blue book #05

Question 1

bogeyman

Answer 1

an imaginary evil character of supernatural powers, especially a mythical hobgoblin supposed to carry off naughty children.

Question 2

bogus

Answer 2

not genuine; counterfeit; spurious; sham.

Question 3

bohemian

Answer 3

a person, as an artist or writer, who lives and acts free of regard for conventional rules and practices.

Question 4

boisterous

Answer 4

rough and noisy; noisily jolly or rowdy; clamorous; unrestrained:
the sound of boisterous laughter.

Question 5

bolster

Answer 5

1.
to support with or as with a pillow or cushion.

2.
to add to, support, or uphold:
They bolstered their morale by singing. He bolstered up his claim with new evidence.

Question 6

bombastic

Answer 6

(of speech, writing, etc.) high-sounding; high-flown; inflated; pretentious.

Question 7

bon vivant

Answer 7

a person who lives luxuriously and enjoys good food and drink.

Question 8

bona fide

Answer 8

1.
made, done, presented, etc., in good faith; without deception or fraud:
a bona fide statement of intent to sell.

2.
authentic; true:
a bona fide sample of Lincoln’s handwriting.

Question 9

bonanza

Answer 9

1.
a rich mass of ore, as found in mining.

2.
a source of great and sudden wealth or luck; a spectacular windfall:
The play proved to be a bonanza for its lucky backers.

Question 10

bondage

Answer 10

1.
slavery or involuntary servitude; serfdom.

2.
the state of being bound by or subjected to some external power or control.

3.
the state or practice of being physically restrained, as by being tied up, chained, or put in handcuffs, for sexual gratification.

Question 11

bonhomie

Answer 11

frank and simple good-heartedness; a good-natured manner; friendliness; geniality.

Question 12

boomerang

Answer 12

1.
something, as a scheme or argument, that does injury to the originator.

2.
to come back or return, as a boomerang.

3.
to cause harm to the originator; backfire.

Question 13

boon

Answer 13

1.
something to be thankful for; blessing; benefit.

2.
something that is asked; a favor sought.

Question 14

boor

Answer 14

1.
a churlish, rude, or unmannerly person.

2.
a country bumpkin; rustic; yokel.

3.
peasant.

Question 15

botany

Answer 15

1.
the science of plants; the branch of biology that deals with plant life.

2.
the plant life of a region:
the botany of Alaska.

3.
the biology of a plant or plant group:
the botany of deciduous trees.

Question 16

boudoir

Answer 16

a woman’s bedroom or private sitting room.

Question 17

bourgeois

Answer 17

1.
belonging to, characteristic of, or consisting of the middle class.

2.
a person whose political, economic, and social opinions are believed to be determined mainly by concern for property values and conventional respectability.

3.
a shopkeeper or merchant.

4.
dominated or characterized by materialistic pursuits or concerns.

Question 18

bovine

Answer 18

1.
ox-like; cow-like.

2.
stolid; dull.

Question 19

brainchild

Answer 19

a product of one’s creative work or thought.

Question 20

brandish

Answer 20

to shake or wave, as a weapon; flourish:

Brandishing his sword, he rode into battle.

Question 21

bravado

Answer 21

a pretentious, swaggering display of courage.

Question 22

brawny

Answer 22

muscular; strong.

Question 23

brazen

Answer 23

1.
shameless or impudent:
brazen presumption.

2.
made of brass.

3.
to make brazen or bold.

4.
(brazen out, brazen through) to face boldly or shamelessly:
He prefers to brazen it out rather than admit defeat.

Question 24

breach

Answer 24

1.
the act or a result of breaking; break or rupture.

2.
an infraction or violation, as of a law, trust, faith, or promise.

3.
a gap made in a wall, fortification, line of soldiers, etc.; rift; fissure.

4.
a severance of friendly relations.

Question 25

brevity

Answer 25

1. shortness of time or duration; briefness: the brevity of human life. 2. the quality of expressing much in few words; terseness: Ironically, it is long-winded Polonius in Shakespeare’s Hamlet who famously says that brevity is the soul of wit.

Question 26

brigand

Answer 26

a bandit, especially one of a band of robbers in mountain or forest regions.

Question 27

broach

Answer 27

to mention or suggest for the first time: | to broach a subject.

Question 28

bromide

Answer 28

1. a platitude or trite saying. 2. a person who is platitudinous and boring.

Question 29

brook

Answer 29

1. a small, natural stream of fresh water. 2. to bear; suffer; tolerate: I will brook no interference.

Question 30

brouhaha

Answer 30

1. excited public interest, discussion, or the like, as the clamor attending some sensational event; hullabaloo: The brouhaha followed disclosures of graft at City Hall. 2. an episode involving excitement, confusion, turmoil, etc., especially a broil over a minor or ridiculous cause: A brouhaha by the baseball players resulted in three black eyes.

Question 31

brusque

Answer 31

abrupt in manner; blunt; rough: | A brusque welcome greeted his unexpected return.

Question 32

buck

Answer 32

1. to resist or oppose obstinately; object strongly: The mayor bucked at the school board’s suggestion. 2. to force a way through or proceed against an obstacle: The plane bucked a strong headwind.

Question 33

bucolic

Answer 33

1. of or relating to shepherds; pastoral. 2. of, relating to, or suggesting an idyllic rural life.

Question 34

buffer

Answer 34

1. a person or thing that shields and protects against annoyance, harm, hostile forces, etc., or that lessens the impact of a shock or reversal. 2. to cushion, shield, or protect. 3. to lessen the adverse effect of; ease: The drug buffered his pain.

Question 35

buffet

Answer 35

1. to strike, as with the hand or fist. 2. to strike against or push repeatedly: The wind buffeted the house. 3. to contend against; battle.

Question 36

buffoon

Answer 36

1. a person who amuses others by tricks, jokes, odd gestures and postures, etc. 2. a person given to coarse or undignified joking.

Question 37

bulwark

Answer 37

1. a wall of earth or other material built for defense; rampart. 2. any protection against external danger, injury, or annoyance: The new dam was a bulwark against future floods. 3. any person or thing giving strong support or encouragement in time of need, danger, or doubt: Religion was his bulwark.

Question 38

bumptious

Answer 38

offensively self-assertive: | a bumptious young upstart.

Question 39

bungle

Answer 39

1. to do clumsily and awkwardly; botch: He bungled the job. 2. to perform or work clumsily or inadequately: He is a fool who bungles consistently.

Question 40

bureaucracy

Answer 40

1. government by many bureaus, administrators, and petty officials. 2. the body of officials and administrators, especially of a government or government department. 3. excessive multiplication of, and concentration of power in, administrative bureaus or administrators. 4. administration characterized by excessive red tape and routine.

Question 41

burgeon

Answer 41

1. to grow or develop quickly; flourish: The town burgeoned into a city. He burgeoned into a fine actor. 2. to begin to grow, as a bud; put forth buds, shoots, etc., as a plant.

Question 42

burly

Answer 42

1. large in bodily size; stout; sturdy. 2. bluff; brusque.

Question 43

burnish

Answer 43

``` 1. to polish (a surface) by friction. ``` 2. to make smooth and bright. 3. gloss; brightness; luster: the burnish of brass andirons.

Question 44

bursar

Answer 44

a treasurer or business officer, especially of a college or university.

Question 45

bushwhack

Answer 45

1. to fight as a bushwhacker; ambush. 2. to defeat, especially by surprise or in an underhanded way: They bushwhacked our high school team when they used college players.

Question 46

bustle

Answer 46

1. to move or act with a great show of energy (often followed by about): He bustled about cooking breakfast. 2. to abound or teem with something; display an abundance of something; teem: The office bustled with people and activity.

Question 47

but

Answer 47

1. except; save: She was so overcome with grief she could do nothing but weep. 2. unless; if not; except that: Nothing would do but that I should come in. 3. without the circumstance that: It never rains but it pours. 4. otherwise than: There is no hope but by prayer. 5. with the exception of; except; save: No one replied but me. 6. only; just: There is but one God. 7. buts, reservations or objections: You’ll do as you’re told, no buts about it. 8. but for, except for; were it not for: But for the excessive humidity, it might have been a pleasant day.

Question 48

buttress

Answer 48

1. to support or reinforce; prop up. 2. to give encouragement or support to (a person, plan, etc.).

Question 49

bygone

Answer 49

1. past; gone by; earlier; former: The faded photograph brought memories of bygone days. 2. that which is past: Let’s not talk of bygones.

Question 50

byway

Answer 50

1. a secluded, private, or obscure road. 2. a subsidiary or obscure field of research, endeavor, etc.

Question 51

byword

Answer 51

1. a word or phrase associated with some person or thing; a characteristic expression, typical greeting, or the like. 2. a word or phrase used proverbially; common saying; proverb. 3. an object of general reproach, derision, scorn, etc.: His crimes will make him a byword through the ages. 4. an epithet, often of scorn.

Question 52

byzantine

Answer 52

1. complex or intricate: a deal requiring byzantine financing. 2. characterized by elaborate scheming and intrigue, especially for the gaining of political power or favor: byzantine methods for holding on to his chairmanship.

Question 53

cabal

Answer 53

1. a small group of secret plotters, as against a government or person in authority. 2. the plots and schemes of such a group; intrigue. 3. a clique, as in artistic, literary, or theatrical circles. 4. to form a cabal; intrigue; conspire; plot.

Question 54

cache

Answer 54

1. a hiding place, especially one in the ground, for ammunition, food, treasures, etc.: She hid her jewelry in a little cache in the cellar. 2. anything so hidden: The enemy never found our cache of food.

Question 55

cachet

Answer 55

1. an official seal, as on a letter or document. 2. a distinguishing mark or feature; stamp: Courtesy is the cachet of good breeding. 3. a sign or expression of approval, especially from a person who has a great deal of prestige. 4. superior status; prestige: The job has a certain cachet.

Question 56

cacophony

Answer 56

1. harsh discordance of sound; dissonance: a cacophony of hoots, cackles, and wails. 2. a discordant and meaningless mixture of sounds: the cacophony produced by city traffic at midday.

Question 57

cadence

Answer 57

1. rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or words: the cadence of language. 2. the beat, rate, or measure of any rhythmic movement: The chorus line danced in rapid cadence. 3. the flow or rhythm of events, especially the pattern in which something is experienced: the frenetic cadence of modern life. 4. a slight falling in pitch of the voice in speaking or reading, as at the end of a declarative sentence.

Question 58

cadge

Answer 58

1. to obtain by imposing on another’s generosity or friendship. 2. to borrow without intent to repay. 3. to beg or obtain by begging. 4. to ask, expect, or encourage another person to pay for or provide one’s drinks, meals, etc.

Question 59

cagey

Answer 59

cautious, wary, or shrewd: | a cagey reply to the probing question.

Question 60

cajole

Answer 60

to persuade by flattery or promises; wheedle; coax.

Question 61

calamitous

Answer 61

causing or involving calamity and grievous misfortune; disastrous: a calamitous defeat.

Question 62

callous

Answer 62

1. made hard; hardened. 2. insensitive; indifferent; unsympathetic: They have a callous attitude toward the sufferings of others.

Question 63

callow

Answer 63

1. immature or inexperienced: a callow youth. 2. (of a young bird) featherless; unfledged.

Question 64

calumny

Answer 64

1. a false and malicious statement designed to injure the reputation of someone or something: The speech was considered a calumny of the administration. 2. the act of uttering calumnies; slander; defamation.

Question 65

camaraderie

Answer 65

comradeship; good-fellowship.

Question 66

candid

Answer 66

1. frank; outspoken; open and sincere: a candid critic. 2. free from reservation, disguise, or subterfuge; straightforward: a candid opinion. 3. informal; unposed: a candid photo. 4. honest; impartial: a candid mind.

Question 67

candor

Answer 67

1. the state or quality of being frank, open, and sincere in speech or expression; candidness: The candor of the speech impressed the audience. 2. freedom from bias; fairness; impartiality: to consider an issue with candor.

Question 68

canny

Answer 68

1. careful; cautious; prudent: a canny reply. 2. astute; shrewd; knowing; sagacious: a canny negotiator. 3. skilled; expert. 4. frugal; thrifty: a canny housewife.

Question 69

canon

Answer 69

1. the body of rules, principles, or standards accepted as axiomatic and universally binding in a field of study or art: the neoclassical canon. 2. a fundamental principle or general rule: the canons of good behavior. 3. a standard; criterion: the canons of taste.

Question 70

canonize

Answer 70

1. to place in the canon of saints. 2. to glorify. 3. to make canonical; place or include within a canon, especially of scriptural works: They canonized the Song of Solomon after much controversy. 4. to consider or treat as sacrosanct or holy: They canonized his many verbal foibles and made them gospel.

Question 71

cantankerous

Answer 71

disagreeable to deal with; contentious; peevish: | a cantankerous, argumentative man.

Question 72

canvass

Answer 72

1. to solicit votes, subscriptions, opinions, or the like from. 2. to examine carefully; investigate by inquiry; discuss; debate.

Question 73

capacious

Answer 73

capable of holding much; spacious or roomy: | a capacious storage bin.

Question 74

capacity

Answer 74

1. power of receiving impressions, knowledge, etc.; mental ability: the capacity to learn calculus. 2. actual or potential ability to perform, yield, or withstand: He has a capacity for hard work. She has the capacity to go two days without sleep. 3. quality or state of being susceptible to a given treatment or action: Steel has a high capacity to withstand pressure. 4. position; function; role: He served in the capacity of legal adviser. 5. reaching maximum capacity: a capacity audience; a capacity crowd.

Question 75

capillary

Answer 75

1. pertaining to or occurring in or as if in a tube of fine bore. 2. resembling a strand of hair; hairlike.

Question 76

capitalism

Answer 76

an economic system in which investment in and ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is made and maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations, especially as contrasted to cooperatively or state-owned means of wealth.

Question 77

capitulate

Answer 77

1. to surrender unconditionally or on stipulated terms. 2. to give up resistance: He finally capitulated and agreed to do the job my way.

Question 78

capricious

Answer 78

subject to, led by, or indicative of a sudden, odd notion or unpredictable change; erratic; whimsical: He’s such a capricious boss I never know how he’ll react.

Question 79

captious

Answer 79

1. apt to notice and make much of trivial faults or defects; faultfinding; difficult to please. 2. proceeding from a faultfinding or caviling disposition: He could never praise without adding a captious remark. 3. apt or designed to ensnare or perplex, especially in argument: captious questions.

Question 80

carat

Answer 80

1. a unit of weight in gemstones, 200 milligrams. 2. (karat) a unit for measuring the fineness of gold, pure gold being 24 karats fine.

Question 81

cardinal

Answer 81

1. of prime importance; chief; principal: of cardinal significance. 2. of the color cardinal.

Question 82

caret

Answer 82

a mark made in written or printed matter to show the place where something is to be inserted.

Question 83

caricature

Answer 83

1. a picture, description, etc., ludicrously exaggerating the peculiarities or defects of persons or things: His caricature of the mayor in this morning’s paper is the best he’s ever drawn. 2. the art or process of producing such pictures, descriptions, etc. 3. any imitation or copy so distorted or inferior as to be ludicrous.

Question 84

carouse

Answer 84

1. to engage in a drunken revel: They caroused all night. 2. to drink deeply and frequently.