July Flashcards
How would you describe a situation someone who has an opinion contrary to what is generally accepted?
Heresy
A belief or opinon which is profoundly at odds with what is generally accepted (previously in relation to the monrach or religion).
Trump considers anti-gun violence protests heresy.
I may be burned for heresy, but I don’t have a lot of sympathy for…
Etymology:
Hairesis = choice
How would you describe someone who has an opinion profoundly different to what is generally accepted?
A heretic.
She’s a heretic.
Heresy
An opinion profoundly at odds with what is generally accepted.
“The heresy of being uncommitted to the right political dogma”
“Huss was burned for heresy”
What does ‘to curry favour’ mean?
To ingratiate oneself with someone through obsequious behaviour.
“a wimpish attempt to curry favour with the new bosses”
Some say networking, some say curry favour.
Synonyms for ‘to suck up’?
To curry favour
To ingratiate
Synyonyms for ‘a suck up’
A sycophant
To be obseqious
To be servile
Ingratiate
To bring oneself into favour with someone by flattering or trying to please them.
“a sycophantic attempt to ingratiate herself with the local aristocracy”
There’s a fine line between networking and ingratiating
Etymology: latin “in gratium” = “into favour”
What does ‘obsequious’ mean?
obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.
“they were served by obsequious waiters”
None of the nurses are obsequious
etymology: NB late 15th century (not depreciatory in sense in early use). Latin ‘obsequi’ means to follow
What does servile mean?
Having or showing an excessive willingness to serve or please others.
Of or characteristic of a slave or slaves.
“bowing his head in a servile manner”
To give (someone) the courage or confidence to do something
To embolden
To embolden
To give (someone) the courage or confidence to do something
Fatuous
silly and pointless.
“a fatuous comment”
“lifestyles of the rich and the fatuous”
“Silly and pointless”
Fatuous
Conniption
a fit of rage or hysterics.
“his client was having conniptions on the phone”
Word to describe ‘a fit of rage and hysterics’?
To have a conniption
To drink alcohol
To imbibe
“while we imbibe this wine”
Wabi-sabi
Japanese: for the beauty in imperfection and incompletion
Egregious
outstandingly bad; shocking.
“egregious abuses of copyright”
Outstandingly bad
Egregious
Gregarious
(of a person) fond of company; sociable.
(greg = flock)
Describe someone who likes company / who is sociable
Gregarious
staunch
very loyal and commited in attitude
“a staunch royalist”
“a staunch fan of …”
How do you describe someone who is a loyal and commited supported of something?
Staunch
Gravitas
dignity, seriousness, or solemnity of manner.
“a post for which he has the expertise and the gravitas”
Often used to describe a leader
How would you describe a serious leader (with a positive connoation)?
As having gravitas
subvert
undermining power or authority of (an established system or institution)
- As attempt to subvert the democratic government*
- I wasn’t trying to subvert the leadership team*
sub - below
vert - to turn
How would you describe someone who is seeking or intendin to undermine power or authority of an established system or institution?
Subversive
- The wellness charlatans on social media are subversives*
- The government claimed we were subversive or terrorists*
- Subversive literature*
Subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood / mind
mercurial
- his mercural temperamment*
- a mercurical mind*
mercurial - mercury
mercurial
subject to sudden or unpredicatble changes of mood / mind
- his mercurial temperamnet*
- a mercurial mind*
Yiddish word for extreme self-confidence or audacity (usually used approvingly).
Chutzpah
chutzpah
extreme self-confidence or audacity (usually used approvingly).
“love him or hate him, you have to admire Cohen’s chutzpah”
temerity
vs
audacity
excessive confidence or boldness
- audacity - suggests more pondered, self aware*
- temerity - less considered, more ignorant*
no one had the audacity to challenge her
she had the temerity to lie
inefficient or inept; clumsy.
“both men are unhappy about the maladroit way the matter has been handled”
modus operandi
an individual’s or group’s habitual way of operating, which forms a discernible pattern
salacious
having or conveying undue or inappropriate interest in sexual matters.
ostentation
the pretentious or showy display of wealth and luxury, designed to impress.
“the office was spacious, but without any trace of ostentation”
resembling a palace in being spacious and splendid.
“her palatial apartment in Mayfair”
decolletage
a low neckline on a woman’s dress or top.
a woman’s cleavage as revealed by a low neckline on a dress or top.
wiles
devious or cunning stratagems employed in manipulating or persuading someone to do what one wants.
“she didn’t employ any feminine wiles to capture his attention”
sentient
able to perceive or feel things.
“she had been instructed from birth in the equality of all sentient life forms”
purview
the scope of the influence or concerns of something.
“such a case might be within the purview of the legislation”
range of experience or thought.
“social taboos meant that little information was likely to come within the purview of women generally”
tropes
A literary trope is the use of figurative language, via word, phrase or an image, for artistic effect such as using a figure of speech.
The word trope has also come to be used for describing commonly recurring literary and rhetorical devices, motifs or clichés in creative works
