Grit and Grandeur

grandeur

splendor and impressiveness, especially of appearance or style; magnificence

indigenous

native to a certain area

rampant

going unchecked, widespread

bard

a poet

gilded

covered with a thin layer of gold

eminence

fame or recognized superiority, especially within a particular sphere or profession

gallantly

bravely

conspicuous

easily seen or noticed

tarry

to delay leaving; to linger, wait; to remain or stay for a while

providence

the protective care of God or of nature as a spiritual power

disconsolate

deeply unhappy or dejected; without hope

anecdote

a brief story about an interesting, amusing, or strange event

interminable

endless; so long as to seem endless

enterprising

energetic, willing and able to start something new; showing boldness and imagination

vagabond

a person who wanders from place to place without a home or job

inclination

tendency or preference

incongruity

lack of harmony; the connecting of opposing or contradictory qualities or ideas

Idiom

a common, often used expression that doesn't make sense if you take it literally.

implicit

understood though unexpressed

brazen

bold and without shame

pillage

to rob of goods by open force

profusion

an abundance or large quantity of something

wean

to withdraw from any type of habit

engender

to produce, cause, or bring about

tenuous

having little substance or strength

transported

to be filled with strong and often intensely pleasant emotion

sentinel

a guard

memoir

autobiographical nonfiction that focuses on a specific period or aspect of a writer's life

plantain

a banana-like fruit used as a cooking staple in tropical regions

heady

intoxicating; exhilarating; having a strong effect on the senses

disillusion

disappointment resulting from the discovery that something is not as good as one believed it to be

divine

to discover by intuition or insight; to infer

courting

be involved with romantically, typically with the intention of marrying

subordinate

having less importance

trivialize

to treat as if not important

elated

in high spirits, jubilant; extremely pleased

preeminently

above all; most importantly

billowing

rising or rolling in waves or surges

groupthink

the tendency of group members to conform, resulting in a narrow view of some issue

idiosyncratic

an individualizing characteristic or quality