Lesson 2 11 . adjourn - 20. agile

11 . ad-journ verb d-jurn' Ia. from ad (Latin). " to" + diumum (Late Latin). "day")

Definition: a . To close formally.

Congress is scheduled to adjourn in two days , but pressing busi­ness will probably delay its closing for at least a week.

b . To put off to another time; to move to another place. "This meeting is adjourned until ten o'clock tomorrow morning," the chairwoman declared, rapping her gavel smartly on the table. In view of clear community prejudice against the defendant, the judge adjourned the trial to another county. After dinner we adjourned to the living room for a quiet chat.

Related Form: (noun) adjournment

Synonyms: (verbs) conclude, terminate; defer (Word 118), postpone; sus­pend: transfer

12. ad-verse adjective ad'-vurs or ad-vlirs' lad (Latin). "to: against" + vertere, versus [Latin), " turn"]

Definition: Hostile in purpose or effect; unfavorable . Although the novel received much adverse criticism in the press, it be­came a national best-seller.

Related Forms: (adverb) adversely; (nouns) adversary. adversity

Usage Note: Do not confuse adverse with the related adjective averse, meaning "op­posed" or "disinclined." Adverse (with the d) is used of things to indicate that they have gone contrary to a person's wishes. Averse (without the d) , on the other hand, indicates opposition on the part of the person himself or herself. Note the following pair of sentences:

The Supreme Court handed down an adverse decision on censorship. The Supreme Court showed itself averse to censorship laws.

Synonyms: (adjectives) unfavorable, unfrtendly, negative, antagonistic, antipathetic, inimical

Antonyms: (adjectives) favorable, friendly, propitious

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13. ad-vo-cate verb: ad'-v;:)-kat noun: ad'-v;:)-kit lad (Latin). "to" + vocare, vocatus (Latin). "call"]

Definition: a. (verb) To speak or argue in favor of; to give active public support to.

In his 1V address to the nation, the president advocated a series of measures that he believed would stimulate the economy.

b . (noun) A person who pleads in the interest of a cause or individual. I have become her advocate because I honestly believe in her ideas.

Related Form: (noun) advocacy

Synonyms: (verbs) champion, support, espouse, uphold , recommend; (nouns) proponent, backer, defender, spokesman

Antonyms: (verbs) denounce, condemn, oppose, attack; (nouns) critic, opponent, adversary, antagonist

Actors take a break while filming The Devil's Disciple, a 1959 Hollywood adaptation of the 1897 play by George Bernard Shaw (inset) about the advocates and opponents of the American Revolution.

Devil's Advocate

In the Roman Catholic procedure of canonization, by which a person Is elevated to sainthood, arguments are heard pro and con regarding the pro­posed measure. A church official is selected to pick flaws in the record or character of the candidate-to present arguments against the canoniza­tion. This official is given the title advocatus diaboli, "devil's advocate." The idea is that any candidate who can survive the onslaughts of a skilled devil's advocate probably does have authentic credentials for sainthood.

The expression has been widened to embrace anyone who expresses the opposition point of view as a means of arriving at the truth, even though, in fact. he may not be in disagreement with his opponent. Thus one might say: "I am not necessarily in disagreement with your plan, but I am going to serve as a devil's advocate and point out its possible flaws."

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14. aes-thet-ic adjective es-thet'-ik [aisthetikos (Greek). "perceptible to the senses")

Definition: Pertaining to a sense of beauty; artistic. Though the picture did not have much aesthetic appeal, it had consid­erable commercial value. In 1756 the English philosopher Edmund Burke wrote an influential book on aesthetic theory.

Related Forms: (adverb) aesthetically; (nouns) aesthete, aesthetics

Usage Notes: a. Aesthetic is sometimes spelled esthetic. Do not confuse the word

with ascetic.

b. An aesthete is a person who is sensitive to, or has a love of, the beautiful in art or nature. However, the term is often used with an unfavorable tone to indicate someone who makes overmuch of his or her sensitivity to beauty.

c. Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with theories and prin­ciples of beauty in art and literature.

15. af-fa-ble adjective [ad (Latin), "to" + fari (Latin), "speak" + abilis, abile (Latin), "able to")

Definition: Courteous and agreeable in manner; easy to talk to or approach. It's fun to spend an hour or two chatting with my next-door neighbor because she is one of the most affable people I know.

Related Forms: (adverb) affably; (nouns) affableness, affability

Synonyms: (adjectives) sociable, genial, amiable, friendly, good-natured

Antonyms: (adjectives) unsociable, surly, testy, ill-tempered

16. af-fec-ta-tion noun af-ek-ta'-shdn (affectare, affectatus (Latin), "strive after")

Definition: A pretentious display of manners or sentiments that are not genuine; a peculiar habit of dress or behavior that has been adopted to impress others.

Beneath his affectation of elegance and refmement, I could easily recognize the crude and awkward youth I had known years before.

Related Forms: (adjective) affected: (verb) affect

Phrases: an affected style of speaking; to affect an air of sophistication

Synonyms: (nouns) pose, pretense; mannerism

Related Phrase: to put on airs

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17. af-flu-ent adjective af'-loo-;mt [ad (Latin). " to"+ jluens.jluentis (Latin) . "flowing: fromjluere (Latin. · now"!

Definition: Pros perous . wealthy. A good friend of mine is constantly borrowing money from his more affluent relatives.

The German writer Thomas Mann's novel Buddenbroolcs details the lives of generations of affluent Hamburg merchants.

Related Forms: (noun) affluence; (adverb) affluently

Synonyms: (adjectives) flourishing. well-to-do, opulent

Antonyms: (adjectives) indigent (Word 237) , destitute. penniless. poverty­stricken

Related Phrases: living high off the hog -This phrase of rural American origin s uggests

that a person is in good circumstances because he or she is eating the more desirable cuts of meat from a slaughtered hog.

as rich as Croesus -This phrase goes back to Croesus, king of Lydia, an ancient country in wes tern Turkey. Croesus had a reputa tion among the Greeks for being extremely rich , and he became the per­sonification of limitless wealth.

to serve Mammon - The word mammon means "riches" in Aramaic. an ancient Semitic language rela ted to Hebrew. Among the Hebrews of biblical times. mammon was personified as the god Mammon, who represented not merely wealth but materialism and an excessive concern with acquiring riches.

well-heeled - In the old days only wealthy people could afford s hoes with heels on them. Since they were wealthy. they could also afford to keep those heels in good condition . Hence. to be well-heeled came to mean "to be wealthy or affluent." The opposite is down-at-heel. meaning "poor" because run-down heels were a s ign of poverty. As Shakespeare says in King Lear: "A good man's fortune may grow ou t at heel."

A depiction of Croesus (top right) displaying his wealth to the Greek philosopher Solon . Solon admonished Croesus by pointing ou t tl1at happiness was based on good fortune, not great wealth.

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18. a-gen-da noun [agere (Latin) . "do")

Definition: A list or program of things to be done or acted upon. "Have you any idea what is on the agenda for today's meeting?" s he asked. Poland had top priority on Adolf Hitler's agenda of military conquest in the fall of 1939.

Usage Note: Agenda was originally a Latin plural noun meaning "things to be done" (singular, agendum). However, it is generally treated in English today as a collective noun taking a singular verb, as in the following example:

The agenda includes the question of raising money for the dance.

On the other hand, it is certainly not wrong-although it may seem a bit pedantic-to treat agenda as a plural form. In that case. the Latin singu­lar form agendum may be used to indicate one particular item among several included in the agenda.

Synonyms: (nouns) schedule. docket

Usage Note: A docket is literally a list of cases awaiting action in a court of law, but the word is often used figuratively of any list of things to be done. "Winter Carnival is the next item on today's docket," the head of the planning committee announced.

19. ag-gre-gate noun and adjective: ag' -r;:)-git verb: ag'-r;:)-gat

[ad (Latin), "to" + grex, gregis (Latin). "herd")

Definition: a . (noun) The total amount or sum total of the individual parts.

The United Nations is no more than a loose aggregate of nations. each of which retains full sovereignty.

b . (verb) To gather or merge into a single whole; to amount to. The merger of the two great banks aggregated working capital totaling several trillion dollars.

c. (adjective) Total, collective. The aggregate effect of misguided monetary policies is usually financial chaos.

Related Form: (noun) aggregation

Usage Note: Perhaps the widest current use of aggregate as a noun occurs in the prepositional phrase in the aggregate, meaning "collectively."

Synonyms: (nouns) mass, assemblage, amalgamation, conglomeration. cluster ; (verbs) amalgamate. consolidate; (adjectives) net, composite

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20. ag-ile adjective aj'-di (agilis (Latin). "busy; active.· from agere (Latin ). "do")

Definition: Swift and ligh t in action. movement. or thought. Despite his sixty-odd years. the circus clown was as energetic and agile as any of the younger members of the troupe. It certainly takes a very agile mind to do some kinds of crossword puzzles.

Related Form: (noun) agility

Synonyms: (adjectives) nimble, limber, alert. brisk, supple , lithe, spry

Antonyms: (adjectives) torpid, s luggish, lethargic: awkward. clumsy

Related Phrases: to limber up one's muscles. to look chipper

Usage Note: Some dis tinctions should be drawn among the synonyms listed above: alert refers to quickness of mind: brisk suggests liveliness: s upple mean s '"pliant'" or '"bending and twisting easily'": and spry indicates agil­ity des pite age or infirmity.

Using the Words

Exercise I. Parts of Speech Indicate the part of speech of each of the following words. Two answers are possible in one instance; three in a nother. 1. agenda 3. advocate 5. affluent 2. adjourn 4. agile 6. aggregate

Exercise II. Words in Phrases In each of the following grou ps, select the item that best expresses the meaning of the italicized word in the introductory phrase.

1. adjourned the meeting promptly at three o'clock a . planned b . opened c. suspended d . a ttended

2. very agile for her age a . ignorant b . clumsy c . popular d . spry

3. advocated changes in the tax laws a . considered b. rejected c. supported d . ignored

4. came from a very a.ffluent family a . obscure b. poverty-stricken c. brilliant d. wealthy

5. the aggregate opinion of the jury a . collective b . informed c. far-reaching d . mistaken

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Exercise Ill. Completing Sentences Complete each of the following sentences by selecting the most ap­propriate word from the group of words given below.

aesthetic advocate agenda

affectation adverse affable

1. We are determined to succeed in spite of all the ____ _ conditions affecting this project.

2. The ftrst item on the at the convention was the selection of a temporary chairperson.

3. Our personnel manager is a very woman whose friendly, informal manner immediately puts a person at ease.

4. While the Romans were essentially practical in their approach to building design, the Greeks were deeply concerned with beauty for its own sake and worked hard to produce structures of high appeal.

5 . Throwing an obscure French expression into the middle of an English sentence just to show that you've been to Paris is an _____ that really irritates me.

Exercise IV. Synonyms and Antonyms

A. Match each word in Column A with its synonym in Column B.

Column A Column B

1. terminate a . amiable

2. nimble b. consolidate

3. opulent c. pretense

4. pose d . conclude

5. fuse e . luxurious

f. spry

Now indicate which of the basic words taught in this lesson (Words 11-20) is most nearly synonymous with each of the words in Column A.

B. In each of the following groups, select the two words that are most nearly antonyms .

1. a. agile b. filthy c. hostile d. sincere e. awkward

2. a . civilian b. opponent c. foreigner d . advocate e. aesthete

3. a . ascetic b . sluggish c. propitious d . adverse e . neat

4. a . artificial b. testy c. penniless d. aesthetic e. affable

5. a . wealthy b. insincere c. indigent d . lithe e . illegal

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Exercise V. Word Roundup

1. Explain the derivation of agenda. Give the singular for m of the word. How do you explain the fact that agenda itself may be used as a singular form?

2. Defin e each of th e following phrases.

a . a devil's a dvocate d. to put on airs b . living high off the hog e. to serve Mammon c . the affluent society f. in the aggregate

Exercise VI. Framing Sentences

Use each of the following words in an original sentence that clearly illustrates its meaning.

1. adjourn 2. adverse

4. affable 5. affluent

7. agile 8. affectation

3. advocate 6. agenda 9. aesthetic

Completing Verbal Analogies

What Is a Verbal Analogy? Today, practically every standardized test in vocabulary con tains at least one section dealing with verbal analogies. A verbal analogy is a kind of equation th a t uses words rather than num­bers. This equation indicates that the relationship between two words or expressions is the same as the relationship between two other words or expressions .

Here is a simple verbal analogy:

boy : man = girl : woman

This is to be read, "Th e word boy is to the word man as the word girt is to the word woman" -or. s imply, "Boy is to man as g irl is to woman." What the analogy is saying is that the relationship between the word boy and the word man is th e same as the relationship between the word girt and the word woman.

And what is that relationship? Well, a boy grows into a man. In other words. the word boy refers to the immature version of the male human being. while the word man indicates the fully adult specimen.

In the same way. a girl grows into a woman. In other words, the word girt refers to the immature version of the female human being. and the word woman indicates the adult.

Now, if the four words in the original a nalogy are replaced by what they mean (as indicated a bove). the new analogy will read:

immature male : adult male = imma ture female : adult female

This makes it clear that the relationship betw·een the pair of words on each side of the equals s ign is the same. That relationship can be expressed as "A boy becomes a man, just as a girl becomes a woman." This is essentially what the analogy is saying.

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In the analogy sections of standardized tests, students are asked to complete analogies just like the one given above. They are to do this by selecting one or two (or a group of two) items from a possible four or five choices. The format varies a bit from test to test. and, of course. the num­ber of word relationships involved is as infinite as a human being's capac­ity to manipulate words and ideas.

Exercise I Three common word relationships that occur in analogy questions on standardized tests are listed below. (In this list, A means the first word or expression in the analogy, B the second, and so forth.)

a. A means the same as B; C means the same as D. b. A means the opposite of B; C means the opposite of D. c. A is an example of B; C is an example of D.

And here are five complete analogies taken from typical stan­dardized tests. The four expressions that make up each have been marked A, B, C, and D. Look at each analogy carefully. Then indi­cate which of the three word relationships on the list it illustrates.

A B C D 1. gigantic : tiny = wet : dry

A B C D 2. oak : tree = rose : flower

A B C D 3. stop : halt = rest : relax

A B C D 4. Rembrandt: painter= Beethoven: composer

A B C D 5. abet : aid = fuse : merge

Exercise II Below are five complete analogies. Three of them are correctly con­structed; the other two are not. Read each analogy carefully. Then indicate which three are correctly constructed. Explain why the other two are not.

1. affluent : indigent = wealthy : poor

2. advocate : support= accede : dissent

3. Asia: continent= Sri Lanka: island

4. fire : hot = ice : cold

5. renounce : retain = abhor : loathe

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Enriching the Lesson

Exercise I. Specialized Knowledge There are many terms in English that indicate specialized skills or knowledge and the people who possess them-for example, aca­demician (studied in Lesson l) and aesthete (studied in Lesson 2). A number of these terms are listed below. With or without the aid of a dictionary. define each. Then choose any five , and for each compose an origina l illustrative sentence.

1. conjurer 8. podiatrist 15. ophthalmologist 2. chiropractor 9. comptroller 16. veterinarian 3. disc jockey 10. programmer 4. therapist 11. anthropologist

17. optometris t 18. acrobat

5. environmentalist 12. sociologis t 19. neurosurgeon 6. consumer advocate 13. pediatrician 7. spin doctor 14. obstetrician

20. meteorologist

Exercise II. Portmanteau Words A portmanteau word (sometimes called a blend) is a word that has been coined by combining elements of two other words . For example, the portmanteau word brunch is made up of brealifast and lunch.

Read the following excerpt from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass. It deals with portmanteau words.

"You seem very clever at explaining words, Sir," said Alice to Humpty Dumpty. "Would you kindly tell me the meaning of the poem called 'Jabberwocky'?"

'Twas bril lig, and the s li thy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves. And the mome raths outgrabe.

"That's enough to begin with," Humpty Dumpty interrupted . "There are plenty of h ard words there. Brillig means four o'clock in the afternoon-the time when you begin broiling things for dinner."

"That's very well," said Alice-" and slithy?" "Well, s lithy means lithe and slimy. Lithe is the same as active.

You see, it's like a portmanteau Ia kind of large suitcase)- there are two meanings packed up into one word."

Below are a number of portmanteau words. Define each. and indicate the elements that went into its formation.

1. chortle 6. infomercia l 11 . advertorial 2. splatter 7. telecast 12. cablegram 3. simulcast 8. smog 13. telethon 4. happenstance 9. motel 14. sitcom 5. squawk 10. guesstimate 15. heliport

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Exercise Ill. Exploring the Dictionary

1. What is a business conglomerate? How does it differ from an ordinary business organization?

2. Consult a dictionary or other reference book for the specific meaning of each of the following "group" words. Then use each in a sentence that clearly illustrates its meaning.

a . federation d . bloc g . consortium b . confederation e. cartel h. alliance c. cabal f. coalition i. junta

3. Define federalism What does the term world federalism mean?

4. Explain the meaning of each of the following expressions in­volving the word deviL

a. in a devil-may-care mood b. giving the devil his due c. deviled eggs d. between the devil and the

deep blue sea

e. a devilish expression f. a printer 's devil

g. a devil's food cake h. bedeviled by misfortune

Exercise IV. Expanding Your Word Power

The words listed below are not on the Basic Word List, but they were mentioned in passing in Lesson 2. All of them would make useful additions to your working vocabulary. Define each, give its etymology, list two synonyms and two antonyms (where possible), and use in a short sentence that clearly illustrates its meaning.

1. adversary 5. surly 9. composite 2. adversity 6. genial 1 0. lethargic 3. inimical 7. destitute 11 . antipathetic 4. espouse 8. amalgamate 12. nimble

Academic Vocabulary

The following vocabulary words and phrases are often used in his­tory classes. Like abdicate, introduced in Lesson l , they are use­ful when discussing historical events and methods, as well as government and politics.

bourgeoisie noun bu(r)zh-wa-ze'

Definition: The social class between the aristocracy and the working class; the middle class. China's vigorous economy has led to a vast expansion of the bourgeoisie, triggered by a nearly sevenfold increase in the average Chinese citizen's income over the past thirty years.

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cabal noun Definition: A small group of people who conspire or plot together. often to

achieve a political goal. Queen Elizabeth I of England employed an efficient secret police whose mission was to detect any signs of a rebellious cabal among the nobility.

coup d'etat noun phrase ku-da-ta' Definition: A sudden. sometimes violent. overthrow of a ruler or govern­

ment by a small group of people from within. Although the Roman Empire remained relatively stable during the sec­ond century A.D., t.he following one hundred years witnessed the forced removal of many an emperor through a coup d'etat.

demagogue noun de'-m;:)-gag Definition: A person who uses appeals to emotion or prejudice to influence

the people and gain power. Adolf Hitler was the quintessential demagogue: his use of mass ra llies and propaganda helped him gain absolute power in Germany in the early 1930s.

hegemony noun hi-je'-m;:)-ne Definition: Leadership or dominance, especially of one nation over others.

By the mid-450s s.c .. Athens had, in effect, created an empire in the Aegean, where hegemony was symbolized by the enforced tribute of riches that poured in from the states of the league the Athenians had created.

noblesse oblige noun phrase no-bles'-;:)-blezh' Definition: The obligation of people of high status or great wealth to behave

nobly or kindly toward others. The charity receives numerous donations from wealthy patrons who su pport the cause out of a sense of noblesse oblige.

proletariat noun pro-1;:)-ter'-e-;:)t Definition: The working class, especially in industrialized societies.

If one examines France in 1789 or Russia in 1917. one will conclude that on the eve of the revolutions in these nations. the ruling class was distinctly out of touch with the proletariat.

realpolitik noun ra-'al-po-li-tek Definition: Foreign policy governed by self-interest rather than by ethics or

world opinion . Niccol6 Machiavelli is sometimes credited with the invention of realpo­litik, especially as he develops the concept in his 1513 treatise The Prince, with its description of an amoral, calculating ruler.

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Exercise. Completing Sentences Complete each of the following sentences by selecting the most appropriate academic word or phrase.

1. As the 19th century neared an end, the in Eng-land's countryside, and particularly in London, grew steadily more powerful in British politics.

a. bourgeoisie b. demagogue c. cabal d. realpolitik

2. Until the Spanish-American War of 1898, England enjoyed un-rivaled on the world stage; it was only after this conflict that the United States emerged as a global power.

a. noblesse oblige b. hegemony c . cabal d. realpolitik

3. Foreign policy in late nineteenth-century Europe was generally guided by , in which each nation strove to achieve its own selfish ends.

a. hegemony b. noblesse oblige c. realpolitik d. coup d'etat

4. Throughout American history, many fabulously successful ty­coons, such as Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and Henry Ford, have exhibited a sense of by en­dowing libraries, museums, or philanthropic foundations in order to give back to society.

a. noblesse oblige b. demagogue c. cabal d. hegemony

5. The of disillusioned ministers met regularly in secret to further their plot to depose the emperor.

a. demagogue b. cabal c. hegemony d. realpolitik

6. After a bloody , an authoritarian and increasingly paranoid regime held absolute power in that country.

a. hegemony b. cabal c. coup d'etat d. demagogue

7. The misery and suffering of the is one of the main themes of Les Miserables, Victor Hugo's 1862 novel about the poor and unfortunate in early 19th-century France.

a. cabal b. realpolitik c. proletariat d. coup d'etat

8. ln the 1930s, with slogans such as "Every man a king," Huey Long of Louisiana agitated the American people, with some acclaiming him as a savior and others reviling him as a ____ _

a. coup d'etat b. demagogue c. bourgeoisie d. cabal

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