fiske 65-66

pedant (PED ant) • Gregory was such a pedant that when Sarina sent him a love letter, declaring her passion for him, he corrected the spelling and sent it back to her. • Professor Carismundi's teaching methods were so pedantic that few students signed up for his classes. He taught the history of philosophy but never discussed the ways in which the various philosophers' ideas were relevant to human experience.

noun for a person who pays too much attention to book learning and formal rules. Someone who is ostentatiously learned and narrow minded

prickly (PRIK lee) • Knowing her husband could be prickly in a traffic jam, Mrs. Simpson suggested a back route that avoided highway congestion. • The prickly owner of the local soup shop shouted "No soup for you!" when his customers made too much noise while waiting on line.

"irritable" or "grouchy."

erudite (ERR yeh DITE) • The students at State College love Professor Krupotkin because he is generous with his time, creative in his teaching methods, and so erudite in the field of Russian history . • Isabella's erudition became quite obvious during her lecture at the Archeological Institute; she has translated more than twenty-five languages, including Sanskrit, Mandarin, and ancient Greek

"learned" or "scholarly."

pedagogue (PED ah GOG) • Always the pedagogue, my father turned breakfast into an excuse for teaching. Every morning, my sisters and I had to listen to a lecture on the nutritional value of corn flakes or the relative merits of raising chickens organically. • The teachers' conference being held in Phoenix next June will deal with various pedagogical matters, ranging from the use of PowerPoint in the teaching of poetry to ways to make the curriculum more multiculturally diverse

"schoolteacher" or "educator."

savvy (SAV ee) • A savvy investor, Herb made a fortune in the corn futures market by studying weather conditions in the Midwest and reading The Farmer's Almanac. • Having worked as a buyer for several clothing boutiques and department stores, Anne was a savvy shopper; she knew where to shop for the newest fashions at the lowest prices.

"someone who is well-informed and perceptive."

exasperate (ex ASS per ATE) • Celia was exasperated after hours of conversation with a support technician from her online service provider; no matter what he told her, she still couldn't sign on to the Internet. • Disneyland exasperated Charles. The lines were long, the weather was brutally hot, and he was tired of being waved at by Mickey Mouse.

"to irritate" or "annoy" or to feel "irritated" or "annoyed."

goad (rhymes with ROAD) • The anticipation of summer vacation is a good goad for making students study for their final exams. • Goading their team to victory, the crowd in the front row at the basketball game shouted words of encouragement and waved banners proclaiming: "Go Tigers!"

"to urge" or " to prod,"

cantankerous (can TANK er ous) • Though he is often cantankerous to the residents of Sesame Street, Oscar the Grouch has a secret heart of gold. • The cantankerous Mrs. Noodlesburg frequently reprimanded the Miller boys for playing softball on the street in front of her house.

"very touchy" or "ill-tempered" and "disagreeable."

testy (TEST ee) • "Don't get testy with me!" shouted Grandmother Vargas when her grandson Victor rolled his eyes and refused to stay home for the evening to watch his little brother. • Testy after a long day at work and a suffocating subway ride in the heat, Mr. Sugarman was in no mood to hear about his daughter's request for a new car.

Someone who is "impatient" or "exasperated" or, "headstrong."

irascible (ear ASS ible) • I like Ginger, but her irascible nature makes me a little frightened of her, for I don't like to be yelled at. • Konrad may indeed have an artistic temperament; does that give him the right to be irascible much of the time?

This adjective means "ill-tempered" or being near but not quite in a state of anger (I might get angry if you push me further)

empirical (em PEER ik al) • Andrew's psychology professor taught him the textbook definitions of psychotic behavior, but empirical evidence suggested that his anxiety was perfectly normal. • The university president was shunned by the public for insisting that women are weaker in math and science than men without any real academic basis or empirical proof for his assumptions.

This is an adjective about learning, describes a student who is guided by practical experience or observation rather than by precepts or theory

docent (DOE sent) • Although Karen was hoping to get a full-time job as an English professor at the university, there were so few positions available that she finally took a job as a docent in the humanities department for one year and waited on tables in her spare time to increase her income. • After four years as an art history major in college, Julie got a job as a docent at the Dia Arts Center in upstate New York, leading tours of new exhibitions by contemporary artists.

This noun represents a specific kind of teacher. It is someone who lectures at a university without being a regular faculty member or a tour guide who lectures at a museum or cathedral.

provoke (pra VOKE) • "Merwin Williams's provocative new book about global warming will make you seriously reconsider before buying a car that isn't fuel-efficient," said one reviewer. • "You are dressed too provocatively," Melissa's father insisted. "Go back upstairs and put on a blouse that covers your bellybutton and a skirt that's at least knee-length."

This verb means "to incite to action or feeling," more specifically to feelings of anger or frustration.

harass (has ASS or HAR ass) • Desperate for some fresh photos for the next issue of Celebrity Face magazine, the paparazzi harassed the film star by following her all over town; he even collided into her Mercedes with his truck in order to photograph her irritation when she saw the damage. • The landlord was always harassing his tenants for the rent, convinced that they wouldn't pay on time if he didn't keep reminding them.

This verb means "to persistently torment or irritate" or "to wear out with repeated attacks."

edify (ED if fye) • The rabbi's lecture to the group of Hebrew school students was edifying as he attempted to teach them what it means to be devout in a world that is increasingly secular. • "You might not think playing video games is an edifying experience, but I do," Ralph said to his father. "Super Mario has taught me not to give up in the face of adversity. I think that's a pretty morally uplifting message."

it means "to instruct morally, intellectually, or spiritually."

beleaguer (be LEEG er) • The beleaguered mother made herself a cup of coffee after her colicky infant again woke her in the middle of the night. • The beleaguered Confederate troops were forced to retreat after their crushing defeat at the Battle of Little Roundtop

it means," to persistently torment" or, given the root, figuratively "surround with troops."

didactic (dye DAK tik) • Though the minister often gave interesting sermons during weekly chapel, he had a tendency to be too didactic, forcing the students to focus on facts and academic issues rather than to reflect on their spiritual lives. • Maggie's mother was didactic about everything; even preparing dinner could turn into a lecture about nutrition and healthful eating habits

this adjective means "intended to instruct." It, too, is sometimes used negatively to describe someone who teaches or moralizes excessively

tyro (TY ro) • "There are three levels of hills at this resort," explained Sven, the ski instructor. "There's the Bunny Run for the tyros, Pleasure Hill for the moderately experienced skiers, and Break-A-Leg Mountain for the experts." • Since he was just a tyro at the guitar, Devon wasn't yet able to play the more complicated Beatles songs. His teacher told him he would need a couple of months of lessons before he could take on "Norwegian Wood."

this noun means "a beginner in learning something."

exacerbate (ex ASS er BATE) • The swelling in Mrs. Cunningham's knee was exacerbated by the fact that she had to keep bending down to pick up the toys left on the floor by her twin sons, Aiden and Frank. • The antics of disc jockeys like DJ Hamentashen exacerbate the pop music industry's image as contrived, superficial, and manic.

to aggravate something or increase its severity