Better Vocabulary in 30 Minutes a Day
Narrated by Sean Pratt
Edie SchwagerUnabridged — 5 hours, 30 minutes
Better Vocabulary in 30 Minutes a Day
Narrated by Sean Pratt
Edie SchwagerUnabridged — 5 hours, 30 minutes
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Overview
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940172276811 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Ascent Audio |
| Publication date: | 10/18/2016 |
| Series: | Better English |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Words Are Tools
A
abridge — to shorten, abbreviate (from L ad, toward, breviare, to abbreviate)
It's easy to write a long memo. To abridge it usually takes much longer.
The collegiate dictionaries are abridgments of larger works.
In American English, fledgling, acknowledgment and judgment, like abridgment, are spelled without an e after the g, although abridgement is also correct. The British style generally is to retain the e in these and similar words.
Synonyms for abridgment include abstract, brief and epitome.
Blaise Pascal summed it up when he wrote (in 1657), "I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter."
abrogate — to give up, repeal, set aside (L ab, from, rogare, to ask)
Constantine refused when asked to abrogate his throne.
Free citizens should not abrogate their rights under the Constitution.
Treaties are sometimes abrogated by irresponsible nations.
Synonyms for abrogate include annul, void and nullify.
abstinence — self-denial, abstaining (OF, from L abstinentia)
Some religions prescribe abstinence from alcohol and certain foods during holy days.
Abstinence does not always make the heart grow fonder.
The verb is to abstain.
abstruse — hard to understand, concealed, mysterious (from L abstrusus, hidden)
The workings of statisticians are Too abstruse for those of us who are unfamiliar with mathematics.
Many worthwhile subjects Are abstruse until you start to study them.
accretion — increase, increment, accumulation (from L accretio, increase)
The United States was formed by accretion of land bought or otherwise acquired from other countries.
The accretion of sand dunes takes eons, but can be undone by one hurricane.
Carl Sandburg wrote that "the United States is, not are. The Civil War was fought over a verb."
acerbic — (a-SIR-bik) add, biting, sarcastic (from L acerbus, acer, sharp)
Groucho Marx was celebrated for his acerbic wit as well as his rolling eyes, fake mustache and meaningful leer. In one of his motion pictures, he said, "I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception."
The district attorney was notorious for His acerbic dueling with defense lawyers.
The film Laura featured Clifton Webb as The acerbic Waldo Lydecker, a critic in the full sense of the word.
acme — peak, the top, the best (Gk akme, highest point)
Known as the "Waltz King" and the composer of the immortal "The Beautiful Blue Danube," Johann Strauss was considered the acme of waltz composers.
Levi Strauss invented the acme of jeans.
Vintage grapes reach their acme when climatic conditions are also at their acme.
Wiley Coyote, the Roadrunner's nemesis in Loony Tunes cartoons, favored products made by the Acme company, but they never performed to his satisfaction.
acrimony — bitterness, rancor, sharpness (MF acrimonie, from L acer, sharp, acrimonia)
Debates in the Congress are often full of acrimony rather than reason.
Alimony payments are sometimes accompanied By acrimony.
acrophobia — fear of heights (Gk akros, topmost, extreme, L and Gk phobia, abnormal fear)
She has never visited the Grand Canyon or Sandia Mountain because she has acrophobia.
Some people refuse to fly in airplanes. They're not afraid to fly — they're just afraid of heights.
acropolis — city on a height (Gk acr, topmost, polis, city)
The magnificent Parthenon in Athens is the main attraction on The Acropolis.
There are many other temples on The Acropolis, but the Parthenon is the most world-renowned. It has undergone considerable renovation to restore the damage caused by acid rain, earthquakes and millions of visitors.
adamant — unyielding, inflexible, stubborn (L adamas, steel, hardest gem, diamond)
We are persistent in our beliefs; others Are adamant.
To be adamant in the face of logic is fruitless.
Adamantine is a synonym for adamant.
adherent — follower, advocate, proponent (MF adhérent, from L adhaerens)
He was a firm adherent of the Teddy Roosevelt philosophy of government: "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."
This word is also an adjective:
An ingenious invention, Velcro, is an adherent hook-and-loop tape.
Returning from a walk in the Swiss countryside in the early 1950s, George deMescal found cockleburs on his jacket. He wondered what made them so tenacious. When he examined the prickly plants under the microscope, he saw that cockleburs are covered with hooks, and that they became embedded in his jacket.
Velcro is used in aerospace and other applications.
The name Velcro comes from velvet and crochet.
adverse — unfavorable, unfortunate, critical (MF, from L adversus)
Under adverse weather conditions, Jason sailed off in the Argos with his brave companions for the adventure of his life.
The playwright was visibly downcast when he read The adverse reviews of his latest work.
Don't confuse this with averse, which means having a feeling of distaste, repugnance, dislike or antipathy.
aegis — (EE-jis) protection, auspices, leadership (L, from Gk aigis, shield of Zeus)
The task force operated under The aegis of the United Nations.
Under the aegis of the Czarina, Rasputin became the power behind the throne.
Zeus, the top brass in Greek mythology, wore an aegis, a shield or breastplate. His daughter, also wore a symbol of their preeminence. The shields were made of aigis, which originally meant goatskin. The symbolic meaning has been extended to auspices or sponsorship.
aggregation — a grouping together (L ad, to, grex, herd, flock)
New Jersey probably has the largest aggregation of pharmaceutical firms in the United States.
Arthur Goldberg became general counsel for the aggregation of local unions known as the Congress of Industrial Organizations.
agoraphobia — fear of crowds or open spaces (Gk agora, assembly, marketplace, phobia, abnormal fear)
The recluse was afflicted With agoraphobia, which prevented him from leaving his home for years at a time.
People with agoraphobia are afraid of being embarrassed or caught helpless in crowds or in the midst of an open space.
This word came into general use in 1873 with publication of an article by Dr. C. Westphal, and became part of the psychological and psychiatric lexicons.
alar — wing, winglike (L ala, wing)
Angels are usually portrayed with Spectacular alar appendages.
This is a handy four-letter word for crossword puzzle and Scrabble fans. The plural of ala (wing) is alae. A synonym for winged or alar is alate.
aleatoric — improvisatory, random, chancy (L alea, die, dice)
Life is full of aleatoric events.
Composer John Cage is preeminent in the field Of aleatoric music.
A favorite pastime of the ancient Romans was gambling with dice. Julius Caesar, on crossing the Rubicon, said, "Iacta alea est!" "The die is cast!" His gamble eventually paid off with a tremendous military victory.
alternative — a choice or option (L alternus, interchangeable)
Lord Cardigan's order apparently gave the Light Brigade No alternative to charging the Russian lines at Balaclava.
Desmond had three alternatives: He could go to college, enter the NBA draft system or choose a business career.
This word should be distinguished from alternate, which means by turns, or one after the other. Traffic reports give "alternate" routes when they should be giving alternative routes.
The plural alternatives reminds me of the story about the devoted son who came to his mother's home to thank her for the two neckties she had given him for his birthday. When he entered the house, he saw her face fall. "Hi, mom. Something wrong?" he asked. She answered with another question: "What's the matter? You didn't like the other tie?"
ambidextrous — skillful with either hand (L ambi, both, dexter, on the right, skillful)
Plumbers and other artisans are ambidextrous because they have to be able to work in any uncomfortable position with either hand.
Foreign correspondents must he not only inquisitive — they must be politically ambidextrous as well.
Although left-handed people were as skillful or talented as the right-handed in ancient Rome (as they still are), the bias in Latin is plain to see. This word is often used metaphorically to mean versatile or flexible.
ambience — surrounding atmosphere, environment, etc. (F ambiant, surrounding)
Professional military people are more comfortable in their Own ambience than in the company of armchair soldiers.
Sundecks on ships have a pleasant ambience about them.
Some diners go to expensive restaurants for the ambience as much as the food.
ambiguous — unclear, having more than one meaning (L ambiguus, from ambigere, to wander about, waver, from ambi, about, agere, to do)
Cary Grant received an ambiguous telegram reading "How old
Cary Grant?" Grant, known for his sense of humor, replied, "Old Cary Grant fine. How you?"
The best antonym for ambiguity is clarity, a quality much to be desired in English composition.
ameliorate — to improve, make better (F améliorer, alter, L melior, better)
The agency wished to ameliorate the condition of the refugees, but it was hampered by a lack of funds.
ampersand — and, the symbol &, also called short and Theampersandshould be used only in company names.
Every other use is tacky, but it's all right to use it once in a while in informal cursive writing. This symbol is taken from and plus per se (meaning by itself) plus and. Now you know why the shorthand symbol is used.
anachronistic — out of chronologic sequence (Gk ana, not, chronos, time)
Romance and historical novelists should be careful to avoid anachronistic events.
In an episode of Murder, She Wrote, the obnoxious shock jock showed his ignorance by suggesting to Jessica Fletcher that she arrange an anachronistic conference with Dostoevsky about making a television series of Crime and Punishment.
ancillary — related, subordinate, complementary, auxiliary (L ancilla, maidservant)
Acoustics and design are ancillary to the study of architecture.
Radiation is an ancillary treatment for certain kinds of cancer.
android — automaton with human form, humanlike (Gk andr, man, oeides, oid, like)
Robots are the most android of all the automatons.
Star Trek fans will remember Data, an endearing android, who was capable of human emotion.
anesthesia — unconsciousness or state of no pain (Gk an, not, asthesis, feeling)
A new, experimental drug was used to induce anesthesia during the five-hour operation on the quarterback's knee.
Anesthetics, the agents or drugs used, should be distinguished from anesthesia.
antecedent — predecessor, ancestor (L ante, before, cedere, to go)
Americans point with pride to their antecedents, who immigrated to this country at great cost and sacrifice for political or economic freedom.
This word can also be used as an adjective:
Typewriters were antecedent to word processors.
The verb should agree in number with its antecedent subject.
arcane — mysterious, secret, concealed (L arcanus)
The film Raiders of the Lost Ark depicted the search for the arcane Holy Grail.
Medieval alchemists were engaged in an arcane quest: to find the way to make gold from base metals.
Alchemists were also engaged in even more arcane pursuits: to find a panacea for all diseases and to discover a way to prolong life indefinitely.
argent — silver, silvery (L argentum)
The sea shone with an argent glow in the moonlight.
That day, the Aurora Borealis was argent, although in other climes Anouk had seen it in Technicolor.
The explorer Sebastian Cabot may have given Argentina its name because of the beautiful silver jewelry and ornaments the inhabitants wore.
artifact — object made by humans, not a natural object (L ars, art, skill, facere, to make)
The National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City has fascinating collections of artifacts from Central American civilizations, including the Aztec and the Mayan.
This word is also correctly spelled artefact.
asterisk — the symbol, sometimes called star (Gk asteriskos, little star, aster, star)
Some day a jokester may come up with a song titled "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Asterisk." But that would be redundant.
astronavigation — celestial navigation, "steering by the stars" (Gk aster, star, L navis, ship, agere, to lead, drive)
Airplane pilots use astronavigation as well as instruments to steer by.
On Jan. 30, 1996, an Amateur astronomer in Japan, Yuji Hayakutake, discovered a new comet, which was immediately named after him.
The authority at the Fels Planetarium in Philadelphia tells me that Hayakutake is not the brightest comet in 440 years and not the closest in 440 years (there have been others), but taking both characteristics together, it is the brightest and the closest.
aural — relating to the ear or sound (L auris, ear)
Although some species offish have no aural apparatus, they can sense motion or vibrations in the water, perhaps through some form of sonar.
This word sounds exactly like oral, which has to do with the mouth and not the ear, so the one word is often mistaken for the other.
auriferous — bearing or carrying gold (L aurum, gold, iferous, bearing)
The 1849 Gold Rush came soon after prospectors at Sutter's Mill found auriferous rocks.
On Oscars night, a famous movie critic wisecracked that the starlet was downright auriferous but that the gold of her hair was spurious.
austral — southern (L australis)
Exploring the austral seas was only for the bravest, because that part of the world was still uncharted.
The smallest continent, Australia, which is an island as well, was so named because it is in the southern Pacific Ocean.
avuncular — like an uncle (L avunculus, maternal uncle, the diminutive of avus, grandfather)
Milton Berle was called "Uncle Miltie" because of his sometimes avuncular air on his television show.
CHAPTER 2B
bagatelle — a trifle, something of little consequence (F, from It bagattella)
For the Chief Executive Officer, one Mercedes was a mere bagatelle.
A short piece of music or verse is often called a bagatelle. There is also a game called bagatelle that is similar to billiards.
barbaric — savage, uncivilized (Gk barbaros, foreigner)
Because of terrible means of destruction, modern wars are much More barbaric than those in bygone days.
Stravinsky's ballet Rite of Spring caused a near-riot in Paris because of its unfamiliar barbaric rhythms and discords.
A year later, audiences cheered Stravinsky's ballet and carried him out to the street on their shoulders "like a prizefighter," as a gendarme later said.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Better Vocabulary in 30 Minutes a Day"
by .
Copyright © 1996 Edie Schwager.
Excerpted by permission of Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
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