We're so back

by a fluke

achieving a result completely by chance, luck, or an accidental stroke of good fortune rather than through skill or planning

one's olive branch

a gesture or offer made to show a desire to end a disagreement and make peace

avid

characterized by enthusiasm and vigorous pursuit

en masse

as a single group; all together

in tatters

something is badly damaged, completely ruined, or torn into shreds

boot legger

a person who makes, transports, or sells goods illegally

adamant

not willing to change an opinion or decision; very determined

kiss and make up

to stop arguing and become friendly or reconciled with someone again

recapitulation

a concise summary

seamstress

a woman whose occupation is sewing

normalcy

the state or fact of being normal

unassailable

not able to be doubted, attacked, or questioned

come of age

to reach maturity

pious

deeply religious/falsely appearing to be good or moral

pique

a sudden feeling of annoyance or anger when someone has offended you

jaundiced

feeling or showing dislike, distrust, or anger because of past experiences//(medical) having a disease that causes your skin to turn yellow

doctrine

dogma

disquisition

a formal inquiry into or discussion of a subject

diatribe

a bitter and abusive speech or piece of writing

aphorism

a short phrase that expresses a true or wise idea

prosaic

dull, ordinary, rather unoriginal

insipid

dull, flat, bland, lifeless

autocratic

involving absolute or near-absolute power held by one person, especially a ruler or leader

laissez-faire

a policy that allows businesses to operate with very little interference from the government

egalitarian

aiming for equal wealth, status, etc., for all people

paradigm

a model, framework, or established way of thinking about something

vagaries

an erratic, unpredictable, or extravagant manifestation, action, or notion

stratum

a level of society made up of people of the same rank or position

contingency

an unexpected event or situation that may happen, especially one that requires preparation; dependence

presciently

in a way that shows the ability to foresee or predict future events accurately

tentatively

with hesitancy or uncertainty

doggedly

in a stubborn, determined way

surreptitiously

done, made, or acquired by stealth

expedite

to accelerate the process or progress of

squelch

to fall or stamp on so as to crush

elegy

a sad poem or song (for someone who is dead)

eulogy

a speech that praises someone who has died

hagiography

a biography that praises someone too much

benign

of a mild type or character that does not threaten health or life; harmless

perfunctory

characterized by routine or superficiality; mechanical

draconian

very severe or cruel

nebulous

difficult to see, understand, describe

incontrovertible

not open to question

banal

boring or ordinary; unoriginal

seven

know a man … years before stirring his fire ->

chafe

to become irritated or annoyed

rile

to agitate and make angry

gall

extreme confidence expressed in a way that is impolite

devil-may-care

relaxed and without worry

fly-by-night

trying to make money quickly by using dishonest or illegal methods

turn-of-phase

a distinct, clever, or memorable way of expressing something in speech or writing

dilettante

a person having a superficial interest in an art or a branch of knowledge

didactic

designed or intended to teach

deracinate

uproot, to remove or separate from a native environment or culture

felicitous

very well suited or expressed; apt, pleasant, delightful

sister under the skin

a man who supports women's action to improve their rights//eople who share similar underlying qualities, feelings, or experiences despite having different outward appearances or backgrounds

brother of the quill

an old-fashion, now obsolete way to refer to an author, writer, or journalist

kitty

money to be used for a particular purpose that has been collected from a number of people

bawl sb out

to tell someone angrily that something they have done is wrong

hash sth out

to talk about something with someone else in order to reach agreement about it

boil down

to condense, summarize

huff and puff

to breathe heavily and loudly from physical effort//to complain loudly and show anger without taking real action

doom and gloom

an expression that describes a general feeling of pessimism, hopelessness, or a continuous stream of bad news

thrill and spill

an exciting experience filled with risk, surprises, or danger

wheel and deal

to engage in clever, shrewd, or complicated negotiations and business transactions to gain an advantage or make a profit

unincorporated

not legally formed into a corporation, a formal municipal government, or a distinct separate legal entity

literati

people with a good education who know a lot about literature

paranormal

beyond the scope of normal scientific explanation; supernatural

abnormal

unusual, atypical, or deviating from what is considered normal

diagrammatic

adj of diagram

impose

… sth on sb -> to officially force a rule, tax, belief, or requirement upon another person

inhabit

… sth -> to live in, dwell in, or occupy a place

touch

lose … with -> to stop communicating with someone or to no longer know what is happening in a specific situation, trend, or environment

at

be … a premium -> something is rare, in high demand, and therefore very valuable or expensive

blot

(v) to cause sth to disappear, or to remove sth unpleasant from your thoughts

legislative

something is rare, in high demand, and therefore very valuable or expensive

tenuous

having little substance or strength; flimsy, weak

influx

the arrival or inward flow of a large amount of something

apt

unusually fitted or qualified

enact

to establish by legal and authoritative act

embargo

an order of a government prohibiting the departure of commercial ships from its ports

proscribe

to officially forbid, prohibit, or condemn something as dangerous or harmful

mercurial

changeable, lively, quick

disparate

markedly distinct in quality or character

momentum

gain … -> to grow faster, stronger, or more successful over time after starting slowly

make

… explicit -> to state or explain something very clearly and directly so that no one can misunderstand it

prerequisite

something that you officially must have or do before you can have or do something else; requirement

fanatical

a person who is very enthusiastic about something or has extreme ideas about politics, religion, etc.

heuristic

using experience to learn and improve