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From Studies > The Moviegoer > Flashcards

The Moviegoer Flashcards

1
Q

bespeak, v.t.

A
  1. be evidence of; indicate. “the attractive tree-lined road bespoke money.” 2. Order or reserve (something) in advance. “the defendant’s insurers took steps to bespeak his medical records” 3. archaic, speak to.
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2
Q

littoral, /’lidǝrǝl/, adj.

A

relating to or situated on the shore of the sea or lake. “the littoral states of the Indian Ocean.” n., a region lying along a shore. “irrigated regions of the Mediterranean littoral.”

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3
Q

raffish, adj.

A

unconventional and slightly disreputable, especially in an attractive way. “his raffish air.” 1. marked by or suggestive of flashy vulgarity or crudeness. 2. marked by a careless unconventionality. RAKISH

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4
Q

redolent, adj.

A
  1. (redolent of/with) strongly reminiscent or suggestive of. “names redolent of history or tradition.” (a) literary. strongly smelling of. “the church old, dark, and redolent of incense.” 2. archaic or literary. fragrant or sweet-smelling. “a rich, inky, redolent wine.”
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5
Q

sumptuous, adj.

A

splendid and expensive-looking. “the banquet was a sumptuous, luxurious meal.”

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6
Q

sardonic, adj.

A

grimly mocking or cynical. “Starkey attempted a sardonic smile.”

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7
Q

derision, n.

A

[mass noun] contemptuous ridicule or mockery. “my stories were greeted with derision and disbelief.

derisive, adj., expressing contempt or ridicule. “he gave a harsh, derisive laugh.”

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8
Q

bemused, adj.

A

puzzled, confused, or bewildered. “Lucy looked a little bemused; her bemused expression; a crowd of bemused onlookers.”

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9
Q

elegiac, adj.

A

relating to or characteristic of an elegy. “haunting and elegiac poems.” (a) wistfully mournful. “she watched repeat serials, fixed on their moody and elegiac characterization.”

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10
Q

elegy, adj.

A
  1. (in modern literature) a poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead. 2. (in Greek and Latin verse) a poem written in elegiac couplets, as notably by Catullus and Propertius.
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11
Q

dago, n.

A

(pl. dagos or dagoes) offensive, a Spanish, Portuguese, or Italian speaking person. -ORIGIN. from the Spanish given name Diego (equivalent to James).

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12
Q

boogalee, n.

A

(pl. boogalees) (sometimes derogatory) A Cajun (with the implication that the person has partially black as well as partially white ancestry).

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13
Q

sallow, adj.

A

(of a person’s face or complexion) of unhealthy yellow or pale brown color. “his skin was sallow and pitted.” [in combination] “sallow-faced addicts.”

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14
Q

derriére, n.

A

euphemistic. a person’s buttocks. -ORIGIN, late 18th cent. French. literally ‘behind’.

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15
Q

settee, n.

A

British. a long upholstered seat for more than one person, typically with a back and arms.

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16
Q

putsch, n.

A

a violent attempt to overthrow the government.

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17
Q

inauspicious, adj.

A

not conducive to success; unpromising. “following the inauspicious start the British, outnumbered, withdrew.” (a) unlucky. “this is the inauspicious star of disaster.”

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18
Q

transient, adj.

A

lasting only for a short time; impermanent. “a transient cold spell.” (a) staying or working in a place for a short time only. “the transient nature of the labor force in catering.” n., 1. a person who is staying or working in a place for a short time only. 2. a momentary violation in current, voltage or frequency.

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19
Q

indefeasible, adj.

A

law & philosophy. not subject to being lost, annulled, or over-turned. “an indefeasible right.”

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20
Q

prescience, n.

A

[mass noun] the fact of knowing something in advance; foreknowledge. “with extraordinary prescience, Jung actually predicted the Nazis eruption.”

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21
Q

nugatory, adj.

A

of no value or importance. “a nugatory and pointless observation.” (a) useless or futile. “the teacher shortage will render nugatory the hopes of implementing new curriculum.

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22
Q

lobule, n.

A

mainly anatomy. a small lobe. adj. lobular.

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23
Q

lobe, n.

A

a roundish and flattish projecting or hanging part of something, typically one of two or more such parts divided by a fissure. “the leaf has a broad central lobe; he pinched the lobe of his right ear.”

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24
Q

impassible, adj.

A

mainly theology. incapable of suffering or feeling pain. “belief in an impassible God.” (a) archaic. incapable or feeling or emotion.

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25
Q

penchant, n.

A

[usually in singular] a strong or habitual liking for something or tendency to do something. “he has a penchant for adopting stray dogs.”

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26
Q

nicety, n.

A

a fine or subtle detail or distinction. “legal niceties are wasted on him.” (a) [mass noun] accuracy or precision. “she prided herself on her nicety of pronunciation.” (b) a detail or aspect of polite social behavior. “we were brought up to observe the niceties.”

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27
Q

moot, adj.

A
  1. subject to debate, dispute, or uncertainty. “whether they had been successful or not was a moot point; it is a moot point whether such a controversial scheme would have succeeded.” 2. having little or no particular relevance, typically because the subject is too uncertain to allow a decision. “the whole matter is becoming increasingly moot.”
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28
Q

sullen, adj.

A

bad-tempered and sulky. “a sullen pout.” (a) (of the sky) full of dark clouds. “a sullen sunless sky.” n., (the sullens) archaic. a sulky or depressed mood.

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29
Q

canny, adj.

A
  1. having or showing shrewdness and good judgment, especially in money or business matters. “canny shopkeepers came early for a bargain.” 2. Northern English. Scottish. pleasant, nice. “she’s a canny lass.”
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30
Q

feckless, n.

A

lacking initiative or strength of character; irresponsible. “a feckless mama’s boy.”

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31
Q

fanlight, n.

A

a small semicircular or rectangular window over a door or another window.

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32
Q

abreast, adv.

A
  1. side by side and facing the same way. “the path was wide enough for two people to walk abreast.” 2. alongside or even with something. “the cart came abreast of the Americans in their rickshaw.” (a) up to date with the latest news, ideas, or information. “keeping abreast of developments.”
33
Q

quince, n.

A
  1. a hard, acid pear-shaped fruit used in preserves or as flavoring. [as modifier] quince jelly. 2. the shrub or small tree which bears quince, native to western Asia. Cydonia oblonga, family Rosaceae. 2. (Japanese quince) another term for japonica.
34
Q

simulacrum, n.

A

an image or representation of someone or something. “a small-scale simulacrum of a skyscraper. (a) an unsatisfactory imitation or substitute. “a bland simulacrum of American soul music.”

35
Q

peevish, adj.

A

having or showing an irritable disposition. “a thing peevish voice.”

36
Q

queasy, adj.

A

nauseous; feeling sick. “in the morning he was still pale and queasy.” (a) including a feeling of nausea. “the queasy swell of the boat.” (b) slightly nervous or worried about something.

37
Q

pert, adj.

A
  1. (of a girl or young woman) attractively lively or cheeky. “a pert, slightly plump girl called Rose.” (a) impudent or cheeky. “no need to be pert, miss.” 2. (of a bodily feature or garment) attractively small and well shaped. “she had a pert nose and deep blue eyes.”
38
Q

majorette, n.

A

short for drum majorette. n., the female leader of a marching band, who often twirls a baton. (a) a female member of a marching band or other parading group.

39
Q

obliquely, adv.

A
  1. not in a direct way; indirectly. “he referred only obliquely to current events.” 2. in an oblique direction; slantwise. “the strings of the instrument run obliquely away from the player.”
40
Q

whorl, n.

A
  1. a pattern of spirals or concentric circles. “Shelley drew larger and larger dark whorls on her notepad.” 2. historical. a small wheel or pulley in a spinning machine or spindle.
    v. i., literary. spiral or move in a twisted and convoluted fashion. “the dances are kinetic kaleidoscopes where steps whorl into wildness”
41
Q

Slavic, adj.

A

relating to or denoting the branch of the Indo-European language family that includes Russian, Ukrainian, and Belorussian (East Slavic), Polish, Czech, Slovak, and Sorbian (West Slavic), and Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, and Slovene (South Slavic). (a) relating to or denoting the peoples of central and eastern Europe who speak a Slavic language. n. [mass noun] the Slavic languages collectively. See also Slavonic.

42
Q

incurve, v.i.

A

curve inwards. “the petals have a tendency to incurve.” Percy uses this as a noun on page 67.

43
Q

mignon, adj.

A

small and pretty; dainty; delicately pretty.

44
Q

minion, n.

A

a follower or underling of a powerful person, especially a servile or unimportant one. “he gets oppressed minions like me to fob them off.” from French minion, ‘small and sweet.’

45
Q

alexandrine, adj.

A

prosody (of a line of verse). having six iambic feet. n., (usually alexandrine) an alexandrine line.

46
Q

Der Rosenkavalier

A

an opera written by Richard Strauss

47
Q

steppe, n.

A

large area of flat unforrested grassland in southeastern Europe or Siberia.

48
Q

mistral, n.

A

a strong, cold, northwesterly wind that blows through Rhône valley and southern France into the Mediterranean, mainly in winter.

49
Q

hoary, adj.

A
  1. grayish white. “hoary cobwebs.” (a) (of a person) old and having gray or white hair. “a hoary old fellow with a face of white stubble.” (b) [attributive] used in names of animals and plants covered with whitish fur or short hairs, e.g., hoary bat, hoary cress. 2. overused and unoriginal; trite. “the hoary old adage often used by Fleet Street editors.”
50
Q

girdle, n.

A
  1. a belt or cord worn around the waist. “he waist was defined by a gold chain girdle.” (a) a thing that encircles something like a girdle. “a communications girdle around the world.” (b) anatomy. either of two sets bones encircling the body, to which the limbs are attached. See pectoral girdle, pelvic girdle. 2. a woman’s elasticated corset extending from waist to thigh. “she wears corsets and girdles, tight and uncomfortable.” 3. the part of a cut gem dividing the crown from the base embraced by the setting. 4. a ring made around a tree by removing bark.
    v. t. 1. encircle (the body) with a girdle. “the Friar loosened the robe that girdled his waist. (a) surround; encircle. “the chain of volcanoes which girdles the Pacific.” 2. Cut through the bark all the way around (a tree or branch), typically in order to kill it or to kill a branch to make the tree more fruitful. “sometimes the trees were completely girdled and died.”
51
Q

truss, n.

A
  1. a framework, typically consisting of rafters, posts, and struts, supporting a roof, bridge, or other structure. “roof trusses.” (a) a large projection of stone or timber, typically one supporting a cornice. 2. a surgical appliance worn to support a hernia, typically a padded belt. 3. British. mainly historical. a bundle of old hay (56lb), new hay (60lb), or straw (36lb). 4. a compact cluster of flowers or fruit growing on one stalk. 5. sailing. a heavy metal rig securing the lower yards to a mast.
    v. t. 1. tie up the wings and legs of (a chicken or bird) before cooking. “Alfred had already trussed and stuffed the geese.” 2. support (a roof, bridge, or other structure) with a truss or trusses. “when they trussed the roof many things were overlooked.”
52
Q

cornice, n.

A
  1. an ornamental molding around the wall of a room just below the ceiling. 2. an overhanging mass of hardened snow at the edge of a mountain precipice.
53
Q

bullbat, n.

A

the common night hawk is sometimes called a “bull-bat” due to its perceived “bat-like” flight, and the “bull-like” boom made by its wings as it pulls from a dive.

54
Q

vee, n.

A

a thing shaped like the letter “V”. “a vee of geese goes over.”

55
Q

ibis, n.

A

a large wading bird with a long down-curved bill, long neck, and long legs.

56
Q

sculling, v., gerund or present participle

A

propel a boat with sculls. “he built boats and taught the gentlemen how to scull.” (a) transport (someone) in a boat propelled with sculls. “she had to be sculled through the floods.” (b) (of an aquatic animal) propel itself with fins or flippers. “the limbs were modified into efficient paddles, perfectly adapted for sculling through the water.”

57
Q

thrumming, v.i.

A

make a continuous rhythmic humming sound. “the boat’s huge engines thrummed in his ears. (a) v.t., strum (the strings of a musical instrument) in a rhythmic way. “he thrums the strings.” v.i., “blind men thrum and hum in the soft air.” n., [usually in singular] a continuous rhythmic humming sound. “the steady thrum of rain on the windows.”

58
Q

impudent, adj.

A

not showing due respect for another person; impertinent. “he could have strangled this impudent upstart.”

59
Q

ventral, adj.

A

anatomy. zoology. of, on, or relating to the underside of an animal or plant; abdominal. “a ventral nerve cord.”

60
Q

cirrus unicus, n.

A

a type of cirrus cloud. The name cirrus unicus is derived from latin, meaning “curly hooks”. Also known as mare’s tail, these clouds are generally sparse in the sky and very thing. The clouds occur at high altitudes, at a temperature of about -50° to -40° c (-58° to -40° F). They are generally seen when a warm or occluded front is approaching. They are very high in the troposphere and generally mean that precipitation, usually rain, is approaching.

61
Q

salient, adj.

A
  1. most noticeable or important. “it succinctly covered all the salient points of the case.” (a) prominent; conspicuous. “the salient object in my view.” 2. (of an angle) pointing outwards. The opposite of re-entrant. 3. [post positive] heraldry (of an animal). standing on its hind legs with the forepaws raised, as if leaping.
    n. , a piece of land or section of fortification that juts out to form an angle. (a) an outward bulge in a line or military attack or defense. “the decisive battle broke the Germans’ ability to attack any further into the Kursk salient.”
62
Q

cur, n.

A

an aggressive and unkempt dog, especially a mongrel. (a) informal. derogatory. a contemptible man.

63
Q

spitz, n.

A

a dog of a small breed with a pointed muzzle, especially a Pomeranian. spitz, German for pointed.

64
Q

scamp, n.

A

informal. 1. a person, especially a child, who is mischievous in a likable or amusing way. “some little scamp stuffed tissue paper in between the hammer and the bell.” 2. west Indian. a wicked or worthless person; a rogue. “the man was scamp, a damn thief.”

65
Q

plume, n.

A
  1. a long, soft feather or arrangement of feathers used by a bird for display or worn by a person or ornament. “a hat with a jaunty ostrich plume.” (a) zoology. a part of an animal’s body that resembles a feather. “the antennae are divided into large feathers plumes.” 2. a long cloud of smoke vapor resembling a feather as it spreads from its point of origin. “as he spoke, the word was accompanied by a white plume of breath.” (a) a mass or material typically a pollutant, spreading from a source. “a radioactive plume.” 3. (also mantle plume) Geology. a localized column of hotter magma rising by convection into the mantle, believed to cause volcanic activity in locations away from plate margins.
    v. i., spread out in a shape resembling a feather. “smoke plumed from the chimneys.” v.t., decorate with or as if with feathers. “I plumed the hat with a couple of soft feathers from the tail of a hawk.” 2. (plume oneself) mainly archaic. (of a bird) preen itself. (a) feel a great sense of self-satisfaction about something. “she plumed herself on being cosmopolitan.”
66
Q

ladder-back (also ladder-back chair), n.

A

an upright chair with a back resembling a ladder.

67
Q

marquee, n.

A
  1. mainly British. a large tent used for social or commercial functions. 2. North American. a canopy projecting over the entrance to a theatre, hotel, or other building. (a) [as modifier] leading, pre-eminent. “a marquee player.” [with the allusion to the practice of billing the name of an entertainer on the canopy over the entrance to a theater].
68
Q

Richard (Dick) Powell (11.14.1904 - 01.02.1963)

A

American actor, musician, producer, director, and studio head.

69
Q

azalea, n.

A

a deciduous flowering shrub of the heath family with clusters of brightly colored, sometime fragrant flowers. Technically classified as rhododendrons, azaleas are characteristically smaller than most other rhododendrons.

70
Q

deciduous, adj.

A

(of a tree or shrub) shedding its leaves annually. “sun-loving deciduous trees like aspen.” (a) informal. (of a tree or shrub) broadleaved. (b) denoting the milk teeth of a mammal, which are shed after a time. “this is the period when the deciduous teeth are being shed.”

71
Q

quietus, n.

A

literary. death or something that causes death, regarded as a release from life. (a) archaic. something that has a calming or soothing effect.

72
Q

virginal, adj.

A

being, relating to, or appropriate for a virgin. “virginal shyness.”

n., an early spinet with the strings parallel to the keyboard, typically rectangular, and popular in 16th & 17th century houses.

73
Q

forlorn, adj.

A
  1. pitifully sad and abandoned or lonely. “forlorn figures at bus stops.” 2. (of an aim or endeavor) unlikely to succeed or be fulfilled; hopeless. “a forlorn attempt to escape.”
74
Q

sleeping porch, n.

A

a sleeping porch is a deck or balcony, sometimes screened or otherwise enclosed with screen windows, and furnished for sleeping in warmer months. They can be ground level or on a higher story and on any side of a home.

75
Q

discomfit, v.t.

A

make (someone) feel uneasy or embarrassed. “he was not easily discomfited by her tone.”

76
Q

rared back, v.i.

A

to rear, rise

77
Q

inviolate, adj.

A

free or safe from injury or violation. “an international memorial which must remain inviolate.”

78
Q

wistful, adj.

A
  1. having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing. “a wistful smile.”

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