Vocabulary 3

pragmatic

(adj) concerned with practical considerations or values; dealing with actions and results rather than with abstract theory, stiff in one's opinions

gratis

(adj) free (adv) without charge

therapuetic

(adj) having the power to heal or cure, beneficial

gratis

(adj) on the house (adv) freely (NOT for a price)

quizzical

(adj) puzzled, mocking, odd, equivocal

ancillary

(adj) subordinate or supplementary

virtuoso

(n) a brilliant performer; a person with masterly skills or technique (adj) masterly or brilliant

schism

(n) a formal split within a religious organization, any division or separation of a group or organization into hostile factions

forte

(n) a person's strong point, what a person does best

icon

(n) a representation or image of a sacred personage, often considered sacred itself, an image or picture; a symbol; a graphic symbol on a computer display or an object of blind devotion

interstice

(n) a small, narrow space between things or parts of things

paean

(n) a song of praise, joy or triumph

mountebank

(n) a trickster or swindler, a charlatan

enclave

(n) an enclosed district, region, or area inhabited by a particular group of people or having special character

virtuoso

(n) expert, mastery, prodigy, maestro (NOT amateur, beginner, novice, mediocre)

rapacity

(n) inordinate greed, the disposition to obtain one's desires by force, extortion, or plunder

persiflage

(n) lighthearted joking, talk, or writing

plethora

(n) overfullness, superabundance, superfuilidity

macrocosm

(n) the universe considered as a whole; the entire complex structures of something

condescend

(v) to come down or stoop voluntarily to a lower level; to deal with people in a patronizing manner

bowdlerize

(v) to remove material considered offensive (from a book, play, film, etc.)

cozen

(v) to trick, to cheat or windle

virtuoso

I was treated to a ____ performance

quizzical

I would have welcomed any firm answer, no matter how unfavorable, but all that I got from her was a _____ smile

virtuoso

Listz was a piano ______

forte

My classmates selected me to address the community affairs committee because public speaking is a ____ of mine

cozen

Playing on his vanity and his desire to be known as a good guy, I tried to _____ him into lending me his car

persiflage

She thought of herself as a combination of Mark Twain and Mencken, but her attempts at "devastating _____" were not very funny

mountebank

The _____ who sold surefire remedies for every imaginable ailment was finally exposed

condescend

The fashion designer ____ to speak to reporters

pragmatic

The mayor takes a _____ approach to the city's problems.

schism

The minor difference of opinion developed into a ____ that split the political party into two opposing factions

enclave

The mountains afforded the displaced townspeople and the local militia an ____ of reistance

bowdlerize

The writer refused to ____ the book when they turned it into the screenplay

therapuetic

a good laugh invariably makes me feel better, I honestly believe that it has a _____ effect on my disposition

mountebank

a political candidate who promises to solve all our social problems without ever mentioning higher taxes would certainly be dismissed as a _____

macrocosm

a theory that seems valid in the confines of a small family group may be proved useless when applied in the ____ of society at large

pragmatic

a truly great leader must possess both the inspiration of a visionary and the ____ skills of an experienced politician

rapacity

although we pride ourselves on the advance of civilization, the sad fact is that the ____ of 20th century humanity has resulted in more destruction and suffering than ever before in history

icons

at the height of Beatlemania in the mid-1960s the Fab Four assumed the stature of pop ____

ancillary

auxiliary, subsidiary, accessory (NOT central, key, primary, principal, main)

rapacity

avarice, cupidity, voraciousness (NOT liberality, generosity, altruism)

persiflage

banter, jesting, repartee, badinage

quizzical

because he sees life as a pattern of ambiguities and contradictions he likes to express himself in the form of _____ witticisms

bowdlerize

censor, purge, expurgate

macrocosm

cosmos, entirety (NOT model, miniature, microcosm)

therapuetic

curative, salutary, salubrious (NOT harmful, injurious, deleterious

condescend

deign

pragmatic

down-to-earth, businesslike (NOT idealistic, impractical, visionary)

cozen

dupe, deceive, beguile, inveigle

icon

emblem, idol

interstice

gap, slot, crevice, interval, lacuna

forte

gift, aptitude, specialty (NOT weakness, shortcoming, foible)

condescend

he considers himself such a wonderful chess player that I'm surprised he would ____ to sit down at the board with a beginner like me

forte

her easygoing attitude and resilience, far from being a weakness, proved to be her _____ in surviving during that trying period

mountebank

his exaggerated ;claims for an expensive painkiller that turned out to be no more than aspirin exposed him as a _____

macrocosm

his self-importance stems from his inability to appreciate the very minor part he plays in the ____ of human affairs

paean

hymn, ode, anthem (NOT dirge, elegy, lament, threnody)

condescend

if, as they say, they find those people so vulgar and unpleasant, why do they _____ to associate with them

mountebank

impostor, quack (NOT sucker, dupe, "mark," pigeon)

bowdlerized

in attempting to make the novel acceptable to the general public, the editor so _____ it that it lost its quality of stark realism

icons

in sandpainting, an art still practiced by the Navajos of the American Southwest, designs are created of ____ representing animals, deities and natural phenomena

ancillary

in the great crisis of life, you must depend basically on yourself, the help you get from others can only be ______

plethora

in this situation when I desperately needed material help, I was deluged with a _____ of glib and gratuitous advice

enclave

island, subgroup

therapuetic

many believe in the ____ effects attributed to the waters of natural hot springs

interstice

once it slipped through the ____ in the fence, the rabbit headed straight for the vegetables

ancillary

once the advance and royalties were settled, the publisher and agent negotiated ____ rights to be covered in the writer's contract

enclave

our little group of would be writers, painters and musicians formed an ____ of culture in what we considered a hostile world

quizzical

peculiar, perplexed, mystified, derisive (NOT unequivocal, crystal-clear, unambiguous)

schism

rift, breach (NOT united front, reconciliation)

bowdlerized

simply because we have dropped a few objectionable words from the dialogue does not justify the critic's statement that we have ____ the play

cozen

some taxi drivers ______ unsuspecting tourists.

plethora

surplus, surfeit, glut, excess (NOT shortage, paucity, dearth, scarcity)

ancillary

the aide serves in an ______ position

paean

the audience responded with a ____ of exultation when the ceremony ended

persiflage

the clash of wits between those two brilliant columnists was no mere _____ but an exchange of deadly insults

interstices

the coach used diagrams to show our receivers how to slip through the ____ in our opponent's zone pass coverage

gratis

the dictum "there's no such thing as a free lunch" means that nothing worthwhile in life comes to us _____

schism

the first serious ___ in the communist world of the postwar era occurred in 1948 when Yugoslavia began in earnest to distance itself from the USSR

gratis

the food provided was ____-

persiflage

the friends engaged in _____ from the moment their reunion began until the last of them left

plethora

the inquisitive journalist besieged the harried celebrity with a ____ of personal questions

icon

the museum's exhibit of _____ included several from Czarist Russia

quizzical

the politician's unexpected comment left all who heard it with _____ expressions on their face

plethora

the situation is growing worse because there is a _____ of good intentions but a dearth of common sense and willingness to work hard

enclave

the stubborn old timers who refused to sell their homes came to form a/an ____ of natives surrounded by city people

interstices

the sun left its mottled imprint on the wall as the rays filtered through the ____ of the iron grating

cozen

they can't force you to do anything, but it is quite possible that they will be able to ___ you into actions against your best interests

therapuetic

though acupuncture has been practiced in Eastern medicine for centuries its ______ value has only recently been acknowledged in the West

gratis

to promote circulation, the publishers offered to throw in home delivery _____ for new subscribers to the Sunday edition

paean

when the soldiers realized that they had defeated the far more numerous enemy their cheers rose in a great _____ of jubilation and victory

rapacity

with the ____ of a shark, the ruthless new company went after its competitors' clients

virtuosity

your ____ as a public speaker and campaigner may earn you votes, but it cannot make up for your lack of experience and knowledge of public affairs

schism

what began as a disagreement over a minor issue led to a bitter ____ within the party

pragmatic

what point is there in dwelling on unproven theories when the problem we are facing demands that we be as ____ as possible

virtuoso

when she neatly faked out the guard, pivoted, and drove in for a layup, I realized that I was seeing a true _____ on the court

forte

Although I love listening to piano music, playing the instrument is not my ____

gratis

During the filming, a local restaurant provided meals to the crew _____

macrocosm

During the course of their college education, many students study the economic _____