Convoke
<kon-volk>
assemble; convene; call;
to summon someone to a gathering.
I use a dog whistle to convoke an excited group of happy dogs. They come from miles around.
Memory trick:
convoke reminds of convene.
we convene or call a meeting.
At work:
Let's convoke with the sales department and work out the details. We are ready to ship.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/30/15
11/29/15
Raucous
Raucous
<rawk-kus>
loud; unruly; wild;
a noisy uncontrolled disturbance.
The children made a raucous in the house. You could not hear yourself think.
Memory trick:
raucous reminds of "rock us".
loud noise rocks us.
At work:
The raucous from the construction will make it impossible to work. It will be too noisy.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
<rawk-kus>
loud; unruly; wild;
a noisy uncontrolled disturbance.
The children made a raucous in the house. You could not hear yourself think.
Memory trick:
raucous reminds of "rock us".
loud noise rocks us.
At work:
The raucous from the construction will make it impossible to work. It will be too noisy.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/27/15
Perplex
Perplex
<per-pleks>
baffle; bewilder; puzzle
something that is confusing.
A mystery movie will perplex the audience. They don't know the answer until the end.
Memory trick:
remember perp.
a perp is an unknown person who committed a crime.
they are a mystery.
At work:
The complicated regulations perplex the accountants. They will spend days understanding them.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
<per-pleks>
baffle; bewilder; puzzle
something that is confusing.
A mystery movie will perplex the audience. They don't know the answer until the end.
Memory trick:
remember perp.
a perp is an unknown person who committed a crime.
they are a mystery.
At work:
The complicated regulations perplex the accountants. They will spend days understanding them.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/26/15
Unimpeachable
Unimpeachable
<uhn-imm-pee-cha-bul>
reliable; spotless; trustworthy;
someone or something that is dependable and uncorrupted.
The story was unimpeachable because there were many witnesses who saw the same thing.
Memory trick:
unimpeachable reminds of impeach.
we impeach someone when they are dishonest.
impeach means to remove someone from power.
they cannot be impeached because they are honest.
they are- un impeachable.
At work:
The results of the testing are unimpeachable. We get the same results each time.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
<uhn-imm-pee-cha-bul>
reliable; spotless; trustworthy;
someone or something that is dependable and uncorrupted.
The story was unimpeachable because there were many witnesses who saw the same thing.
Memory trick:
unimpeachable reminds of impeach.
we impeach someone when they are dishonest.
impeach means to remove someone from power.
they cannot be impeached because they are honest.
they are- un impeachable.
At work:
The results of the testing are unimpeachable. We get the same results each time.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/25/15
Hoary
Hoary
<or-ree>
antiquated; old; grizzled;
something that is ancient.
The hoary recliner sat in the den for ages. Dad was not happy to find a new chair in its place.
Memory trick:
we say hooray when something exists a long time.
A hooray is a shout of cheer.
At work:
Our office felt hoary until we replaced everything. It was now bright and happy.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
<or-ree>
antiquated; old; grizzled;
something that is ancient.
The hoary recliner sat in the den for ages. Dad was not happy to find a new chair in its place.
Memory trick:
we say hooray when something exists a long time.
A hooray is a shout of cheer.
At work:
Our office felt hoary until we replaced everything. It was now bright and happy.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/24/15
Fete
Fete
<fate>
gala; fiesta; party;
a gathering for a celebration.
We will plan a fete to celebrate your birthday. We will have cake and balloons.
Memory trick:
fete sounds like fate.
it is fate to meet at a party.
At work:
We will have a fete to announce our new product. Either that or it's Friday.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
<fate>
gala; fiesta; party;
a gathering for a celebration.
We will plan a fete to celebrate your birthday. We will have cake and balloons.
Memory trick:
fete sounds like fate.
it is fate to meet at a party.
At work:
We will have a fete to announce our new product. Either that or it's Friday.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/23/15
Jocund
Jocund
<jok-kund>
happy; joyful; gleeful;
feeling good and cheerful.
The jocund song made everyone feel great. We all had fun.
Memory trick:
Jocund reminds of joke.
At work:
The office party had a jocund feel because everyone was smiling and laughing.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
<jok-kund>
happy; joyful; gleeful;
feeling good and cheerful.
The jocund song made everyone feel great. We all had fun.
Memory trick:
Jocund reminds of joke.
At work:
The office party had a jocund feel because everyone was smiling and laughing.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/22/15
Lucid
Lucid
<loo-sid>
simple; clear; plain;
something that is easy to understand.
I studied a lot and each question was lucid to me. I scored perfect.
Memory trick:
lucid reminds of lucky.
lucky it is simple.
At work:
I took a walk to think and the answer to the problem became lucid. It was solved.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
<loo-sid>
simple; clear; plain;
something that is easy to understand.
I studied a lot and each question was lucid to me. I scored perfect.
Memory trick:
lucid reminds of lucky.
lucky it is simple.
At work:
I took a walk to think and the answer to the problem became lucid. It was solved.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/21/15
Opaque
Opaque
<oh-pake>
cloudy; unclear; blurred;
something that cannot be seen through.
The trees made an opaque barrier between the houses. They made the yard private.
Memory trick:
opaque reminds of oppose.
At work:
The prior results must be opaque to the people testing. This way they can't cheat.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
<oh-pake>
cloudy; unclear; blurred;
something that cannot be seen through.
The trees made an opaque barrier between the houses. They made the yard private.
Memory trick:
opaque reminds of oppose.
At work:
The prior results must be opaque to the people testing. This way they can't cheat.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/20/15
Flippant
Flippant
<flip-pant>
playful; rude; impudent;
having a disrespectful attitude.
The student was flippant and the teacher asked her to leave the classroom.
Remember:
flippant reminds of "flip ant".
we flip something by turning it around.
an ant is small.
we make someone feel small when we turn around their words.
At work:
You will get better customer service if you are not flippant. Be nice and pleasant.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
<flip-pant>
playful; rude; impudent;
having a disrespectful attitude.
The student was flippant and the teacher asked her to leave the classroom.
Remember:
flippant reminds of "flip ant".
we flip something by turning it around.
an ant is small.
we make someone feel small when we turn around their words.
At work:
You will get better customer service if you are not flippant. Be nice and pleasant.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/19/15
Involute
Involute
<in-vah-loot>
intricate; complicated; confused;
something that is complex and involved.
The map is an involute maze of twists and turns. I don't know how to get there.
Remember:
Involute reminds of convoluted.
convoluted means to make something confusing.
At work:
Our software has an involute feel and it is hard to use. We must make it simpler.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
<in-vah-loot>
intricate; complicated; confused;
something that is complex and involved.
The map is an involute maze of twists and turns. I don't know how to get there.
Remember:
Involute reminds of convoluted.
convoluted means to make something confusing.
At work:
Our software has an involute feel and it is hard to use. We must make it simpler.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/18/15
Vexation
Vexation
<veks-aay-shun>
anger; aggravation; irritation;
being annoyed or agitated.
The dripping water caused a constant vexation. I woke up and shut off the water.
Remember:
vexation reminds of aggravation.
Our vexation went away when the other company ended the lawsuit. It was a great day.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
<veks-aay-shun>
anger; aggravation; irritation;
being annoyed or agitated.
The dripping water caused a constant vexation. I woke up and shut off the water.
Remember:
vexation reminds of aggravation.
Our vexation went away when the other company ended the lawsuit. It was a great day.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/17/15
Extrinsic
Extrinsic
<egg-strinz-zik>
outside; external; imported;
something that is foreign.
The gift came from an extrinsic source. We never knew who gave it.
Memory trick:
extrinsic reminds of external.
At work:
We will be audited by an extrinsic auditor. They will come into the office next week.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
<egg-strinz-zik>
outside; external; imported;
something that is foreign.
The gift came from an extrinsic source. We never knew who gave it.
Memory trick:
extrinsic reminds of external.
At work:
We will be audited by an extrinsic auditor. They will come into the office next week.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/16/15
Elucidate
Elucidate
<ee-loo-sah-dayte>
explain; clarify; decode;
to make something clear and simple.
A picture will elucidate a complicated story because a picture paints a thousand words.
Memory trick:
elucidate reminds of lucid.
lucid means to think clearly.
At work:
We need to elucidate the instructions. The text is too small and the words are unclear.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
<ee-loo-sah-dayte>
explain; clarify; decode;
to make something clear and simple.
A picture will elucidate a complicated story because a picture paints a thousand words.
Memory trick:
elucidate reminds of lucid.
lucid means to think clearly.
At work:
We need to elucidate the instructions. The text is too small and the words are unclear.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/15/15
Providential
Providential
<pra-vid-den-shul>
fortunate; lucky; opportune;
something happy that happens at a good time.
Winning the lottery was providential after they bought a new house. They paid it off in full.
Remember:
providential reminds of provide.
provide means to give something needed.
At work:
It was providential that the market went up right after the stock went public. We made a lot of money.
(C) 2015 E. Carruthers
<pra-vid-den-shul>
fortunate; lucky; opportune;
something happy that happens at a good time.
Winning the lottery was providential after they bought a new house. They paid it off in full.
Remember:
providential reminds of provide.
provide means to give something needed.
At work:
It was providential that the market went up right after the stock went public. We made a lot of money.
(C) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/14/15
Rigmarole
Rigmarole
<rig-mah-roll>
babble; tale; silliness;
a story that is nonsense.
The fist chapter was rigmarole but the rest of the book was good.
Memory trick:
rigmarole reminds of rig.
something rigged is fake.
example: The game is rigged and you cannot win.
At work:
We must remove the rigmarole from our ads. We should only talk about the product.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
<rig-mah-roll>
babble; tale; silliness;
a story that is nonsense.
The fist chapter was rigmarole but the rest of the book was good.
Memory trick:
rigmarole reminds of rig.
something rigged is fake.
example: The game is rigged and you cannot win.
At work:
We must remove the rigmarole from our ads. We should only talk about the product.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/13/15
Ersatz
Ersatz
<air-zots>
fake; phony; false;
something that is artificial or counterfeit.
Never buy ersatz lemonade. Always make sure it has lemon juice. Some brands are all sugar.
Memory trick:
ersatz reminds of err.
an err is a mistake.
we mistake fake for real.
The bug problem went away when we got ersatz flowers. No one was happy because we missed the aroma the office.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
<air-zots>
fake; phony; false;
something that is artificial or counterfeit.
Never buy ersatz lemonade. Always make sure it has lemon juice. Some brands are all sugar.
Memory trick:
ersatz reminds of err.
an err is a mistake.
we mistake fake for real.
The bug problem went away when we got ersatz flowers. No one was happy because we missed the aroma the office.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/12/15
Poignant
Poignant
<poy-yant>
bitter; heartbreaking; sorrowful;
something that makes you sad or mournful.
Our poignant moment turned to joy when the lost puppy was found.
Memory trick:
poi reminds of poor.
poor us.
At work:
There were many poignant feelings at the retirement party. He was going to be missed.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
<poy-yant>
bitter; heartbreaking; sorrowful;
something that makes you sad or mournful.
Our poignant moment turned to joy when the lost puppy was found.
Memory trick:
poi reminds of poor.
poor us.
At work:
There were many poignant feelings at the retirement party. He was going to be missed.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/11/15
Magnanimous
Magnanimous
<mag-nan-nah-mus>
charitable; generous; unselfish;
being forgiving and good to someone less fortunate than you.
The boy was kind and he let the fish go. He was always magnanimous to small animals.
Remember:
magnanimous reminds of generous.
At work:
We're lucky to have a magnanimous CEO. He always treats us well.
(c) 2015 E. Carrruthers
<mag-nan-nah-mus>
charitable; generous; unselfish;
being forgiving and good to someone less fortunate than you.
The boy was kind and he let the fish go. He was always magnanimous to small animals.
Remember:
magnanimous reminds of generous.
At work:
We're lucky to have a magnanimous CEO. He always treats us well.
(c) 2015 E. Carrruthers
11/10/15
Indefatigable
Indefatigable
<inn-deh-fat-tig-gah-bul>
tireless; persistent; energetic;
being consistent and untiring.
The indefatigable dog chased the ball all day. He never got tired.
Memory trick:
indefatigable reminds of "not fatigue".
fatigue means to be tired.
At work:
We are successful because of your indefatigable hard work. You never quit.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
<inn-deh-fat-tig-gah-bul>
tireless; persistent; energetic;
being consistent and untiring.
The indefatigable dog chased the ball all day. He never got tired.
Memory trick:
indefatigable reminds of "not fatigue".
fatigue means to be tired.
At work:
We are successful because of your indefatigable hard work. You never quit.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/9/15
Equivocal
Equivocal
<ear-kwiv-vah-kul>
unclear; vague; hazy;
something with many possible meanings or results.
The movie had an equivocal ending. We never learned the end of the story.
Remember:
equivocal reminds of "equal vocal".
it's equally vocal when there can be many answers.
At work:
She never gives us equivocal directions. We always know what to do.
P.S.
You are a neophyte. = You are a beginner who makes mistakes. (knee-oh-fight)
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
<ear-kwiv-vah-kul>
unclear; vague; hazy;
something with many possible meanings or results.
The movie had an equivocal ending. We never learned the end of the story.
Remember:
equivocal reminds of "equal vocal".
it's equally vocal when there can be many answers.
At work:
She never gives us equivocal directions. We always know what to do.
P.S.
You are a neophyte. = You are a beginner who makes mistakes. (knee-oh-fight)
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/8/15
Delectation
Delectation
<dee-lek-tay-shun>
joy; happiness; elation;
feeling pleasure or enjoyment.
Candy is my favorite delectation. It always makes me smile.
Remember:
delectation reminds of delectable.
something delectable is pleasant.
At work:
An air of delectation filled the room when we won the contract. A handshake sealed the deal.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
<dee-lek-tay-shun>
joy; happiness; elation;
feeling pleasure or enjoyment.
Candy is my favorite delectation. It always makes me smile.
Remember:
delectation reminds of delectable.
something delectable is pleasant.
At work:
An air of delectation filled the room when we won the contract. A handshake sealed the deal.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/7/15
Vagary
Vagary
<va-gair-ree>
erratic; change; oddity;
an unexplained and unexpected change.
His wearing a tie was a vagary to everyone. He always wore sweaters.
Remember:
vagary remind of vague.
changes are vague or unclear to us.
At work:
Never drink alcohol at the office party. Vagary behavior will occur and it's never good.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
<va-gair-ree>
erratic; change; oddity;
an unexplained and unexpected change.
His wearing a tie was a vagary to everyone. He always wore sweaters.
Remember:
vagary remind of vague.
changes are vague or unclear to us.
At work:
Never drink alcohol at the office party. Vagary behavior will occur and it's never good.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/6/15
Lackadaisical
Lackadaisical
<lak-ah-days-zik-kal>
lazy; passive; relaxed;
lacking energy or having no interest.
I felt lackadaisical and had no desire to clean. I watch movies all day.
Remember:
lackadaisical reminds of lack.
we have a lack of enthusiasm.
At work:
We felt lackadaisical after the big meal. We got back to work after drinking coffee.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
<lak-ah-days-zik-kal>
lazy; passive; relaxed;
lacking energy or having no interest.
I felt lackadaisical and had no desire to clean. I watch movies all day.
Remember:
lackadaisical reminds of lack.
we have a lack of enthusiasm.
At work:
We felt lackadaisical after the big meal. We got back to work after drinking coffee.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/5/15
Vehement
Vehement
angry; furious; violent;
<vee-heh-meant>
showing strong and powerful emotions.
Her workouts are vehement. She always works up a sweat.
Remember:
vehement reminds of violent.
At work:
The stockholders showed their vehement opposition to the proposal. They became agreeable when they learned the details.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
angry; furious; violent;
<vee-heh-meant>
showing strong and powerful emotions.
Her workouts are vehement. She always works up a sweat.
Remember:
vehement reminds of violent.
At work:
The stockholders showed their vehement opposition to the proposal. They became agreeable when they learned the details.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/4/15
Ostentatious
Ostentatious
<ahs-sten-tay-shish>
gaudy; classy; showy;
something flashy meant to impress others.
Her ostentatious hat had flowers and diamonds on it. Everyone gasped when they saw it.
Memory trick:
ostentatious reminds of ostrich.
an ostrich is flashy.
At work:
Our presentation should be ostentatious. Let's add dancing clowns with banjos.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
<ahs-sten-tay-shish>
gaudy; classy; showy;
something flashy meant to impress others.
Her ostentatious hat had flowers and diamonds on it. Everyone gasped when they saw it.
Memory trick:
ostentatious reminds of ostrich.
an ostrich is flashy.
At work:
Our presentation should be ostentatious. Let's add dancing clowns with banjos.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/3/15
Pell-mell
Pell-mell
<pel-mel>
chaotic; hastily; confused;
to do something hurriedly and disordered.
She ran around pell-mell. She packed so quickly she forgot the tickets.
Memory trick:
pell-mell-fell
At work:
We can't build software in a pell-mell way. We have to design it and be organized.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
<pel-mel>
chaotic; hastily; confused;
to do something hurriedly and disordered.
She ran around pell-mell. She packed so quickly she forgot the tickets.
Memory trick:
pell-mell-fell
At work:
We can't build software in a pell-mell way. We have to design it and be organized.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/2/15
Exultant
Exultant
<ehk-zalt-tant>
elated; happy; joyous;
being gleeful and triumphant.
The exultant crowd roared with joy. The game was over and we won.
Memory trick:
exultant reminds of excitement.
At work:
We became exultant when we learned of winning the award. People danced in the halls.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
<ehk-zalt-tant>
elated; happy; joyous;
being gleeful and triumphant.
The exultant crowd roared with joy. The game was over and we won.
Memory trick:
exultant reminds of excitement.
At work:
We became exultant when we learned of winning the award. People danced in the halls.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
11/1/15
Unsavory
Unsavory
<uhn-save-or-ree>
unattractive; nasty; shady;
anything unappealing in sight, smell or character.
The man looked unsavory but he looked great after the makeover.
Memory trick:
un reminds of not.
savor means to enjoy.
not enjoy.
At work:
Our menus are unsavory. We need to make them look better.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
<uhn-save-or-ree>
unattractive; nasty; shady;
anything unappealing in sight, smell or character.
The man looked unsavory but he looked great after the makeover.
Memory trick:
un reminds of not.
savor means to enjoy.
not enjoy.
At work:
Our menus are unsavory. We need to make them look better.
(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
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