Sunday, July 12, 2009

"Ineffable"

After nights of insomnia, I fought a bout of ineffable fatigue.

Official Definition

Saturday, July 11, 2009

"Gauche"

Being with rude people at a restaurant makes me feel gauche and embarrassed. Of course, they aren't the least bit embarrassed.

Official Definition

Friday, July 10, 2009

"Bravura"

Pierce played a great bravura at Andre and Scott's wedding. He's a very talented young man.

Official Definition

Thursday, July 9, 2009

"Fervid"

The roommates were fervid debaters who only got a good night's sleep when they went home for holidays and the occasional long weekend.

Official Definition

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

"Apogee"

At the apogee of her career, Maureen was beautiful, well-loved, wealthy, and miserable.

Official Definition

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

"Shibboleth"

On a field trip to Chicago, the country kids could always recognize the native Chicagoans by the particular shibboleth of that area that they displayed; likewise, the Chicago kids recognized the country bumpkins by the same trick.

Official Definition

Monday, July 6, 2009

"Verdant"

The vacationers appreciated the verdant hills of Virginia. It was refreshing to them to sneak away from the crowded city streets they had grown so accustomed to.

Official Definition

Sunday, July 5, 2009

"Affray"

The preacher came by to break up a nasty affray between two elderly churchladies at the annual bake sale. It seems that friends Annabelle Jane and Lucy both reached for the pan of brownies at the same time. Pastor Smith broke up the quarrel by informing Lucy that "magic brownies" were not sold at church bake sales. Lucy then permitted Annabelle Jane to purchase them.

Official Definition

Saturday, July 4, 2009

"Rampart"

The children built forts and ramparts of snow in winter. When the snow melted, they made them of mud. When the mud dried out, they improvised with tables and chairs. When fall came, they picked a new game.

Official Definition

Friday, July 3, 2009

"Doughty"

The doughty knight didn't impress the princess much; she was more into bad boys like Robin Hood.

Official Definition

Thursday, July 2, 2009

"Vagary"

They had a vagary to fly to Paris; they did it, and came back two weeks later broke and with terrible pictures of the Eiffel Tower. But at least they had a good time.

Official Definition

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

"Penury"

Pampered elitists rarely understand the needs of those living in penury.

Official Definition

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

"Badinage"

The witty badinage continued until the boy tired of his girlfriend's sarcastic remarks.

Official Definition

Monday, June 29, 2009

"Clandestine"

The clandestine organization was brought to the surface when one of its members leaked information to the outside world. Then the little boys had to open up their clubhouse to their little sisters, 'cuz Mom said so.

Official Definition

Sunday, June 28, 2009

"Orotund"

The preacher's orotund speaking ability entranced those around him. Even when he wasn't in the pulpit.

Official Definition

Saturday, June 27, 2009

"Quidnunc"

The young girls at the water cooler were no match for the quidnunc Bob, who seemed to always know the latest scandals--mainly because he was always directly involved in them.

Official Definition

Friday, June 26, 2009

"Encomium"

So often, when people try to give an encomium, the praise comes across sounding insincere.

Official Definition

Thursday, June 25, 2009

"Sough"

With a sough of yearning and sadness, the young woman watched her former love repeat his vows to another woman--and that's when I turned off the TV.

Official Definition

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

"Daedal"

Not everyone appreciates the daedal pyramid at the Louvre.

Official Definition

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

"Pule"

Hearing a kitten pule, my dad went on a search and rescue mission and brought her back, safe and sound.

Official Definition

Monday, June 22, 2009

"Copse"

Frightened by the noise of nearby traffic, the rabbits dashed into the safety of a small copse of grasses and brush.

Official Definition

Sunday, June 21, 2009

"Tutelary"

Raised to believe that St. Christopher was the tutelary of travel, his namesake always brought his St. Christopher medal along with him on any trips he took, long or short.

Official Definition

Saturday, June 20, 2009

"Ebullient"

The evangelist's ebullient tent meeting revival brought in crowds of people from miles around.

Official Definition

Friday, June 19, 2009

"Nimiety"

A poster child of nimiety, he always went further in debt to try to buy friendships with elaborate and exotic gifts.

Official Definition

Thursday, June 18, 2009

"Prescience"

Believing in the prescience of fortune-tellers, the young girl had an amateur read her cards; unfortunately for her, the amateur grabbed the wrong stack, and thus, the young girl got her playing cards read.

Official Definition

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

"Gravid"

The gravid mother cat's belly dragged the ground when she walked.

Official Definition

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

"Salutary"

During the summer months, she practices salutary diet and exercise habits; in the winter, she lets herself go, indulging in all sorts of pies, cookies, cocoas, and coffees.

Official Definition

Monday, June 15, 2009

"Effulgence"

The effulgence of the carnival lights made the children dizzy with delight.

Official Definition

Sunday, June 14, 2009

"Aver"

The child will always aver that his opinion is right and his mother's is wrong.

Official Definition

Saturday, June 13, 2009

"Prestidigitation"

The children were awed by the magician's prestidigitation at the school carnival.

Official Definition

Friday, June 12, 2009

"Megrim"

My friend finally decided to see the doctor when her megrim was so bad that she nearly passed out just walking to class.

Official Definition

Thursday, June 11, 2009

"Redivivus"

Sometimes I think dictionary.com likes to feature archaic words redivivus.

Official Definition

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

"Disport"

The children miraculously found ways to disport themselves during the long days of summer vacation.

Official Definition

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

"Paragon"

The model student was to be a paragon of excellence and an inspiration to the entire student body, but the pressure became too much and he dropped out of school.

Official Definition

Monday, June 8, 2009

"Tergiversation"

His tergiversation on the capital punishment issue was a factor in his failing the persuasive argument assignment in composition class.

Official Definition

Sunday, June 7, 2009

"Oneiric"

Sometimes the oneiric world is pleasant, but oftentimes it is frightening.

Official Definition

Saturday, June 6, 2009

"Mores"

Nobody stopped to consider that the social club's mores were a little bizarre; it had become tradition to begin each meeting by throwing a glass of water on one's head, and the meetings degenerated from there.

Official Definition

Friday, June 5, 2009

"Abstemious"

Though the wide array of desserts tempted her, she remained abstemious and only chose one low-fat fruit dish.

Official Definition

Thursday, June 4, 2009

"Pother"

Choosing a motto for the new English club created such a pother than the club's president adjourned the meeting to another time and inserted one of his own quotes into the newsletter's letterhead.

Official Definition

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

"Espy"

Good thing I watched that episode of Monty Python; I am now able to espy a larch tree from quite a long way away.

Official Definition

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

"Hortatory"

I recently finished reading about Elmer Gantry and his hortatory sermons.

Official Definition

Monday, June 1, 2009

"Cosset"

His mother thought it best to cosset him all his life; the poor guy never did learn to be independent or think for himself.

Official Definition

Sunday, May 31, 2009

"Venerate"

Being an animal lover, Racquelle venerates all creatures, large and small.

Official Definition

Saturday, May 30, 2009

"Taciturn"

As a child, I was generally taciturn, keeping away from groups and conversations.

Official Definition

Friday, May 29, 2009

"Sybarite"

Can a sybarite ever be truly happy? Or does this person always yearn for something beyond his or her reach?

Official Definition

Thursday, May 28, 2009

"Avoirdupois"

Perhaps a change of diet and getting more exercise will help me rid myself of excess avoirdupois this summer.

Official Definition

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

"Sagacious"

The child, sagacious beyond her years, informed her older brother that his prejudice against women was juvenile. He took down the "no girls allowed" sign and agreed to share his treehouse with her after that.

Official Definition

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

"Pejorative"

Every positive comment the motivational speaker gave seemed to have a pejorative effect on the pessimist.

Official Definition

Monday, May 25, 2009

"Fillip"

Instead of pinching himself, he filliped his cheek to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

Official Definition

Sunday, May 24, 2009

"Depredation"

Being summertime, the teenagers attacked the mall with credit cards and intents of warehouse depredation.

Official Definition

Saturday, May 23, 2009

"Equanimity"

It was with surprising equanimity that the pious mother accepted the fact that her son was just not cut out for the ministry.

Official Definition

Friday, May 22, 2009

"Buss"

Feigning affection, he gave her a quick buss on the cheek. His cold lips more than symbolized the lack of warmth in the kiss.

Official Definition

Thursday, May 21, 2009

"Immure"

With nothing less than their children's best interest in mind, and nothing but the worst possible tactics, the parents managed to immure their two daughters from reality and stunt their emotional growth.

Official Definition

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

"Satiety"

While eating out with my grandma yesterday, I reluctantly ate dessert after the feeling of satiety had already kicked in.

Official Definition

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

"Fey"

Some people like to read fantasy novels with lots of fey characters and magic. I, however, prefer that depressing old realist literature, myself.

Official Definition

Monday, May 18, 2009

Sunday, May 17, 2009

"Exigency"

She had an aura of exigency about her in everything she did; from making toast to picking the kids up from school, Jane was always on the go.

Official Definition

Saturday, May 16, 2009

"Stolid"

Though he was hurting on the inside, the young man remained stolid to those around him.

Official Definition

Friday, May 15, 2009

"Querulous"

...and so the querulous students were sent to eternal detention, and the teachers lived happily ever after. (if kindergarten teachers had their own fairy tales)

Official Definition

Thursday, May 14, 2009

"Unctuous"

The salesman's words were as unctuous as his greased hair.

Official Definition

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

"Abnegate"

I still can't believe the student forum president abnegated his position after the school administration turned down the students' request for paved parking.

Official Definition

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

"Odium"

My health-conscious grandmother has a real odium for sodium.

Official Definition

Monday, May 11, 2009

"Bombinate"

If I hear a bee or wasp bombinating in my general vicinity, then I relocate.

Official Definition

Sunday, May 10, 2009

"Munificent"

Munificent parents are great, but they must warn their children that the world in general is not a typically generous place.

Official Definition

Saturday, May 9, 2009

"Nostrum"

I'm proud of Racquelle for not buying into each new fad and nostrum, though I must admit, she probably relies too much on medicine and not enough on prevention.

Official Definition

Friday, May 8, 2009

"Aliment"

Racquelle's main aliment consists of McNuggets from McDonalds and tuna subs from Subway.

Official Definition

Thursday, May 7, 2009

"Coruscate"

The diamonds in the jeweler's shop coruscated with brilliance.

Official Definition

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

"Lugubrious"

Racquelle and I have been lugubrious and inconsolable since Coca-Cola discontinued Surge.

Official Definition

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

"Quaff"

Racquelle quaffed her sweet tea, then demanded more.

Official Definition

Monday, May 4, 2009

"Tyro"

Training a tyro tends to be a tremendously trying and tiring task.

Official Definition

Sunday, May 3, 2009

"Albatross"

The first time I ever heard of an albatross was on an episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus.

Official Definition

Saturday, May 2, 2009

"Senescent"

I don't know why the library circulates these senescent books, but it's kind of neat to check out volumes older than my grandparents.

Official Definition

Friday, May 1, 2009

"Risible"

Racquelle seemed to think my lack of coordination at the clothing store was risible last night.

Official Definition

Thursday, April 30, 2009

"Mellifluous"

In high school, I often listened to mellifluous music after school and work to help me relax before bedtime.

Official Definition

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

"Bumptious"

The young man's coworkers were turned off by his bumptious actions and haughty claims.

Official Definition

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

"Eleemosynary"

The lady hoped to donate unwanted possessions to various eleemosynary organizations.

Official Definition

Monday, April 27, 2009

"Ken"

My sports ken is limited--I wasn't good at sports, and never cared to learn much about them in school.

Official Definition

Sunday, April 26, 2009

"Somnolent"

I was feeling rather somnolent after my long walk on Friday.

Official Definition

Saturday, April 25, 2009

"Imbroglio"

It took 15 years for the imbroglio between the former best friends to cool off, and the friendship never was the same afterwards.

Official Definition

Friday, April 24, 2009

"Gainsay"

School administration just had to gainsay my idea of raising funds to pave the high school parking lot. Instead, any extra money went toward athletics. Go figure.

Official Definition

Thursday, April 23, 2009

"Paladin"

My friend, a paladin for Earth Day, strongly encouraged everyone to reduce, reuse, and recycle yesterday.

Official Definition

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

"Invidious"

The invidious statements printed in the newspaper only furthered the cause of the group to whom the statements were directed.

Official Definition

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

"Peccadillo"

I suppose that getting pulled over for a burnt-out license plate bulb was only a minor peccadillo; it was still humilating, though.

Official Definition

Monday, April 20, 2009

"Stormy Petrel"

"I'd like to find the stormy petrel who started spreading rumors about me," Jasmine said to Jayden. Little did she know that Jayden was the culprit.

Official Definition

Sunday, April 19, 2009

"Crepuscular"

Sitting around the campfire, I was able to admire the beauty of the crepuscular countryside as night began to fall and the air picked up a chill.

Official Definition

Saturday, April 18, 2009

"Quiddity"

The quiddity of the beach trip is warm sunshine and crashing waves on the shore.

Official Definition

Friday, April 17, 2009

"Ephemeral"

The girls found that going shopping only brought them ephemeral happiness.

Official Definition

Thursday, April 16, 2009

"Etiolate"

After losing his best friend in the war, the young soldier's morale began to etiolate to the point he could no longer remember why he volunteered in the first place.

Official Definition

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

"Outre"

The comedian made a living with his outre statements and actions.

Official Definition

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

"Labile"

Water is a labile compound: at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, it freezes, and at 212 Fahrenheit, it boils. Somewhere in between, it is a liquid.

Official Definition

Monday, April 13, 2009

"Susurrus"

The children wandered through the woods, harkening to the susurrus of the leaves beneath their feet and the wind through the autumn trees. Surely they would be through the maze and back to the Halloween party soon...

Official Definition

Sunday, April 12, 2009

"Pulchritude"

The print ads focused heavily on the pulchritude of the models to sell their products.

Official Definition

Saturday, April 11, 2009

"Portend"

The dark clouds portend a heavy rain, possibly accompanied by thunderstorms.

Official Definition

Friday, April 10, 2009

"Frisson"

The excitement of the roller coaster was but a brief frisson, as the ride was quite short.

Official Definition

Thursday, April 9, 2009

"Impugn"

The skeptics liked to impugn the philanthropist's charity work.

Official Definition

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

"Chimerical"

He thought his dreams were just chimerical fantasies until he started achieving his goals one by one.

Official Definition

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

"Nescience"

The tourists' nescience of the area led them to assume that they were in a safe part of town; fortunately, they wandered back into the "touristy" part of the city before anything ugly happened.

Official Definition

Monday, April 6, 2009

"Aegis"

The little boy depended on the aegis of his mother to get through life; his mother, on the other hand, tried to cultivate independence in the boy's young mind.

Official Definition

Sunday, April 5, 2009

"Grandiloquent"

The man's grandiloquent manner intimidated his older brother.

Official Definition

Saturday, April 4, 2009

"Flummox"

Texas has completely flummoxed my sense of direction: as I type this, I can't tell which direction I'm facing.

Official Definition

Friday, April 3, 2009

"Longueur"

I have a feeling that many students skip the longueurs of assigned reading and focus mainly on the interesting areas.

Official Definition

Thursday, April 2, 2009

"Gambol"

My friend's little boy gamboled around the mall like a mischievous sprite or pixie.

Official Definition

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

"Jape"

It's April 1st, so beware of the jape. Trickery abounds as practical jokers and pranksters prey on their unsuspecting victims today.

Official Definition

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

"Contretemps"

One of my professors in graduate school warned my class to always have a backup plan to cover any contretemps that may occur during teaching.

Official Definition

Monday, March 30, 2009

"Ludic"

Watching the children's ludic play reminded the young man that he should take more time for fun, rather than spending his entire life fighting to climb the corporate ladder.

Official Definition

Sunday, March 29, 2009

"Osculation"

Did you see the new couple passionately kissing in the bio-science lab? Apparently, the school principal busted them for public osculation on school property.

Official Definition

Saturday, March 28, 2009

"Velleity"

He had a velleity to travel, but assumed it was a silly and unlikely desire, so he never went anywhere.

Official Definition

Friday, March 27, 2009

"Feckless"

The feckless student decided that college was not for her, so she tried jumping boxcars instead. Turns out, she found the college lifestyle more comfortable, and enrolled in gen ed classes for the upcoming fall semester.

Official Definition

Thursday, March 26, 2009

"Propinquity"

A nice thing about small town life is that often, friends and family are in close propinquity with one another.

Official Definition

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

"Tumult"

A series of misunderstandings erupted into chaotic tumult during karaoke at the local bar.

Official Definition

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

"Thaumaturgy"

Lady Chadwick believed that not even the best workers of thaumaturgy could persuade Princess Amelia of Albany to dress appropriately for a soiree.

Official Definition

Monday, March 23, 2009

"Spoonerism"

My mother's most infamous spoonerism involved an inversion of syllables in the name "Chuck Farley." You can read her version of it here or mine here.

Official Definition

Sunday, March 22, 2009

"Pithy"

The woman's honest, though pithy, response did not earn her any points with the policeman.

Official Definition

Saturday, March 21, 2009

"Veracity"

The townspeople doubted the veracity of the drunken eyewitness's story.

Official Definition

Friday, March 20, 2009

"Diatribe"

The controversial celebrity was immune to the vicious diatribes aimed at him.

Official Definition

Thursday, March 19, 2009

"Florid"

The man, whose attire was as florid as Hammett's Joel Cairo, took care that his clothing should be noticed by everyone in his social circle at the party.

Official Definition

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

"Elucidate"

One of the main goals of a teacher should be to elucidate material for the students.

Official Definition

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

"Libation"

I have my suspicions that many libations will be poured in honor of St. Patrick today.

Official Definition

Monday, March 16, 2009

"Cormorant"

In The Maltese Falcon the cormorant Gutman has a gluttonous appetite for both food and money.

Official Definition

Sunday, March 15, 2009

"Scintilla"

While vacuuming yesterday, my goal was to make certain that not a scintilla of dust remained in the carpet; but then, I'm sure I missed a few pieces.

Official Definition

Saturday, March 14, 2009

"Esoteric"

Some people guard their favorite recipes like they were some sort of esoteric knowledge. But Alisa and her girls at Nana's Kitchen want to share! Drop by sometime--you never know what we'll be cooking!

Official Definition

Friday, March 13, 2009

"Inanition"

I wouldn't last long on an athletic-themed reality show; I'd probably be responsible for making my team lose, and once the inanition kicked in, I'd be even more worthless (if that is even possible).

Official Definition

Thursday, March 12, 2009

"Tetchy"

Racquelle can be a bit tetchy in the morning; hence, I rarely go to breakfast with her.

Official Definition

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

"Ululate"

When the little boy's mother put the toy back on the shelf, he began to ululate like a wild animal. But when the mother told him that Santa might pick it up for him, the little guy cheered up.

Official Definition

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

"Pedestrian"

When Racquelle and I went for a walk, we noticed that many of the drivers were not concerned about pedestrians; thus, we spent a lot of time waiting at the edge of the crosswalk.

Official Definition

Monday, March 9, 2009

"Incisive"

My student's incisive mind solved the logic puzzle with ease.

Official Definition

Sunday, March 8, 2009

"Equine"

Racquelle, lover of all things equine, just had her picture taken petting a horse.

Official Definition

Saturday, March 7, 2009

"Bilk"

I hate when grocery stores put an item on sale and then bilk the customer at the check-out line by charging full price. I'm sure it's unintentional bilking, but it's bilking, none the less.

Official Definition

Friday, March 6, 2009

"Martial"

It's amazing how many martial terms are incorporated into our daily vocabulary: we fight the crowds when shopping, battle the housework, and make enemies with clutter.

Official Definition

Thursday, March 5, 2009

"Parry"

When the graduate student was confronted by campus police regarding the missing archival artifacts, he tried to parry the accusation, stating that he needed the information for an important paper he was writing. Still, his excuse was weak because he had access to the documents, provided they stay inside the university archives, so the student was put on academic probation for the rest of the semester.

Official Definition

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

"Temerity"

Temerity seems to be the downfall of many of the young characters in Romeo and Juliet. But then, I was never a big fan of Shakespeare, so maybe I missed the point altogether.

Official Definition

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

"Acute"

The acute pain in my head last night made sleeping a near impossibility for a couple of hours.

Official Definition

Monday, March 2, 2009

"Sanguine"

The man's sanguine demeanor made him popular with children.

Official Definition

Sunday, March 1, 2009

"Lampoon"

Saturday Night Live has been lampooning entertainment and news events since before my time; yet, my favorite cast is the group that came out of the '70s and early '80s, not the ones I actually grew up watching.

Official Definition

Saturday, February 28, 2009

"Pedant"

The pedant was always quick to correct minor errors in terminology, distinguishing between frogs and toads, motors and engines, and less and fewer.

Official Definition

Friday, February 27, 2009

"Hidebound"

The former flower child never could understand the views of her hidebound son.

Official Definition

Thursday, February 26, 2009

"Declaim"

The candidates for student council president each declaimed against the problems with student government, and each vowed to better represent the students. Of course, the superintendent and principal ultimately made the decisions at the school, though.

Official Definition

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

"Openhanded"

The child was delighted and overwhelmed by the openhanded family who adopted him. Fortunately, the child never took advantage of the family's kindness--he always accepted his gifts with humility and graciousness.

Official Definition

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

"Peculate"

In The Bourne Identity, Treadstone thinks that Jason peculated the money from the Swiss bank, but in reality, he thought it was his own.

Official Definition

Monday, February 23, 2009

"Beseech"

She beseeched him not to send her a singing telegram, but he did it anyway.

Official Definition

Sunday, February 22, 2009

"Nocuous"

The girls knew their nocuous friendship would have to end; they found themselves angry rather than happy in each others' presence.

Official Definition

Saturday, February 21, 2009

"Hermetic"

The homeschooled children had led a hermetic lifestyle until they went away to college; still, they adapted well to the world around them.

Official Definition

Friday, February 20, 2009

"Ellipsis"

Though many people use it to indicate a long pause, the true use of the ellipsis is to indicate omissions. I still think we need a punctuation mark that adequately shows hesitation though...

Official Definition

Thursday, February 19, 2009

"Tautological"

Racquelle is a tautological genius; she loves to eat tuna fish on her sub sandwich with or without a Coke drink.

Official Definition

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

"Consternation"

The graduate student was filled with consternation when the school newspaper printed a story about some irreplaceable artifacts missing from the library archives.

Official Definition

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

"Burnish"

After what seemed like hours of burnishing the antique silver, the woman's granddaughter saw that it was beginning to shine.

Official Definition

Monday, February 16, 2009

"Interminable"

The graduate student wished that the night were interminable; he didn't have much time to gather information for his big project.

Official Definition

Sunday, February 15, 2009

"Pinchbeck"

A piece of cubic zirconia set in pinchbeck wasn't Elle's idea of a romantic Valentine's gift.

Official Definition

Saturday, February 14, 2009

"Myopia"

I didn't realize I had myopia until I failed my vision test for my driver's license renewal. Fortunately, I don't need reading glasses.

Official Definition

Friday, February 13, 2009

"Expurgate"

When the teenage girl's father decided to join a social networking system, the girl made a mad rush to expurgate her profile of all her bathing suit photos and other information that she wanted to hide from him.

Official Definition

Thursday, February 12, 2009

"Froward"

Our froward cat was insistent upon either getting into the basement or into my room. Fortunately, she didn't scratch me when I picked her up and carried her out of each room.

Official Definition

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

"Tome"

The graduate student returned to the library and scanned the count's history in an old tome that the library would not circulate. Sure enough, the elder Lady Chadwick's name appeared in one small, obscure reference to the count. The student was still in disbelief that such scandal could follow the old-money Chadwicks. If only he had more information...

Official Definition

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

"Osteopath"

The man went to a lower-rated osteopath to save money; he came back hunched over like a gorilla and in a terrific amount of pain.

Official Definition

Monday, February 9, 2009

"Toady"

"Brody the Toady" liked to gossip about his boss behind his back; to his face, Brody was a yes-man, and constantly praised the employer's achievements. Of course, Brody got what he wanted--a promotion.

Official Definition

Sunday, February 8, 2009

"Highhanded"

The student read on. The mistress tired of the count's highhanded demeanor toward her after the affair ended. So that's why she wanted to destory his character even after six months...

Official Definition

Saturday, February 7, 2009

"Denigrate"

It seems the erstwhile mistress was trying to denigrate the count publicly. The graduate student continued reading. This was really juicy stuff...

Official Definition

Friday, February 6, 2009

"Erstwhile"

The graduate student gingerly handled the scraps of paper that he now held sacred. It seems that the count's erstwhile mistress, scorned over his refusal to marry her, threatened to reveal the scandal to very prestigious members of the count's elite circle.

Official Definition

Thursday, February 5, 2009

"Unwitting"

Making an unwitting discovery about an affair between two prominent historical figures, the young graduate student made sure no security guards were around, then stole back to his apartment with the pilfered scraps of artifacts from the archives. He was going to write the paper that would make him famous.

Official Definition

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

"Virtuoso"

My cousin is a piano virtuoso. He has a natural talent, and he has studied the instrument for many years now.

Official Definition

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

"Defalcate"

While drunk at a party, the accountant confessed that he had been embezzling money from the company to fund elaborate vacations for himself. He further informed his employer that he would continue to defalcate company funds as long as he could cover his tracks. First thing Monday morning, the accountant was informed that his services were no longer needed at the company.

Official Definition

Monday, February 2, 2009

"Chaff"

One annoyance about bird ownership is discarding the chaff that the birds spit back into their food trough; another is constantly sweeping up the chaff that they spit out on the floor.

Official Definition

Sunday, February 1, 2009

"Victuals"

Last night's victuals consisted of macaroni and cheese and a Kit Kat bar.

Official Definition

Saturday, January 31, 2009

"Canine"

Since I'm a vegetarian, I probably don't use my canine teeth for their intended purpose, but I do tend to use them to chew the inside of my mouth when I'm thinking. It's almost an unconscious habit.

Official Definition

Friday, January 30, 2009

"Bemoan"

When I was pulled over for a burned out license plate bulb, I was tempted to bemoan my situation, but then I realized I was lucky to avoid a fine.

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Thursday, January 29, 2009

"Acclaim"

Though the film received much acclaim from the big-shot movie reviewers, I wasn't crazy about it.

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009

"Yielding"

My cat, Peyser, is a pretty yielding animal. Unlike most cats, if he is reprimanded and told to stop misbehaving, he generally stops what he's doing.

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

"Wanton"

The man's mother no longer claims him since he committed the wanton burglary on her home three years ago.

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Monday, January 26, 2009

"Vacuous"

After spending an hour and a half trying unsuccessfully to upload several photos at once, I stared at the computer screen with a vacuous expression on my face. Not one to give up easily, I simply tried again, only uploading one photo at a time.

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Sunday, January 25, 2009

"Unconscionable"

Lou thought her landlord to be an unconscionable man, especially considering that he rarely, if ever, fixed any of the problems in her apartment, but his rent was always outrageously high.

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Saturday, January 24, 2009

"Talisman"

When I was little, one of my friends had a "lucky" rabbit's foot. My dad said he didn't know how good it was, since the talisman didn't give much luck to the rabbit.

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Friday, January 23, 2009

"Sallow"

Almost losing Jasper the Penguin from the sidebar of my other blog turned my face a sallow color. Fortunately, both my virtual pet and the color in my face returned shortly thereafter.

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Thursday, January 22, 2009

"Rancor"

Suffering with my sidebar width in my other blog yesterday created in me rancor toward the template that I otherwise love.

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Wednesday, January 21, 2009

"Qualitative"

When shopping, I generally consider qualitative details before quantitative ones; unless, of course, there is a huge difference in cost.

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Tuesday, January 20, 2009

"Pandiculation"

Upon first waking, many people commit pandiculation without thinking of it: the muscle-stretching routine is more of a reaction than a conscious thought.

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Monday, January 19, 2009

"Obscure"

When I was a kid I used to make obscure music references to confuse the other kids. I guess I thought I was some kind of music expert or something. Now I'm the one who's in the dark these days because I can't keep up with today's Billboard charts, anymore.

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Sunday, January 18, 2009

"Narcolepsy"

Susan isn't allowed to drive anymore because of her narcolepsy: she once fell asleep at an intersection and ran a red light. Fortunately, no one was injured, but her car was severely damaged when it crashed into a street sign and came to a stop, waking her up.

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Saturday, January 17, 2009

"Magnanimous"

Though his friends had taken advantage of his kindness, the young man's magnanimous attitude discouraged him from becoming sore and vindictive.

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Friday, January 16, 2009

"Laissez-faire"

The libertarians favor a laissez-faire economic system because they believe a free market will regulate itself without external assistance.

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Thursday, January 15, 2009

"Kinetic"

Many of my goals (I hesitate to call them "resolutions") for 2009 are of a somewhat kinetic nature: exercising, traveling/sightseeing, and actually keeping my room clean!

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Wednesday, January 14, 2009

"Jettison"

After I learned how much the trip to Europe was going to cost, I decided to jettison the whole idea and just stay home.

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Tuesday, January 13, 2009

"Iconoclast"

No one knew if Mr. Periwinkle's marriage would last; Mr. Periwinkle was a strict traditionalist, whereas his wife (who protested an old-fashioned wedding and who insisted on keeping her birth name) was a vehement iconoclast who sought to break every tradition that the Periwinkles held near and dear.

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Monday, January 12, 2009

"Hapless"

My master's thesis was basically a collection of hapless misadventures that I endured while trying to travel (and some of the trips were just a couple of hours from home!)

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Sunday, January 11, 2009

"Gargantuan"

I'll never forget the time I had to drive the old Lincoln on a three-hour trip. I didn't even try to parallel park that gargantuan vehicle. I pulled into an angle space and had my Mom deal with the town driving!

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Saturday, January 10, 2009

"Fastidious"

My mother is a fastidious blogger: each week she spends hours worrying over her Sunday Scribblings posts until she gets them perfected.

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Friday, January 9, 2009

"Eclectic"

I have an eclectic taste in music; I think I like at least one song from any given genre, and I listen to a variety of radio stations. The catch is, I listen to different types of music when I'm in different types of moods.

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Thursday, January 8, 2009

"Daunt"

Cleaning my room after the holidays is going to be a daunting task; nevertheless, I will tackle the clutter, and hopefully win the battle!

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Wednesday, January 7, 2009

"Candor"

Renee's friends appreciated her candor, but were often offended by the blunt statements she made regarding their choice of attire. Still, they decided that they'd rather hear them from her in a dressing room than from their dates at a restaurant.

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Tuesday, January 6, 2009

"Beleaguer"

My poor mother was beleaguered last night for being late to the writing group and for bringing nothing to read. Alas, I was partaking in the teasing, as well.

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Monday, January 5, 2009

"Abstinent"

The girl remained abstinent from alcohol at the party because she didn't want to offend her friends who were opposed to drinking.

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Sunday, January 4, 2009

"Zealous"

If my grandmother weren't so zealous about my finding work, I'm sure she wouldn't have suggested that I apply to a minimum-wage job. I know she's just looking out for me.

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Saturday, January 3, 2009

Yegg

Dashiell Hammett creates some interesting yeggs in The Maltese Falcon. Still, I believe his best characterization goes toward the novel's protagonist, Sam Spade.

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Friday, January 2, 2009

"Xanthous"

Initially, when Blue said that the True Colour for New Year was due to be gold, I wondered what I had that would qualify. Then I realized that we have some xanthous Christmas decorations. I'd better start looking for some more gold-colored items (that are not of a holiday nature) so I'll be prepared for the next time gold rolls around on TCT!

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Thursday, January 1, 2009

"Wanderlust"

Making resolutions for the new year has rekindled my sense of wanderlust. Perhaps I'll begin a list of places I'd like to visit to accompany my list of resolutions this year.

Happy New Year, everyone!!!

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