Untitled Flashcards Set

List 1

acquiesce verb, to submit or comply without protest. 

To avoid a tantrum, the mother acquiesced to her toddler’s demands for ice cream.

capacious adj, capable of containing a great amount. 

After the birth of their fourth child, the couple traded in their convertible for a more capacious mini-van.

dissemble verb, to conceal behind a false appearance. 

I know you don’t really agree with the group; you’re just dissembling your true beliefs to avoid an argument.

gambol verb, to jump or run in a playful manner. 

“When summer comes again,” said the shepherd boy, “we shall frolic, romp, and gambol in the warm country air.”

jocund adj, lively, high spirited.  

Nothing could destroy his jocund mood on the first day of winter break.

nefarious adj, flagrantly evil or wicked. 

The jewel thief began to fear that the detective had figured out the details of his nefarious plot.

pretentious adj, affecting exaggerated or unwarranted importance or status. 

Don’t you think taking a limo to our high school reunion might come off as just a bit pretentious?

sanctimonious adj, affecting moral superiority. 

It’s difficult to listen to your sanctimonious descriptions of your healthy diet while I’m eating this deep dish pizza.

torrid adj, extremely hot and dry. 

“But at least there’s no humidity,” she said weakly, as we complained about her choice of torrid Arizona for a weekend trip.

List 2

admonish verb, to warn or reprimand.  

I’m tired of you admonishing me every time I forget to feed the dog.

caustic adj, capable of burning or corroding by chemical action; sarcastic, cutting. 

The mechanic’s criticism of my old car was as caustic as the chemicals he used on it.

diurnal adj, active mainly in the daytime. 

After her third all-nighter in a row, the college Freshman could barely remember what it was like to be a diurnal creature.

gestalt noun, a whole viewed as more than the sum of its parts. 

Analyzing one of his plays, while illuminating, won’t help you grasp the gestalt of his complete works.

laconic adj, using very few words. 

“Sit,” said the hostess, pointing to a table. “Hostesses are supposed to be outgoing,” I said. “Are you always so laconic?” “Yes.”  

nostalgic adj, longing for a past time or something that is gone. 

Hearing a Pearl Jam song always makes me nostalgic for the days of baggy flannel shirts and ripped jeans.

primeval adj, of or relating to the earliest ages of the world or human history. 

Looking out at the sailboats, I tried to imagine the primeval glacier that carved out the lake.

sanguine adj, optimistic or hopeful about the future. 

With their team leading comfortably at half-time, the fans were sanguine about the game’s outcome.

trepidation noun, a nervous or fearful feeling. 

The claustrophobic man looked at the walls with trepidation as the elevator filled with people.

List 3

akimbo adj, with hand on hip and elbow bent outward. 

She posed for the red carpet photo with one arm akimbo.

choleric adj, bad-tempered, irritable. 

I hope you have no comma splices in that essay; the professor is especially choleric this morning.

dubious adj, questionable, causing doubt. 

Alien abduction is a fairly dubious excuse for breaking our date.

gregarious adj, sociable, outgoing; fond of others’ company. 

I always feel at ease around gregarious people, because I know they’ll do all the talking.

languid adj, lacking force; slow, relaxed. 

Here’s an idea: you go enjoy your hiking trip up the mountain while I take a languid stroll down to that beach chair.

nuance noun, a subtle distinction or variation. 

The twins appear completely identical until they smile, and then you can see the nuances in their expressions.

prodigal adj, wastefully extravagant; lavish. 

“When you’re out on your own,” lectured her father, “you’ll have to stop these prodigal spending sprees and learn to budget.”

sardonic adj, disdainfully ironic or sarcastic, mocking. 

Rather than listen to the discussion, she focused on crafting sardonic comments to embarrass the other students. 

tumult noun, confusion or disorder. 

The carefully planned Girl Scout meeting quickly devolved into tumult when the pizza arrived.

List 4

alacrity           noun, cheerful readiness or willingness. 

Although the children were churlish during their math lesson, they lined up with alacrity when it was time for recess.

churlish          adj, rude in a mean-spirited or surly way. 

If you’re going to be churlish about it, then I’ll just go to the opera without you.

duly                 adj, properly, in due manner or time. 

He worked all night to make sure each part of his application was duly completed.

habiliments   noun, clothing specific to a particular occupation or occasion. 

The habiliments of royalty couldn’t conceal the king’s ineptitudes.

lassitude        noun, weariness, lack of energy or spirit. 

Thanks to his flu, he had a runny nose, an itchy throat, and a feeling of general lassitude.

obsequious    adj, excessively obedient or attentive. 

Since his obsequious assistants tell him what he wants to hear, the CEO has no idea of his company’s financial troubles.

profligate       adj, wastefully extravagant in the use of resources. 

Stop this profligate use of water and turn off the faucet while you brush your teeth!

satiate            verb, to satisfy fully. 

Hopefully this double banana split will finally satiate your constant craving for ice cream.

ubiquitous     adj, present, or seeming to be present, everywhere at the same time. 

The ubiquitous “song of the summer” was still stuck in my head in `October.

Quiz: TTTC Pages 1-81

5. Narrative Forms

1. Allegory: a story containing both a literal meaning and a corresponding symbolic meaning, throughout which a moral (or sometimes political) message is woven (ex: “The Lorax”).  Allegory differs from myth in that allegory is understood to be fictitious.

1. Fable: a short, simple form of allegory in which the main agents are anthropomorphized animals and/or personified inanimate objects (ex: “The Tortoise and the Hare”).

2. Parable: a short, simple form of allegory in which the main agents or actors are human characters (ex: “The Good Samaritan”). 

2. Folktale: a traditional story common to a particular culture and transmitted orally (ex: “Hansel and Gretel”).  Folktales are often allegories, but can take many other forms as well.

3. Fairy Tale: a traditional story common to particular culture, transmitted either orally or in written form, which contains magical elements (ex: “Snow White”).  

4. Legend: a story that combines the life story of a real person with exaggerated and typically heroic actions and/or events (ex: Robin Hood).

5. Myth: a story of any length, often religious or philosophical, that embodies the social and cultural values of a civilization (ex: Prometheus brings fire to man).  Myth differs from allegory in that a myth is generally accepted by believers as true.

6. Bildungsroman: a “novel of experience” dealing with a central character’s formative years (ex. Catcher in the Rye, Great Expectations, Little Women).

7. Satire: a literary work that uses irony, humor, hyperbole or ridicule to expose and criticize human and/or societal vice, folly, or weakness (ex: Brave New World, Animal Farm).