English Lit 9-12

Ambrosia

anything that tastes (smells) good enough to be eaten by the gods; good with an especially delicious flavor or aroma

Byzantine

artistically and architecturally elaborate, decorative, and colorful; complex;

Cretin

a dense, slow stupid person

Dwem

a white male, now deceased, of European extraction-A term of denigration, generally used as a backlash against the traditional focus on the hitorical and cultural achievements of Caucasian makes to the exclusion of woman and non white persons.

Greenbelt

a beltlike area around a city or residential area reserved for parks, stands of trees, or uncultivated land

Ideologue

a person devoted to a specific ideology; one greatly influenced by ideas, especially theoretical ones

Minimality

the smallest possible amount; a very small quantity; the state of being minimal

Picaresque

characteristic of a tale of the experiences of roguish characters “on the road”.  

Rockabilly

a type of popular music that combines rock-and-roll with country and western music

Transponder

a radio or radar unit that upon being activated by an incoming electrical signal sends a signal of its own

Bomfog

that part of a (political) speech or monograph that reiterates stereotypical brotherhood and religious platitudes for the purpose of patronizing the intended audience

Bowdlerize

to expurgate a book by changing or eliminating passages that may be considered offensive or indelicate

Bureaucratese

a depersonalized style of language often used by (governmental) bureaucrats and characterized by excessive abstraction, jargon, circumlocution and euphemism

Dynapolis

a planned town or city intended for orderly growth along one or more major traffic arteries

Erotica

tasteful art and literature treating the subject of sexual love

Gasohol

a blend of gasoline and alcohol, usually containing only about 10% ethyl alcohol and 90% unleaded gasoline

Hooliganism

general rowdiness and thievery by a group of ruffians

Jawbone

to (attempt to) convince or persuade through the use of pressure arising from the power of a high position

Maverick

one who belongs to no established (political) group; a dissenter

Moped

a lightweight motorbike that can also be pedaled

Grunt

originally, an unflattering designation for an American foot soldier serving in Vietnam; by extension any person employed in routine, unglamorous, physical work

Lethargy

a condition of sluggishness, dullness or torpidity

Martinet

a very strict disciplinarian, a stickler for regulations

Nonperson

an individual who, usually after having done something very bad, is regarded as nonexistent, or as never having existed

Awol

absent without official permission.  a person who is supposed to be at a specific place but isn’t

Billingsgate

very foul, vulgar language

Condominium

a housing complex in which each living unit is owned individually; an individual living unit within such a complex

Glitterati

the universally known and admired members of society, although not necessarily for their education or scholarship, the beautiful people

Rodomontade

language which is arrogantly boastful and blustering

Slumlord

an absentee landlord who rents slum dwellings in urban areas, usually at inflated rates, and makes little effort to maintain the residence

Acrolect

the most prestigious dialect of a given language or a language spoken in a specific region or country

Benchmark

anything that establishes a standard by which others (of a similar category) may be measured

Cobol

a standardized computer language employing English words and used primarily in business applications

Derrick

a towerlike framework (apparatus) for lifting and moving heavy objects or for supporting machinery

Gerrymander

to divide a voting area so as to give one political party an electoral majority in as many districts as possible; to manipulate any social or political situation in order to gain an edge

Glitch

a sudden, brief (unwanted) surge of electrical power, a false or incorrect electrical signal; a malfunction or minor problem causing a temporary setback

Odyssey

an extended journey or long period spent wandering about

Oxbridge

the English universities Oxford and Cambridge viewed as a single entity; the sometimes affected acrolect spoken by graduates of Oxbridge

Platonic

related to that which is mental or spiritual rather than physical or sensual

Slurb

a poorly planned suburban area with cheapy constructed and often grimly uniform housing, and little space devoted to parks and recreation