Lesson 9
Time on Our Hands
1. anachronism: anything that is out of place in time. It is formed by the
combination of the Greek roots ana (against) and chronos (time).
A. The author was guilty of an anachronism when he described a frontier family
with a washing machine.
B. Paramount Pictures hired my uncle as a technical advisor to look out for
anachronisms.
2. anon: soon; shortly. Used as an abbreviation, anon. means anonymous.
A. Im busy right now but Ill come to see you anon.
B. Peter promised to be here anon but hes a terrible liar.
3. antebellum: before the war; especially before the American Civil War. This word
is formed from the Latin Prefix ante (before) and the root bellum (war).
A. Gone with the Wind shows us one version of the antebellum South.
B. In antebellum Mississippi, slave auctions were widely attended.
4. antediluvian: old-fashioned; before the flood. The Latin word for flood is
diluvium.
A. It is futile to try to change my grandmothers antediluvian ideas.
B. Mitchell wore an antediluvian suit that caused the whole neighborhood to
snicker.
5. atavism: reversion to a primitive type; resemblance to a remote ancestor. The
Latin atavus means father of a great-grandfather.
A. The pictures of David and his grandfather, both at age 16, confirmed my belief
in atavism.
B. Sylvia was an atavistic throwback to her frugal ancestors.
6. augury: the art of prophecy; an omen. The original Latin word augur means
priest who presides at fertility rituals.
A. If I had the power of augury, I would know which stocks were good
investments.
B. You might rely on augury, but I prefer to deal with facts.
7. betimes: early; promptly; before it is too late.
A. Jesse leaves for work betimes, before the sun rises.
B. After hearing a description of the symptoms, Dr. Salzer gave his diagnosis
betimes.
8. biennial: happening every two years. Biennial should not be confused with
biannual, which means twice a year.
A. Since our annual meeting was so poorly attended, we plan to switch to a
biennial one in the future.
B. A biennial plant lasts two years, producing flowers and seed the second year.
9. diurnal: daily; of the daytime. Diurnal is contrasted with nocturnal.
A. My brother is a diurnal creature, usually in bed by 7:00 P.M.
B. The custodians diurnal chore was to raise the flag in front of the school.
10. eon: long, indefinite period of time; thousand years.
A. Eons ago, dinosaurs roamed his part of the country.
B. You will have to wait in eon before they consent to your proposal.
11. ephemeral: short-lived; transitory. Ephemeros is a Greek word meaning for the
day.
A. Fame is ephemeral, sighed the forgotten movie star.
B. The novelist used to belittle his newspaper articles because of their ephemeral
nature.
12. epoch: noteworthy period. It comes form a Greek word meaning pause almost
as if mankind takes time out before entering a new important phase.
A. We are living in the nuclear epoch when even tiny nations have the power to
destroy.
B. The Wright brothers flight started an amazing epoch in the history of aviation.
13. generation: the period of time between the birth of one group and that of its
offspring. A generation is about 30 years.
A. At our last family reunion, four generations were present.
B. We find it very difficult to relate to the people of our grandparents generation.
14. score: twenty people or objects; twenty years. It comes from the Greek word for a
scratch or mark used in keeping tallies.
A. Mr. Schultz came to this country three score years ago.
B. A score or more years ago, a trolley car used to run down this street.
15. tercentenary: a period of 300 years. Ter is the Latin prefix for three and
centenary means hundred,
A. In 1997 we celebrated the tercentenary of our town, founded in 1697.
B. On the tercentenary of Shakespeares birth, an enormous festival was held in
London.
Exercises
I. Which Word Comes to Mind?
In each of the following, read the statement, then circle the word that comes to mind.
1. A woman wearing a style of dress that is completely out of date
(epoch, antediluvian, diurnal)
2. Emperor Nero looking at his wristwatch
(tercentenary, ephemeral, anachronism)
3. A young man following in his grandfathers footsteps
(anon, atavism, score)
4. You meet your old classmates every two years at a reunion
(antebellum, betimes, biennial)
5. Your fortune is told by a gypsy
(augury, generation, eon)
6. They had been married for two decades
(eon, score, diurnal)
7. The painter believed that everyone was entitled to fifteen minutes of fame
(ephemeral, epoch, tercentenary)
8. Many inventions were introduced during the industrial Revolution
(anon, epoch, atavism)
9. Plantation life was a feature of the South in the early 1800s
(antebellum, generation, anachronism)
10. My family chore is to walk the dog each day
(biennial, antediluvian, diurnal)
II. True or False?
In the space provided, indicate whether each statement is true or false.
____ 1. Abraham Lincolns Fourscore and seven was 87 years
____ 2. Ephemeral is the opposite of permanent
____ 3. Someone who comes to you betimes takes his time about it
____ 4. Cotton was the great crop of the antebellum South
____ 5. The United States will have its tercentenary celebration in 2076
____ 6. An entire generation has grown up using personal computers
____ 7. To show a modern man driving up in a new car is an anachronism.
____ 8. Dinner will be served anon
____ 9. The frightening augury lashed out at the startled travelers.
____ 10. Our previous biennial reunion was in 1997 so we expect the next one in 1999
III. Fill in the Blank
Insert one of the new words in the proper space in each sentence below.
1. We spotted an ______________ in the movie when Julius Caesar looked at his
wristwatch.
2. In the next decade, our company will issue five ______________ journals.
3. Industrialization spelled the end of an era for the ______________ southern
states.
4. The Beatles started a musical _____________ that has gained worldwide
acceptance.
5. Because of the ______________ gap, Roger found it difficult to relate to his
grandson.
6. My grandfathers _____________ notions need updating.
7. With the evident power of ____________, Liza could predict the future.
8. Guidos interest in philately proved to be _____________ because he sold his
entire collection.
9. It seemed to take an ______________ before the traffic jam allowed us to get
moving again.
10. Breakfast was preceded invariably by a ______________ prayer that helped Roy
get through the rest of the day.
IV. Whats the Antonym?
Which of the new words is most nearly opposite in meaning to the one provided?
1. now
________________
2. late
________________
3. modern
________________
4. permanent
________________
5. nightly
________________
6. something relevant ________________
7. nightly
________________
8. postwar
________________
9. an instant
________________
10. an advance
________________
