Honors English II Semester I Study Cards

Vocab and topics

Delineate

Delineate

Describe or portray (something) precisely; indicate the exact position of (a border or boundary)

Nefarious

(typically of an action or activity) wicked or criminal

Vernacular

The language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region; architecture concerned with domestic and functional rather than public or monumental buildings

Brawn

Physical strength in contrast to intelligence

Tout

Attempt to sell (something), typically by pestering people in an aggressive or bold manner

Enhance

Intensify, increase, or further improve the quality, value, or extent of

Hinder

Create difficulties for (someone or something), resulting in delay or obstruction

Efface

erase (a mark) from a surface; make oneself appear insignificant or inconspicuous

Glutton

An excessively greedy eater

Hiatus

A pause or gap in a sequence, series, or process

Panache

Flamboyant confidence of style or manner

Enfant Terrible

A person whose unconventional or controversial behavior or ideas shock, embarrass, or annoy others

Idiot savant

A person who has a mental or learning disability but is extremely gifted in a particular way, such as the performing of feats of memory or calculation

Carpe Diem

Used to urge someone to make the most of the present time and give little thought to the future

Denouement

The final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved

Querulous

complaining in a petulant or whining manner

Engender

cause or give rise to (a feeling, situation, or condition)

Obliterate

destroy utterly, wipe out;cause to become invisible or indistinct; blot out

Copious

abundant in supply or quantity;profuse in ideas or speech

Obscure

not discovered or known about, uncertain;keep from being seen; conceal

Extol

praise enthusiastically

Pugnacious

eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight

Quell

put an end to (a rebellion or other disorder), typically by the use of force

Artisan

a worker in a skilled trade, especially one that involves making things by hand

Kindle

light or set on fire;arouse or inspire (an emotion or feeling)

Creme de la creme

the best person or thing of a particular kind

Bildungroman

a novel dealing with one person's formative years or spiritual education

Zeitgeist

the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time

Chutzpah

extreme self-confidence or audacity

Double entendre

a word or phrase open to two interpretations, one of which is usually risqué or indecent

Corroborate

confirm or give support to (a statement, theory, or finding)

Amorous

showing, feeling, or relating to sexual desire

Decorous

in keeping with good taste and propriety; polite and restrained

Expedite

make (an action or process) happen sooner or be accomplished more quickly

Idyllic

(especially of a time or place) like an idyll; extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque

Juxtapose

place or deal with close together for contrasting effect

Incandescent

-emitting light as a result of being heated-full of strong emotion; passionate

Exasperate

irritate and frustrate (someone) intensely

Discordant

-disagreeing or incongruous-(of sounds) harsh and jarring because of a lack of harmony

Volatile

-(of a substance) easily evaporated at normal temperatures-liable to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially for the worse

Ad homeinem

-(of an argument or reaction) directed against a person rather than the position they are maintaining-in a way that is directed against a person rather than the position they are maintaining

Joie de vivre

exuberant enjoyment of life

Coup d'etat

the sudden, violent overthrow of an existing government by a small group

Ad Hoc

-when necessary or needed-created or done for a particular purpose as necessary

De facto

-in fact, or in effect, whether by right or not-denoting someone or something that is such in fact

Distend

swell or cause to swell by pressure from inside

Fecund

-producing or capable of producing an abundance of offspring or new growth; fertile-(of a woman or women) capable of becoming pregnant and giving birth

Sage

-a profoundly wise man, especially one who features in ancient history or legend-having, showing, or indicating profound wisdom

Vacuous

having or showing a lack of thought or intelligence; mindless

Deride

express contempt for; ridicule

Benevolent

-well meaning and kindly-(of an organization) serving a charitable rather than a profit-making purpose

Scrutinize

examine or inspect closely and thoroughly

Histrionic

-overly theatrical or melodramatic in character or style

Didactic

intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive

Assail

make a concerted or violent attack on

Sine qua non

an essential condition; a thing that is absolutely necessary

Aficionado

a person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an activity, subject, or pastime

Doppelganger

an apparition or double of a living person

Paparazzi

a freelance photographer who aggressively pursues celebrities for the purpose of taking candid photographs

Weltanshuuang

a particular philosophy or view of life; the worldview of an individual or group

What are the two parts of the mind?

The conscious and subconscious mind

What are dreams the result of?

Dreams are the result of the conscious mind being unable to suppress the desires of the subconscious mind

What is the Freudian Slip?

Unconscious thought would slip into the conscious mind

What are the Pleasure Principle and reality principle?

• The pleasure principle governs us as children seeking instant gratification

• The reality Principle is introduced as we age through society

  • Demands that we defer pleasure and gratification out of necessity

• The reality principle redirected the “libido” (sexual desires)

What is the ID?

• The oldest part of the mind

  • Pleasure Principle

  • The mind we are born with which later is repressed by the ego

What is the ego?

• Controls the Id and is driven by the reality principle

  • The ego decides whether or not to act out the instincts of the Id

    • Horse and Rider: The rider directs the horse

What is the superego?

• Voices of parents, society, and rules restrain the ego

  • Guilt

  • Conscious  (sense of right and wrong)

What did romantic authors write about?

• Nature

• Individuality

• The “Common Man”

• Spirituality

• Isolation

What did romanticism emphesize?

individuality, inspiration and subjectivity

What was romanticism against?

The Enlightenment

What is ritual theory?

Belief that theater evolved from religious events to portray real events

What is Ludic Impulse?

The Desire to explain and rationalize the world to describe the way things came to be

What is Mimetic Impulse?

Human Impulse to make art that imitates people and events around them

Why was Dionysus important to the start of Greek theatre?

Greek started theater to please the God Dionysus through wild parties (Bacchanal)

What is Catharsis?

• The process of releasing and providing relief from strong or repressed emotions

  • Greeks believed that plays would allow people to experience cathartic release to allow for a more healthy populace

What is Deus Ex Machina?

• “God from a machine”

  • Person or thing introduced to instantly fix or solve an apparently unsolvable situation