July

Question 1

How would you describe a situation someone who has an opinion contrary to what is generally accepted?

Answer 1

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

Question 2

How would you describe someone who has an opinion profoundly different to what is generally accepted?

Answer 2

A heretic.

She’s a heretic.

Question 3

Heresy

Answer 3

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”

Question 4

What does ‘to curry favour’ mean?

Answer 4

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.

Question 5

Synonyms for ‘to suck up’?

Answer 5

To curry favour

To ingratiate

Question 6

Synyonyms for ‘a suck up’

Answer 6

A sycophant

To be obseqious

To be servile

Question 7

Ingratiate

Answer 7

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”

Question 8

What does ‘obsequious’ mean?

Answer 8

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

Question 9

What does servile mean?

Answer 9

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”

Question 10

To give (someone) the courage or confidence to do something

Answer 10

To embolden

Question 11

To embolden

Answer 11

To give (someone) the courage or confidence to do something

Question 12

Fatuous

Answer 12

silly and pointless.

“a fatuous comment”

“lifestyles of the rich and the fatuous”

Question 13

“Silly and pointless”

Answer 13

Fatuous

Question 14

Conniption

Answer 14

a fit of rage or hysterics.

“his client was having conniptions on the phone”

Question 15

Word to describe ‘a fit of rage and hysterics’?

Answer 15

To have a conniption

Question 16

To drink alcohol

Answer 16

To imbibe

“while we imbibe this wine”

Question 17

Wabi-sabi

Answer 17

Japanese: for the beauty in imperfection and incompletion

Question 18

Egregious

Answer 18

outstandingly bad; shocking.

“egregious abuses of copyright”

Question 19

Outstandingly bad

Answer 19

Egregious

Question 20

Gregarious

Answer 20

(of a person) fond of company; sociable.

(greg = flock)

Question 21

Describe someone who likes company / who is sociable

Answer 21

Gregarious

Question 22

staunch

Answer 22

very loyal and commited in attitude

“a staunch royalist”

“a staunch fan of …”

Question 23

How do you describe someone who is a loyal and commited supported of something?

Answer 23

Staunch

Question 24

Gravitas

Answer 24

dignity, seriousness, or solemnity of manner.

“a post for which he has the expertise and the gravitas”

Often used to describe a leader

Question 25

How would you describe a serious leader (with a positive connoation)?

Answer 25

As having gravitas

Question 26

subvert

Answer 26

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

Question 27

How would you describe someone who is seeking or intendin to undermine power or authority of an established system or institution?

Answer 27

Subversive

• The wellness charlatans on social media are subversives*
• The government claimed we were subversive or terrorists*
• Subversive literature*

Question 28

Subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood / mind

Answer 28

mercurial

• his mercural temperamment*
• a mercurical mind*

mercurial - mercury

Question 29

mercurial

Answer 29

subject to sudden or unpredicatble changes of mood / mind

• his mercurial temperamnet*
• a mercurial mind*

Question 30

Yiddish word for extreme self-confidence or audacity (usually used approvingly).

Answer 30

Chutzpah

Question 31

chutzpah

Answer 31

extreme self-confidence or audacity (usually used approvingly).

“love him or hate him, you have to admire Cohen’s chutzpah”

Question 32

temerity

vs

audacity

Answer 32

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

Question 33

inefficient or inept; clumsy.

Answer 33

“both men are unhappy about the maladroit way the matter has been handled”

Question 34

modus operandi

Answer 34

an individual’s or group’s habitual way of operating, which forms a discernible pattern

Question 35

salacious

Answer 35

having or conveying undue or inappropriate interest in sexual matters.

Question 36

ostentation

Answer 36

the pretentious or showy display of wealth and luxury, designed to impress.

“the office was spacious, but without any trace of ostentation”

Question 37

resembling a palace in being spacious and splendid.

Answer 37

“her palatial apartment in Mayfair”

Question 38

decolletage

Answer 38

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.

Question 39

wiles

Answer 39

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”

Question 40

sentient

Answer 40

able to perceive or feel things.

“she had been instructed from birth in the equality of all sentient life forms”

Question 41

purview

Answer 41

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”

Question 42

tropes

Answer 42

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