hired hand
mercenary
solider of fortune
one who fights in wars primarily for profit or for adventure
condottiere
A mercenary soldier of a political ruler
avaricious
greedy
rapacious
greedy
broach
to bring up a subject for discussion
fen
a low and marshy or frequently flooded area of land
quagmire
A difficult situation (n.) a muddy area w/ slippery surface
polychrome
many-colored
polychromatic
having many different colors
Pieblad
spotted
variegated
varied; marked with different colors
heterogeneous
(adj.) composed of different kinds, diverse
Secular
Non-religious
temporal
relating to the everyday world as opposed to that which is spiritual or eternal
prosaic
(adj.) dull, lacking in distinction and originality; matter-of-fact, straightforward; characteristic of prose, not poetic
banal
common, ordinary
multitudinous
very numerous
multifarious
having great variety; numerous and diverse
manifold
diverse, varied
vain
having or showing an excessively high opinion of one's appearance, abilities, or worth.
egomaniacal
morbidly, obsessively wrapped up in oneself
amorphous
shapeless
opaque
(adj.) not letting light through; not clear or lucid; dense, stupid
piddling
insignificant; trifling; petty
trifling
not significant, frivolous
nugatory
trifling; invalid
Partisanship
Government action based on firm allegiance to a political party
partiality
A favorable bias or a prejudice toward something
Patronage
Granting favors or giving contracts or making appointments to office in return for political support
itinerant
traveling from place to place
peripatetic
wandering from place to place, especially on foot
titular
in title or name only; nominal
token
symbol
wistfulness
a sadly pensive longing
hankering
a strong desire to have or do something
postulant
a person who is a candidate seeking to become a member of a religious community
neophyte
beginner
tyro
beginner; novice
fledgling
an inexperienced person, beginner; a young bird about to leave the nest; inexperienced, budding
trainee
a person who is being taught how to do a particular job
greenhorn
beginner
tenderfoot
one new at something
subtlety
Something not obvious
overtone
A natural frequency that is a multiple of the fundamental tone's frequency.
still wet behind the ears
immature and inexperienced
a babe in the woods
an innocent or very naive person who is apt to be duped or victimized
a freshman senator
newly elected senator
a puppet ruler
A ruler without authority
footloose and fancy-free
free and without responsibilities to anyone
a fly by night operation
not reliable or responsible, especially in business
a roving reporter
a reporter who travels around, rather than staying in a fixed place
a peripatetic philosopher
someone who follows the teaching of Aristotle
wanderlust
a strong desire to travel
client state
nation dependent on the support of a stronger power
Spoils System
A system of public employment based on rewarding party loyalists and friends.
small potatoes
something insignificant or unimportant
amour propre
self-love
worldly goods
everything that someone owns
worldly wisdom
Comes from the demonic and is bitter jealousy, arrogant and resists truth
a man of the world
a practical or worldly-wise man of wide experience
a pluralistic society
a society made up of many different groups
a diversified economy
economy that depends on a variety of exports or products
a checkered career
a background that includes many changes, especially of employment
a gordian knot
extremely complex problem
a foregone conclusion
a result that is obvious to everyone even before it happens