ETYMOLOGY - bài tập

Contents
WORD HISTORIES................................................................................................4
LESSON 1..............................................................................................................4
Test 1: Matching Synonyms..............................................................................6
Test 2: True/ False..............................................................................................6
LESSON 2..............................................................................................................8
Test 1: True / False.............................................................................................9
Test 2: Matching Synonyms............................................................................10
LESSON 3............................................................................................................11
Test 1: Definitions............................................................................................13
LESSON 4............................................................................................................15
Test 1: True / False...........................................................................................16
Test 2: Defining Words....................................................................................17
LESSON 5............................................................................................................18
Test: Definitions...............................................................................................20
LESSON 6............................................................................................................21
Test 2: True / False...........................................................................................23
LESSON 7............................................................................................................24
Test 1: Sentence Completion...........................................................................26
LESSON 8............................................................................................................28
Test 1: True / False...........................................................................................30
LESSON 9............................................................................................................32
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Test 1: True / False...........................................................................................34
Test 2: Defining words.....................................................................................35
LESSON 10..........................................................................................................36
Test 1: True / False...........................................................................................38
LESSON 11..........................................................................................................39
Test 1: True / False...........................................................................................41
LESSON 12..........................................................................................................42
Test 1: True / False...........................................................................................43
LESSON 13..........................................................................................................45
Test 1: True / False...........................................................................................46
LESSON 14..........................................................................................................49
Test 1: Defining words.....................................................................................50
Test 2: True / False...........................................................................................51
LESSON 15..........................................................................................................52
Test 1: True / False...........................................................................................53
LESSON 16..........................................................................................................54
Test 1: True / False...........................................................................................56
IMPORTED WORDS............................................................................................58
LESSON 1: FRENCH BORROWINGS..............................................................58
Test 2: True or False?.......................................................................................59
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LESSON 2: ADDITIONAL FRENCH BORROWINGS....................................61
LESSON 3: ITALIAN BORROWINGS.............................................................64
Test 2: Definition.............................................................................................65
LESSON 4: ADDITIONAL ITALIAN BORROWINGS....................................66
Test 2: True/False.............................................................................................67
LESSON 5: SPANISH BORROWINGS.............................................................68
Test 1: True or False?.......................................................................................68
LESSON 6: ADDITIONAL SPANISH BORROWINGS...................................70
Test 1. Definitions............................................................................................70
Test 2. Matching Synonyms.............................................................................71
LESSON 7: LATIN BORROWINGS..................................................................72
Test 2: True/False.............................................................................................72
SPECIAL WORDS................................................................................................74
LESSON 1. SLANG............................................................................................74
Test: Write In...................................................................................................75
LESSON 2: JARGON AND ARGOT.................................................................76
Test: Matching Synonyms...............................................................................77
LESSON 3: DIALECT AND BRITICISMS.......................................................78
Test: Matching Synonyms...............................................................................79
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WORD HISTORIES
LESSON 1
Words, like people, have a past, and as with people, some words have more
interesting stories than others. Knowing a word’s history can help you remember it
and incorporate it into your daily speech. The following ten words have especially
intriguing backgrounds. Read through the histories, then complete the self-tests that
follow:
1. bootlegger: Originally, a ‘bootlegger’ was a person who smuggled outlawed
alcoholic liquor in the tops of his tall boots. Today the term is used to mean
someone who unlawfully makes, sells, or transports alcoholic beverages
without registration or payment of taxes.
2. bugbear: The word refers to a source of fears often groundless. It comes
from a Welsh legend about a goblin in the shape of a bear that ate up naughty
children.
3. fiasco: ‘Fiasco’ is the Italian word for flask or bottle. How it came to mean a
complete and ignominious failure is obscure. One theory suggests that
Venetian glassblowers set aside fine glass with flaws to make into common
bottles.
4. jackanapes: Today the word is used to describe an impertinent,
presumptuous young man; a whippersnapper. Although its precise origin is
uncertain, we know that the term was first used as an uncomplimentary
nickname for William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, who was murdered in
1450. His badge was an ape’s clog and chain. In a poem of the time, Suffolk
was called ‘the Ape- clogge’, and later referred to as an ape called ‘Jack
Napes’.
5. jeroboam: We now use the term ‘jeroboam’ to refer to a wine bottle having a
capacity of about three litters. Historically, Jeroboam was the first king of
the Biblical kingdom of Israel, described in I King 11:28 as ‘a mighty man of
valor’, who, three verses later, ‘made Israel to sin’. Some authorities trace
the origin of today’s usage to the king, reasoning that since an oversized
bottle of wine can cause sin, it too is a jeroboam.
6. nonplus: The word ‘nonplus’ means to make utterly perplexed, to puzzle
completely. The original Latin phrase was ‘nonplus ultra’, meaning no more
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beyond, allegedly inscribed on the Pillars of Hercules, beyond which no ship
could safely sail.
7. quisling: This term refers to a traitor, a person who betrays his or her own
country by aiding an enemy and often serving later in a puppet government.
It is directly derived from the name Vidkun Quisling (1887-1945), a
Norwegian army officer turned fascist who collaborated with the Nazis early
in World War II.
8. bowdlerize: In 1818, Scottish physician Dr. Thomas Bowdler published a
new edition of Shakespeare’s works. The value of his edition, he stated, lay
in the fact that he had edited it so that all ‘words and expressions are omitted
which cannot with propriety be read aloud to the family’. Good intentions
aside, he found himself being held up to ridicule. From his name is derived
the word ‘Bowdlerize’, meaning to expurgate a literary text in a prudish
manner.
9. boycott: In an attempt to break the stranglehold if Ireland’s absentee
landlords, Charles Stewart Parnell advocated in 1880 that anyone who took
over land from which a tenant had been evicted for nonpayment of rent
should be punished ‘by isolating him from his kind as if he was a leper of
old. The most famous application of Parnell words occurred soon after on the
estate of the Earl of Erne. Unable to pay their rents, the earl’s tenants
suggested a lower scale, but the manager of the estate, captain Charles
Cunningham Boycott, would not accept the reduction. In retaliation, the
tenants applied the measures proposed by Parnell, not only refusing but also
intercepting Boycott’s mail and food, humiliating him in the street, and
threatening his life. Their treatment of Boycott became so famous that within
a few months the newspapers were using his name to identify any such
nonviolent coercive practices. Today ‘boycott’ means to join together in
abstaining from, or preventing dealings with, as a protest.
10.chauvinism: One of Napoleon’s most dedicated soldiers, Nicolas Chauvin
was wounded seventeen times fighting for his emperor. After he retired from
the army, he spoke so incessantly of the majestic glory of his leader and the
greatness of France that he became a laughingstock. In 1831, his name was
used for a character in a play who was an almost idolatrous worshiper of
Napoleon. The word ‘chauvin’ became associated with this type of extreme
hero worship and exaggerated patriotism. Today we use the term
‘chauvinism’ to refer to zealous and belligerent nationalism.
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Test 1: Matching Synonyms
Match each of the numbered words with its closest synonym.
1. bootlegger f a. fanatical patriotism
2. bugbear d b. total failure
3. fiasco b c. expurgate
4. jackanapes d. groundless fear
5. jeroboam e e. oversized wine bottle
6. nonplus h f. unlawful producer of alcohol
7. quisling i g. rude fellow
8. bowdlerize c h. perplex
9. boycott g i. traitor
10. chauvinism a j. strike
Test 2: True/ False

In the space provided, write T if the definition of the numbered word is True or F if
it is False.
Word definition True/ False?
1. bowdlerize male child (Scottish) f
2. boycott expurgate f
3. bootlegger petty thief f
4. fiasco celebration f
5. chauvinism fanatical patriotism t
6. jackanapes jack-of-all-trades f
7. quisling turncoat t
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8. bugbear baseless fear t
9. jeroboam ancient queen f
10. nonplus certain f
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LESSON 2
The origin of most of the following words can be traced to Latin. Read through the
histories, then complete the self-tests.
1. aberration: This word comes from the Latin verb ‘aberrare’, to wander away
from. A person with a psychological ‘aberration’ exhibits behavior that
strays from the accepted path; hence the word means deviation from what is
common, normal, or right.
2. abominate: ‘Abominate’ is from the Latin ‘abminor’, meaning I pray that the
event predicted by the omen may be averted. The Romans murmured the
word to keep away the evil spirits whenever anyone said something unlucky.
Today we use it to mean to regard with intense aversion or loathing; abhor.
3. abracadabra: This intriguing sounding word was first used as a charm in the
second century. The Romans believed that the word had the ability to cure
toothaches and other illness. Patients seeking relief wrote the letters in the
form of a triangle on a piece of parchment and wore it around their necks on
the length of thread. Today ‘abracadabra’ is to as a pretend conjuring word.
It also means meaningless talk; nonsense.
4. wiseacre: Although the word ‘acre’ in ‘wiseacre’ makes it appear that the
term refers to a unit of measurement, ‘wiseacre’ is actually used
contemptuously to mean a wise guy or a smart aleck. The term comes from
the Dutch ‘wijssegger’, which means soothsayer. Since soothsayers were
considered learned, it was logical to call them ‘wise’, which is what ‘wijs’
means. The word ‘acre’ is a mispronunciation of the Dutch ‘segger’, sayer.
There is a famous story in which the word was used in its present sense. In
response to the bragging of a wealthy landowner, the English playwright Bon
Jonson is said to have replied, ‘What care we for your dirt and clods? Where
you have an acre of land, I have ten acres of wit’. The chastened landowner
is reported to have muttered: ‘He’s Mr. Wiseacre’.
5. ebullient: This word derives front the Latin ‘ebullire’, to boil over. A person
who is ‘ebullient’ is overflowing with fervor, enthusiasm, or excitement.
6. enclave: The word ‘enclave’ refers to a country or territory entirely or
mostly surrounded by another country. More generally, it means a group
enclosed or isolated within a larger one. The word comes ultimately from
Latin ‘inclavare’, to lock in.
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7. expedite: The word ‘expedite’ means to speed up the progress of something.
It comes from the Latin ‘expedire’, to set the feet free.
8. expunge: To indicate that a soldier had retired from service, the ancient
Romans wrote a series of dots or points beneath his name on the service lists.
The Latin ‘expungere’ thus meant both to prick through and to mark off on a
list. Similarly, the English word ‘expunge’ means to strike or blot out; to
erase.
9. inchoate: ‘inchoate’ comes from the Latin ‘inchoare’, to begin. Thus, an
‘inchoate’ plan is not yet fully developed, or rudimentary.
10.prevaricate: Today ‘prevaricate’ means to speaks falsely or misleadingly with
deliberate intent; to lie. It has its origin in a physical act. The Latin
‘praevaricare’ means to spread apart. The plowman who ‘prevaricated’ then,
made crooked ridges, deviating from straight furrows in the field.
Test 1: True / False

In the space provided, write T if the definition of the numbered word is true or F if
it is false.
Word definition True / False
1. enclave rendezvous ___f_
2. abominate detest __t__
3. wiseacre large ranch __f__
4. expunge erase __t__
5. prevaricate preplan __f__
6. inchoate illogical __f__
7. aberration fidelity __f__
8. expedite slow down __f__
9. abracadabra hocus-pocus __t__
10. ebullient enthusiastic __t__
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Match each of the following numbered words with its closest synonym.
1. wiseacre a. dispatch
2. enclave b. divergence
3. inchoate c. smarty-pants
4. abominate d. obliterate
5. aberration e. misstate
6. abracadabra f. enclosure
7. expunge g. detest
8. expedite h. mumbo-jumbo
9. ebullient i. incipient
10. prevaricate j. high-spirited
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LESSON 3
Powerful words may have their beginnings in historical events, myths and legends,
and special terminology. Here are ten more powerful words with interesting or
unusual histories. Read through the etymologies (word origins), then complete the
self-tests that follow.
1. impeccable: The word comes from the Latin ‘impeccabilis’, without sin. The
religious meaning has been only slightly extended over the years. Today an
‘impeccable’ reputation is faultless, flawless, irreproachable.
2. ambrosia: Originally, ‘ambrosia’ was the food of the Olympian gods (as
‘nectar’ was their drink.). The word comes from Greek ‘a-,’ not, and
‘brostos’ mortal; hence, eating ambrosia conferred immortality. Today the
word means an especially delicious food, with the implication that the
concoction is savory enough to be fit for the gods. One popular dessert by
this name contains shredded coconut, sliced fruits, and cream.
3. gerrymander: In 1812, Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry conspired
with his party to change the boundaries of voting districts to enhance their
own political clout. Noticing that one such district resembled a salamander, a
newspaper editor coined the term ‘gerrymander’ to describe the practice of
dividing a state, country, etc., into election districts so as to give one
political party a majority while concentrating the voting strength of the other
party into as few districts as possible.
4. mesmerize: The Austrian doctor Friedrich Anton Mesmer first publicly
demonstrated the technique of hypnotism in 1775. Today the term
‘mesmerize’ is still used as a synonym for ‘hypnotize’, but it has broadened
to also mean spellbind or fascinate.
5. quintessence: The word comes from the medieval Latin term ‘quinta
essentia’ the fifth essence. This fifth primary element was thought to be
ether, supposedly the constituent matter of the heavenly bodies, the other
four elements being air, fire, earth, and water. The medieval alchemists tried
to isolate ether through distillation. These experiments gave us the
contemporary meaning of the word: the pure and concentrated essence of a
substance.
6. desultory: Some Roman soldiers went into battle with two horses, so that
when one steed wearied, the soldiers could vault onto the second horse
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striding along parallel to the first without losing any time. The same skill was
employed by circus performers, especially charioteers, who could leap
between two chariots riding abreast. Such a skilled horseman was called a
‘desultor’, a leaper. Perhaps because these equestrians stayed only briefly on
their mounts, the word ‘desultory’ acquired its present meaning, lacking in
consistency, constancy, or visible order.
7. aegis: When Zeus emerged victorious from his rebellion against the Titans,
he attributed his success in part to his shield, which bore at its center the
head of one of the Gorgons. The shield was reputedly made of goatskin, and
hence its name, ‘aigis’, was said to derive from the Greek ‘aig-,’ the stem of
‘aix,’ goat. Our present use of the word to mean protection or sponsorship
evolved from the notion of eighteenth-century English writers who assumed
that the ‘egis’ of Zeus or Athena – or their Roman counterparts Jove and
Minerva – protected all those who came under its influence. Today the
preferred spelling of the word is ‘aegis’.
8. adieu: The French expression ‘à Dieu’ literally means to God. It is an
abbreviation of the sentence ‘je vous recommande à Dieu’ I command you to
God, used between friends at parting. Both in French and in English the
word means good-bye or farewell.
9. aloof: The word was originally a sailor’s term, ‘a loof’ to the luff or
windward direction perhaps form the Dutch ‘te loef’, to windward.
Etymologists believe that our use of the word to mean at a distance,
especially in feeling or interest comes from the idea of keeping a ship’s head
to the wind, and thus clear of the Ice shore toward which it might drift.
10. bluestocking: A ‘bluestocking’ is a woman with considerable scholarly,
literary, or intellectual ability or interest. The word originated in connection
with intellectual gatherings held in London about 1750 in the homes of
women bored by the more frivolous pastimes of their age. Lavish evening
dress was not required these affairs; in fact, to put at ease visitors who could
not afford expensive clothing, the women themselves dressed simply. One of
the male guests went so far as to wear his everyday blue worsted stockings
rather than the black silk ones usually worn at evening social gatherings. In
response to their interests and dress, the English naval officer Admiral
Edward Boss cawen (1711-1761) is said to have sarcastically called these
gatherings ‘The Blue Stocking Society’.
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Test 1: Definitions
Select the best definition for each numbered word. Circle your answer.
1. mesmerize
A. attack B. burst forth C. fascinate
2. desultory
A. aggressive B. fitful C. nasty
3. aloof
A. remote B. sailing C. windy
4. aegis
A. intense interest B. goat C. sponsorship
5. gerrymander
A. medieval gargoyle
B. combine for historical sense
C. redistrict for political advantage.
6. impeccable
A. guileless B. perfect C. impeachable
7. adieu
A. good-bye B. hello C. about-face
8 ambrosia
A. suppository B. flower C. delicious food
9. quintessence
A. pith B. fruit C. oil
10. bluestocking
A. ill-dressed woman B. intellectual woman C. poor man
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Select the best synonym for each numbered word.
1. adieu a. delicious food
2. aloof b. inconsistent; random
3. gerrymander c. distant; remote
4. ambrosia d. farewell
5. impeccable e. sponsorship
6. bluestocking f. enthrall
7. desultory g. without fault
8. aegis h. concentrated essence
9. mesmerize i. divide a political district
10.quintessence j. a well-read woman
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LESSON 4
The following words are all based on Greek myths and legends. Read through their
histories, then complete the self-tests.
1. amazon: The word comes ultimately from the Greek, but the origin of the
Greek word is uncertain. ‘Amazon’ refers to a tall, powerful, aggressive
woman. The Amazons of legend were female warriors, allied with the
Trojans against the Greeks.
2. anemone: This spring flower is named for Anemone, daughter of the wind. It
comes from Greek ‘anemos’, the wind.
3. cornucopia: According to Greek mythology, to save the infant Zeus from
being swallowed by his father, Cronus, his mother, Rhea, hid her son in a
cave and tricked Cronus into swallowing a stone wrapped in a cloth. The
infant was then entrusted to the care of the nymph Amaltheia, who fed him
on a goat’s milk. One day she filled a goat’s horn with fresh fruit and herbs.
The horn was thereafter magically refilled, no matter how much the child ate.
To the Greeks, this boundless source was the horn of Amaltheia; to the
Romans, it was the ‘cornu copiae’, from ‘cornu’, horn, and ‘copia’, plenty.
We know a ‘cornucopia’ as a horn containing food or drink in endless supply
or horn of plenty. It is often used as a symbol of abundance.
4. diadem: In his quest to create a vast, unified empire with Babylon as its
capital, the Macedonian hero Alexander the Great adopted a number of
Persian and Oriental customs. He began to wear a blue-edged white
headband with two ends trailing to the shoulders, a Persian symbol of
royalty. The Greeks called this headpiece a ‘diadema’, literally a binding
over. This headpiece was adopted by other monarchs down through the ages
and further embellished with gold and gems, eventually evolving into a rich
crown. Today a ‘diadem’ is a crown or a headband worn as a symbol of
royalty.
5. epicure: Epicurus was a Greek philosopher who lived from 342 to 270 B.C.
He believed that pleasure, attained mainly through pure and noble thoughts,
constituted the highest happiness. After his death, his disciples spread his
views. Their critics argued that Epicurus’s theory was little more than an
excuse for debauchery. From this argument we derive the present-day
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meaning of ‘epicure’, a person with luxurious tastes or habits, especially in
eating or drinking.
6. esoteric: From the Greek ‘esoterikos’, inner, the word was used to describe
the secret doctrines taught by the philosopher Pythagoras to a select few of
his disciples. Hence ‘esoteric’ means understood by or meant only for those
who have special knowledge or interest; recondite.
7. labyrinth: According to the Greek myth, King Minos of Crete ordered
Daedalus to build a prison for the Minotaur, a half-bull, half-human monster.
Daedalus succeeded by creating a series twisting passageways that kept the
monster imprisoned. Today a ‘labyrinth’ is a devious arrangement of linear
patterns forming a design; a maze.
8. lethargy: The Greeks believed in an afterlife. In their mythology, the dead
crossed the river Lethe, which flowed through Hades, the underground
realm. Anyone who drank its water forgot the past. The Greek word
‘lethargia’ derives from ‘lethe’, forgetfulness. Hence our English word
‘lethargy’, drowsiness or sluggishness.
9. mentor: In the Odyssey of Homer, Mentor is Odysseus’s friend and tutor to
his son Telemachus. Today the word ‘mentor’ means trusted teacher or
guide.
10.nemesis: Nemesis was the Greek goddess of vengeance, whose task it was to
punish the proud and the insolent. Today a ‘nemesis’ is an agent or act of
retribution or punishment; or something that a person cannot conquer or
achieve.

it is false.
1. diadem crown ____
2. labyrinth lazy ____
3. mentor mendacious ____
4. amazon female warrior ____
5. anemone mollusk ____
6. esoteric arcana ____
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7. lethargy lassitude ____
8. nemesis downfall ____
9. cornucopia foot ailment ____
10. epicure hidden ____
Test 2: Defining Words

Define each of the following words.
1. diadem: .........................................................................................................
2. esoteric: ........................................................................................................
3. mentor: .........................................................................................................
4. nemesis: ........................................................................................................
5. amazon: ........................................................................................................
6. epicure: .........................................................................................................
7. anemone: ......................................................................................................
8. cornucopia: ...................................................................................................
9. labyrinth: ......................................................................................................
10. lethargy: .......................................................................................................
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LESSON 5
Now study the curious origins of these ten words and work through the 2 self-tests
that follow.
1. ostracize: the word “ostracize” comes originally from the Greek “ostrakon,”
tile, potsherd, shell. It refers to the ancient Greek practice of banishing a man
by writing his name on a shell or a bit of earthen tile. Anyone considered
dangerous to the state was sent into exile for 10 years. The judges cast their
votes o the shells or pottery shards and dropping them into an urn. The word
“ostracize” still retains the same sense, to exclude, by general consent, from
society.
2. sycophant: the word “sycophant” now means a self-seeking, servile flatterer.
Originally, it was used to refer to an informer or slanderer. Curiously, it
comes from Greek “sykon”, fig, and “-phantes”, one who shows; thus, a fig-
shower. One explanation for this odd coinage is that in ancient Greecea
sycophant was an informer against merchants engaged in the unlawful
exportation of figs.
3. cynosure: according to the myth, Zeus chose to honor the nymph who cared
for him in his infancy by placing her in the sky as a constellation. One of her
stars was so brilliant and stationary that all the other stars seemed to revolve
around it. To the practical-minded ancient mariners, however, the bottom
three stars of the constellation looked like a dog’s tail. They named the entire
constellation “Cynosura,” dog’s tail. From its name, we get our word
“cynosure”, something that attracts attention by its brilliance or interest. By
the way, we now call the constellation “Ursa Minor”, Little Bear, and the
bright star “Polaris”, Pole Star or North Star.
4. belfry: oddly enough, this word has nothing to do with bells, except by
association. Originally, a “belfry” was a movable tower rolled up close to the
wall of a besieged city by soldiers in wartime. Later, a belfry was a tower to
protect watchmen, or a watchtower in which alarm bells were hung, through
which usage it finally became a bell tower. The word came into English from
Old French, which in turn may have taken it from a Germanic military term.
5. debauch: today we define the word “debauch” as to corrupt by sensuality,
intemperance, etc. It comes from the French word “débaucher”, meaning to
entice away from work and duty.
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6. Eldorado: the word comes from Spanish legends of an incredibly wealthy
city in South America, so rich that its streets were paved with gold. Many
adventures set off the find this elusive city; in 1595 Sir Walter Raleigh
venture into Guiana in a vain attempt to locate it. Among the Spaniards, the
king of this fabulous land came to be called “El Dorado”, the Golden One.
Today, “eldorado” is used generally to mean any fabulously wealthy place.
7. esquire: in medieval times, young men who wished to become knights first
had to serve other knights. Their primary duty was to act as a shield bearer.
Because of this duty, the young man was called an ‘esquire’, from the French
‘esquier’, shield bearer, ultimately going back to the Latin ‘scutum’, shield.
Later the title ‘esquire’ came to be attached to the sons of a nobleman;
eventually it referred to any man considered a gentleman. Today it is often
appended to a lawyer’s name; in Britain, it is applied to a member of the
gentry ranking next below a knight.
8. filibuster: in the seventeenth century, English seamen who attacked Spanish
ships and brought back wealth from New Spain were called ‘buccaneers’. In
Holland, they were known as ‘vrijbuiters’, free robbers. In French, the word
became first ‘fribustier’ and then ‘flibustier’. In Spain, the term was
‘filibustero’. Then, when the nineteenth-century American soldier of fortune
William Walker tried to capture Sonora, Mexico, then Mexicans promptly
dubbed him a ‘filibuster’. Today the term refers to the use of irregular or
disruptive tactics, such as exceptionally long speeches, by a member if a
legislative assembly. The current use of the word may have arisen through a
comparison of a legislator’s determination to block a bill with the tactics
used by William Walker to evade the law.
9. furlong: In the twelfth century, an acre of land was defined as the area s yoke
of oxen could plow in one day. As such, the size varied from the place to
place but always greatly exceeded what we accept today as an acre. In some
places, an acre was defined by the area a team of eight oxen could plow in a
day – about am eighth of a Roman mile, also called a ‘stadium’. The length
of the plow’s furrows was thus each about a stadium in length; this became a
convenient measure of distance – a ‘furlang’ in old English, from ‘furh’,
furrow, and ‘lang’, long. This measure was then standardized to an area forty
rods in length by four rods in width; however. the rod was not a standard
measure either. Later, when the length of a yard was standardized, ‘furlong’
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came to be used simply as a term for a unit of distance an eighth of a mile or
220 yards in length.
10.galvanism: In the mid-eighteenth century, Luigi Galvani, a professor of
anatomy at the University of Bologna, concluded that the nerves are a source
of electricity. Although Volta later proved his theory incorrect, Galvani’s
pioneering work inspired other scientists to produce electricity by chemical
means. Today the term ‘galvanism’, electricity, honors Galvani.
Test: Definitions
Each of the following phrases contains an italicized word. See how many you
define correctly. Write your answer in the space provided.
1. bats in the belfry
a. cave b. brain c. bell tower d. tropical tree
2. ostracized from society
a. banished b. beaten c. walked d. welcomed
3. a hopeless sycophant
a. dreamer b. alcoholic c. romantic d. toady
4. travel a furlong
a. acre b. year c. week d. less than a mile
5. seek Eldorado
a. physical comfort b. delicious food c. wealthy place d. death
6. add the title esquire
a. gentleman b. married man c. duke d. professional
7. debauched by the experience
a. impoverished b. corrupted c. strengthened d. enriched
8. a lengthy filibuster
a. entertainment b. obstructive tactics c. childhood d. voyage
9. powerful galvanism
a. electric current b. discoveries c. gases d. weapons
10. the cynosure of all eyes
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a. defect b. attraction c. sky-blue color d. cynicism
LESSON 6
Now read about these ten words and complete the tests that follow.
1. maelstrom: The word’s figurative meaning, a restless, discovered state of
affairs, is derived from its literal one. Today’s meaning comes from
‘Maelstrom’, the name of a strong tidal current off the coast of Norway. The
current creates a powerful whirlpool because of its configuration. According
to legend, the current was once so strong that it could sink any vessel that
ventured near it.
2. insolent: The word comes from the Latin ‘indolentem’, which literally meant
that not according to custom. Since those who violate custom are likely to
offend, ‘insolent’ evolved to imply that the person was also vain and
conceited. From this meaning we derive our present usage, contemptuously
rude or impertinent in speech or behavior.
3. interloper: The word ‘interloper’ was used in the late sixteenth century to
describe Spanish traders who carved out for themselves a piece of the
successful trade the British had established with the Russians. The word was
formed on the analogy of ‘landloper’, meaning one who trespasses on
another’s land, from a Dutch word literally land runner. Although the
dispute over the Spanish intrusion was settled within a few years, the word
remained in use to mean one who intrudes into some region or field of trade
without a proper license or thrusts himself or herself into the affairs of
others.
4. halcyon: According to classical mythology, the demigod Halcyone threw
herself into the sea when she saw the drowned body of her beloved mortal
husband. After her tragic death, the gods changed Halcyone and her husband
into birds, which they called ‘halcyons’, our present-day kingfishers. The
Greeks believed the sea calmed as the birds built their nests and hatched their
eggs upon its waves during the seven days before and after the winter
solstice. This period came to be known as ‘halcyon days’. The adjective is
now used to mean calm, peaceful, prosperous, or joyful.
5. hector: Hector was a great Trojan hero, son of King Priam. As Homer
recounts in the Iliad, Hector took advantage of his enemy Achilles’s
departure from the Greek camp to drive the Greeks back to their ships and
23
slay Achilles’s dearest friend, Patroclus. To the Romans, who regarded
themselves as descendants of the Trojans, Hector was a symbol of courage.
But in the seventeenth century, the name was applied to the gangs of bullies
who terrorized the back streets of London. It is to their transgressions that we
owe the present use of ‘hector’, to harass or persecute.
6. helpmeet: This synonym for helpmate, companion, wife, or husband is the
result of a misunderstanding. The word comes from Genesis 2:18, And the
Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him
an help meet for him’. In this passage, ‘meet’ means proper or appropriate,
but the two words came to be read as one, resulting in the word’s current
spelling.
7. hermetic: The Greeks linked the Egyptian god Thoth with Hermes, calling
him ‘Hermes Trismegistus’, Herme Three-times Greatest. He was accepted
as the author of the books that made up the sum of Egyptian learning, called
the ‘Hermetic Books’. Since these forty-two works largely concerned the
occult sciences, ‘hermetic’ came to mean secret, and in a later usage, made
airtight by fusion or sealing.
8. intransigent: When Amadeus, the son of Victor Emmanuel II of Italy, was
forced to abdicate the throne of Spain in 1873, those favoring a republic
attempted to establish a political party. This group was called in Spanish ‘los
intransigentes’ (from ‘in’, not + ‘transigent’, compromising. Today the word
retains the same meaning: uncompromising or inflexible.
9. jitney: the origin of this term has long baffled etymologists. The word first
appeared in American usage in the first decade of the twentieth century as a
slang term for a nickel. The word then became associated with the public
motor vehicle whose fare was five cents. Some authorities have theorized
that the term is a corruption of ‘jeton’, the French word for token. Today a
‘jitney’ is a small passenger bus following a regular route at varying hours.
10.junket: at first, the word referred to basket of woven reeds used for carrying
fish, and was ultimately derived from Latin ‘juncus’, reed. Then the basket
was used to prepare cheese, which in turn came to be called ‘junket’. Since
the basket also suggested the food it could carry, ‘junket’ later evolved to
mean a great feast. Today we use the term in closely related meanings: a
sweet custard-like food or flavored milk curdled with rennet or a pleasure
excursion.
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25
Match each numbered word with its closest synonym.
1. halcyon a. tightly sealed
2. intransigent b. intruder
3. jitney c. impertinent
4. maelstrom d. peaceful
5. junket e. inflexible
6. hector f. small bus
7. insolent g. companion
8. hermetic h. pleasure trip
9. interloper i. harass
10.helpmeet j. disorder

it is false.
1. halcyon calm ____
2. jitney juggler ____
3. maelstrom masculine ____
4. intransigent uncompromising ____
5. insolent rude ____
6. interloper welcome guest ____
7. junket refuse ____
8. hector helper ____

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9. hermetic airtight ____
10.helpmeet newcomer ____
LESSON 7
The interesting origins of these ten words can help you remember their current
meanings. Complete the quizzes after your reading.
1. knickers: the descendants of the Dutch settlers in New York are sometimes
known as ‘knickerbockers’. Thus, the term for the loosely filling short
trousers gathered at the knee that we call ‘kickers’ derives from the name of
the people who wore them, the Knickerbockers. The pants first came to
public attention in the illustrations to Washington Irving’s A History of New
York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty,
published in 1809 under the pen name Diedrich Knickerbocker. Knickers
were formerly extremely popular attire for boys and young men.
2. magenta: On June 4, 1859 the French and Sardinian armies of Napoleon III
won a decisive victory over the Austrian army in the northern fields of Italy
near the small town of Magenta. At the time of the victory, scientists had just
created a dye imparting a lovely reddish-purple color but had not yet named
it. When the French chemists heard of the momentous triumph for their
country, they named the dye ‘magenta’ in honor of the victory. Today we
call this reddish-purple color ‘magenta’, but the dye itself is technically
known as ‘fuchsin’ (as in ‘fuchsia’).
3. garret: Originally, the French word ‘garite’ referred to a watchtower from
which a sentry could look out for approaching enemies. Among the things
the Normans brought when they conquered England was the word ‘garrite’.
In England the word came to mean a loft or attic and its spelling was altered
to ‘garret’.
4. mandrake: The original name for this narcotic herb was ‘mandragora’, which
is still its scientific name; the word comes from the Greek ‘mandragoras’, of
unknown origin. In the Middle Ages, Englishmen erroneously assumed that
the ‘mandragora’ came from ‘mandragon’, a combination of ‘man’, because
of the appearance of its forked root, and ‘dragon’, because of its noxious
27
qualities. Since a dragon was then commonly called a ‘drake’, the plant came
to be called ‘mandrake’.
5. gazette: In the beginning of the sixteenth century, Venetians circulated a
small tin coin of little value they called a ‘gazzetta’, a diminutive of the word
‘gaza’, magpie. Soon after, the government began to print official bulletins
with news of battles, elections, and so forth. Because the cost of the
newspaper was one gazzetta, the leaflet itself eventually came to be called a
‘gazzetta’. By the end of the century, the term was used in England as well.
The present spelling is the result of French influence. Today a ‘gazette’
refers to a newspaper or official government journal.
6. martinet: Seeking to improve his army, in 1660 Louis XIV hired Colonel
Jean Martinet, a successful infantry leader, to devise a drill for France’s
soldiers. Martinet drilled his soldiers to such exacting standards that his
name came to be applied to any officer intent on maintaining military
discipline or precision. Thus, in English, a ‘martinet’ is a strict
disciplinarian, especially a military one. Interestingly, in France, Martinet’s
name acquired no such negative connotation.
7. gorgon: The name comes from the Greek myth of the three monstrous sisters
who inhabited the region of Night. Together they were known as the
‘Gorgons’; individual names were Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa. Little has
been written about the first two. Medusa was the most hideous and
dangerous; her appearance with her head of writhing serpents; was so ghastly
that anyone who looked it directly at her was turned to stone. A secondary
meaning of Gorgon is a mean or repulsive woman.
8. maudlin: This word, meaning tearfully or weakly emotional, comes from the
miracle plays of the Middle Ages. Although these plays depicted many of the
Biblical miracle, the most popular theme was the life of Mary Magdalene.
The English pronounced her name ‘maudlin’, and since most of the scenes in
which she appeared were tearful, this pronunciation of her name became
associated with mawkish sentimentality.
9. meander: In ancient times, the Menderes River in western Turkey was so
remarkable for its twisting path that its Greek name, ‘Maiandros’, came to
mean a winding. In Latin this word was spelled ‘maeander’, hence English
‘meander’, used mainly as a verb and meaning to proceed by winding or
indirect course.
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10. gossamer: In fourth-century Germany, November was a time of feasting and
merrymaking. The time-honored meal was roast goose. So many geese were
eaten that the month came to be called ‘Gansemonat’, goose month. The term
traveled to England but in the course of migration, it became associated with
the period of unseasonably warm autumn weather we now call ‘Indian
summer’. During the warm spell, large cobwebs are found draped in the
grass or suspended in the air. These delicate, airy webs, which we call
‘gossamer’, are generally believed to have taken their name from ‘goose
summer’, when their appearance was most noticeable. We now define
‘gossamer’ as something fine, filmy, or light; it also means thin and light.
Test 1: Sentence Completion

Complete each sentence with the appropriate word from the following list
gossamer magenta mandrake martinet gorgon
garret meander knickers gazette martinet
1. It is pleasant to __________ slowly down picturesque country roads on crisp

autumn afternoons.
2. The movie was so __________ that I was still crying when the closing
credits began to roll.
3. The teacher was such a __________ that his students soon rebelled fiercely
against his strict regulations.
4. In ancient days, the root of the __________ was surrounded by myths: it was
believed that it could cast out demons from the sick, cause madness, or even
make a person fall hopelessly in love.
5. Your entire load of white laundry will likely turn pink or even __________ if
you include even a single new and previously unwashed red or purple sock.
6. Many budding artists have romantic fantasies about living in a wretched
__________ and starving for the sake of their art.
7. Men rarely wear __________ any longer for playing golf, but the style was
popular for many years.
8. The __________ cobwebs shredded at the slightest touch.
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9. Since the daily __________ has excellent coverage of local sports, cultural
events, and regional news, we tend to overlook its weak coverage of
international events.
10. The gossip columnist was so mean and ugly that her victims referred to her
as a __________
Test 2: Definitions
1. knickers
A. short pants B. soccer players C. early settlers D. punch line
2. meander
A. moan B. ramble C. strike back D. starve
3. gorgon
A. misunderstood person B. foregone conclusion
C. hideous monster D. midget
4. magenta
A. military victory B. electricity
C. machinations D. reddish-purple color
5. mandrake
A. myth B. dragon C. duck D. narcotic plant
6. garret
A. basement B. attic
C. garage D. unsuccessful artist
7. maudlin
A. warlike B. married C. mawkish D. intense
8. martinet
A. strict disciplinarian B. facile problem
C. hawk D. musical instrument
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9. gazette
A. journal B. gazebo C. silver coin D. book of maps
10. gossamer
A. variety of goose B. grasp
C. flimsy material D. idle talk
LESSON 8
Knowing the backgrounds of the following ten words will give you an edge in
recalling their meanings and using them in conversation to make your speech and
writing more powerful. When you have studied each word, complete the two
quizzes that follow.
1. meerschaum: Since it is white and soft and often found along seashores,
ancient people believed this white claylike mineral was foam from the
ocean turned into stone. As a result, in all languages it was called ‘sea
foam’. It was of little use until German artisans began to carve it into
pipes, for as it absorbs the nicotine from tobacco it acquires a deep honey
color. Because the Germans were the first to find a use on it, the German
name stuck: ‘meer’ sea; ‘schaum’ foam. In English ‘meerschaum’ often
means a tobacco pipe with a bowl of meerschaum (the mineral).
2. toady: In the seventeenth century, people believed that toads were
poisonous, and anyone who mistakenly ate a toad’s leg instead of a frog’s
leg would die. Rather than swearing off frogs’ leg, people sought a cure
for the fatal rood poisoning. Charlatans would sometimes hire an
accomplice who would pretend to eat a toad, at which point his employer
would whip out his instant remedy and ‘save’ his helper’s life. For his
duties, the helper came to be called a ‘toad-eater’. Since anyone who
would consume anything ass disgusting as a toad must be completely
under his master’s thumb, ‘toadeater’ or ‘toady’ became the term for an
obsequious sycophant; a fawning flatterer.
3. Gregarious: The Latin term for a herd of animals is ‘grex’. Because a
group of people banded together in military formation resembles a herd of
animals, the word ‘grex’ was applied to people as well as animals. The
way the people grouped together was called ‘gregarius’, like a herd. The
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word has come down to us as ‘gregarious’, meaning friendly or fond of
the company of others.
4. miscreant: The word’s source, the Old French ‘mes-‘, wrongly, and
‘creant’, believing, tell us that ‘miscreant’ was originally used to describe
a heretic. The word has evolved over the centuries, however, to refer to a
base, villainous, or depraved person.
5. sinecure: ‘Sinecure’, a word meaning an office or position requiring little
or no work, especially one yielding profitable return, originally began as
a church term, from the Latin ‘beneficium sine cura’, a benefice without
care. It referred to the practice of rewarding a church rector by giving him
a parish for which he had no actual responsibilities. The real work was
carried on by a vicar, but his absent superior received the higher
recompense. Although the church practice was abolished in the mid-
nineteenth century, the term is often used today in a political context.
6. ottoman: In the late thirteenth century, the Muslim Tusks, under the
leadership of Othman (also known as Osman I) established Turkey as ‘the
Ottoman Empire’. The empire was noted for its exotic silk and velvet
furnishings. Travelers to the realm took some of their luxurious couches
and divans back to Europe, where they became popular in France under
the Bourbon kings. The French dubbed a low, backless cushioned seat or
footstool an ‘ottomane’ after its country of origin. The English called it an
‘ottoman’.
7. namby-pamby: The term ‘namby-pamby’ used to describe anything
weakly sentimental, pretentious, or affected, comes from Henry Carey’s
parody of Ambrose Philips’s sentimental children poems. Carey titled his
parody ‘Namby Pamby’, taking the ‘namby’ from the diminutive of
‘Ambrose’ and using the first letter of his surname, ’P’ with Philips,
Alexander Pope seized upon Carey’s parody in the second edition of his
Dunciad in 1733. Through the popularity of Pope’s poem, the term
‘namby-pamby’ passed into general usage.
8. mountebank: During the Middle Ages, Italians conducted their banking in
the streets, setting up business on convenient benches. In fact, the Italian
word ‘banca’ has given us our word ‘bank’. People with less honest
intentions realized that it would be relatively easy to cheat the people who
assembled around the benches. To attract a crowd, these con men often
worked with jugglers, clowns, rope dancers, or singers. Since they always
32
worked around a bench, they were known as ‘montimbancos’. Although
the word was Anglicized to ‘mountebank’, it still refers to a huckster or
charlatan who sells quack medicines from a platform in a public place,
appealing to his audience by using tricks, story-telling, and so forth.
9. phaeton: In Greek mythology, Helios drove the chariot of the sun across
the sky each day. Helios’s son Phaeton implored his father to let him
drive the glittering chariot. Against his better judgment, one day Helios
acceded to is son’s wishes and let him drive the chariot pulled by its four
powerful horses. Phaeton began well enough, but by mid-morning he
wearied and could no longer control the horses. The sun fluctuated
between heaven and earth, causing great destruction. To stop the
devastation, Zeus hurled a thunderbolt at Phaeton, who fell lifeless to the
ground. In the sixteenth century, the English drew from this legend to
describe a heedless driver as a ‘Phaeton’. The word was later applied to a
light four-wheeled carriage popular in the eighteenth century. Still later,
it was applied to a type of touring car.
10. mugwump: This word entered the English language in a most curious
fashion. In the mid-1600s, the clergyman John Eliot, known as the
Apostle to the Indians, translated the Bible into the Algonquian language.
When he came to the thirty-sixth chapter of Genesis, he had no word for
‘duke’, so he used ‘mugquomp’, an Algonquian term for chief or great
man. Historians of the language theorize that the term might already have
been in circulation at that time, but they know for certain that by 1884, it
was in fairly general use. In the presidential election that year, a group of
Republicans threw their support to Grover Cleveland rather than to the
party’s nominee, James G. Blaine. The newspapers scorned the renegade
Republicans as ‘mugwumps,’ those who thought themselves too good to
vote for Blaine. The scorned Republicans got the last word when they
adopted the same term to describe themselves, saying they were
independent men, proud to call themselves ‘mugwumps’ or great men.
Today we use the term ‘mugwump’ to describe a person who takes an
independent position or one who is neutral on a controversial issue.
33
it is false.
1. toady sycophant ____
2. miscreant sociable person ____
3. mugwump political ally ____
4. namby-pamby cereal ____
5. gregarious affable ____
6. phaeton ghost ____
7. mountebank impostor ____
8. meerschaum mixup ____
9. ottoman footstool ____
10. sinecure sincere ____

1. mountebank a. easy job
2. gregarious b. knave
3. ottoman c. charlatan
4. toady d. carriage
5. miscreant e. sociable
6. mugwump f. independent
7. namby-pamby g. sycophant
8. sinecure h. pipe
34
9. phaeton i. low, backless seat
10. meerschaum j. sentimental
35
LESSON 9
Here are ten new words to enhance your word power. When you have finished
reading the history each word, complete the self-tests.
1. oscillate: In ancient Rome, the grape growers hung little images with the face
of Bacchus, the god of wine, on their vines. Since the Latin word for face is
‘os’, a little face would be called ‘oscillum.’ Because the images swung in
the wind, some students of language concluded that the Latin verb ‘oscillare’
came from a description of this motion. Most scholars have declined to make
this connection, saying only that our present word ‘oscillate,’ to swing to and
fro is derived from Latin ‘oscillare,’ to swing, which in turn comes from
‘oscillum,’ a swing.
2. nabob: The Mogul emperors, who ruled India from the sixteenth until the
middle of the nineteenth century, delegated authority to men who acted as
governors of various parts of India. To the native Indians, such a ruler was
known as a ‘nawwab,’ deputy. The word has changed by the Europeans into
‘nabob.’ The nabobs were supposed to tithe money to the central
government, but some of the nabobs withheld the money, and thereby
became enormously wealthy. From their fortunes came the European custom
of using the word ‘nabob’ to refer to a person, especially a European, who
had attained great wealth in India or another country of the East The usage
spread to England, and today we use the term to describe any very wealthy or
powerful person.
3. pander: ‘Pander’, to act as a go-between in amorous intrigues or to act as a
pimp or procurer or to cater basely, comes from the medieval story of
Troilus and Cressida. In his retelling, Chaucer describes how the love-
stricken Troilus calls upon his friend Pandarus, kin to Cressida, to aid him in
his quest for her love. Much of Chaucer’s tale is devoted to the different
means used by Pandarus to help Troilus with his love. Shakespeare later
recycles the same legend. As the story gained in popularity, the name
‘Pandarus’ was changed in English to ‘pandare’ and then to ‘pander.’ The
noun now has the negative connotation of procurer for illicit sexual
intercourse.
4. pedagogue: Wealthy Greek families kept a special slave to supervise their
sons. The slave’s responsibilities included accompanying the boys as they
travelled to and from school and walked in the public streets. To describe the
36
slave’s chores, the Greek coined the term ‘paidagogos,’ a leader of boys.
Occasionally, when the slave was an educated man captured in warfare and
sold into slavery, the slave also tutored his charges. From the Greek word we
derived the English word ‘pedagogue,’ teacher or educator.
5. quack: Noticing how the raucous shout of the charlatans selling useless
concoctions sounded like the strident quacks of ducks, the sixteenth-century
Dutch called these charlatans ‘quacksalvers’ – literally, ducks quacking over
their salves. The term quickly spread through Europe. The English shortened
it to ‘quack,’ and used it to describe any fraudulent or ignorant pretender to
medical skills, the meaning we retain today.
6. nepotism: this word for patronage bestowed or favoritism shown on the basis
family relationships, as in business or politics, can be traced to the popes of
the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. To increase their power, these men
surrounded themselves with people they know would be loyal – members of
their own family. Among the most popular candidates were the popes’ own
illegitimate sons, called ‘nephews,’ from the Latin ‘nepos,’ a descendant, as
a mark of respect. Eventually the term ‘nepotism’ came to mean favoritism
to all family members, not just nephews.
7. pompadour: Sheltered by a wealthy family and educated as though she were
their own daughter, at twenty the exquisite Jeanne Antoinette Poisson Le
Normant d’Etioles married her protector’s nephew and began her reign over
the world of Parisian fashion. Soon after, King Louis XV took her as his
mistress, established her at the court of Versailles, and gave her the estate of
Pompadour. The Marquise de Pompadour created a large and high-swept
hairstyle memorialized by her name. Though it has been somewhat modified,
the style is still known by her name.
8. nostrum: The word ‘nostrum,’ a patent or quack medicine, became very
current around the time of the Great Plague in the mid-seventeenth century.
Doctors were helpless to combat the disease, so charlatans and quacks
scurried to fill the gap, flooding the market with their own ‘secrete’ and
useless – concoctions. To make their medicines seem more effective, they
labeled them with the Latin word ‘nostrum.’ The term came to be used as
general word for any quack medicine. Ironically, ‘nostrum’ means our own,
as in ‘nostrum remedium,’ our own remedy; thus it makes no claims at all for
the remedy’s effectiveness.
37
9. narcissism: The word ‘narcissism,’ inordinate fascination with oneself,
comes from the Greek myth of Narcissus. According to one version of the
legend, an exceptionally handsome young man fell in love with his own
image reflected in the pool. Because he was unable to embrace his image, he
died from unrequited love. According to another version, Narcissus fell in
love with his identical twin sister. After her death, he sat and stared at his
own reflection in the pool until he died from grief.
10. nepenthe: According to Greek legend, when Paris kidnapped Helen and took
her to Troy, he wanted her to forget her previous life. In Homer’s version of
the tale, Paris gave Helen a drug thought to cause loss of memory. The drug
was called ‘nepenthes.’ The word has come down to us with its meaning
intact: anything inducing a pleasurable sensation of forgetfulness.

it is false.
1. nepenthe remembrance ____
2. nepotism impartiality ____
3. pander procurer ____
4. pompadour crewcut ____
5. oscillate swing ____
6. pedagogue teacher ____
7. narcissism self-love ____
8. nabob pauper ____
9. nostrum patent medicine ____
10.quack expert ____
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Test 2: Defining words
1. pompadour: ...................................................................................................
2. nepenthe:.......................................................................................................
3. oscillate: .......................................................................................................
4. nostrum: ........................................................................................................
5. quack: ...........................................................................................................
6. nabob: ...........................................................................................................
7. pander: ..........................................................................................................
8. nepotism: ......................................................................................................
9. pedagogue: ...................................................................................................
10. narcissism: ...................................................................................................
39
LESSON 10
Each of these ten words beginning with the letter ‘p’ has a particularly captivating
tale behind it. Read the stories, then complete the two tests at the end of the lesson.
1. palaver: The word ‘palaver’ derives ultimately from the Greek word
‘parabola’, comparison, literally a placing beside. From this came English
‘parable’, a story that makes comparisons. In Latin the word came to mean
speech, talk, word. Later, Portuguese traders carried the term to Africa in the
form ‘palavra’ and used it to refer to the long talks with native chiefs
required by local custom. English traders picked up the word in the
eighteenth century, spelling it as we do today. The word retains its last
meaning, a long parley, especially one with people indigenous to a region or
profuse, idle talk.
2. pannier: The word ‘pannier’ was first used in thirteenth-century France to
mean bread basket; it is related to the French word ‘pain’, bread. Soon it was
also used to refer to a fish basket, and then a basket for toting any provisions.
In later centuries, the term was applied to the baskets balanced on a donkey’s
back. Today we use the term to denote a basket, especially a large one
carried on a person’s back.
3. pariah: The term ‘pariah’, an outcast, comes from the names of one of the
lowest castes in India. Composed of agricultural laborers and household
servants, it is not the lowest caste, but its members are still considered
untouchable by the Brahmans. The British used the term ‘pariah’ for anyone
of low social standing. The term ‘pariah’ now is used for any outcast among
his or her own people.
4. pecuniary: The Romans measured a man’s worth by the number of animals
he kept on his farm. The adapted the Latin word for a farm animal, ‘pecu’ to
refer to individual wealth, such as money and land, the Roman word evolved
into ‘pecunia’, which referred most specifically to money. From this came
the adjective ‘pecuniary’, pertaining to or consisting of money.
5. phantasmagoria: In the early years of the nineteenth century, an inventor
named Philipstal created a wondrous device for producing optical illusions.
By projecting colored slides onto a thin silk screen, Philipstal made his
spectral images appear to move. Today, of course, we take such motion –
picture illusions for granted, but in the age of the magic lantern, such visions
were marvelous indeed. Philipstal named his invention ‘phantasmagoria,’
40
which we now apply to a shifting series of phantasms or deceptive
appearances, as in a dream.
6. poplin: the origin of this word has nothing to do with its appearance or use.
in the early fourteenth century, the papal seat was located in Avignon,
France. Even after the papacy was moved to Rome, Avignon remained
important for its production of a sturdy dress and upholstery fabric. The
fabric came to be identified with the city in which it was made. Since
Avignon remained a papal town until the late eighteenth century, the fabric
came to be called ‘papelino,’ or papal. The English pronounced the word
‘poplin,’ giving us the present-day name for this finely corded fabric of
cotton, rayon, silk, or wool.
7. precipitate: the word ‘precipitate’ is based on the Latin root ‘caput,’ meaning
head. In fact, the word was first used to apply to those who had been
executed or killed themselves by being hurled or jumping head-long from a
‘precipiece’ or high place. Later, the word came to mean to rush headlong.
From this has come today’s meaning, to hasten the occurrence of; to bring
about prematurely.
8. precocious: to the Romans, Latin ‘praecox,’ the source of English
‘precocious,’ was a culinary term meaning precooked. In time, however, its
meaning was extended to acting prematurely. It is this later meaning of
‘precocious’ that we use today, usually advanced in development, especially
mental development.
9. pretext: ‘pretext’ comes from the Latin word ‘praetexta,’ meaning an
ornament, such as the purple markings on a toga denoting rank. In addition
to its literal sense, however, the word carried the connotation of something to
cloak one’s true identity. We have retained only the word’s figurative
meaning, something that is put forward to conceal a true purpose or object;
an ostensible reason.
10. procrustean: according to one version of the Greek myth, Procrustes was a
bandit who made his living waylaying unsuspecting travelers. He tied
everyone who fell into his grasp to an iron bed. If they were longer than the
bed, he cut short their legs to make their bodies fit; if they were shorter, he
stretched their bodies until they fit tightly. Hence, ‘procrustean’ means to
produce conformity through violent or arbitrary means.
41
it is false.
1. procrustean marine life ____
2. pecuniary picayune ____
3. precipitate play ____
4. pretext falsification ____
5. pariah outcast ____
6. poplin religious vestment ____
7. palaver serving tray ____
8. precocious advanced ____
9. pannier basket ____
10.phantasmagoria illusions ____

1. poplin a. excuse
2. palaver b. producing conformity by violent means
3. pecuniary c. fabric
4. phantasmagoria d. fantasy
5. pretext e. expedite
6. precocious f. idle chatter
7. precipitate g. advanced
8. pariah h. outcast
9. procrustean i. basket
42
10. pannier j. monetary
43
LESSON 11
Read through the interesting stories behind these ten words. Then work through the
two tests to see how many of the words you can use correctly.
1. proletariat: ‘Proletariat’ derives from the Latin ‘proletarius’, a Roman
freeman who lacked property and money. The word came from ‘proles,’
offspring, children. Although the freemen had the votes, many wealthy
Romans despised them, saying they were useful only to have children. They
called them ‘proletarii,’ producers of children. Karl Marx picked up the
word in the mid-nineteenth century as a label for the lower-class working
people of his age. ‘Proletariat’ retains the same meaning today: members of
the working class, especially those who do not possess capital and must sell
their labor to survive.
2. Arcadian: The residents of landlocked Arcadia, in ancient Greece, did not
venture to other lands. As a result, they maintain traditional ways and lived
what others imagined to be a simpler life. Ancient classical poets made
‘Arcadia’ a symbol for a land of pastoral happiness. In the sixteenth century,
English poet Sir Philip Sidney referred to a bucolic land he called ‘Arcadia.’
The word has retained this meaning, and today we consider residents of
‘Arcadian’ place to be rustic, simple, and innocent.
3. rake: ‘Rake,’ meaning a dissolute person, especially a man, was originally
‘rakehell.’ In the sixteenth century, this colorful term was used to describe a
person so dissipated that he would ‘rake hell’ to find his pleasures. ‘Rake
hell’ is now considered a somewhat archaic term to describe such roués;
‘rake’ is the common word.
4. pygmy: The ancient Greeks were entranced by stories of a tribe of dwarfs in
the upper Nile who were so small that they could be swallowed by cranes.
To describe these tiny people, the Greeks used the word ‘pygmaios,’ which
also referred to the distance on a person’s arm from the elbow to the
knuckles. The word became English ‘pygmy,’ a tiny person or thing; a
person or thing of small importance.
5. sardonic: The ancient Greeks described a plant on the island of Sardinia
whose flesh, if eaten, caused the victim’s face to become grotesquely
convulsed, as if in scornful laughter. The Greek name for Sardinia was
‘Sardos’; therefore, ‘sardonios’ came to refer to any mocking laughter. The
44
English word eventually became ‘sardonic,’ characterized by bitter irony or
scornful derision.
6. tartar: The fierce Genghis Khan and his successors led an army of
bloodthirsty warriors, including the Ta-ta Mongols, in a series of conquests
throughout Asia and into Europe. Their name, ‘Tartar’ or “Tatar,’ became
closely associated with brutal massacres. Today the word ‘tartar’ refers to a
savage, ill-tempered, or intractable person.
7. argosy: In the Middle Ages, cities on the Mediterranean coast maintained
large fleets to ship goods around the known world. Ragusa was a Sicilian
city well known for its large ships, called ‘ragusea.’ In English, the initial
two letters became switched, creating ‘argusea.’ From there it was a short
step to ‘argosy,’ a large merchant ship, especially one with a rich cargo.
Because of Ragusa’s wealth, the word ‘argosy’ also came to mean an
opulent supply or collection.
8. Balkanize: After centuries of war, in 1912 the Balkan nations united to
conquer the Turks, and divide the spoils among themselves. The following
years, however, the Balkan nations quarreled over how to divide their booty
and began to fight among themselves. From this experience comes the verb
‘Balkanize,’ to divide a country or territory into small, quarrelsome,
ineffectual states.
9. cravat: In the late seventeenth century, the French King Louis XIV formed a
special division of Croats, a Slavic people, to serve in his army. The Croats
wore colorful, much admired neckties to distinguish themselves from the
other regiments. Fashionable civilians took to wearing these neckties, calling
them ‘cravats’ after a variant spelling of ‘Croat.’ The term is still used to
mean necktie, although it is somewhat out of fashion. It also refers to a scarf
worn by men.
10. hegira: Around the year 600, the prophet Muhammad began to preach the
new faith of Islam. To escape persecution, he was forced to flee his home in
Mecca. Eventually, his followers increased, and by his death in 632, he
controlled Arabia. Within a century, the empire of Islam had spread
throughout western Asia and northern Africa. The turning point,
Muhammad’s flight from Mecca, came to be called the ‘Hegira,’ after the
Arabic word for flight or emigration. The ‘Hegira’ is the starting point on the
Muslim calendar, and we now apply the word to any flight or journey to
desirable or congenial place.
45
it is false.
1. rake roué ____
2. proletariat wealthy persons ____
3. hegira flight ____
4. cravat craving ____
5. tartar disciple ____
6. arcadian rustic ____
7. sardonic derisive ____
8. pygmy monkey ____
9. argosy rich supply ____
10. balkanize vulcanize ____

1. rake A. bucolic
2. pygmy B. merchant ship
3. cravat C. midget
4. arcadian D. break up into antagonistic units
5. argosy E. the working class
6. hegira F. scornful; mocking
7. balkanize G. necktie
46
8. proletariat H. bad-tempered person
9. sardonic I. journey or flight
10. tartar J. roué
LESSON 12
Now look at the background of these ten words. Then complete the two tests to
help you add them to your vocabulary.
1. ballyhoo: The word ‘ballyhoo’ is of uncertain origin. Some, however, have
connected it with the Irish town of Ballyhooy, known for the rowdy and
often uncontrolled quarrels of its inhabitants. Today ‘ballyhoo’ is an
Americanism with a specific meaning: a clamorous attempt to win customers
or advance a cause; blatant advertising or publicity.
2. tawdry: In the seventh century and Englishwoman named Etheldreda fled her
husband to establish an abbey. When the Venerable Bede recounted her story
in the early eighth century, he claimed that her death had been caused by a
tumor in her throat, which she believed was a punishment for her early
vanity of wearing jewelry about her neck. Her abbey eventually became the
Cathedral of Ely; her name, Audrey. In her honor, the cathedral town held an
annual fair where ‘trifling objects’ were hawked. One theory as to the
development of the word ‘tawdry’ relates to the hawkers’ cry, ‘Saint
Audrey’s lace!’. This became ‘Sin t’Audrey lace’ and then ‘tawdry lace.’ By
association with these cheap trinkets, the word ‘tawdry’ has come to mean
gaudy, showy, or cheap.
3. python: According to Greek myth, the sacred oracle at Delphi was at one
time threatened by a terrible serpent called ‘Python.’ It was finally killed by
Apollo. About 150 years ago, a large constrictor snake often measuring
more than twenty feet long was named after this mythical monster.
4. recalcitrant: The word was formed from the Latin prefix ‘re,’ back, and
‘calcitrare,’ to kick. Thus, a recalcitrant person is one who kicks back,
resisting authority or control.
5. copperhead: The term ‘copperhead’ was coined by the New York Tribune in
the early days of the Civil War to refer to a Northerner who sympathized
with the South. The term came from the sneaky and poisonous copperhead
snake, which strikes without warning.
47
6. silhouette: At the urging of his mistress, Madame the Pompadour, the French
king Louis XV appointed Etienne de Silhouette as his finance minister. His
mission was to enact strict economy measures to rescue the government from
near-bankruptcy. At the same time, there was a revival of the practice of
tracing profiles created by shadows. Since they replaced more costly
paintings, these outlines came to be derided as ‘à la Silhouette’ – another of
his money-saving measures. Although Silhouette lasted in office less than a
year, he achieved a sort of immortality when his name became permanently
associated with a two-dimensional representation of the outline of an object,
as a person’s profile, generally filled in with black.
7. remora: Since this odd fish impeded the progress of Roman ships by
attaching itself to the vessels with its sucking disks, the Romans named it a
‘remora,’ that which holds back; hindrance. Today we use the term only to
name the fish, though formerly it was also a synonym for obstacle,
hindrance.
8. caprice: ‘Caprice,’ a sudden, unpredictable change of mind, a whim, doesn’t
remind us of hedgehogs, yet these animals probably played a role in this
word’s past. ‘Caprice’ comes ultimately form the Italian word ‘capriccio,’
which originally meant fright, horror. The word is thought to be a compound
of ‘capo,’ head, and ‘riccio,’ hedgehog, because when people are very
frightened, their hair stands on end, like a hedgehog’s spines.
9. treacle: Originally, ‘treacle’ was an ointment used by ancient Romans and
Greeks against the bite of wild animals. But in the eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries, competing quack medicine hawkers added sweetening to make
their bitter potions more palatable. After a while, the sweetening agent itself
usually molasses, came to be called ‘treacle’. We retain this meaning and
have extended it to refer figuratively to contrived or unrestrained
sentimentality as well.
10.billingsgate: In the 1500s, ‘Belin’s gate’, a walled town within London, was
primarily a fish market. The name was soon distorted to ‘billingsgate’, and
since many fishwives and seamen were known for their salty tongues, the
word ‘billingsgate’ came to mean coarse or vulgar abusive language.
48
it is false.
1. recalcitrant easygoing ____
2. caprice capable ____
3. remora renovate ____
4. copperhead fierce warrior ____
5. ballyhoo dance ____
6. tawdry gaudy ____
7. billingsgate profane language ____
8. python snake ____
9. treacle sugar ____
10. silhouette outline ____

1. python A. whim
2. ballyhoo B. cheap
3. treacle C. verbal abuse
4. tawdry D. snake
5. copperhead E. outline
6. recalcitrant F. clamor
7. silhouette G. balky
49
8. caprice H. mawkish sentimentality
9. remora I. fish
10. billingsgate J. Southern sympathizer
50
LESSON 13
The stories behind these ten words provide intriguing reading and can give your
vocabulary true power. After you study the words, complete the two self-tests to
see how many of the words you can see correctly.
1. apartheid: ‘Apartheid’ the term for a policy of racial segregation and
discrimination against nonwhites, entered English from Afrikaans, the
language of South Africa’s Dutch settlers, the Boers. The created the word
from the Dutch word for ‘apart’ and the suffix ‘-heid’, related to our suffix ‘-
hood’. Thus, the word literally means apartness or separateness. It was first
used in 1947, in a South African newspaper.
2. quixotic: The word ‘quixotic,’ meaning extravagantly chivalrous or
romantic, is based on the character of Don Quixote, the chivalrous knight in
Cervantes’ 1605 masterpiece Don Quixote de la Mancha. The impractical,
visionary knight was ludicrously blind to the false nature of his dreams.
3. bromide: ‘Bromides’ are chemicals, several of which can be used as
sedatives. In 1906, the American humorist Gelett Burgess first used the word
to mean a boring person, one who is likely to serve the same purpose as a
sedative. The term was then extended to mean a platitude, the kind of remark
one could except from a tiresome person.
4. profane: Only fully initiated men were allowed to participate in Greek and
Roman religious rites; those not admitted were called ‘profane’, from ‘pro’,
outside, and ‘fanum’, temple. When the word came into English, it was
applied to persons or things not part of Christianity. Probably in reference to
the contempt of nonbelievers, ‘profane’ now means characterized by
irreverence for God or sacred things.
5. rialto: In the late sixteenth century, the Venetians created a bridge across the
Grand Canal. Since the bridge spanned deep waters, it was called the
‘Rialto’, deep stream. The bridge led to the creation of a busy shopping area
in the center of the city. From this shopping center we derive our present
meaning of ‘rialto’, an exchange or mart.
6. thespian: A Greek poet named Thespis, who flourished circa 534 B.C,
enlarged the traditional celebrations at the festival of Dionysus by writing
verses to be chanted alternately by individuals and the chorus. This
opportunity to be a solo performer was a first. From the poet’s name we
derive the word ‘thespian’, an actor or actress.
51
7. salver: ‘Salver’ came into English from Spanish ‘salva’, a kind of tray. The
Spanish word derived from Latin ‘salvare’, to save, from the practice of
having a servant taste one’s food or drink to check for poisons. Because
poisoning was the method of choice for eliminating wealthy enemies in the
Middle Ages, the practice of retaining a taster was commonplace among the
affluent. The master’s food was presented upon separate tray, so the term
‘salva’ came to apply to the tray as well as the tasting. Once the habit of
poisoning people subsided, the English term ‘salver’ came to mean a tray,
especially one used for serving food.
8. chagrin: The word ‘chagrin’, meaning a feeling of vexation due to
disappointment, does not derive form ‘shagreen’, piece of hard, abrasive
leather used to polish metal, even though both words are spelled identically
in French. French scholars connect ‘chagrin’, vexation, grief, with an Old
French verb, ‘chagreiner’, to turn melancholy or gloomy, which evolved in
part from a Germanic word related to English ‘grim’.
9. shibboleth: In the twelfth chapter of Judges, Jephthah and his men were
victorious over the warriors of Ephraim. After the battle, Jephthah gave his
guards the password ‘shibboleth’ to distinguish friends from foes; he picked
the word because the Ephraimites could not pronounce the ‘sh’ sound. His
choice was shrewd, and many of his enemies were captured and killed. Thus,
‘shibboleth’ has come to mean a peculiarity of pronunciation, usage, or
behavior that distinguishes a particular class or set of persons. It also can
mean slogan; catchword.
10. vie: The word ‘vie’, to strive in competition or rivalry with another, to
contend for superiority, was originally a shortened version of ‘envien’, a
sixteenth-century gaming term meaning to raise the stake. The contraction,
‘vie’, came to mean to contend, compete.

it is false.
1. chagrin chafe ____
2. vie accede ____
3. profane irreverent ____

52
4. salver tray ____
5. quixotic ill-tempered ____
6. rialto marketplace ____
7. apartheid foreigner ____
8. shibboleth platitude ____
9. thespian actor ____
10. bromide explosive ____
Test 2: Definitions
1. bromide
A. cliché B. effervescence C. angst
2. vie
A. treat B. contend C. despise
3. quixotic
A. alien B. romantic C. fictional
4. salver
A. salivate B. poison C. tray
5. shibboleth
A. peculiarity B. forbidden C. murdered
6. profane
A. pious B. irreverent C. exploding
7. thespian
A. actress B. speech impairment C. playwright
8. apartheid
A. discrimination B. unity C. hopelessness
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9. rialto
A. shipyard B. reality C. exchange
10. chagrin
A. stiff B. vexation C. smirk
54
LESSON 14
Knowing the histories of the following ten words can help you remember their
meanings and use them in your speech and writing. Study the words, then work
through the two self-tests that follow.
1. Promethean: According to Greek myth, as punishment for stealing fire from
the gods and giving it to mortal humans, Prometheus was bound to the side
of the mountain, where he was attacked daily by a fierce bird that feasted
upon his liver. At night his wounds healed; the next day he was attacked
anew. Because of his extraordinary boldness in stealing the divine fire, the
word ‘Promethean’ has come to mean creative, boldly original.
2. sarcophagus: Although the majority of ancient Greeks favored burial or
cremation, some obtained limestone coffins that could dissolve a body in
little over a month. The coffin was called a ‘sarcophagus,’ from the Greek
‘sarx,’ flesh, and ‘phagos,’ eating. Today we use the term to refer to a stone
coffin, especially one bearing sculpture, an inscription, etc., often displayed
as a monument.
3. quorum: The word ‘quorum’ was first used as part of a Latin phrase meaning
to select people for official court business. Ultimately, it came to mean the
number of members of a group or organization required to be present to
transact business; legally, usually a majority.
4. antimacassar: In the 1800s, macassar oil was imported from Indonesia to
England as a popular remedy for baldness. Based on its reputation, men
began to apply it liberally to their pates, but the oil stained the backs of sofas
and chairs where they rested their oily heads. Therefore, homemakers began
to place pieces of fabric over sofa and chair backs, since these scraps could
be washed more easily than stained upholstery. These fabric pieces came to
be called ‘antimacassars’ – against macassar oil. They survive today in the
little doilies fastidious homemakers drape over furniture.
5. lackey: After their invasion of Spain in 711, the Moors conquered nearly the
entire country and established a glittering civilization. But it was not to last.
By 1100, Christians had already wrested half of Spain from the Moors. Two
hundred years later, the Moors retained only a small toehold; and a hundred
years after that, they were driven out of Europe entirely. As the Moors
suffered repeated defeats, their captured soldiers became servants to their
Spanish conquerors. They were called ‘alacayo.’ The initial ‘a’ was later
55
dropped, and the word was rendered in English as ‘lackey,’ a servile
follower.
6. obelisk: The word comes from the ancient Egyptian practice of erecting tall,
thin pillars to pay homage to the sun god Ra. The Greeks called these shafts
‘obeliskoi.’ The word has come down to us as ‘obelisk,’ with its meaning
intact, a tapering four-sided shaft of stone with a pyramidal apex; a
monument.
7. paladin: The original paladins were Charlemagne’s twelve knights.
According to legend, the famous paladin Roland was caught in an ambush
and fought valiantly with his small band of followers to the last man.
Because of his actions, ‘paladin’ has come down to us as any champion of
noble causes.
8. hobnob: Those who ‘hobnob’ with their buddies associate on very friendly
terms or drink together. The word comes from the Anglo-Saxon ‘haebbe’
and ‘naebbe,’ to have and to have not. In the 1700s, ‘hobnob’ meant to toast
friends and host alternate rounds of drinks. Each person thus had the
pleasure of treating, creating a sense of familiarity. Today this usage
survives, even if those hobnobbing are teetotalers.
9. helot: Around the eight century B.C., the Spartans conquered and enslaved
the people of the southern half of the Peloponesus. They called these slaves
‘helots,’ perhaps from the Greek word meaning to enslave. Today ‘helot’
still means serf or slave; bonds-man.
10. kowtow: The Chinese people, who were largely isolated from the West until
Portuguese traders established a post outside Canton, regarded their emperor
as a representative of God on earth. Those approaching the emperor had to
fall to the ground and strike their heads against the floor as a sign of
humility. This was called a ‘kowtow,’ from the Chinese word that meant
knock-head. As a verb, the English word follows the original meaning, to
touch the forehead to the ground while kneeling, as an act of worship; but
from this meaning we have derived a figurative use as well: to act in an
obsequious manner; show servile deference.
Test 1: Defining words

1. obelisk: .........................................................................................................
56
2. Promethean:...................................................................................................
3. helot: .............................................................................................................
4. sarcophagus: .................................................................................................
5. kowtow: ........................................................................................................
6. lackey: ..........................................................................................................
7. antimacassar: ................................................................................................
8. hobnob: .........................................................................................................
9. quorum: ........................................................................................................
10. paladin: ........................................................................................................

it is false.
1. lackey servant ____
2. quorum majority ____
3. obelisk shaft ____
4. hobnob twisted logic ____
5. promethean creative ____
6. sarcophagus cremation ____
7. helot hell-on-wheels ____
8. antimacassar against travel ____
9. kowtow bow low ____
10. paladin villain ____
57
LESSON 15
The quirky stories behind the following ten words can help you understand and
remember them. Read through the histories and complete the two self-tests to add
to your mastery of language.
1. quahog: Despite the ‘hog’ at the end of the word, a ‘quahog’ has nothing to
do with a pig. Rather, it is a clam; the word comes from the Algonquian
(Narragansett) word ‘poquauhock’.
2. protean: According to Greek legend, Proteus was a sea god who possessed
the power to change his shape at will. He also had the ability to foretell the
future, but those wishing to avail themselves of his power first had to steal
upon him at noon when he checked his herds of sea calves, catch him, and
bind him securely. Thus bound, Proteus would change shape furiously, but
the petitioner who could keep him restrained until he returned to his original
shape would receive the answer to his question – if he still remembered what
he wanted to know. From Proteus, then, we get the word ‘protean,’ readily
assuming different forms or characters; variable.
3. noisome: Although the words appear to have the same root, ‘noisome’ bears
no relation to ‘noise.’ ‘Noisome’ means offensive or disgusting, as an odor,
and comes from the Middle English word ‘noy,’ meaning harm. The root is
related, however, to the word ‘annoy,’ to molest or bother.
4. Ouija: ‘Ouija’ is a trademark for a board game used to spell out messages in
spiritualistic communication. It consists of a small board, or planchette,
resting on a larger board marked with words and letters. The name comes
from the French and German words for yes, ‘oui’ and ‘ja.’
5. simony: Simon the sorcerer offered to pay the Apostle Peter to teach him the
wondrous cures he had seen him perform, not understanding that his feasts
were miracles rather than magic tricks. From Simon’s name comes the term
‘simony,’ the sign of buying or selling ecclesiastical preferments.
6. rigmarole: In fourteenth-century England, a register of names was called a
‘rageman.’ Later it became a ‘ragman,’ then ‘rag man roll.’ As it changed,
the term evolved to refer to a series if unconnected statements. By the 1700s,
the word has become ‘rigmarole,’ with its present meaning, an elaborate or
complicated procedure.
7. bolshevik: At a rally of Communist leaders in 1903, Lenin garnered a
majority of the votes. He cleverly dubbed his supporters ‘Bolsheviks,’
58
meaning the majority. His move was effective propaganda. Even though his
supporters actually comprised only a minority, the name stuck and came to
be associated with a member of the Russian Communist Party. The word is
also used in a derogatory sense to denote an extreme political radical, a
revolutionary.
8. misericord: Both the small projection on the underside of a hinged seat of a
church stall that gives support, when the seat if lifted, to a person standing in
the stall and a medieval dagger have the same name, ‘misericord.’ In a
curious sense, this is because they both provide mercy, the seat giving a
parishioner a resting place during a long service, the dagger delivering the
coup the grace to a wounded foe. ‘Misericord’ comes from the Latin
‘misericordia,’ meaning compassion.
9. surplice: To keep themselves warm in damp, chilly stone churches,
clergymen in the Middle Ages wore fur robes. But since fur was not
considered proper attire for religious men, the priests covered their furs with
loose-fitting white overgarments. The word ‘surplice’ to describe these
broad-sleeved white vestments came from their function: the Latin ‘super,’
over, and ‘pellicia,’ fur garment.
10. sylph: A German alchemist of the 1700s coined the term ‘Sylphis’ to
describe the spirits of the air. He envisioned them as looking like humans but
able to move more swiftly and gracefully. Over the years, the word evolved
to mean a slender, graceful girl or woman.

it is false.
1. misericord wretchedness ____
2. Ouija board game ____
3. simony slickness ____
4. bolshevik sheik ____
5. protean changeable ____
59
6. noisome clamorous ____
7. sylph svelte female ____
8. quahog bivalve ____
9. rigmarole simplification ____
10. surplice clerical vestment ____

1. sylph A. vestment
2. quahog B. medieval dagger
3. surplice C. ecclesiastical favors
4. bolshevik D. slender girl
5. Ouija E. Communist
6. misericord F. involved process
7. noisome G. variable
8. protean H. clam
9. rigmarole I. foul
10.simony J. board game
LESSON 16
Now read the histories of these ten unique words. Fix them in your memory by
completing the two self-test that follow. The words can make your speech and
writing more colorful, interesting, and effective.
1. muumuu: This loose dress, often brightly colored or patterned, was first
introduced into Hawaii by missionaries anxious to clothe their nude
60
Hawaiian female converts. To accomplish their aims, the missionaries gave
the Hawaiian women dresses cut in the European fashion, which the
Hawaiians adapted to suit their needs and climate. The dress acquired the
Hawaiian name ‘muumuu,’ which means cut off, because it lacked a yoke
and therefore looked ‘cut off’ at the neck.
2. sybarite: The ancient Greek colony of Sybaris in southern Italy was known
for its luxurious life style. The residents were so famous for their opulent
ways that the word ‘sybarite’ came to be used for any person devoted to
luxury and pleasure.
3. rostrum: Today a ‘rostrum’ is any platform. stage, or the like for public
speaking. The word comes from the victory in 338 B.C. of the Romans over
the pirates of Antium (Anzio), off the Italian coast. The victorious consul
took back to Rome the prows of the six ships he had captured. These were
attached to the lecterns used by Roman speakers. They came to be called
‘rostra,’ or beaks. We use the singular, ‘rostrum.’
4. lemur: An animal with a small foxlike face, wooly fur, and cute monkeylike
body, the ‘lemur’ seems to some people to be an adorable creature. The
scientist who first named this small nocturnal mammal, the eighteenth-
century Swedish botanist Linnacus, obviously had a less pleasant reaction to
the animal, since the Latin word ‘lemur’ denotes malevolent, frightening
spirits of the dead.
5. spoonerism: The English clergyman W. A. Spooner (1844-1930) was
notorious for his habit of transposing the initial letters or other sounds of
words, as in ‘a blushing crows’ for ‘a crushing blow.’ Since the good
reverend was not unique in his affliction, we use the word ‘spoonerism’ to
describe these unintentional transpositions of sounds.
6. vermicelli: Anyone faced with a small child determined not to eat his or her
spaghetti because ‘it looks like worms’ had better avoid explaining the origin
of ‘vermicelli.’ In Italian, ‘vermicelli’ is the plural of ‘vermicello,’ a
diminutive of ‘verme,’ which does indeed mean worm. When dealing with
recalcitrant children, it’s probably better to refer to these long, slender
threads of spaghetti simply as ‘pasta.’
7. pundit: Today we use the word ‘pundit’ to mean an expert or authority; but
in the nineteenth century, the word was usually applied to a learned person in
India. It comes from the Hindi word ‘pandit,’ meaning learned man, a
Brahman with profound knowledge of Sanskrit, Hindu law, and so forth.
61
8. yahoo: This word for a coarse, uncouth person was coined by Jonathan Swift
in his 1726 novel Gulliver’s Travels. In Swift’s satire, the Yahoos were a
race of humanoid brutes ruled by the Houyhnhnms, civilized horses.
9. stoic: The Stoics were philosophers of ancient Greece who believed in self-
restraint. Their name comes from Greek stoa, ‘porch,’ where they habitually
walked. Hence the word ‘stoic,’ which describes a person who is impassive,
calm, and austere.
10. wormwood: ‘Wormwood’ is the active narcotic ingredient of absinthe, a
bitter green liqueur now banned in most Western countries. Originally,
however, the herd was used as a fork remedy for worms in the body. Because
of the herb’s bitter qualities, we also use it to mean something bitter,
grievous, or extremely unpleasant.

it is false.
1. spoonerism Midwesterner ____
2. yahoo oaf ____
3. wormwood bitterness ____
4. muumuu murmur ____
5. pundit bad kick ____
6. lemur monkeylike nocturnal mammal ____
7. sybarite slender ____
8. stoic austere ____
9. vermicelli aggravation ____
10. rostrum register ____

62
1. rostrum A. loose dress
2. yahoo B. something bitter
3. muumuu C. small nocturnal mammal
4. spoonerism D. long, thin threadlike pasta
5. wormwood E. impassive
6. sybarite F. stage or platform
7. lemur G. authority
8. pundit H. lover of luxury
9. vermicelli I. transposition of sounds in words
10. stoic J. boor
63
64
IMPORTED WORDS
Along with sushi, crêpes, and pizza – and their names – English has borrowed
numerous words from foreign cultures. Here is a selection of ‘imported words’ for
you to add to your vocabulary.
LESSON 1: FRENCH BORROWINGS
We’ve borrowed so many words from French that someone once half-seriously
claimed that English is little more than French badly pronounced. Some of these
words have kept their original spelling, while others have become so Anglicized
you may not recognize them as originally French.
1. envoy: a diplomatic agent; an accredited messenger or representative.
2. résumé: a summing up; a brief account of personal, educational, and
professional qualifications and experience, as of an applicant for a job.
3. coup d’état: a sudden and decisive action in politics, especially one effecting
a change of government, illegally or by force.
4. cause célèbre: any controversy that attract great public attention.
5. avant-garde: the advance group in any field, especially in the visual, literary,
or musical arts, whose works are unorthodox and experimental.
6. laissez-faire: the theory that government should intervene as little as possible
in economic affairs.
7. rendezvous: an agreement between two or more people to meet at a certain
time and place.
8. cul-de-sac: a street, lane, etc., closed at one end; blind alley.
9. esprit de corps: a sense of union and of common interests and
responsibilities, as developed among a group of persons associated together.
10.idée fixe: a fixed idea; obsession.
11.joie de vivre: a delight in being alive.
12.milieu: an environment; medium
13.potpourri: a mixture of dried petals of roses or other flowers with spices, kept
in a jar for their fragrance.
14.rapport: a harmonious or sympathetic relationship or connection.
65
15.bon vivant: a person who lives luxuriously and enjoys good food and drink.

1. rendezvous a. togetherness
2. rapport b. experimental artists
3. cul-de-sac c. hands-of policy
4. bon vivant d. love of life
5. idée fixe e. meeting
6. joie de vivre f. environment
7. potpourri g. diplomatic agent
8. milieu h. harmony
9. avant-garde i. controversy
10.coup d’état j. government overthrow
11.résumé k. dead end
12.esprit de corps l. list of qualifications
13.envoy m. connoisseur
14.cause célèbre n. fragrant dried flowers
15.laissez-faire o. obsession
Test 2: True or False?

it is false.
DEFINITION True or False?
1. laissez-faire a policy of leaving alone _____
66
2. esprit de corps experimental artists _____
3. milieu hands-of policy _____
4. rendezvous love of life _____
5. idée fixe meeting _____
6. potpourri environment _____
7. envoy diplomatic agent _____
8. rapport harmony _____
9. joie de vivre controversy _____
10.coup d’état government overthrow _____
11.cause célèbre dead end _____
12.cul-de-sac list of qualifications _____
13.bon vivant connoisseur _____
14.résumé fragrant dried flowers _____
15.avant-garde obsession _____
67
LESSON 2: ADDITIONAL FRENCH BORROWINGS
Here are fifteen more words borrowed from French. Their mastery can put vigor
into your vocabulary, especially in writing.
1. tour de force: an exceptional achievement using the full skill, ingenuity, and
resources of a person, country, or group.
2. connoisseur: a person who is especially competent to pass critical judgments
in art or in matters of taste.
3. raconteur: a person who is skilled in relating anecdotes.
4. poseur: a person who attempts to impress others by assuming or affecting a
manner, degree of elegance, etc.
5. saboteur: a person who is deliberately destroys property, obstructs services,
or undermines a cause.
6. décolletage: the neckline of a dress cut low in the front or back and often
across the shoulders.
7. mêlée: a confused, general hand-to-hand fight.
8. tout à fait: entirely
9. chauffeur: a person employed to drive another person’s automobile.
10. fiancé: a man engaged to be married.
11. protégé: a person under the patronage or care of someone influential who
can further his or her career.
12. gourmet: a connoisseur in the delicacies of the table.
13. tout de suite: at once; immediately
14. chic: attractive and fashionable in style; stylish.
15. tout le monde: everyone, everybody.

1. tout à fait: .....................................................................................................
2. gourmet: .......................................................................................................
3. chauffeur: .....................................................................................................
4. tout le monde:................................................................................................
5. décolletage: ...................................................................................................
6. tout de suite: .................................................................................................
7. tour de force: ................................................................................................
8. chic: ..............................................................................................................
68
9. protégé: .........................................................................................................
10. connoisseur: .................................................................................................
11. raconteur: .....................................................................................................
12. mêlée: ..........................................................................................................
13. saboteur:.......................................................................................................
14. poseur: .........................................................................................................
15. fiancé: ..........................................................................................................
Test 2: Definitions
1. a daring décolletage
A. low-cut dress B. dance C. acrobatics D. behavior
2. a chic hat
A. French B. imported C. expensive D. stylish
3. the nervous fiancé
A. engaged woman B. engaged man
C. executive D. husband
4. tout le monde attended
A. connoisseurs B. specialists C. everyone D. no one
5. the entertaining raconteur
A. comedian B. storyteller C. singer D. poet
6. an amazing tour de force
A. show of force B. war victory C. humiliation D. achievement
7. pass the butter tout de suite
A. immediately B. thank you C. please D. later
8. a transparent poseur
A. model B. prank C. fraud D. gag
9. a captured saboteur
A. spy B. demolisher C. turncoat D. revolutionary
69
10. my protégé
A. mentor B. tutor C. child D. dependent
11. a new chauffeur
A. kitchen helper B. mentor C. chef D. driver
12. a violent mêlée
A. free-for-all B. storm C. criminal D. sea
13. a noted connoisseur
A. expert B. politician C. hostess D. professor
14. completed the job tout à fait
A. quickly B. sloppily C. entirely D. yesterday
15. a famous gourmet
A. driver B. waitress C. heavy eater D. food expert
70
LESSON 3: ITALIAN BORROWINGS
1. alfresco: out-of-doors; in the open air

2. piazza: a town square
3. dilettante: a person who takes up an art, activity, or subject merely for
amusement; dabbler
4. fiasco: a complete and ignominious failure
5. imbroglio: a confused state of affairs; a complicated or difficult situation;
bitter understanding
6. impresario: a person who organizes or manages public entertainments; a
manager, director, or the like.
7. incognito: having one’s identity concealed, as under an assumed name,
especially to avoid notice.
8. manifesto: a public declaration of intentions, opinions, objectives, or
motives, as one issued by a government, a sovereign, or an organization.
9. replica: a copy or reproduction of a work of art.

1. fiasco A. manager
2. imbroglio B. town square
3. incognito C. outdoors
4. impresario D. failure
5. manifesto E. public declaration
6. piazza F. confusion
7. replica G. reproduction
8. alfresco H. in disguise
9. dilettante I. dabbler
71
Test 2: Definition
Each of the following phrases contains an italicized word. From the three choices
provided, circle the best definition.
1. an alfresco café
a. open-air b. expensive c. famous
2. travelling incognito
a. cheaply b. under an alias c. quickly
3. a major fiasco
a. cigar b. fault c. failure
4. an important manifesto
a. declaration b. expansion c. bond issue
5. a real dilettante
a. expert b. socialite c. amateur
6. a horrible imbroglio
a. confusion b. disgrace c. conflagration
7. a broad piazza
a. forest b. error c. town square
8. an expensive replica
a. request b. copy c. machine
9. a famous impresario
a. singer b. actor c. manager
72
LESSON 4: ADDITIONAL ITALIAN BORROWINGS
Italian is often said to be the most musical of the Roam languages. Make sure to
practice the pronunciations of the following musical and artistic terms borrowed
from Italian. The two self-tests at the end of the lesson will help you reinforce the
words and their meanings.
1. sotto voce: in a low, soft voice, so as not to be overheard.

2. sonata: a composition for one or two instruments, typically with three or four
contrasting movements.
3. fugue: a polyphonic composition based on one, two, or more themes that are
enunciated by several voices or parts in turn, and are subject to contrapuntal
treatment; in psychiatry, a period in which a patient suffers from loss of
memory, often begins a new life, and upon recovery, remembers nothing
from the amnesiac period. Borrowed through French from Italian ‘fuga,’
literally a fleeing, flight.
4. intermezzo: a short dramatic, musical, or other entertainment of light
character introduced between the acts of a drama or opera.
5. cantata: a choral composition, either sacred and resembling a short oratorio,
or secular, as a drama set to music but not to be acted.
6. maestro: an eminent composer, teacher, or conductor of music.
7. chiaroscuro: the distribution of light and shade in a picture.
8. villanella: a rustic Italian part-song without accompaniment. The French
word “villanelle,’ meaning a short poem of fixed form, was adapted from
Italian.

1. villanella: ......................................................................................................
2. chiaroscuro: ..................................................................................................
3. sonata: ...........................................................................................................
4. sotto voce:.....................................................................................................
5. maestro: ........................................................................................................
6. cantata: .........................................................................................................
7. intermezzo: ...................................................................................................
8. fugue: ............................................................................................................
73
Test 2: True/False
it is false.
1. maestro famous musician _____
2. chiaroscuro shadows _____
3. intermezzo musical interlude _____
4. cantata song _____
5. sonata ballad _____
6. villanella part-song _____
7. fugue musical instrument _____
8. sotto voce strident voice _____
74
LESSON 5: SPANISH BORROWINGS
1. desperado: a bold, reckless criminal or outlaw

2. fiesta: in Spain and Latin America, a festival celebrating a religious holiday;
any festive celebration
3. siesta: a midday or afternoon rest or nap, especially as taken in Spain and
Latin America
4. bonanza: a rich mass of ore, as found in mining; a spectacular windfall
5. pronto: promptly; quickly
6. patio: a paved outdoor area adjoining a house; courtyard
7. bolero: a lively Spanish dance in triple meter; a waist-length jacket worn
open in front
8. bravado: swaggering display of courage.
Test 1: True or False?

it is false.
1. siesta nap _____
2. patio courtyard _____
3. bolero jacket _____
4. fiesta celebration _____
5. bravado applause _____
6. pronto dappled pony _____
7. desperado desperate lover _____
8. bonanza sprawling ranch _____

1. pronto a. great, sudden wealth or luck

75
2. bravado b. afternoon nap
3. bonanza c. courtyard
4. bolero d. bold outlaw
5. desperado e. festive celebration
6. siesta f. promptly
7. patio g. waist-length jacket
8. fiesta h. swaggering show of bravery
76
LESSON 6: ADDITIONAL SPANISH BORROWINGS
Here are some additional Spanish word to spice up your speech and writing. Study
the definitions and complete the two self-tests at the end of the lesson to help you
reinforce what you have learned.
1. tango: a ballroom dance of Spanish-American origin.
2. arroyo: a small steep-sided watercourse or gulch with a nearly flat floor,
usually dry except in heavy rains.
3. sierra: a chain of bills or mountains, the peaks of which suggest the teeth of a
saw.
4. mesa: a land formation having a flat top and steep rock walls, common in
arid and semiarid parts of the United States and Mexico.
5. chili con carne: a spicy Mexican-American dish of meat, beans, onion,
chopped pepper, tomatoes, and seasonings.
6. guerrilla: a member of a small, independent band of soldiers that harass the
enemy by surprise raids, sabotage, etc.
7. mustang: a small, hardy horse of the American plains.
8. caudillo: a head of state, especially a military dictator.
Test 1. Definitions
For each definition, select the correct vocabulary word.
1. A member of a band of independent soldiers who harass the enemy through
surprise attacks.
a. quadroon b. arroyo c. mustang d. guerilla
2. a Mexican- American dish of meat, beans, onion, chopped pepper, tomatoes, and
seasonings.
a. sierra b. taco c. chili con carne d. peccadillo
3. a small, steep-sided watercourse of gulch with a nearby flat floor
a. arroz con pollo b. tango c. arroyo d. mesa
4. a small, hardy horse
a. arroyo b. mustang c. mesa d. caudillo
77
5. a military dictator
a. caudillo b. mesa c. sierra d. arroyo
6. a ballroom dance of Spanish-American origin
a. tango b. waltz c. quadroon d. arroyo
7. a land formation having a flat top and steep rock walls
a. Sierra Madre b. tango c. arroyo d. mesa
8. a chain of hills or mountains
a. quadroon b. mesa c. sierra d. arroyo
Test 2. Matching Synonyms

Match each of the numbered words with its closest synonym. Write your answer in
the space provided.
1.mesa A. soldier
2.mustang B. saw-toothed mountains
3.caudillo C. ballroom dance
4.arroyo D. flat-topped land formation
5. guerilla E. chief of state
6.tango F. spicy dish of meat and beans
7.chili con carne G. dry gulch
8.sierra H. horse
78
LESSON 7: LATIN BORROWINGS
1. decorum: dignified behavior, manners, or appearance.

2. gratis: without charge or payment; free.
3. in toto: in all; in the whole.
4. odium: intense hatred or dislike, especially toward something or someone
regarded as contemptible, despicable, repugnant.
5. per se: by, of, for, or in itself.
6. pro tempore: temporarily, for the time being.
7. status quo: the existing state of condition; thing as they are.
8. terra firma: firm or solid earth; dry land.

1. pro tempore ..................................................................................................
2. odium ............................................................................................................
3. in toto ............................................................................................................
4. per se ............................................................................................................
5. terra firma .....................................................................................................
6. decorum ........................................................................................................
7. gratis .............................................................................................................
8. status quo ......................................................................................................
Test 2: True/False
it is false.
1. status quo existing state _____
79
2. pro tempore for the time being _____
3. odium bad odor _____
4. terra firma solid ground _____
5. per se amount _____
6. in toto with the dog _____
7. gratis free _____
8. decorum embellishment _____
80
SPECIAL WORDS
LESSON 1. SLANG
Slang is a very informal use of vocabulary and idiom, typically formed by creative,
often clever juxtapositions of images or words. It is characteristically more
metaphorical, playful, elliptical, vivid, and ephemeral than ordinary language.
New slang expressions tend to come from subcultures, such as adolescents, ethnic
minorities, citizen-band radio broadcasters, sports groups, criminals, and members
of established institutions, such as the armed forces or labor unions. If members of
the subculture have sufficient contact with the mainstream culture, the slang
expression often passes into general use. For instance, ‘cool’ (fashionable, well-
accepted), ‘nitty-gritty’ (the core of crux of some matter), and ‘The man’ (the law)
all derive from the black culture of New York’s Harlem area.
Slang develops just as other levels of language develop. In some instances, words
acquire new meanings (‘cat’ for a person); in others, a meaning becomes extended
(‘fink’, at first a strikebreaker, now refers to any betrayer). Words become
abbreviated (‘burger’ for ‘hamburger’, ‘perk’ for ‘percolate’), and acronyms
become widely used (‘VIP’). Often words are created to deal with social and other
innovations (as ‘tailgating’, ‘yuppie’, ‘hiphop’).
Slang expressions can quickly become passé (‘sheik’, ‘skiddoo’, ‘goo-goo eyes’,
‘the cat’s pajamas’, ‘hepcat’) or standard speech (‘hand-me-down’ for ‘second-
hand item’). Today, mass communication has greatly speeded up the circulation of
slang expressions.
While slang invigorates a language, giving it freshness and energy, it has no place
in formal speech and writing. Use it occasionally to flavor your conversation, but
be careful to suit your audience and purpose. Also, make sure the words you’re
using are not stale and out of date.
81
Test: Write In
Each of the following sentences contains an italicized slang word or expression that
is perfectly appropriate in the context or informal conversation. For each sentence,
replace the slang word with a word or phrase that would be better suited to more
formal usage and notice the effect of the change. Write your answer in the space
provided.
_______________ 1. He really bugs me when he does that.

_______________ 2. Slow down! Smokey’s up ahead behind those bushes!
_______________ 3. That chore was a real pain in the neck.
_______________ 4. Johnny was hit on the bean with the softball.
_______________ 5. I had a lot of moola riding on that bet.
_______________ 6. I blew it all at the races.
_______________ 7. That franchise deal was a ripoff.
_______________ 8. If you keep on drinking like that, you’re going to get
plastered.
_______________ 9. I wish he’d quit his bellyaching.
_______________ 10. When she’s in one of those moods, she’s a real sourpuss.
_______________ 11. He zapped the figures marching across the screen and
defeated his opponent.
_______________ 12. What’s your beef?
_______________ 13. I told him to bug off.
_______________ 14. If he doesn’t start studying soon, he’s going to flunk this
course.
_______________ 15. Mike is hooked on video games.
82
LESSON 2: JARGON AND ARGOT
‘Get him in here stat’, the doctor ordered. ‘Stat’, a word adopted by the medical
establishment from Latin ‘statim’, is medical argot for ‘immediately’ and is used
when doctors and their assistants want to communicate quickly and efficiently.
Both ‘jargon’ and ‘argot’ refer to the vocabulary that is peculiar to a specific group
of people and that has been devised for intergroup communication or identification.
Its use is also a means of restricting access by the uninitiated and creating a sense
of exclusivity among group members. Though the words ‘jargon’ and ‘argot’ are
interchangeable, ‘jargon’ has derogatory connotations and one of its common
meanings is gibberish, nonsense. For that reason, we shall use the designation
‘argot’ for specialized terminology.
While some argot does pass into general circulation, most of it remains
incomprehensible to the layperson. Argot should be used only within the field to
which it belongs; otherwise, it will probably fail to communicate your meaning.
Here are some examples of argot drawn from different disciplines.
Legal Argot
on all fours: a legal precedent exactly on the mark blacklining marking up a legal
document for changes
nit: a small point
conformed copy: a legal document with a printed rather that a signed name
counterparts: identical copies signed by different parties.
Publishing Argot
dummy: a mocked-up copy to be checked, as for pagination.
proof: a trial impression of composed type taken to correct errors and make
alterations.
gutter: the white space formed by the inner margins of two facing pages on a book
slush pile: unsolicited manuscripts.
Printing Argot
bleed: illustration or printing that extends beyond the trim size of the page.
83
roll size: paper width.
live art: the actual art being used.
blanket: the rubber sheet in a printing press that transfers the image from the plate
to the paper.
Theater Argot
boot up: to start a computer by loading the operating system
crash: a major computer malfunction.
debug: to detect and correct errors in a system.
interface: connection; interaction
on-line: connected to a main computer.
Aeronautics Argot
jig: a device in which an airplane part can be held while it is being worked on.
BAFO: best and final offer
RFQ: request for quote
CDRL: contract data requirements list.
Test: Matching Synonyms

Below are some examples of baseball argot. See how closely you can match each
word or phrase with its meaning.
1. fungo a. a high fly ball that’s easy to catch
2. around the horn b. batter hits the ball down so it will

bounce high
3. hit for the cycle c. a baseball tossed in the air and struck
as it comes down.
4. can of corn d. a home run with three runners on

base
5. grand slam e. to get a single, double, triple, and

home run in one game.
6. Baltimore chop f. a double play started by the third

84
baseman
LESSON 3: DIALECT AND BRITICISMS
A dialect is a version of language spoken in a particular geographic region or by a

specific group of people. Dialects frequently contain words, pronunciations, and
grammatical structures that are not accepted as standard English. For example, in
the British Yorkshire dialect, ‘something’ would be rendered as ‘summat’.
Although the Americans and the British have little difficulty communicating with
each other, each country nevertheless retains a vocabulary of its own. Words used
specifically by the British are known as Briticisms. Here are some of the more
common ones.
Americanism Briticism
bar pub
laid off (from a job) redundant
raincoat mackintosh
police officer, cop bobby
guy bloke
candy store sweet-shop
crazy barmy
druggist chemist
TV telly
gasoline petrol
elevator lift
run (in a stocking) ladder
sofa settee
85
subway underground
hood (of a car) bonnet
naked starkers
napkin serviette
truck lorry
call up (on the telephone) ring up
French-fried potatoes chips
Test: Matching Synonyms

Match each Briticism with its American counterpart. Write your answer in the
space provided.
1. lift napkin _____
2. underground sofa _____
3. telly hood (of a car) _____
4. barmy truck _____
5. chips guy _____
6. redundant elevator _____
7. settee druggist _____
8. petrol TV _____
9. bloke police officer, cop _____
10. bobby run (in a stocking) _____
11. lorry subway _____
12. chemist crazy _____
13. ring up call up _____
86
14. mackintosh gasoline _____
15. serviette raincoat _____
16. pub French fries _____
17. sweet-shop bar _____
18. ladder laid off _____
19. bonnet candy store _____
20. starkers naked _____
87
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1. bootlegger f a. fanatical patriotism

2. bugbear d b. total failure

4. jackanapes d. groundless fear

5. jeroboam e e. oversized wine bottle

6. nonplus h f. unlawful producer of alcohol

7. quisling i g. rude fellow

10. chauvinism a j. strike

Test 2: True/ False

Word definition True/ False?

1. bowdlerize male child (Scottish) f

3. bootlegger petty thief f

5. chauvinism fanatical patriotism t

9. jeroboam ancient queen f

10. nonplus certain f

Test 1: True / False

Word definition True / False

1. enclave rendezvous ___f_

2. abominate detest __t__

3. wiseacre large ranch __f__

4. expunge erase __t__

5. prevaricate preplan __f__

6. inchoate illogical __f__

7. aberration fidelity __f__

8. expedite slow down __f__

9. abracadabra hocus-pocus __t__

10. ebullient enthusiastic __t__

10. prevaricate j. high-spirited

1. adieu a. delicious food

2. aloof b. inconsistent; random

3. gerrymander c. distant; remote

7. desultory g. without fault

8. aegis h. concentrated essence

9. mesmerize i. divide a political district

10.quintessence j. a well-read woman

Test 1: True / False

Test 2: Defining Words

1. halcyon a. tightly sealed

6. hector f. small bus

8. hermetic h. pleasure trip

Test 2: True / False

1. halcyon calm ____

2. jitney juggler ____

3. maelstrom masculine ____

4. intransigent uncompromising ____

5. insolent rude ____

6. interloper welcome guest ____

7. junket refuse ____

8. hector helper ____

10.helpmeet newcomer ____

Test 1: Sentence Completion

gossamer magenta mandrake martinet gorgon

garret meander knickers gazette martinet

1. It is pleasant to __________ slowly down picturesque country roads on crisp

1. toady sycophant ____

2. miscreant sociable person ____

3. mugwump political ally ____

4. namby-pamby cereal ____

2. abominate detest t

3. wiseacre large ranch f

4. expunge erase t

5. prevaricate preplan f

6. inchoate illogical f

7. aberration fidelity f

8. expedite slow down f

9. abracadabra hocus-pocus t

10. ebullient enthusiastic t