The Big Book of Words You Should Know

by David Olsen

  Sir Laurence Olivier was rightly regarded as the most versatile THESPIAN of his era.

  tincture (TING-churr), noun

  A trace amount or slight tinge.

  The drama was leavened with a TINCTURE of comic relief.

  tintinnabulation (tin-tin-ab-yoo-LAY-shun), noun

  The ringing of bells. Tintinnabulation derives from a Latin word meaning “bell.”

  The TINTINNABULATION from the center of the village left no one in doubt:

  Christmas had come at last.

  tome (toam), noun

  A thick or heavy book. Tome applies especially to long, academically oriented books. I had been hoping to read something light that I could finish over my vacation, not a TOME like this.

  tortuous (TORE-choo-uss), adjective

  Winding; full of twists and turns.

  Drive safely; the road leading from the center of town up the side of the mountain is a TORTUOUS one.

  tragedian (truh-JEE-dee-un), noun

  An actor noted for performing tragic parts.

  Richard Burbage was the premier TRAGEDIAN of the Elizabethan era.

  transfiguration (trans-fig-yuh-REY-shun), noun

  An extreme change in appearance; a metamorphosis.

  I was fascinated by the time-lapse video of a caterpillar’s TRANSFIGURATION into a butterfly.

  travail (truh-VALE), noun

  Hard work, especially work causing physical pain. Travail is sometimes used to describe the labor of childbirth.

  It is not surprising that, given the TRAVAILS of the long journey westward, some settlers opted to return East rather than try to make a life on the frontier.

  travesty (TRAV-ih-stee), noun

  A grotesque parody (of something). That which presents an insulting mockery (of a cherished institution, for instance) is a travesty.

  Let’s face it: the way Congress deals with overexpenditure is a TRAVESTY of its own budget reduction legislation.

  treacle (TREE-kul), noun

  Overly contrived sentiment; unrestrained mawkishness.

  The movie’s plot, which concerned a little blind girl’s search for her puppy, represented perhaps the most unapologetic TREACLE of the year.

  triennial (tri-EN-ee-ul), adjective

  Ocurring every three years. That which occurs once in a three-year cycle is triennial.

  The TRIENNIAL Shakespeare festival takes place in April of every third year.

  trifling (TRY-fling), adjective

  Insignificant. That which is unimportant is trifling.

  The fact is, you are unlikely to be called in for an audit over such a TRIFLING amount of money.

  tripartite (try-PAR-tite), adjective

  Consisting of three elements; involving three participants.

  The TRIPARTITE trade agreement was signed by representatives of Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

  troglodyte (TROG-luh-dyte), noun

  One who behaves in a beastly, savage, or primitive manner. Literally, a troglodyte is a cave-dweller.

  I knew that Sebastian would be uncommunicative after his ordeal, but I did not expect him to act like such a TROGLODYTE at work.

  truncate (TRUN-kate), verb

  To shorten by cutting (a segment).

  The director left the long passage about the “willow that grows aslant the brook” intact, but decided to TRUNCATE an earlier scene that had something to do with Hecuba.

  tumescent (too-MESS-unt), adjective

  Swollen or beginning to swell.

  The yellowjacket stung Rhoda on the thumb, leaving a TUMESCENT welt she felt compelled to show everyone in the office.

  tumid (TOO-mid), adjective

  Swollen, like a body part, or pompous, like some human beings.

  Stephen’s TUMID, purple bruise was a source of fascination on the playground.

  umbrage (UM-brij), noun

  Resentful annoyance. To take umbrage is to express irritation.

  I take UMBRAGE at the suggestion that I have used my position here for illicit personal gain.

  unceremonious (un-sare-uh-MONE-ee-uss), adjective

  Rude or abrupt; tactlessly hasty; inappropriate.

  June made an UNCEREMONIOUS exit just as the chairman was beginning his remarks on the Fentworth project.

  undisposed (un-dis-POZED), adjective

  Not inclined; not favoring.

  Jim was not crazy about having to find a job, but he was also UNDISPOSED to letting his children go hungry.

  unequivocal (un-ee-KWIV-uh-kul), adjective

  Unambiguous; unadorned; blatant or obvious in expression.

  My response to your suggestion that we lie to the judge is an UNEQUIVOCAL one: absolutely not.

  ungainly (un-GANE-lee), adjective

  Graceless.

  Wilma, who had always thought of herself as UNGAINLY, was surprised at the ease with which she and Clive moved across the dance floor.

  unimpeachable (un-im-PEECH-uh-bul), adjective

  Exemplary; beyond reproach or suspicion.

  My alibi for the night in question comes from an UNIMPEACHABLE source, Sergeant Miller; I was helping Father White at the homeless shelter.

  upbraid (up-BRAID), verb

  To criticize and assign blame (to a person). To upbraid is to scold.

  I did not spend thirteen years at this firm to be UPBRAIDED by a junior clerk, Mr. Franklin.

  uprear (up-REER), verb

  To lift or raise up.

  At the sound of the siren, our dog UPREARED her head and howled.

  urbane (ur-BANE), adjective

  Suave; sophisticated; debonair.

  Clive, Linda’s URBANE English cousin, was pleasant company for us all during his stay here.

  utilitarian (yoo-til-ih-TARE-ee-un), adjective

  Characterized by a concern for the practical or useful. That which is utilitarian is pragmatic.

  I propose we take a UTILITARIAN approach to the problem: since it no longer runs, why not scrap the old car completely and sell it for parts?

  vacillate (VAS-uh-late), verb

  To waver between options. A person who cannot decide which course of action to settle on vacillates.

  Mr. Mears’s principal weakness is that he is seen as a VACILLATING leader, one who cannot choose one path and stick to it.

  vainglorious (vane-GLORE-ee-uss), adjective

  Given to self-absorption; inclined to view oneself excessively or too highly.

  Although some are entranced by Anais Nin’s diaries, they always struck me as the narcissistic, VAINGLORIOUS observations of a woman totally unable to look beyond herself.

  valise (vuh-LEECE), noun

  A small piece of luggage; a carry-on bag.

  The stewardess asked me to stow my VALISE in the overhead cabin.

  variegated (VAR-ee-uh-gay-tid), adjective

  Changing in color. That which alters hue is variegated.

  June’s latest needlework project uses VARIEGATED thread to achieve a rainbow effect.

  vendetta (ven-DET-uh), noun

  A bitter feud or grudge.

  Mark’s arguments against my proposed project had less to do with its merits than with the VENDETTA he has held against me since I was hired for the job he wanted.

  veracious (vuh-RAY-shuss), adjective

  Honest; truthful.

  Your Honor, I ask that the defense’s assertion that none of the prosecution’s witnesses are VERACIOUS be stricken from the record.

  verbiage (VER-bee-uj), noun

  Unnecessary words. Superfluous or overwrought language is verbiage.

  Like many novelists, Robert overwrote: he would let everything fly in one session and then come back and pare away at VERBIAGE in another.

  verbose (ver-BOSE), adjective

  Wordy. That which uses unnecessary language is verbose.

  This is not Hemingway’s best work: long passages of the manuscript are strangely VERBOSE and—let’s face it—downright boring.

  verda
nt (VUR-dnt), adjective

  Green (with plant life). That which is lush with vegetation is verdant.

  The VERDANT surroundings give one the feeling of being a million miles from the city, but from where we are standing now Nashville is only fifteen minutes away by car.

  vexation (vek-SAY-shun), noun

  Irritation. That which aggravates causes vexation.

  “Where on earth is my horse?” Scarlett demanded in VEXATION.

  virtuoso (vur-choo-OWE-so), noun

  A supremely skilled artist.

  Geena is a piano VIRTUOSO who has won dozens of competitions.

  visage (VIZ-uj), noun

  The face. Visage can also mean “appearance.”

  It was a grim-VISAGED Roosevelt who addressed Congress the day after the Japanese attack.

  voluminous (vuh-LOO-mih-nuss), adjective

  Possessing great volume or fullness.

  Michelle’s wedding dress was so VOLUMINOUS that there was barely room for Jon to stand next to her at the altar.

  vouchsafe (vouch-SAFE), verb

  To deign or to condescend; to agree, in a condescending manner, to grant a request or do something; to offer as a favor or privilege.

  James’s show of superiority to everyone else in the family was so blatant that I’m surprised he VOUCHSAFED to spend a few minutes with me at the reunion.

  waggish (WAG-ish), adjective

  Joking, witty, and mischievous. The noun form, which you might see, is “wag.”

  Kent’s WAGGISH comments got him in trouble with the boss.

  wangle (WANG-gul), verb

  To get one’s own way by using manipulation or clever means.

  Franz WANGLED two tickets to the concert by pretending to be the son of the city’s premier entertainment critic.

  wend (wend), verb

  To go forward. To wend one’s way is to proceed along a given course.

  Hansel and Gretel, WENDING their way through the forest innocently, had no idea what awaited them at journey’s end.

  whilom (HWHY-lum), adjective

  Former, erstwhile.

  I’m afraid our WHILOM friendship will not survive this latest betrayal.

  witticism (WIT-ih-siz-um), noun

  A witty saying or remark.

  We like to invite Roger to our cocktail parties, as he is able to keep other guests entertained for hours on end with his stories and WITTICISMS.

  wizened (WIZ-und), adjective

  Old; shriveled.

  The subject of the documentary was a WIZENED old man of ninety-seven who happened to be the oldest living Bolshevik.

  wont (wont), noun

  A habit or custom.

  As was his WONT, Jeb took a walk to the sidewalk cafe near his home and bought a copy of the New York Times to read.

  yore (yore), noun

  Former days; an era long past.

  In days of YORE, scribes sat in their chambers copying out long manuscripts, and dreaming, I like to believe, of copiers and word processors.

  PART VII

  Words You Probably

  Shouldn’t Know

  Trust us. If anyone uses one of the words on this list when talking about you, then you have been insulted. If any of these words apply to you, then change your life immediately!

  abhorrent (ab-HOR-ent), adjective

  Loathsome or contemptible. Abhorrent refers to something that is reprehensible or repulsive. That which is repugnant or detestable is abhorrent.

  Julie found the book’s recounting of the details of serial murders particularly ABHORRENT.

  abstinence (AB-ste-nence), noun

  Voluntarily foregoing the indulgence of an appetite. Abstinence is the act of abstaining from food, drink, or pleasure. Abstinence may refer to denial of certain foods and drinks thought to be harmful to one’s health; however, it can also refer to refraining from behavior considered immoral.

  After years of indulgence, it was difficult for Evelyn to follow her doctor’s order of complete ABSTINENCE from liquor.

  acrimonious (ak-ri-MO-nee-us), adjective

  Mean-spirited, bitter, or ill-natured. Acrimonious refers to language or exchanges that are filled with animosity. Something characterized by sharpness or bitterness of speech is acrimonious.

  Divorce is, we must remember, an expensive, emotionally devastating, and ACRIMONIOUS affair.

  acrophobia (ak-ruh-FO-bee-a), noun

  An abnormal fear of heights. Acrophobia refers to a person’s fear of high places; it is characterized by fealings of dread, danger, and helplessness.

  Of course, his ACROPHOBIA ruled out any ride in the hot-air bolloon.

  alienate (AY-lee-uh-nate), verb

  To cause someone to lose affection for someone or something else.

  If you keep taking advantage of Karen’s generosity, you’re going to ALIENATE a good friend.

  aloof (uh-LOOF), adjective

  Indifferent or uninterested; unsociable.

  Chuck’s ALOOF attitude at our dinner party made us wonder if our usually talkative friend was trying to tell us something.

  amoral (ay-MOR-uhl), adjective

  Without moral discretion or standards. To be amoral is to act as though the distinctions of right and wrong are nonexistent. A person who is amoral is neither moral nor immoral.

  In the end, we find that war is not always “ for the right,” nor even “evil,” but far too often a completely AMORAL exercise.

  anarchy (AN-ar-key), noun

  The absence of government; a disordered and uncontrolled situation. Originally, anarchy referred to a specific doctrine advocating voluntary associations among individuals and arguing against any empowered government or rule of law. Today, anarchy is generally used to describe a temporarily chaotic social situation in which no central authority exists.

  After the death of the Queen, many in the council feared a return to the ANARCHY of a decade earlier.

  anathema (uh-NATH-eh-muh), noun

  A person or thing regarded as wrong in the highest degree; a loathsome entity. To say something is anathema to a person is to say that it is as detestable and unacceptable to him as it can possibly be. The word has its root in a kind of formal religious curse or denunciation.

  The ambassador warned us ahead of time not to attempt to discuss the issue of dropping sanctions against the dictator; that subject is ANATHEMA to his government.

  arson (AR-son), noun

  The act of destroying property with fire.

  After Councilor Perry’s campaign headquarters burned down, his supporters were quick to accuse their opponents of ARSON; in fact, one of their own neglected cigarette butts was to blame.

  asinine (ASS-ih-nine), adjective

  Showing a very noticeable lack of intelligence and/or good sense.

  I left halfway through the latest thriller because I could feel its ASININE plot depleting my brain cells.

  authoritarian (aw-thor-uh-TARE-ee-un), adjective

  Describes a form of social control in which the government demands the absolute, blind assent of its citizens.

  The eerie, AUTHORITARIAN world of George Orwell’s 1984 continues to resonate today.

  avarice (AV-er-iss), noun

  Great desire for riches. Avarice is extreme greed. Those who hoard wealth compulsively can be said to be avaricious.

  Although Matthew was an extremely successful businessman, AVARICE was certainly not in his nature.

  bamboozle (bam-BOO-zul), verb

  To deceive; trick.

  Fred was BAMBOOZLED out of $15,000 by a con artist, who convinced him to invest money in nonexistent real estate.

  barbarous (BAR-ber-us), adjective

  Uncivilized or primitive; characterized by brutality or savagery. To say that something or someone is barbarous is to say that it is crude and lacks refinement. Barbarous treatment is uncivilized or even cruel and brutal.

  Their captivity was marked by barbarous living conditions, psychological abuse, and little or
no news of outside events.

  biased (BYE-ussed), adjective

  Predisposed to a particular view or direction; prejudiced.

  Mr. Anderson’s claim that he has never made a BIASED hiring decision is undercut by the fact that his staff is composed exclusively of white male Ivy League graduates.

  bigamy (BIG-uh-mee), noun

  The crime of taking marriage vows while still legally married to someone else. Bigamy is an offense involving illicit marriage, but it also describes other ecclesiastical violations of religious law regarding marital status.

  By marrying June before her divorce was finalized, Stanley was technically guilty of BIGAMY.

  bilious (BILL-yes), adjective

  This word relates to bile, a bitter substance that helps in digestion. Thus, bilious has come to describe people who are irritable or peevish, as though afflicted by severe indigestion.

  Benny’s bilious BEHAVIOR does not endear him to strangers.

  bipolar (bye-POE-luhr), adjective

  Possessing two sides or poles; marked by diametrically opposed extremes. A bipolar relationship is one between two opposites or counterparts.

  Frank’s behavior on the job was generally unremarkable, but we later learned that his severe mood swings were symptoms of a BIPOLAR personality disorder.

  blacklist (BLAK-list), verb

  To place on a list of disapproved or rejected persons and organizations.

  Many prominent entertainment figures were BLACKLISTED in Hollywood for alleged ties with Communism.

  blase (blah-ZAY), adjective

  Unimpressed; bored. Someone who has seen too much of something to become excited about it can be said to be blase.

  I told Jim that he stood a very good chance of being fired this week, but to tell you the truth he seemed rather BLASE about the whole thing.

  bloviate (BLOW-vee-ate), verb

  A blowhard bloviates because the word means to speak pompously and at great length.

  Don’t get Doug near alcohol because once he’s had a few he’ ll BLOVIATE until the cows come home.

  bogus (BOE-guss), adjective

  Fake; counterfeit.

  Earnest-looking teens with obviously BOGUS IDs were nothing new to the area’s liquor store owners; a six-year-old with a revolver demanding two quarts of Thunderbird was something else again.

  boorish (BOO-rish), adjective

  Offensive; lacking manners, civility, or consideration. A boorish person is one completely unfamiliar with social graces.