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11/17/11

Attune

Attune


To have a harmonious relationship.

To have a responsive relationship.

"When two people are attuned, ... they finish each others sentences."


"A good business is attuned to its customers."

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11/16/11

Phlegmatic

Phlegmatic
<fleg-mat-tik>

Not easily excited to action or passion; cold; dull; sluggish; heavy; as a phlegmatic person.

"He is a phlegmatic person.  He is bored by everything."



Insouciant
<in-so-see-an>

Careless; heedless; indifferent; unconcerned

"Your Insouciant attitude makes me think you don't care about it."

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11/14/11

Canvass

Canvass

v. t. [imp. & p. p. canvassed p. pr. & vb. n. Canvassing.] [OF. Canabasser to examine curiously, to search or sift out; properly, to sift through canvas. See Canvas, n.] 1. To sift; to strain; to examine thoroughly; to scrutinize; as to canvass the votes cast at an election; to canvass a district with reference to its probable vote. “I have made careful search on all hands, and canvassed the matter with all possible diligence.
Woodward.2. To examine by discussion; to debate. “An opinion that we are likely soon to canvass.
Sir W. Hamilton.3. To go through, with personal solicitation or public addresses; as to canvass a district for votes; to canvass a city for subscriptions.


Can´vass, v. i. To search thoroughly; to engage in solicitation by traversing a district; as to canvass for subscriptions or for votes; to canvass for a book, a publisher, or in behalf of a charity; — commonly followed by for.


Can´vass, n. 1. Close inspection; careful review for verification; as a canvass of votes. Bacon. 2. Examination in the way of discussion or debate. 3. Search; exploration; solicitation; systematic effort to obtain votes, subscribers, etc. “No previous canvass was made for me.
Burke.”



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Cabal

Cabal
A number of persons united in some close design, usually to promote their private views and interests in church or state by intrigue; a secret association composed of a few designing persons.

A junto. It so happend, by a whimsical coincidence, that in 1671 the cabinet consisted of five persons, the initial letters of whose names made up the word cabal.

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11/12/11

Abstruse

Abstruse
Hard to understand. Difficult to comprehend.

Remote from apprehension.

Confusing. Recondite.

Esoteric.

<ab-stroose>

"Math is abstruse to me."
 
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11/11/11

Expostulate

Expostulate

To reason earnestly with a person on some impropriety of their conduct.   "We expostulate with our erring friends."


To reason earnestly with a person on some impropriety of his conduct, representing the wrong he has done or intends, and urging him to make redress or to desist; to remonstrate; — followed by with.

“Men expostulate with erring friends; they bring accusations against enemies who have done them a wrong.” Jowett

syn. — To remonstrate; reason.

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Extol

Extol 
To elevate by praise; to eulogize; to praise; to magnify; as to extol virtue; to extol an act or a person. 
"What have I done for you, that you extol me so?"
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11/10/11

Argot

argot
A specialized vocabulary or set of idioms used by a particular group.
Lol belongs to the argot of internet chatters.

Secret words known only by the group. BFF
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11/8/11

Sanguine

Sanguine Anticipating the best. Confident; full of hope; as sanguine of success. Warm; ardent; lively; confident; hopeful. Anticipating the best; not despondent; confident;

11/7/11

Cavalcade

Cavalcade
A procession of persons on horseback; a formal, pompous march of horsemen by way of parade.

"He brought back war-worn cavalcade to the city."

< kav-al-kayd >
 
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11/6/11

Epistle

Epistle

Anything sent by a messenger, message, letter, fr. to send to, tell by letter or message.

A writing directed or sent to a person or persons; a written communication; a letter; applied usually to formal, didactic, or elegant letters.
"A madman’s epistles are no gospels." Shak.

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11/5/11

limitation

You drink imitation lemonade.
You then drink a limitation.

What are you drinking?

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You are drinking less.

Limitation means to set a limit on something.

A limit is a fix point you will stop at.

So... you are drinking less imitation lemonade...
... since you now have a set amount that you will stop at.

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"To know one’s own limitations, to know the reach and limits of one’s abilities." - A. R. Wallace.
 
When does incense ...
... incense you?

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When you don't like the way it smells.

Incense means to make extremely angry; infuriate; to make someone very mad.

Incense also is a wood or gum, that is burned to produce a pleasant odor.

How does one word have two opposite meanings?

How did they invent that one?

I am incensed!
 Talk about Limitation here...
 
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11/4/11

Elixir

Elixir

n.
1. (Med.) A tincture with more than one base; a compound tincture or medicine, composed of various substances, held in solution by alcohol in some form.
2. (Alchemy) An imaginary liquor capable of transmuting metals into gold; also one for producing life indefinitely; as elixir vitae, or the elixir of life.
3. The refined spirit; the quintessence.
"The elixir of worldly delights." -  South.

4. Any cordial or substance which invigorates.
"The grand elixir, to support the spirits of human nature." - Addison.



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11/3/11

Commodious

You sit on something commodious...

... what are you sitting on?

(answer below)

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Something large with a lot of space.
Commodious means roomy and spacious.

Do you feel more splenetic when the day is splendid?
(answer below)

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No. You feel less splenetic.
Splenetic means gloomy or sullen.
A splendid day makes you happier...
... since splendid means wonderful or great.
Sunny days are splendid.



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11/2/11

Affable

You say I am affable...

... because I tell you a fable.

Am I laughable... or do you like me.

(answer below)

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You like me. Affable means polite and friendly. An affable person is a likeable one.

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11/1/11

Bulwark

Hard work is a bulwark against poverty.

Bulwark: To defend against or protect from.

Memory Trick: Bull Walk - A bull is tough.
 
Bulwark

To protect or guard.

A raincoat is a bulwark against the rain.


n.
1. (Fort.) A rampart; a fortification; a bastion or outwork.
2. That which secures against an enemy, or defends from attack; any means of defense or protection.
"The royal navy of England hath ever been its greatest defense,  the floating bulwark of our island." ~ Blackstone.
 3. pl. (Naut.) The sides of a ship above the upper deck.

v. t.
To fortify with, or as with, a rampart or wall; to secure by fortification; to protect.
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IMMUTABLE

  IMMUTABLE <Im-mute-ah-bul> Unalterable; permanent; total; An unchangeable and undeniable absolute An immutable law never changes bec...