Vocab 14 Flashcards
(36 cards)
Raggedy Ann
Raggedy Ann is a rag doll with red yarn for hair and a triangle nose. Popular in the 60s.
Meticulous
showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise.
“he had always been so meticulous about his appearance”
Fen
- wetland with alkaline, neutral, or only slightly acid peaty soil.
- a monetary unit of China, equal to one hundredth of a yuan.
Grouse
- complain pettily; grumble.
“she heard him grousing about his assistant” - a medium to large game bird with a plump body and feathered legs, the male being larger and more conspicuously colored than the female.
- very good (used as a general term of approval).
“the car was a grouse tomato red which everyone liked”
Moor
- A fen
- a tract of open uncultivated upland; a heath. Often preserved for shooting.
“a little town in the moors” - (of a boat) made fast by attaching it by cable or rope to the shore or to an anchor.
“twenty or so fishing boats were moored to the pier” - a member of a northwestern African Muslim people of mixed Berber and Arab descent. In the 8th century they conquered the Iberian peninsula, but were finally driven out of their last stronghold in Granada at the end of the 15th century.
“for centuries Córdoba was the Moors’ capital and one of Europe’s most sophisticated cities”
Telos
The absolute purpose of something
Ethos
- Ancient greek for one’s character.
- a rhetorical or written technique that appeals to an audience or reader’s ethics. Authors achieve ethos in their writing by demonstrating that they are a trustworthy source of accurate information.
“ If my years as a Marine taught me anything, it’s that caution is the best policy in this sort of situation.”
Logos
- the word of God
- A rhetoric or explanation to appeal to listener’s logic
Transboundary
- crossing the border between two or more countries or areas and affecting both or all areas
- moving or having effect across a boundary or boundaries (of limits)
“transboundary agreements were being forged”
Haze
- torment a new, young recruit to a club, team, or group — the way fraternity brothers sometimes haze a new member, forcing him to perform humiliating or dangerous actions.
- dust particles formed to an opaque cloud. Not as thick as smoke
Cattle Brand
A burning metal that engraves into a cow the owner’s eponymous symbol so you know who owns it.
Vagabond
- Resembles a giant, wavy, bucket-hat. Popular in the 60’s with flappers and womens’ funeral hats.
- One who wanders with no home or direction. A rascal, a rogue.
- To wander like a vagabond
Off-kilter
not in the usual, expected, or correct condition or state.
“The song matched DOOM’s off-kilter flow”
guile
sly or cunning intelligence.
“he used all his guile and guts to free himself from the muddle he was in”
While away
to spend time in a relaxed way because you have nothing to do or you are waiting for something else to happen
“We whiled away the afternoon playing cards in front of the fire.”
wile
- used to emphasize the extent of something, especially something negative (can also be positive tho)
“losing the final was a wile blow” - devious or cunning stratagems employed in manipulating or persuading someone to do what one wants.
Flask
a narrow-necked glass container for measuring lab chemicals. Typically spherical or conical.
Wicker
Woven twigs to make baskets and tropical furniture
The products made out of them are called “wickerwork”
bong hit
A specialized pipe (flask) used to smoke large amounts of marijuana
Ineffable
- Too great or horrible to be expressed in words.
- Not to be uttered
“the ineffable Hebrew name that gentiles write as Jehovah”
(effable can be described in words)
Hip flask
A curved, thin bottle that carries small liquid (especially liquor).
“Stranded with a flask in the desert in the desert is almost too stereo-typical”
etymology
the study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history.
diaspora
- to scatter about.
- a large group of people who share a cultural and regional origin but are living away from their traditional homeland. They come about through immigration and forced movements of people.
insipid
lacking flavor, vigor, or appeal