of a state in regard to some important public question. The word is derived form the Latin words plebes scitum (“the people’s decree”)

7. plenipotentiary: invested with or conferring full power; a diplomatic agent fully authorized to represent his government.

8. proxy: an agent or substitute; a document giving one authority to act for another.

9. recession: the act of withdrawing or going back; a moderate and temporary decline in economic activity that occurs during a period of otherwise increasing prosperity.

10. regicide: the killing of a king; one who kills or helps to kill a king.

11. renascent: coming into being again; showing renewed growth or vigor. The word is related to Renaissance, the humanistic revival of classical art, literature and learning that originated in Italy in the fourteenth century and later spread throughout Europe.

12. reprisal: the practice of using political or military force without actually resorting to war; retaliation for an injury with the intent of inflicting at least as much injury in return

13. subversion: ruination or complete destruction; corruption; complete overthrow. As the meaning implied, the original Latin word meant “to turn upside down”

14. surrogate: a substitute; in some states, a judge having jurisdiction over the probate of wills and the settlement of estates. As a verb, the word means “to substitute or to put into the place of another”

15. votary: a person bound by vows to live a life of religious worship and service, as a monk or nun; any person fervently devoted to a religion, activity, or ideal.


Exercises

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

1. Sharecroppers or migrant workers
(surrogate, proxy, peonage)
2. You can’t judge a book by its cover
(pharisaical, reprisal, renascent)
3. Vox populi
(votary, plebiscite, subversion)
4. A man to be reckoned with
(regicide, canon, plenipotentiary)
5. Times are bad but they could be worse
(oligarchy, recession, hegemony)
6. Holier than thou
(surrogate, canon, regicide)
7. Tit for tat
(proxy, subversion, reprisal)
8. A commitment for life
(votary, renascent, oligarchy)
9. Who’s the boss?
(peonage, hegemony, surrogate)
10. A second chance
(proxy, renascent, surrogate)

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

____ 1. Hegemony refers to the currency of circulation
____ 2. A proxy and a surrogate are similar, both suggesting a substitute
____ 3. A votary is one who keeps his word
____ 4. A regicide favors the restoration of a monarchy
____ 5. Vengeance is an act of reprisal
____ 6. In an oligarchy everyone has an equal share in the government
____ 7. The word “pharisaical” has acquired a derogatory connotation.
____ 8. Subversion is an attempt to change the system that is now in place
____ 9. Working under peonage is a good way to build a future in government.
____ 10. In a plebiscite the people exercise their right of self-determination

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Speech

1. argot: the specialized vocabulary and idioms of those in the same work or way of life, especially of the underworld. The French origin, meaning “to beg” associated beggary with thievery.

2. aspersion: act of defaming; a damaging or disparaging remark; a sprinkling of water, as in baptizing. This final definition, now rare, is based on an archaic meaning of the original Latin word for “sprinkle” The modern definition refers to “sprinkling” a few maliciously chosen words to vilify someone.

3. badinage: playful, teasing talk, banter

4. bombast: originally a soft material used for padding, talk or writing the sounds grand or important but has little meaning; pompous language. Bombastic refers to speech or writing that is heavily padded with words; grandiloquent suggests grandiose language and an oratorical effect; turgid suggests the style has obscured the meaning.

5. braggadocio: a braggart; pretentiousness; vain, noisy, or bragging swaggering manner. The word was coined by Edmund Spenser for his personification of boasting in the “Faerie Queena”

6. censure: strong disapproval; a judgement or resolution condemning a person for misconduct.

7. countermand: to cancel or revoke a command; to call back by a contrary order

8. gainsay: to deny; to speak or act against contradiction; denial

9. gobbledegook: wordy and generally unintelligible jargon; specialized language of a group of people that is usually wordy and complicated and often incomprehensible
to an outsider; a meaningless jumble of words.

10. guttural: of the throat, a harsh, rasping sound.

11. harangue: a long, blustering, noisy, or scolding speech, tirade. The original Italian word meant “a site for horse races and public assembles.

12. jargon: a language or dialect unknown to one so that it seems incomprehensible; a mixed or hybrid language or dialect, especially pidgin, specialized idioms of those in the same work, profession, speech or writing full of long, unfamiliar; or roundabout words or phrases. The Middle French root means “a chattering of birds” The word is ultimately of echoic origin.

13. mellifluous: sounding sweet and smooth, honeyed

14. resonant: echoing, reinforced and prolonged by reflection or by sympathetic vibration of other bodies. The word has specialized uses in various fields-chemistry, electricity, medicine, phonetics, physics.

15. sententious: abounding in pithy aphorisms or maxims; terse; self-righteous.


Exercises

I. Which Word Comes to Mind?

In each of the following, read the statement, the circle the word that comes to the end.

1. Spots lingo
(harangue, jargon, resonant)
2. A snide remark
(countermand, badinage, aspersion)
3. Coughing sound
(gobbledegook, guttural, censure)
4. Sweet-sounding talk
(mellifluous, sententious, bombast)
5. A thousand times no!
(braggadocio, argot, gainsay)
6. How the rejected suitor concealed the sorrow in his hear
(gainsay, badinage, harangue)
7. The opera star shook the room with his voice
(resonant, braggadocio, mellifluous)
8. A 180-degree turnaround
(gobbledegook, argot, countermand)
9. Frank’s threats are not as frightening as the sound
(aspersion, bombast, censure)
10. An incomprehensible language
(argon, sententious, guttural)

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

____ 1. Argot and jargon have one meaning in common
____ 2. Bombast may be a cover for weak content
____ 3. Countermanding is equivalent to sticking to your guns.
____ 4. Sententious is more concerned with sense than sound.
____ 5. Badinage is a minor vice that indicates immaturity
____ 6. A harangue is likely to be full of bombast
____ 7. Censure refers to a firm belief in a theory under discussion
____ 8. Gobbledegook is a language that attempts imitate bird sounds
____ 9. Guttural speech is socially unacceptable
____ 10. Observing the size and strength of his opponent, Mark was wise not to gainsay his assertions.

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

1. glorification release aspersion dismay
2. mellifluous ethos attitude soft
3. timidity paranoid braggadocio freedom
4. plebescite gainsay votary deny
5. rhapsodic peccadillo falsetto bombastic

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Language

1. bathos: anticlimax; triteness or triviality in style; sentimentality. Bathos is also used to denote an insincere pathos, an evocation of pity or compassion.

2. malapropism: ridiculous misuse of words, especially by confusion of words that are similar in sound. Mrs. Malaprop, a character in Sheridan’s famous Restoration play. The Rivals, is noted for her misapplication of words

3. metaphor: the application of a word or phrase to an object or concept that it does not literally denote, in order to suggest a comparison with another object or concept. The use of metaphors may help to clarify or ennoble an idea, but one must not mix metaphors. This practice results in humorous effects, such as “We must put our noses to the grindstone and push.”

4. metonymy: the use of the name of one object or concept for that of another to which it is related, or of which it is a part, as “the bottle” for strong drink.

5. onomatopoeia: formation of words in imitation of natural sounds; the use of words whose sound suggests the sense. The “bow-wow theory” of language maintains the language that originated in imitation of natural sounds; the use of words whose sound suggest the sense. By contrast, the “pooh-pooh theory” says language originated in interjections that gradually acquired meaning.

6. oxymoron: a figure of speech by which a particular phrasing of words produces an effect by seeing self-contradiction, as in “cruel kindness” or “laborious idleness.” The Greek meaning is “pointed foolishness”

7. panegyric: an oration, discourse, or writing in praise of a person or thing; eulogy

8. paradigm: example or pattern; a set of forms in grammar all of which contain a particular element, especially the set of all inflected forms based on a single stem (as in verb declensions)

9. paralipsis: the suggestion, by deliberately concise treatment of a topic; that much significant material is being omitted, as in the use of the phrase “not to mention other faults.” Another name for paralipsis is preterition.

10. pleonasm: the use of more words than necessary to express an idea; redundancy; superfluity. It is derived form the Greek word for “to be or have more than enough”

11. polyglot: knowing many or several languages; containing, composed of, or in several languages; a confusion of languages; a person with a speaking or reading knowledge of a number of languages; a book, especially a Bible, containing the same text in several languages.

12. semantics: the study of meaning; the study of linguistic development by classifying and examining changes in meaning and form. Semantics is also called significi, a branch of semiotics (signs and symbols) dealing with the relationship between signs and what they denote. General semantics is an educational discipline concerning the relationships between symbols and reality and with improving the adjustment of people to each other and to the environment.

13. simile: a figure of speech in which two unlike things are explicitly compared using the words “like” or “as” as in “she is like a rose”

14. synecdoche: a figure of speech in which a part is used for a while or the whole for a part, the special for the general or the general for the special, as in “ten sail” for “ten ships” or a Croesus for a “rich man” or the name of the material for the thing made (“willow” for “bat”)

15. threnody: a poem, speech, or slang of lamentation, especially of the dead; dirge; funeral song.


Exercises

Which Word Comes to Mind?

In each of the following read the statement then circle the word that comes to mind.

1. She was too young to die
(polyglot, simile, threnody)
2. The allegories on the banks of the Nile
(malapropism, metonymy, synecodoche)
3. Snap! Crackle! Pop!
(paradigm, oxymoron, onomatopoeia)
4. A true fact
(bathos, pleonasm, semantics)
5. The least of his crimes is his complicity with drugs
(metaphor, panegyric, paralipsis)
6. Jack answered the insult by saying, “I resemble that remark”
(bathos, malapropism, oxymoron)
7. Napoleon is credited with saying “From the sublime to the ridiculous it is but one step”
(panegyric, metonymy, bathos)
8. He was a lion in battle
(smile, metaphor, paralipsis)
9. Our guest spoke seven languages
(paradigm, pleonasm, polyglot)
10. The pot calling the kettle black
(semantics, synecdoche, threnody)

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

____ 1. Both metaphor and smile use forms of comparison
____ 2. Synecdoche and metonymy are similar figures of speech in which an object or idea is describing reference to only a part of it.
____ 3. A polyglot is a person with a taste for exotic foods
____ 4. Semantics is concerned with the syntax of a language.
____ 5. A panegyric is a test devised to determine the linguistic level of a speaker.
____ 6. Paradigm and paragon both refer to an example.
____ 7. Every simile uses the words “like” or “as”
____ 8. Onomatopoeia refers to a group of words beginning with the same consonant
____ 9. Bathos is the sudden change in style producing a ludicrous effect
____ 10. This sentence illustrates, demonstrates, and exemplifies a pleonasm.

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

1. metaphor simile literary comparative
2. threnody legacy elegy dirge
3. encomium panegyric panorama accolade
4. paradox paradigm paragon touchstone
5. insinuation intuition innuendo paralipsis

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Foreign Terms

1. avant-garde: the leaders of a movement; vanguard. Avante-garde people are generally regarded as some reformers, people with new ideas who are somewhat ahead of their time.

2. bete noire: someone or something that is feared or disliked. In French, the two words mean “black beast.” A black sheep was an eye-sore in the flock, its wool was less valuable. If something is your bete noire, you do your best to avoid it; it is a thorn in your side.

3. bot mot: a bright saying; witticism. In French, bon means “good,” and mot means “word.” A clever remark or ad lib is often labeled as bon mot.

4. coup de grace: the shot or blow that brings death; the finishing stroke. The actual French meaning is “blow of mercy.” The officer in charge of a firing squad administers the coup de grace by firing a bullet into the victim’s head after his men have shot.

5. cul-de-sac: a passage or street with only one outlet; a situation form which there is no escape; an argument that leads nowhere. In French it means “bottom of the sack.”

6. dues ex machina: someone who intervenes unexpectedly to solve a dilemma. The literal Latin meaning is “god out of the machine.” In the ancient theater the first few acts laid out the problems facing the characters and when no solution was apparent, a “god” was lowered onto the stage and helped to resolve the issues.

7. fait accompli: something that is already done so that there is no use in debating it. In French, “an accomplished fact.”

8. fin de siecle: referring to the last years of the nineteenth century; decadent. The French meaning is “end of the century.”

9. gauche: awkward; lacking grace; without tact. It is French for “left-handed.” Lefties were thought to be clumsy (sinister in Latin). Another French meaning is “warped”

10. junta: a political group that seeks to control a government; a faction or cabal. In Spanish this word originally meant “to join.” In Spain, a junta was a legislative assembly; the word was corrupted to junto, which meant “clique” or “faction.” Today, we use the original word with its changed meaning.

11. laissez-faire: hands-off policy: letting business operate without government interference. There was a mid-eighteenth century school of French economists whose motto was laissez-faire, laissez-passer (“let us alone, let us have free passage for our goods”)

12. mot juste: the right word; exact phrase

13. non compos mentis: incapable of handling one’s own affairs; insane. In Latin, “not of sound mind.” This could be said of someone who has lost his memory and understanding by reason of disease or accident.

14. non sequitur: in logic this is a conclusion that does not follow from the evidence; a remark that seems out of place. The Latin meaning is “it does not follow.”

15. sine qua non: an essential condition; that which is indispensable. The Latin meaning is “without which not.”


Exercises

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

1. A murderer who pleads temporary insanity
(laissez-faire, non compos mentis, cul-de-sac)
2. An ailing horse is being put out of his misery
(coup de grace, mot juste, gauche)
3. Several schemers plan a take-over
(fait accompli, junta, sine qua non)
4. You ask for her age and she says, “I’m five feet tall.”
(bete noire, fin de siecle, non sequitur)
5. Alban Berg was a composer who experimented with atonalities
(avant-garde, bot mot, dues ex machine)
6. The discussion centered around how history would characterize the last years of the twentieth century
(non sequitur, avant-garde, fin de siecle)
7. Loss of trust in a do-nothing leadership
(fait accompli, laissez-faire, junta)
8. The right word at the right time
(bot mot, gauche, non compos mentis)
9. It’s a pity but there was no alternative
(non sequitur, non compos mentis, sine qua non)
10. A weak spot
(bete noir, cul-de-sac, mot juste)


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

____ 1. Being born in this country is a sine qua non for anyone running for presidency
____ 2. If you are in the avant-garde, you are inclined to the conservatism.
____ 3. Someone who always seems to get the better of you is your bete noire.
____ 4. It is considered gauche to sip your coffee from the saucer
____ 5. “Open sesame” was the mot juste
____ 6. Non sequitur refers to a leader who has no following
____ 7. A fait accompli is a done deed
____ 8. Laissez-faire invites people to do their own thing with few restrictions
____ 9. A creative writer will not find it necessary to resort to dues ex machine
____ 10. The fleeing criminal was lucky to find a cul-de-sac


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

1. The accused hoped his _______________ responses would corroborate his insanity plea.
2. The revelation that all the hero’s adventures were really a dream is the kind of _____________ that suggests a lack of originality by the author.
3. The thief was cornered when the police chased his car into a _______________.
4. The military ______________ promised to hold democratic elections as soon as the turmoil subsided.
5. As we approach the twenty-first century, I wonder if we will regard our ______________ as decadent as the previous one.
6. According to some pundits, the _______________ that is threatening the president’s reelection bid is his own wife.
7. Isn’t it strange that the _________________ you searched for at the party escaped you till you got home?
8. The discussion of abortion inevitably ends in a(n) ____________________.
9. The ___________________ for success in business is a wealthy father-in-law.
10. We laughed at Perry’s interest in a political career because his outstanding trait is his way of expressing himself.


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

1. superfluous ____________________
2. dexterous ____________________
3. competent ____________________
4. conservative ____________________
5. incipience ____________________
6. perfectly logical ____________________
7. strictness ____________________
8. just getting started ____________________
9. guardian angel ____________________
10. graceful ____________________

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Legal Language

1. amicus curiae: a friend of the court; a lawyer or layman who advises the court on a legal matter

2. arson: the crime of setting fire to property in order to collect insurance

3. barrister: lawyer in England. A barrister practices at the bar, or court of justice.

4. embezzle: to steal money that was entrusted to your care.

5. extradition: turning over a fugitive from one jurisdiction to another. The root of the word is the Latin trachtio (“the act of handing over”)

6. habeas corpus: a court order requiring that a prisoner be produced to determine the legality of his imprisonment; a procedure that lawyers use to get clients out of illegal detention. In Latin it means “to have the body.”

7. immaterial: without substance; unimportant

8. incarcerate: to jail; confine

9. indeterminate: having inexact limits; indefinite

10. larceny: theft. Grand larceny involves theft in excess of a fixed sum, whereas petty larceny refers to a less consequential theft.

11. litigious: quarrelsome; given to carrying on lawsuits

12. miscreant: villain; criminal; evil person. The original meaning was “unbeliever” or “heretic.” From there it was easy to jump to “villain”

13. perpetrator: a person who commits an offense

14. plagiarism: passing off someone else’s writings or ideas as your own. The Latin word for kidnaper is plagiarus

15. probation: a period of testing or trial. This refers to a suspension of sentence on the condition that the convicted person demonstrates good behavior in order to stay out of jail.


Exercises

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

1. A prominent psychiatrist offers to help out in a court case
(perpetrator, larceny, amicus curiae)
2. The fire marshal suspects foul play
(probation, arson, immaterial)
3. Detectives fly across the border to bring back a suspect
(indeterminate, extradition, habeas corpus)
4. A scholar suggests that Shakespeare was not especially original
(plagiarism, incarcerate, miscreant)
5. The crooked bank manager fears the day when his books will be audited
(litigious, embezzle, barrister)
6. Sal was sentenced to five to ten years in jail
(probation, indeterminate, larceny)
7. The teacher quickly recognized that Gary’s report was beyond his capacity
(larceny, immaterial, plagiarism)
8. The jury found the defendant guilty as charged
(barrister, litigious, miscreant)
9. The bank officer suddenly acquired unexplainable wealth
(litigious, embezzle, incarcerate)
10. Enid made a proposal that had no connection to the problem
(immaterial, probation, extradition)


II. True or False?
In the space provided, indicate whether each statement is true or false.
____ 1. Burning down a building is an act of larceny.
____ 2. Litigious people provide a good income for lawyers
____ 3. An alert lawyer can use a write of habeas corpus to keep his client out of jail before charges are brought against him.
____ 4. When you embezzle funds you misuse money that has been entrusted to you.
____ 5. That which is immaterial is usually critical in any court case.
____ 6. A miscreant is likely to be involved in grand larceny
____ 7. Probation is an investigative procedure to determine if a crime has been committed
____ 8. A perpetrator is someone who betrays his country
____ 9. A barrister would likely be familiar with court procedure
____ 10. A person guilty of arson could sometimes be charged with murder.

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

1. Anyone who believes “there is a little ___________ in everyone’s heart” is merely trying to rationalize his own failing.
2. The rigorous _____________ period was intended to discourage unsuitable applicants
3. Murder was added to the ________________ change when the firemen discovered a body in the burned out structure
4. The terrorist sought refuge in a country where he believed he would be free from _____________.
5. ____________ may not be punishable by a prison sentence but it can cost a pretty penny and ruin a reputation.
6. The unexpected appearance of a(n) ________________ gave the prosecution the impetus to follow through to a guilty verdict.
7. The British _____________ may sound more sophisticated but he is in reality the same as a U.S. lawyer
8. Paul, ever the romantic, told Peggy she was guilty of ________________ for she had stolen his heart.
9. It is hard to believe that the club treasurer would _______________ the money entrusted to him.
10. The police collared the ______________ but lacked witnesses or evidence to get an indictment.

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

1. important ____________________
2. release ____________________
3. forgiving ____________________
4. precise ____________________
5. paragon ____________________
6. reimburse ____________________
7. benefactor ____________________
8. easy-going ____________________
9. definite ____________________
10. liberate ____________________

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Appearances and Attitudes

1. jejune: barren; flat; dull. The Latin word jejunus means “empty”

2. libidinous: characterized by lust; lewd; lascivious. In psychoanalytic theory, the libido is the driving force behind all human action

3. licentious: morally unrestrained; lascivious. This is derived form an Old French word that meant “license” and referred to an abuse of liberty or undisciplined freedom.

4. mercurial: changeable; volatile. These adjectives are characteristic of the heavy, silver-white metallic element mercury. In Roman mythology the swift messenger of the gods, Mercury was volatile, quick-witted, eloquent, and manually skillful.

5. meretricious: flashy; tawdry; falsely alluring. It is from the Latin word meretricious (“prostitute”)

6.minatory: menacing; threatening

7. mutable: inconstant; fickle; tending to frequent change. In biology, a mutation is a change in some inheritable characteristic.

8. niggardly: stingy; miserly. Niggardly comes from a Norman French word meaning “to rub” or “to pinch.” A pennypincher is niggardly.

9. nonchalant: cool; indifferent; without warmth or animation. It comes from a French root, chaloir (“to care for”)

10. noxious: unwholesome; harmful to health. The Latin nocere means “to hurt”

11. obdurate: hardhearted; inflexible; not easily moved to pity.

12. obtuse: slow to understand; dull.

13. officious: meddlesome; offering unnecessary and unwanted advise.

14. omniscient: having infinite knowledge; knowing all things.

15. pusillanimous: cowardly; fainthearted in Latin, “tiny mind”


Exercises

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

1. A Chinese fortune cookie accurately predicts your future
(jejune, omniscient, licentious)
2. Eight poker players puffing on cigars in your living room
(noxious, officious, niggardly)
3. You receive an anonymous letter hinting at violence
(libidinous, minatory, nonchalant)
4. Your father absolutely refuses to let you borrow his car
(meretricious, obtuse, obdurate)
5. The Lion in The Wizard of Oz
(pusillanimous, mercurial, mutable)
6. It doesn’t take much to upset James to the point of exasperation
(mutable, mercurial, noxious)
7. Maxine can’t make up her mind about which dress to wear
(jejune, meretricious, mutable)
8. Jose had abandoned five wives, but he was ready to try again
(licentious, pusillanimous, niggardly)
9. Malcolm blames everyone but himself for his failures
(obtuse, licentious, nonchalant)
10. Nothing seems to excite him
(officious, nonchalant, minatory)

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

____ 1. The conservative congregation was quite pleased with the minister’s libidinous position.
____ 2. One of our most coveted military awards, the Purple Heart, is given to those who have distinguished themselves by pusillanimous actions in combat.
____ 3. An officious bank manager can make his tellers uneasy.
____ 4. Putting a $50 bill in the church collection plate is a niggardly gesture
____ 5. Interior decorators generally abhor meretricious furniture
____ 6. Clara spoke in a jejune tone that attracted everyone’s attention.
____ 7. Being of a mercurial temperament, Tom could not restrain his delight.
____ 8. A noxious element in human relations inclines people to be forgiving
____ 9. Becoming omniscient is unattainable even for the greatest among us.
____ 10. Anxious to achieve a quick success, the president dispatched his most obtuse negotiator

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

1. The ______________ nature of the negotiators made it likely they would come to blows
2. The professor’s _____________ attitude about any subject led us to regard him with awe and discomfort
3. Being human is equivalent to being _____________ for, as Heracleitus said, change is the only permanence we can count on.
4. Twenty years of _______________ living had taken its complete toll of Mr. Bodack.
5. The marriage proposal was made in such a(n) __________________ manner that Gloria doubted its sincerity.
6. The fumes form the gigantic fire were judged to be so ________________ that the authorities issued a general evacuation order for nearby homes.
7. Alvin’s generous offer to call the bout a draw was mistakenly regarded as a(n) ________________ act.
8. When Iris learned that the role of Roxanne required her to wear _________________ garb, she opted to turn down the offer.
9. Elizabeth’s _______________ interference did not endear her to the people in her office.
10. Only after Bob had spent an exciting, eye-opening year in the Peace Corps did he realize the ______________ monotony of his previous life.


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

1. friendly _______________________
2. extravagant _______________________
3. harmless _______________________
4. stouthearted _______________________
5. yielding _______________________
6. acute _______________________
7. ignorant _______________________
8. zealous _______________________
9. extravagant _______________________
10. chaste _______________________

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Science “Ology” Words

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

2. cardiology: the medical study of the diseases and functioning of the heart. Emphasis on prevention and treatment of heart disease has made most people familiar with cardiographs, the curve that traces the mechanical movements of the heart.

3. ecology: the science of the relationships between organisms and their environments. This field is also called bionomics.

4. endocrinology: the physiology of the ductless glands, such as the thyroid or adrenal, whose secretions pass directly into the blood stream from the cells of the gland.

5. gerontology: the scientific study of the physiological and pathological phenomena associated with aging. The Greek stern geront (“old”), explains the source of the names of such popular medicines as Geritol.

6. gynecology: a branch of medicine that deals with women, their diseases, hygiene, and medial care.

7. morphology: the biological study of the form and structure rather than the functioning of living organisms. In linguistics, morphology, denotes the study of word formations, including the origin and function of inflections and derivations.

8. necrology: a list or record of people who have died, especially in the recent past.

9. neurology: the medical science of the nervous system and its disorders.

10. paleontology: the study of fossils and ancient life forms. Paleo is a combining form indicating “ancient” or “prehistoric.”

11. pathology: the scientific study of the nature of disease, its causes, processes, development, and consequences; the anatomic or functional manifestations of disease.

12. rhinology: the anatomy, physiology and pathology of the nose. The Greek root rhinoceros (“nose-horned”), explains how the rhinoceros got its name.

13. seismology: the geophysical science of earthquakes and of the mechanical properties of the earth.

14. speleology: the scientific study or systematic exploration of caves

15. toxicology: the study of the nature, effects, and detection of poisons and the treatment of poisoning.


Exercises

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

1. Fears that the Alaskan pipeline will destroy the delicate balance of animal life in the region
(neurology, archaeology, ecology)
2. A special panel on diseases of the aged
(endocrinology, gerontology, rhinology)
3. The honored list of soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice
(necrology gynecology, toxicology)
4. The monster left an impression of his footprint in the rock
(paleontology, morphology, seismology)
5. The Dead Sea Scrolls were hidden for centuries in the Qumran cave
(cardiology, speleology, pathology)
6. The plastic surgeon made a sketch of his patient’s new nose
(rhinology, toxicology, speleology)
7. With permission from the Egyptian government, we began our dig
(archaeology, endocrinology, morphology)
8. We were stunned when the young basketball player succumbed to a heart attack
(ecology, gerontology, cardiology)
9. Some California cities have endured dozens of serious earthquakes
(necrology, paleontology, seismology)
10. The cadaver’s appearance suggested that he might have been poisoned
(gynecology, toxicology, neurology)


II. True or False?
In the space provided, indicate whether each statement is true or false
____ 1. Archaeology and paleontology could be dealing with the same material
____ 2. Mr. Rohas opened the door to the gynecologist’s office, gulped, and realized he was in the wrong place.
____ 3. Every cardiologist must have a repertoire to demonstrate his dexterity with a deck of cards.
____ 4. Morphology is concerned with finding pain killers.
____ 5. Pathologists work closely with engineers to construct sale, durable roadways.
____ 6. In a study of the area’s ecology, we determined the extent of pollution.
____ 7. When visiting Grandma in her health-related facility, I discussed her case with the gerontologist on duty.
____ 8. With an interest in speleology, they learned the difference between stalagmites and stalactites.
____ 9. Modern-day seismologists can predict rainy weather with great accuracy.
____ 10. Our town maintains a necrology of those citizens who died in our country’s wars.

III. Putting the Scientists in the Proper Place:
For each of the following pairs indicate yes in the space provided if the scientist is correctly paired with the “tools of his/her trade” and no if not. ____ 1. archaeologist arches
____ 2. gerontologist aged people
____3. morphologist drugs
____ 4. seismologist Richter scale
____ 5. pathologist charts and maps
____ 6. paleontologist fossils
____ 7. speleologist caves
____ 8. toxicologist serums
____ 9. rhinologist zoo animals
____ 10. necrologist old coins.

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