Week #9

Question 1

Define

Impresario

(im prə säˊri ō)

Answer 1

One who presents cultural series, organizer

The eminent impresario brought many cultural
spectacles to our shores.

Question 2

Define

Extortion

(eks tôrˊshən)

Answer 2

Getting money by threats

When the business manager was accused of extortion, his colleagues sought to oust him from the firm.

Question 3

Define

Adverse

(ad vė rsˊ)

Answer 3

Unfavorable, harmful

It was excruciatingly painful for the actors to read the adverse reviews wich their perfomances had received.

Question 4

Define

Asset

(asˊet)

Answer 4

A valuable thing to have

The childless man’s will stipulated that all the assets of his company should revert to the orignal owners.

Question 5

Define

Bigot

(bigˊət)

Answer 5

A narrow-minded, prejudiced person

Attacked by the irate crowd, the bigot asked the police for sanctuary.

Question 6

Define

To Spill the Beans

Answer 6

To give away a secret

Although he was naturally reticent, when the felon was intimidated by the members of the rival gang, he spilled the beans.

Question 7

Define

Blatant

(blāˊtənt)

Answer 7

Disagreeably loud, very showy

With blatant discourtesy, the reporters continued to harass the pilot’s widow.

Question 8

Define

Entourage

(änˊtü räzh)

Answer 8

Group of attendants

The visiting dictator’s ubiquitous entourage of
bodyguards disturbed our tranquil city.

Question 9

Define

Virulent

(virˊū lənt)

Answer 9

Harmful, full of hate

Europe’s population was afflicted by a virulent plague
known as the Black Death.

Question 10

Define

Venom

(venˊəm)

Answer 10

Poison, spite, malice

Cym Yeobright’s mother succumbed to the venom of a
snake bite.

Question 11

Define

Spew

(spū)

Answer 11

Throw up, vomit, eject

From each candidate’s headquarters acrimonious
charges would spew.

Question 12

Define

To Keep A Stiff Upper Lip

Answer 12

To be courageous in the face of trouble

It was admirable to see how the British managed to keep a stiff upper lip of the German bombing.

Question 13

Define

Loath

(lōth)

Answer 13

Reluctant, unwilling

Since we felt that the ruling was arbitrary we were loath to obey it.

Question 14

Define

Solicit

(sə lisˊit)

Answer 14

To beg, seek earnestly

Daily the volunteers went out to solicit funds for the
indigent families.

Question 15

Define

Astute

(əs tütˊ or as tūtˊ)

Answer 15

Keen, shrewd

My neighbor was astute enough to discern the adverse
features of the mortgage.

Question 16

Define

Advocate

(adˊvə kāt)

Answer 16

To be in favor of, to support

The general was sure to advocate that we give the enemy no respite from the bombings.

Question 17

Define

Ineffectual

(inˊə fekˊchü əl)

Answer 17

Not effective

The play was so blatantly bad that the impresario fired its ineffectual director.

Question 18

Define

To Have Cold Feet

Answer 18

To hesitate because of fear or uncertainty

My cousin was all set to join the paratroops, but at the last moment he got cold feet.

Question 19

Define

Scrutinize

(skrüˊtə nīz)

Answer 19

Examine closely

No sooner did the lawyer scrutinize the extortion note
than he called the police.

Question 20

Define

Nefarious

(ni fārˊi əs)

Answer 20

Villainous, vicious

We were distraught upon hearing the venom spewed forth by the nefarious bigot.

Question 21

Define

Amicable

(amˊə kə bəl)

Answer 21

Friendly, peaceful

Our amicable relations with Latin America are an asset to hemispheric trade.

Question 22

Define

Vexatious

(veks āˊshəs)

Answer 22

Annoying

The vexatious buzzing of the mosquitoes as they surged about our heads nearly drove us insane.

Question 23

Define

Malady

(malˊə di)

Answer 23

Disease

Once the virulent malady had run its course, my
temperature dropped.

Question 24

To Look A Gift Horse In The Mouth

Answer 24

To be critical of a present given to you