Bill Bryson

Question 1

The fray

Answer 1

De strijd

Question 2

Cranium

Answer 2

Schedel

Question 3

Arid mote

Answer 3

Dorre splinter

Question 4

Paragon

Answer 4

Toonbeeld

Question 5

Illegibility

Answer 5

Onleesbaarheid

Question 6

Mea culpa

Answer 6

Schulderkenning, mijn schuld.

Question 7

Insolent

Answer 7

Brutaal, onbeschaamd

the question were self-evidently absurd as well as insolent.
The teenager’s insolence got her in trouble with her teachers.
insolence: the quality or state of being insolent

Question 8

On account of

Answer 8

Vanwege

Question 9

Succinct

Answer 9

Beknopt. He got me to be succinct and clear.

Question 10

Abide

Answer 10

Verdragen. He could not abide being spoken to OF

Zich houden aan. Had we all, as others have said, abided by the rules, we would not have this problem.

Question 11

Addled

Answer 11

Bedorven. He was so addled by drugs that his crimes could not have been premeditated. He showed no signs of the addled thinking that comes with dementia.

Question 12

Amelioration

Answer 12

verbetering. A philanthropist might devote her life to the amelioration of poverty and hunger. Any time there’s amelioration, something negative is becoming more positive.

Question 13

Aforesaid

Answer 13

Voornoemd. The aforesaid consequences did not occur until late in the afternoon.

Question 14

Affliction

Answer 14

Aandoening, droefheid, smart. She lost her sight and is now learning to live with her affliction. He died from a mysterious affliction.

Question 15

indubitably

Answer 15

ongetwijfeld. Yet, unrealistic as the task indubitably appeared, it had to be attempted. His death was considered, peaceful and, indubitably, exactly what he wanted.

Question 16

posterity

Answer 16

nakomelingschap, nageslacht. Our posterity isn’t looking too good with the way kids are acting today.

Question 17

devoured

Answer 17

verslonden. He devoured everything on his plate. The lions devoured their prey. She devoured every golf magazine she could find.

Question 18

Sauntered

Answer 18

Slenterde

They sauntered slowly down the street. Some girls sauntered by. He sauntered into the store.

Question 19

Abiding

Answer 19

Blijvend. My abiding memory was that he was anxious to get on. His beautiful garden provided another abiding interest. It leaves you with an abiding sense of insecurity.

Question 20

Itemize

Answer 20

Specificeren. To list things separately. We asked for an itemized bill, listing all our phone calls and how long they were.

Question 21

Received wisdom

Answer 21

Conventionele ‘wijsheid’. The received wisdom is that the arts make a significant contribution to this aim.

Question 22

Skewed

Answer 22

Scheef. If you draw a curve of the group of students’ exam scores on a graph, the curve is likely to be skewed to the left.

Question 23

Profligate

Answer 23

Losbandig, zedeloos. She is well-known for her profligate spending habits. The profligate use of antibiotics has led to the evolution of resistant bacteria.

Question 24

Filched

Answer 24

Geroofd. they filched milk off morning doorsteps

Question 25

Rapture

Answer 25

Trance. His speech was received with rapture by his supporters. I stare in rapture at the ball.

Question 26

Pageant

Answer 26

Optocht.

Question 27

Notoriety

Answer 27

Beruchtheid. Klemtoon op i.

Question 28

Betoken

Answer 28

Aanduiden. His whole expression betokened a feverish interest.

Question 29

Regal

Answer 29

Vorstelijk.

Question 30

edifice

Answer 30

Bouwwerk. edəfəs

Question 31

Albeit

Answer 31

Ofschoon, ook al.

he was making progress, albeit rather slowly

Question 32

utilitarian

Answer 32

utilitarist

designed to be useful or practical rather than attractive.
“a utilitarian building”

Question 33

Downtrodden

Answer 33

Onderdrukt
“Bullied and downtrodden”

Question 34

Prospering

Answer 34

Bloeiend

Question 35

Feral

Answer 35

Wild
A feral cat

Question 36

Denude

Answer 36

Ontbloot

almost overnight the Arctic was denuded of animals

Question 37

Impunity

Answer 37

Straffeloosheid

the impunity enjoyed by military officers implicated in civilian killings

Question 38

Sumptuous

Answer 38

Weelderig, prachtig

Here, set among more than 2,200 wooded acres, are three sumptuous hotels, as well as estates and private homes.

Question 39

Abysmally

Answer 39

Verschrikkelijk

she treats me abysmally at times

Question 40

Icily

Answer 40

IJskoud

Question 41

Ostensibly

Answer 41

Ogenschijnlijk

He has spent the past three months in Florida, ostensibly for medical treatment, but in actual fact to avoid prosecution.

Question 42

Solemnity

Answer 42

Plechtigheid, statigheid (klemtoon op e)

the ritual of the Church was observed in all its solemnities

Question 43

Vigorously

Answer 43

Krachtig, energiek

she shook her head vigorously

Question 44

Acuity

Answer 44

Scherpheid

intellectual acuity

Question 45

Beckon

Answer 45

Wenken of lonken

Miranda beckoned to Adam

the going is tough and soft options beckon

Question 46

Indigent

Answer 46

Behoeftig (klemtoon op eerste i)

a charity for the relief of indigent artists

Question 47

Endowment

Answer 47

Schenking (inˈdoum(ə)nt)

Question 48

Precipice

Answer 48

Afgrond, steilte

we swerved toward the edge of the precipice

ˈpresəpəs

Question 49

Coalesced

Answer 49

Samengevoegd (klemtoon op eerste e)

the puddles had coalesced into shallow streams

Question 50

Peninsula

Answer 50

Schiereiland