11/21/17

vigilant

on the alert; watchful

pleasantries

polite conversations "Detective Gabe Hoffman, " I say, without the ----- an introduction might expect.

quell

put an end to

sidelined and marginalized

remove from the center of activity or attention; place into an inferior position For such a propitious candidate to be ________ so early in the election cycle underscores the fickle affection of the voter.

rebellious and unruly

resisting control or authority

forays

sudden attacks

venality and graft

the condition of being susceptible to bribes or corruption The nation was marked by ______ , which intruded upon every aspect of life: there was little that had not fallen prey to corruption.

volubility

the quality of talking or writing easily and continuously

retiring

to be shy, and to be inclined to retract from company

covet

to desire something belonging to another

promulgate

to make known officially

Facetious

(adj.) humorous, not meant seriously Playfully humorous

quaint

(adj.) odd or old-fashioned in a pleasing way; clever, ingenious; skillfully made

overt

(adj.) open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily recognized adjective - open and observable; not secret or hidden

ebullient and exuberance

(adj.) overflowing with enthusiasm and excitement; boiling, bubbling

Colloquial

Characteristic of ordinary conversation rather than formal speech or writing Informal local and informal (used of language)

propitious and lionized

Favorable, giving good signs for the future, likely to work out; kind or forgiving

clout

a blow; influence I should be making my way up to the massive home with the --- I've been led to believe I carry.

beige

a very light brown

modest and unassuming

adjective - humble in spirit or manner; suggesting retiring mildness or even cowed submissiveness To most, the word 'architecture' connotes a grandeur typically associated with the Old World—flying buttresses, Doric columns, baroque flourishes, byzantine arabesques—and thus many of the more ___________ structures, especially those not obviously inspired by neoclassicalism, are often thought to be cobbled together haphazardly instead of following some prescribed architectural idiom.

blase and cavalier

adjective - nonchalantly unconcerned Whether bottled water is healthier than non-bottled water is moot from an ecological standpoint — the hazard discarded plastic bottles pose to the environment clearly suggests we should be less ________ about our unbridled consumption.

probity

complete honesty and integriity

gloomy and saturnine

darkness, sadness, rejection The exuberance of Karevolotski's narrator breaks the mold in Russian literature, which heretofore has featured a(n) ______________ protagonist, who, grumbling about myriad perceived injustices, braces himself against an oppressive world.

artifice

deception; trickery

jingoism

extreme, chauvinistic patriotism, often favoring an aggressive, warlike foreign policy

colossal

extremely large

dilapidated

falling apart or ruined, run-down

auspicious

favorable; fortunate Despite a(n) ____________ beginning, the election campaign quickly devolved into ____________and acrimony, with each side casting aspersions.

ousted

forced out

posterity

future generations

disingenuous

not straightforward or candid insincere