SEPTEMBER THREAD

1. Obscure - To make dim or indistinct; cut off from sight: block;

deficient in brightness; far from centers of human population; liable
to more than one interpretation; not known or not widely known by
name; of undistinguished or humble station or reputation
2. Pusillanimous - Lacking courage; cowardly; without spirit or
bravery
3. Titillate - To stimulate by touching lightly; tickle; to excite
(another) pleasurably, superficially or erotically
4. Prodigal - Rashly or wastefully extravagant; giving or given in
abundance; lavish or profuse; wasteful; a recklessly extravagant
consumer
5. Unwonted - Not habitual or ordinary; unusual; not accustomed;
unused; rare
6. Minuet - A slow, stately pattern dance in 3/4 time for groups of
couples, originating in 17th-century France; a movement in 3/4 time
that is usually the third, but sometimes the second, of a four-
movement symphony or string quartet 7. Hasty - Characterized by
speed; rapid; done or made too quickly to be accurate or wise; rash
8. Deliberate - Weighing facts and arguments with a view to a choice
or decision; carefully considering the probable consequences of a
step; circumspect; slow in determining; --- applied to persons; as, a
deliberate judge or counselor; not hasty or sudden; slow; to consider
the reasons for and against; to consider maturely
9. Surreptitious - Obtained, done, or made by clandestine or stealthy
means; acting with or marked by stealth; trickily secret; conducted
with or marked by hidden aims or methods; marked by quiet and
caution and secrecy
10. Clandestine - Kept or done in secret, often in order to conceal an
illicit or improper purpose; secret, sly; existing or operating in a
way so as to ensure complete concealment and confidentiality
11. Enervate - To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality; deprived
of strength; debilitated; lessen or deplete the nerve, energy, or
strength of; lack of nervous energy
12. Chicanery - Deception by trickery or sophistry; lack of
straightforwardness and honesty in action; legal trickery or false
argument; deception, trickery
13. Ephemeral - lasting for a markedly brief time
14. Sycophant - A servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by
flattering influential people; one who flatters another excessively
15. Daunt - frighten
16. Philistine - An unrefined, rude person; lacking in delicacy or
refinement; a person who is uninterested in intellectual or cultural
pursuits
17. Stygian - Gloomy and dark; infernal; hellish
18. Pulverize - To pound, crush, or grind to a powder or dust; to
demolish; destroy
19. Immunity - The capacity to withstand; privilege, exemption from
normal legal duties, penalties, or liabilities, granted to a special
group of people; the ability of the body to resist or fight off infection
and disease
20. Incredulity - The state or quality of being incredulous; disbelief;
refusal or reluctance to believe; doubt about the truth of something
21. Maculate - To spot, blemish, or pollute; morally blemished;
stained or impure; make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air, of
metals
22. Aberrant - Deviating from the proper or expected course;
deviating from what is normal; untrue to type; not being normal
23. Fissure - A crack or crack-like depression; division; an
interruption in friendly relations; a break in the skin, usually where
it joins a mucous membrane, producing a cracklike sore or ulcer
24. Capitulate - To surrender under specified conditions; come to
terms; give up all resistance; acquiesce; to give in from or as if from
a gradual loss of strength
25. Rage - Violent, explosive anger
26. Headlong - Characterized by unthinking boldness and haste;
dangerous, reckless; uncontrollably forceful or fast; rashly
27. Proxy - A person authorized to act for another; an agent or
substitute; written authorization to act in place of another;
authority to act for another; a person who is given the power to act
for another in voting
28. Flag - To hang limply; droop; to decline in vigor or strength;
signal to stop
29. Sustenance - The act of sustaining; the condition of being
sustained; the supporting of life or health; maintenance
30. Hedgerow - A row of bushes, shrubs, or trees forming a hedge
31. Recondite - Not easily understood; abstruse; concealed; hidden;
mysterious, obscure
32. Balm - To make or become calm; comfort; a soothing or healing
medicine; pleasing aromatic fragrance; soothing, healing, or
comforting agent or quality
33. Largesse - A generous gift or giving
34. Munificent - Very liberal in giving; generous; showing great
generosity
35. Hedonist - A person devoted to pleasure and luxury
36. Fervent - Having or showing great emotion or zeal; ardent;
extremely hot; glowing; characterized by intense emotion; sincerely
or intensely felt
37. Impediment - Something that impedes; a hindrance or
obstruction; an organic defect preventing clear articulation;
something that obstructs the making of a legal contract;
obstruction, hindrance
38. Enigma - One that is puzzling, ambiguous, or inexplicable;
perplexing speech or text; a riddle
39. Scrutiny - A close, careful examination or study; close
observation; surveillance
40. Commodious - Spacious; roomy; Archaic. suitable; handy
41. Pithy - Precisely meaningful; forceful and brief; consisting of or
resembling pith
42. Cultivated - Of, relating to, or produced in cultivation; educated;
polished; refined
43. Lugubrious - Mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an
exaggerated or ludicrous degree
44. Indemnity - Security against damage, loss, or injury; a legal
exemption from liability for damages; compensation for damage,
loss, or injury suffered
45. Ambulate - To walk from place to place; move about; to go on
foot; walk about; not be bedridden or incapable of walking
46. Lethargic - Of, causing, or characterized by lethargy; lazy,
sluggish; deficient in alertness or activity
47. Irate - Extremely angry; enraged; characterized or occasioned
by anger
48. Epicenter - The point of the earth's surface directly above the
focus of an earthquake; a focal point
49. Precarious - Dangerously lacking in security or stability; subject
to chance or unknown conditions; based on uncertain,
unwarranted, or unproved premises; tricky, doubtful; not safe or
sure
50. Portent - An indication of something important or calamitous
about to occur; an omen; prophetic or threatening significance;
something amazing or marvelous; a prodigy; miracle
51. Avaricious - Immoderately desirous of wealth or gain; greedy
52. Doctrine - A principle taught or advanced for belief, as by a
religious or philosophical group; opinion; principle
53. Ideology - The body of ideas reflecting the social needs and
aspirations of an individual, group, class, or culture; a set of
doctrines or beliefs that form the basis of a political, economic, or
other system
54. Belligerent - Inclined or eager to fight; hostile or aggressive; of,
pertaining to, or engaged in warfare; one that is hostile or
aggressive, especially one that is engaged in war; nasty,
argumentative
55. Beige - A light grayish brown or yellowish brown to grayish
yellow; soft fabric of undyed, unbleached wool; a very light brown;
color of sand
56. Piquant - Pleasantly pungent or tart in taste; spicy; appealingly
provocative; charming, interesting, or attractive; flavorful, biting
57. Pedantic - Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern
for book learning and formal rules; bookish, precise; showing off
learning
58. Rampant - Extending unchecked; unrestrained; occurring
without restraint and frequently, widely, or menacingly; rearing on
the hind legs; uncontrolled, out of hand
59. Harry - To disturb or distress by or as if by repeated attacks;
harass; to raid, as in war; sack or pillage; pester, annoy; torment;
worry
60. Indefeasible - That cannot be annulled or made void
61. Venerate - To regard with respect, reverence, or heartfelt
deference
62. Implicit - Implied or understood though not directly expressed;
having no doubts or reservations; unquestioning; conveyed
indirectly without words or speech
63. Salient - Readily attracting notice; describing any projecting
part or member, as a salient corner; springing; jumping; a military
position that projects into the position of the enemy; projecting
angle or part
64. Amicable - Characterized by or exhibiting friendliness or
goodwill; friendly
65. Egregious - Conspicuously bad or offensive; outstandingly bad;
outrageous
66. Trite - Lacking power to evoke interest through overuse or
repetition; hackneyed; without freshness or appeal because of
overuse;silly, commonplace
67. Titanic - Having great stature or enormous strength; huge or
colossal; of enormous scope, power, or influence
68. Flamboyant - Highly elaborate; ornate; given to ostentatious or
audacious display; extravagant, theatrical
69. Volition - The act or an instance of making a conscious choice or
decision; a conscious choice or decision
70. Figurine - A small molded or sculptured figure; a statuette; a
small carved or molded figure
71. Vestige - A visible trace, evidence, or sign of something that once
existed but exists or appears no more; a trace of something absent,
lost, or vanished; the remnant of a structure that functioned in a
previous stage of species or individual development
72. Remainder - What remains after a part has been used or
subtracted; balance, residue; an estate in land that is conveyed only
after the termination of a preceding estate created at the same time
73. Intimidate - To make timid; fill with fear; to coerce or inhibit by
or as if by threats; frighten, threaten
74. Trepidation - A state of alarm or dread; apprehension; an
involuntary trembling or quivering; anxiety, worry
75. Abridgement - The act of abridging or the state of being
abridged; a short summary or version prepared by cutting down a
larger work; shortening, summary; a shortened version of a written
work
76. Abstruse - Difficult to understand; recondite
77. Vitiate - To reduce the value or impair the quality of; to corrupt
morally; debase; to make ineffective; invalidate
78. Dawdle - To take more time than necessary; move aimlessly or
lackadaisically; to waste (time) by idling
79. Obfuscation - Mental confusion; confusion resulting from failure
to understand; darkening or obscuring the sight of something; the
activity of obscuring people's understanding, leaving them baffled
or bewildered
80. Pervasive - Having the quality or tendency to pervade or
permeate; spreading throughout; extending; suffusing
81. Retard - To cause to move or proceed slowly; delay or impede;
hinder, obstruct
82. Fretful - Having or showing a bad temper; being unable or
unwilling to endure irritation or opposition; irritable
83. juggurnaut - A massive inexorable force that seems to crush
everything in its way
84. Thaw - Change from a frozen solid to a liquid by gradual
warming; unfreeze, warm
85. Tributary - A stream that flows into a larger stream or other
body of water; making additions or yielding supplies; contributory;
secondary; branch
86. Screen - To cut off from sight: block; to shelter, especially from
light; to examine (material) and remove parts considered harmful or
improper for publication or transmission; hide, protect; a
detachment of troops or ships detailed to cover the movements of the
main body
87. Hubble - A unit of astronomical distance equal to 10 raise to the
power 9 light-years or 9.4605 × (10 raise to the power 24 meters)
88. Friction - A state of disagreement and disharmony; the
resistance to movement as one object is moved across the other,
usually creating heat; conflict or animosity caused by a clash of
wills, temperaments, or opinions; the action of one surface or object
rubbing against another
89. Omnipotent - Having unlimited or universal power, authority,
or force; all-powerful; one having unlimited power or authority; all-
powerful
90. Grandiose - Characterized by greatness of scope or intent;
grand; pompous
91. Hue - The property of colors by which they can be perceived as
ranging from red through yellow, green, and blue, as determined by
the dominant wavelength of the light; particular gradation of color;
a shade or tint; appearance; aspect
92. Prescient - Characterized by foresight; perceiving the
significance of events before they occur
93. Flock - A group of animals that live, travel, or feed together;
group of people under the leadership of one person, especially the
members of a church; large crowd or number
94. Virile - Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an adult
male; having or showing masculine spirit, strength, vigor, or power;
capable of performing sexually as a male; potent; manly
95. Recapitulate - To repeat again the principal points of; go over
something again; repeat in concise form
96. Hoist - To move (something) to a higher position; instance of
lifting or being lifted; the part of a flag nearest the staff; lift or raise,
especially by using a rope
97. Plethora - A superabundance; an excess; excess of blood in the
circulatory system or in one organ or area; condition of going or
being beyond what is needed, desired, or appropriate
98. Resplendent - Splendid or dazzling in appearance; brilliant;
bright, radiant; marked by extraordinary elegance, beauty, and
splendor
99. Puddle - A small pool of water, especially rainwater; small pool
of a liquid; tempered paste of wet clay and sand that serves as
waterproofing when dry
100. Recess - A pause or interval, as from work or duty; interrupt
regular activity for a short period; stop action; break, interval in
action; any shallow depression in a surface
101. Limpid - Admitting light so that objects beyond can be seen;
characterized by transparent clearness; calm and untroubled;
serene; clear; comprehensible
102. Spate - A sudden rush or flood; sudden or rapid flowing
outward; an abundant, usually overwhelming flow or fall, as of a
river or rain
103. Dexterity - Skill and grace in physical movement, especially in
the use of the hands; mental skill or adroitness; cleverness; aptitude,
ability
104. Lachrymose - Weeping or inclined to weep; tearful; causing or
tending to cause tears
105. Hamstring - To restrict the activity or free movement of;
handicap; any of the tendons at the rear hollow of the human knee;
destroy or hinder the efficiency of; frustrate
106. Perfunctory - Hasty and without attention to detail; not
thorough
107. Quixotic - Not compatible with reality; generous to a ridiculous
degree; impractical; capricious; impulsive
108. Banister - A handrail, especially on a staircase; a railing at the
side of a staircase or balcony to prevent people from falling
109. Baneful - Causing harm, ruin, or death; harmful; ruinous,
injurious
110. Abase - To lower in rank, prestige, or esteem; deprive of self-
esteem or confidence
111. Abet - To give support or assistance; assist, help in wrongdoing;
approve, encourage, and support (an action or a plan of action);
urge and help on
112. Abhor - To regard with horror or loathing; detest; regard with
extreme dislike and hostility; to hate very much; to feel great fear,
disgust, or hatred for something
113. Splay - An outward bevel around a door or window that makes
it seem larger; spread open or apart; turn outward; move out of
position; turned outward in an ungainly manner
114. Manifest - Clearly apparent to the sight or understanding;
obvious; show or demonstrate plainly; reveal; evidence of; prove;
list of cargo or passengers carried on a ship or plane; invoice of
goods carried on a truck or train
115. Galling - Bitterness of feeling; rancor; something bitter to
endure
116. Preponderance - Superiority in weight, force, importance, or
influence; great numbers; supremacy
117. Thrive - To make steady progress; prosper; grow vigorously;
flourish
118. Perspicacity - Acuteness of perception, discernment, or
understanding
119. Importune - To beset with insistent or repeated requests; entreat
pressingly; annoy; vex; beg persistently and urgently
120. Accost - To approach and speak to boldly or aggressively, as
with a demand or request; approach for the purpose of speech; meet
face-to-face, especially defiantly; approach for conversation or
solicitation; suddenly approach another to speak
121. Husband - To use sparingly or economically; conserve; protect
(an asset) from loss or destruction; one who, having dined, is
charged with the care of the plate; man to whom a woman is
married
122. Terse - Brief and to the point; effectively concise
123. Voraciousness - Consuming or eager to consume great amounts
of food; ravenous; having or marked by an insatiable appetite for an
activity or pursuit; greedy
124. Vehement - Characterized by forcefulness of expression or
intensity of emotion or conviction; fervid
125. Definitive - Explicit, sharply defining; conclusive
126. Acumen - Sharpness of mind; intelligence; ability to take good
decisions; shrewdness; display great political acumen
127. Dilatory - Intended to delay; tending to postpone or delay:
dilatory in his work habits
[Link] - The scientific study of sound, especially of its
generation, transmission, and reception; total effect of sound,
especially as produced in an enclosed space; science of sound and
hearing
ISSUE TOPICS

1. The arts (painting, music, literature, etc.) reveal the otherwise

hidden ideas and impulses of a society
2. It is always an individual who is the impetus for innovation; the
details may be worked out by a team, but true innovation results
from the enterprise and unique perception of an individual
3. It is the artist, not the critic, who gives society something of
lasting value
4. The chief benefit of the study of history is to break down the
illusion that people in one period of time are significantly different
from people who lived at any other time in history
5. Money spent on research is almost always a good investment,
even when the results of that research are controversial
6. The material progress and well-being of one country are
necessarily connected to the material progress and well-being of all
other countries
7. It is primarily through formal education that a culture tries to
perpetuate the ideas it favors and discredit the ideas it fears
8. Most people are taught that loyalty is a virtue. But loyalty
whether to one's friends, to one's school or place of employment, or
to any institution is all too often a destructive rather than a positive
force
9. In most professions and academic fields, imagination is more
important than knowledge
[Link] much emphasis is placed on role models. Instead of copying
others, people should learn to think and act independently and thus
make the choices that are best for them
11. There are two types of laws: just and unjust. Every individual in
a society has a responsibility to obey just laws and, even more
importantly, to disobey and resist unjust laws
[Link] video camera provides such an accurate and convincing
record of contemporary life that it has become a more important
form of documentation than written records

ANALOGIES

1). hasty:deliberate
2). enervate:energy
3). infuriate:rage
4). headlong:deliberation
5). proxy:voter
6). flag:sustenance
7). hedgerow:fence
8).recondite:comprehend
9). enervate:strength
10). hoist: lower
11). moderate: irate
12). doctrine:ideology
13). glasses:vision
14). figurine:statue
15). intimidate:trepidation
16). vitiate:quality
17). dawdle:punctuality
18). abridge:length
19). obfuscation:clarity
20). thaw:warmth
21). tributary:river
22). hue:beige
23).recapitulate:summary
24). puddle:lake
25). recess:halt
26). hamstrung:disable
27). grow:thrive
28). importune:ask
29). accost:approach
30). vestige:remainder

ARGUMENT TOPICS

1. The following appeared in a letter to an editor.

"In many countries, wood is the primary fuel used for heating and
cooking, but wood smoke can cause respiratory and eye problems,
and extensive use of wood causes deforestation, a major
environmental problem. In contrast, charcoal, made by partially
burning wood in a controlled process, is a fuel that creates less
smoke than wood does. Moreover, although charcoal costs slightly
more than wood, less charcoal is needed to produce the same
amount of heat. Therefore, people who use wood as their primary
fuel can, without experiencing economic hardship, switch to
charcoal and can thereby improve their health and preserve the
environment."

2. The following appeared in a memorandum from the general

manager of KNOW radio station.

"Several factors indicate that radio station KNOW should shift its
programming from rock-and-roll music to a continuous news
format. Consider, for example, the number of older people in our
listening area has increased dramatically, while the total number of
our listeners has recently declined. Also, music stores in our area
report decreased sales of recorded music. Finally, continuous news
stations in neighboring cities have been very successful, and a
survey taken just before the recent election shows that local citizens
are interested in becoming better informed about politics."

3. The following appeared in a report of the Committee on Faculty

Promotions and Salaries at Elm City University.

"During her 17 years as a professor of botany, Professor Thomas has

proved herself to be well worth her annual salary of $50,000. Her
classes are among the largest at the university, demonstrating her
popularity among students. Moreover, the money she has brought to
the university in research grants has exceeded her salary in each of
the last two years. Therefore, in consideration of Professor Thomas'
demonstrated teaching and research abilities, we recommend that
she receive a $10,000 raise and a promotion to Department
Chairperson; without such a raise and promotion, we fear that
Professor Thomas will leave Elm City University for another
college."