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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