J! Vocabulary Flashcards
1
Q
Roman rod for spinning flax; female
A
distaff
2
Q
Greek-derived term for severe government cost-cutting measures
A
austerity
3
Q
bothersome biting fly (also used to describe people)
A
gadfly
4
Q
sesquicentennial length
A
150 years
5
Q
Mafia code of silence
A
omerta
6
Q
guitar pick
A
plectrum
7
Q
bishop hat
A
mitre
8
Q
2 other words for dockworker
A
stevedore, longshoreman
9
Q
whalebone carving
A
scrimshaw
10
Q
papal ambassador, from Latin for messenger
A
papal nuncio
11
Q
a civil wrong causing injury
A
tort
12
Q
Irish walking stick/club
A
shillelagh
13
Q
house ready to go, or old jailer term
A
turnkey
14
Q
Latin phrase for caught while the crime is blazing
A
in flagrante delicto
15
Q
verb for checking the purity of precious metal
A
assay
