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Post by Christinko on Aug 25, 2008 14:21:46 GMT -6
Here are the 81 words I'm asking my Engl Composition freshmen to know by the end of the semester....what do you think? How did you do?
Can you use it correctly in a sentence that shows you know what it means?
1. Ubiquitous 2. Cursory 3. Penchant 4. Cavort 5. Carouse 6. Cajole 7. Yokel 8. Harridan 9. Derelict 10. Wanton 11. Titillating 12. Debauched 13. Pander 14. Ostracize 15. Impugn 16. Frippery 17. Festoon 18. Flourish (noun) 19. Bower 20. Berth 21. Hovel 22. Dirge 23. Horde 24. Largess 25. Dearth 26. Bereft 27. Rife 28. Foray 29. Rancor 30. Bellicose 31. Ennui 32. Bourgeois 33. Coterie 34. Cuckold 35. Minion 36. Dowager 37. Sallow 38. Florid 39. Hirsute 40. Feign 41. Deign 42. Fawn (verb) 43. Squalid 44. Onerous 45. Odious 46. Sanguine 47. Indolent 48. Aloof 49. Inveigle 50. Exacerbate 51. Surmise 52. Throes 53. Travail 54. Malaise 55. Preen 56. Sashay 57. Rail (verb) 58. Churlish 59. Winsome 60. Piquant 61. Bravado 62. Hubris 63. Idyll 64. Urbane 65. Magnanimous 66. Hedonistic 67. Salient 68. Tacit 69. Esoteric 70. Mar 71. Teem 72. Rile 73. Dalliance 74. Revelry 75. Chicanery 76. Impunity 77. Bailiwick 78. Scion 79. Purport 80. Peruse 81. Pontificate
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Post by innit Geezer on Aug 25, 2008 14:33:31 GMT -6
Your breasts are titillating but please get them out of my wanton soup and don't ostracize me, I'm hungry.
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Aug 25, 2008 14:39:10 GMT -6
WHAT, no "obfuscate"? Lest I pontificate, ostracize, or appear churlish, the onerous omission or wanton snubbery of this salient word defies belief.
BTW- Hirsute down there?
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Post by Chicago Jake on Aug 25, 2008 14:45:39 GMT -6
I'll bet not one in a hundred Americans could get all of those words. But I'll bet a goodly chunk of our board members could......Jake
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Post by Kawaii Kaiju on Aug 25, 2008 15:30:00 GMT -6
I read that list and thought "Heh, read many romance novels?" but then I remembered "Oh yes, it's Chris, of COURSE she reads cheesy romance novels!"
Zilla (who got the whole list, but almost screwed up bower. "Bo-er? what the fuck? Oh! Bow-er!" It caught me like "lead" does when out of context.)
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Post by nolaflacav on Aug 25, 2008 15:35:00 GMT -6
I must have a family of nerds. I would guess that all 3 of my kids could nail a large percentage of those words.
It has always been a family game to try and toss in an obscure word into our casual conversation and act like it is the norm when we are all together. It always raises an eyebrow when they use a word like erudite and a stranger overhears us.
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Post by Kawaii Kaiju on Aug 25, 2008 16:21:58 GMT -6
WHAT, no "obfuscate"? Lest I pontificate, ostracize, or appear churlish, the onerous omission or wanton snubbery of this salient word defies belief. BTW- Hirsute down there? Grammar Nazi Ordinance 307V.42 clearly states you cannot assign the word "obfuscate" or "obfuscation" without also assigning the word "eschew", unless you are dealing with code protection. Chris was just making sure she didn't violate this safety protocol. Zilla (who has a special place in my heart for the word "cajole")
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Post by Christinko on Aug 25, 2008 20:25:14 GMT -6
What's funniest to me is that I see these words in print every day whenever I read anything--and yes, though I'm a romance hound, I found almost all these words in Newsweek and the historical novel I'm reading about the Everleigh sisters who ran a classy brothel in Chicago at the turn of century.
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Post by pixiedust on Aug 25, 2008 20:58:56 GMT -6
I'll bet not one in a hundred Americans could get all of those words. But I'll bet a goodly chunk of our board members could......Jake I agree - and being one who could do this you'd be amazed to know I never graduated from College.... ;D ;D Colleen
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Post by Exildo Wonsetler Briggs III on Aug 25, 2008 21:15:18 GMT -6
"inveigle?" What the HELL does that mean?? Based on what I've seen from kids these days, just getting them to understand the difference between "your" and "you're" would be a great improvement. Text messaging is destroying the English language, IMHO. PS: I often find myself writing something and a word comes to mind that I often have no idea whether it is correct in the particular context or not. Most often I have no idea what the REAL meaning of the word is. More often than not, when I look it up, it turns out to be correct. That just seems spooky to me. .............Bob <---------who would love to enveigle Chris over for a night of passion and language study! (did I do that right?) ;D
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Post by Chicago Jake on Aug 25, 2008 23:53:05 GMT -6
Just remember the old rule of thumb: Never use a big word when a diminutive one will work just as well.
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Aug 26, 2008 5:14:16 GMT -6
WHAT, no "obfuscate"? Lest I pontificate, ostracize, or appear churlish, the onerous omission or wanton snubbery of this salient word defies belief. BTW- Hirsute down there? Grammar Nazi Ordinance 307V.42 clearly states you cannot assign the word "obfuscate" or "obfuscation" without also assigning the word "eschew", unless you are dealing with code protection. Chris was just making sure she didn't violate this safety protocol. Zilla (who has a special place in my heart for the word "cajole") Just remember the old rule of thumb: Never use a big word when a diminutive one will work just as well. I beg to differ. I eschew eschewing, and espouse and excogitate methodologies to augment my obfuscation. Never utilize diminutive linguistic elements when the byzantine are available.
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Aug 26, 2008 5:53:00 GMT -6
Normally I would give this article its own thread with an obtuse title... but what the hell, it seems to fit in here quite nicely (note my eschewing obfuscation) Link
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Post by New Mama on Aug 26, 2008 12:54:47 GMT -6
That was interesting. I had to look up 9. Look at all the money I saved by not going to collage. I'm only 9 words behind a collage education.
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Aug 26, 2008 14:28:35 GMT -6
Anita, I think we could all educate you in collage this November if youre willing to stand long enough, I can bring the magazines and paste ;D
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Post by Exildo Wonsetler Briggs III on Aug 26, 2008 15:48:54 GMT -6
That was interesting. I had to look up 9. Look at all the money I saved by not going to collage. I'm only 9 words behind a collage education. Make that 10!
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Post by Christinko on Aug 26, 2008 16:32:58 GMT -6
Oh, Bob--That was good! Sorry, Anita, he gotcha on that one!
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Post by Alice on Aug 26, 2008 17:43:46 GMT -6
I just had my 15 yo son go over the list. He knew 27 and heard of but didn't know the meaning of 9 of the words. Not to bad for a high school junior.
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Post by edie2u on Sept 9, 2008 21:48:37 GMT -6
There were four that I had to look up.
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