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4/29/14

COMPUNCTION

COMPUNCTION
Com-punk-shun

Guilt; repentance; remorse;

Having remorse or guilt.

Our compunction was great and we apologized.


I could tell by the look of compunction that it was Bill who stole the money.

Com - punc - tion
Comp (Reminds) Complain
Punc (Reminds) Punk


Memory Trick: A complaining punk feels guilty.
COMPLAIN PUNK



Your emails are protean. Are you an email pro?
Answer below...




(c) 2014 E. Carruthers


Answer: 
Not really. Your emails change a lot. Protean means changing in shape or character. Your emails change. That's all.

INURE

INURE
In-yer

Train; toughen; harden;

Growing accustomed to hardship.

Inure the pain and toughen up and you will never quit.



Tennis will inure your body to the rigors of hitting a ball.


Inure
Inure (Reminds) Endure

Memory Trick: We endure a hardship.
ENDURE


 
A Felis Catus sits in your garden. Do you have to water it?
Answer below...





(c) 2014 E. Carruthers


Answer: 
No. It's a cat. Why water a cat?

4/28/14

ATTUNE

ATTUNE
Ah-toon

Kinship; being in tune; adjusted;

Having a harmonious relationship.

Learning is easy because a teacher and students attune.
They are attuned with each other.

At - tune
Tune (Reminds) Tune

Memory Trick: We sing a tune in harmony with others.
TUNE



I tell you, "You are transparent and nigh to me."  How do you know we will talk again?
Answer below...





(c) 2014 E. Carruthers

Answer: 
Being nigh is to be near. You are close and we will talk again.

4/27/14

BULWARK

BULWARK
Bull-wark

Protect; guard; fort;

Fortifying against danger.

The bulwark safeguarded the birds against the wind of the storm.

The bull was a bulwark against the cat. The mouse now felt very safe.

Bul - wark
Bul (Reminds) Bull
Wark (Reminds) Work

Memory Trick: Protecting is work for a bull.
BULL WORK




Question: You stand by your air conditioner and venerate your living room. Why are you still hot?









(c) 2014 E. Carruthers
 
Answer: 

Venerate means to admire. You are admiring your living room. You are not cooling it.

4/26/14

COMMODIOUS

COMMODIOUS
Kom-mowd-dee-us

Roomy; big; grand;

A place that is spacious.

The commodious house loomed large and the windows glimmered.


The commodious house stood before us. Even the door was huge.

Comm - odious
Comm (Reminds) Common
Odious (Reminds) Odor or smells

Memory Trick: A common space is filled with odors.

COMMON ODOR


 

The wind is propitious. How fast does your sailboat go?
Answer below...



 
(c) 2014 E. Carruthers


Answer: 
Not fast. It is gentle. Propitious means being favorable or gentle. Kind.

4/24/14

SPLENETIC

SPLENETIC

Splen-net-tik

Sullen; testy; spiteful

A sadness that is gloomy.

The splenetic children waited for the rain to stop while their bicycles waited.

Splenet - tic
Splenet (Reminds) Splendid
Tic (Reminds) Tic or interruption

Memory Trick:
It was splendid until it was interrupted by a tic.
SPLENDENT TIC


It was a splenetic day. No one was happy.

 
You are always coterminous when I come home. I don't mind because I like you. What are you doing?
Answer below...


 
 
 
 
(c) 2014 E. Carruthers

 
Answer: 
Being next to me. Coterminous means next to or near.

ELIXIR

ELIXIR

<Ee-liks-er>

Cure; potion; remedy;

A drink that is invigorating.

Drink an elixir before dancing and it will get you moving.

E - lix - ir
Lix (Reminds) Licks

An invigorating drink licks fatigue.

Coffee is my favorite elixir. It really gets me going.


Q.  I serve you peas to appease you. Why does it not work?




 
 
 
 
(c) 2014 E. Carruthers

A.  You don't like peas. Appease means to calm or pacify. Something you don't like will not make you happy.




4/22/14

EPISTLE

EPISTLE

Ee-pis-el

Note; letter; communication;

A message sent by a messenger.

An epistle arrived and it shows that she misses you.

Ep - istle
Ep (Reminds) Epic
Istle (Reminds) Missile

A fast note is an epic missile.

EPIC MISSILE




Q.  You become a sexagenarian. Why can you stay in bed all day?





 
 
 
 
(c) 2014 E. Carruthers




A. You are probably retired. A sexagenarian is at least the age of 60 and younger than 70.


4/21/14

CAVALCADE

CAVALCADE

Kav-al-kayd
Procession; caravan; parade;

Moving in a parade on horseback or in cars.
The cavalcade was endless and we admired the horses.

Caval - cade
Caval (Reminds) Cavalry
Cade (Reminds) Parade

Memory Trick: A cavalry parade goes by us.
CAVALRY PARADE

Q. You bewilder me when you tell me to be wilder. How wild do I get?
 
 
 
 
 
(c) 2014 E. Carruthers

A: Not wild at all. Bewilder means to confuse. You confused me.
 

SANGUINE


SANGUINE
<San-gwin>

Confident; hopeful; upbeat;
Having a lot of optimism.
You're sanguine because you always have hope.


SAN - GUINE
San
(Reminds)
Sans or none
Guine
(Reminds)
Whine or complain

Memory Trick: We are sans whine because we have hope.
SANS WHINE

He always had a sanguine attitude. He was always upbeat and confident.
 

You find your friend is propertied. Do you untie your friend?




 
 
 
 
 
(c) 2014 E. Carruthers

No. Propertied means rich.
 





4/20/14

ARGOT


ARGOT

<Arg-get>


Terminology; lingo; slang;

Vocabulary only understood by a group.

The argot of Internet users is met with dismay from technophobes.


AR - GOT

Ar
(Reminds)
Argue
Got
(Reminds)
Got

What you argue I got because I speak the same lingo.

ARGUE GOT






You say, "This chocolate cake is dank!"  Do you eat it?
Answer below...




 
 
 
 
(c) 2014 E. Carruthers


Answer: 
Yes. Dank means being moist. It probably is very good.

4/19/14

EXTOL


EXTOL

<Ex-toll>


Bless; glorify; laud;

Praising a person.

You extol musicians because you love their music.


EX - TOL

Ex
(Reminds)
Ex or the past
Tol
(Reminds)
Toll or result

I praise you because your ex-toll is good.

EX TOLL




 
A duck quacks loudly. You shout and run toward towards an egress and a tern. Why do I call you a coward?
Answer below:


 
 
 
 
(c) 2014 E. Carruthers





Answer: 
Egress is an exit.  You got scared by a quacking duck and ran away.


4/17/14

EXPOSTULATE


EXPOSTULATE
<Ex-potch-chew-late>

Argue; protest; complain;

Reasoning earnestly.

You expostulate with the children and convince them that monsters are not real.


EXPOST - ULATE

Expost
(Reminds)
Expose
Ulate
(Reminds)
You late

Expose you until I make you late.

EXPOSE YOU LATE

Que. Is a confabulation always fabulous?



 
 
 
 
(c) 2014 E. Carruthers

Ans: It depends on the speakers. A confabulation is a conversation or a speech.





IMMUTABLE

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