Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Lesson 8 71. bungle- 80. catholic
71. bun-gle verb (Origin unknown. perhaps from bangla (Swedish). "work poorly")
Definition: To mismanage or make a mess of. They bungled the job so badly that it took me days to straighten out the mess.
Related Form: (noun) bungler
Synonyms: (verbs) botch, butcher, mangle, mar, spoil, foul up, bollix up; (nouns) butcher, klutz; (adjectives) incompetent, inept; clumsy, awkward
Antonyms: (nouns) expert, whiz, ace; (adjectives) competent, workmanlike, skillful, adroit, deft, dexterous
Usage Note: Some of the items included among the synonyms for bungle-for example, bollix up and klutz-are slang expressions that should be avoided in formal speech and writing. The same is true for the antonyms provided. For example, neither ace nor whiz would be considered appropriate In formal contexts.
72. bu-reauc-ra-cy noun byoo-rok'-ra-se (bureau (French), "desk; office" + kratos (Greek). "rule")
Definition: A complicated system of administrative agencies and officials; the officials themselves.
"I don't know whether the people being helped by our federally funded social programs are eating up too much of the taxpayer's money," the senator remarked. "However, the bureaucracy that administers such programs may be."
Related Forms: (noun) bureaucrat; (adjective) bureaucratic
Usage Note: Today bureaucracy, bureaucrat, and bureaucratic are used most frequently of government, especially the federal government, to suggest too much formalism or red tape. As a result, the terms are almost always pejorative (unless, of cou rse, the context indicates otherwise). Note, too, that all three expressions may properly be used of nongovernmen tal institutions, since private organizations are run in much the same way as the government. Indeed, bureaucracy and its derivatives can justly be applied to any admin.istrative setup that has become overgrown or that insists upon following complex rules and procedures that seem to hinder or stifle quick and effective action.
110
Charles Dickens Thomas Carlyle
Red Tape
The term red tape is used critically to describe bureaucratic procedures that are considered unnecessarily rigid. complicated , and time-consuming. When we say that something "is tied up in red tape," we mean that there are so many regulations, so many papers to be filled out, so many technicalities to observe that it is difficult to get anything done.
The term is said to have been introduced by Charles Dickens and popularized by Thomas Carlyle, the English historian. It originated from the common use of pieces of red tape to tie together bundles of legal papers in English courts and governmental offices.
Today, official papers are more likely to be processed by a computer than tied together by a clerk, but people still complain about the delays and frustrations caused by too much red tape.
73. but-tress noun and verb but'-ris [bo(u)terez (Old French), "thrusting," from bo(u)ter (Old French}, "strike against, butt"]
Definition: a. (noun) A support or reinforcement.
The towering walls of many medieval cathedrals are prevented from falling down by huge flying buttresses on the outside of the building.
b. (verb) To support or reinforce. The speaker buttressed her arguments with a solid presentation of relevant facts and figures. From time to time, Congress has considered a number of measures designed to buttress and protect the economy against the ravages of inflation.
Synonyms: (nouns) prop. brace; mainstay, cornerstone, pillar; (verbs) prop up, brace, bolster. shore up, strengthen
Antonyms: (verbs) weaken. impair, undermine
111
74. ca-jole verb k;;>-jol' or ka-jol' [cajoler (French), "chatter like a j ay in a cage"]
Definition: To persuade or obtain by flattery or deceit. Like most people, I enjoy flattery, but I can't be cajoled into doing something that I know in my heart is foolis h . He's so tight with his money that it's just about impossible to cajole a nickel out of him, no matter how worthy the cause.
Related Forms: (nouns) cajolery, cajoler
Synonyms: (verbs) wheedle, inveigle, coax, beguile, induce, flatter
Antonyms: (verbs) dissuade, deter, discourage
Related Phrases: soft-soap, sweet-talk; cu rry favor with; apple-polishing
75. cal-lous adjective kal'-;;>s [callosus (Latin). "thick-skinned," from callus (Latin). "hard skin")
Definition: Unfeeling or insensitive. The sigh t of children starving s lowly and horribly to death brought tears of rage and indignation to the eyes of even the most callous and thickskinned observer among us.
Related Forms: (noun) callousness; (adverb) callously
Usage Note: Do not confuse the adjective callous with either the noun callus, meaning "a hardened or thickened part of the skin" (e.g., "had a callus on his hand") , or the adjective callow, meaning "untried or inexperienced" (e.g. , "a callow youth").
Synonyms: (adjectives) indifferent, unresponsive, unsympathetic; thickskinned, hard-hearted , hard-boiled, hard-nosed
Antonyms: (adjectives) compassionate. tenderhearted, softhearted, kindhearted ; thin-skinned, sensitive
76. cal-um-ny noun kal'-;;>m-ne [calumnia (Latin), "trickery: slander")
Definition: A false statement deliberately made up to injure a person. "It is one thing to make honest criticisms of my administration and its methods," the president observed. "It is quite another to repeat calumnies and slanders that s imply have no basis in fact."
Related Forms: (verb) calumniate; (adjective) calumnious
Synonyms: (nouns) lie, falsehood; slander, libel; s lur, aspersion
Antonyms: (nouns) flattery. adulation
Related Phrases: do a hatchet job on, hurl brickbats at; mudslinging
112
77. can-did adjective kan'-did lcandidus (Latin). "white: pure ... from candere (La lin). -glisten"!
Definition: a. Fa ir a nd impartia l.
"Only a disinterested observer of a traffic acciden t can give you a candid account of what actually happened." the offlcer told the reporter.
b. Frank or outspoken. "You can't expect diploma ts lobe as candid and forthrigh t as you might wis h." s he observed.
c. Informal or unposed. "Why do I always look so awful in candid photos?" my little brother asked plaintively.
Phrases: a cand id opinion. a candid interview. a candid critic
Related Forms: (nouns) candor. candidness: (ad verb) candidly
Synonyms: (adjectives) objective. disinterested. unbiased. unprejudiced . balan ced: for thright. unreserved . straight-from-the-shou lder: s pontaneous. impromptu
Antonyms: (adjectives) pa rtia l. biased. prejudiced; reserved. re ticent (Word 34 1): dis ingenuous. a rtful. evasive. equivocal, a mbiguous
Candidate
In a ncient Rome a ma n who wished to be elected to public office wore a white robe or toga while canvassing for voles. That way, he cou ld be recognized more easily wherever he went. S ince lhe Latin word for "white" is candidus, U1e would-be official came to be known as a candidatus. meaning ··one clothed in white ... From lhis we gel our English word candidate.
113
78. can-tan-ker-ous adjective kan-tang'-ker-;;>s [Probably contelcour (Middle English). "brawler," from contek (Norman French), "strife")
Definition: Foul-tempered and quarrelsome. "Having to put up with a s urly and cantankerous boss can sometimes make life pretty miserable," Betty Lou said. "Still, I like working in an office ...
"When I was a young man I tried to be as agreeable as possible," Dad remarked. "But now that I'm getting on in years, I fmd that I have become surprisingly cantankerous."
Related Forms: (noun) cantankerousness; (adverb) cantankerous ly
Usage Note: Though cantankerous is normally used of people who are determined to be nasty or disagreeable (e.g., "the cantankerous leader of the opposition party"). the word may also be applied to animals or things. In that case, it means "irritating or difficult to deal with." Examples of such usage include "a cantankerous washing machine" and "a cantankerous camel."
Synonyms: (adjectives) peevish, contrary, cross-grained, irritable. irascible. perverse, choleric, bearish , testy, crabby. grouchy, cranky; intractable, unamenable, ornery; (nouns) curmudgeon, grouch
Antonyms: (adjectives) good-natu red. sweet tempered, amiable, lovable, affable (Word 15). genial; even tempered, unexcitable, imperturbable, equable; docile (Word 142), tractable, amenable
79. cap-tious adjective kap'-sh;;>s [captieux (French). "hypercritical.- from captio (Latin). "seizure; deception")
Definition: a . Quick to fmd petty faults or raise trifling objections; overly demand
ing or fussy. Though they found a lot to disagree with in my plan, most of their objections were captious and niggling.
b . Intended to trap, confuse, or show up. "A president has to be pretty alert when talking to the press," the aide observed. "After all, a careless answer to a captious question could land him in a great deal of political hot water."
Phrase: a captious critic
Related Forms: (noun) captiousness; (adverb) captiously
Synonyms: (adjectives) hypercritical, caviling, carping, censorious; niggling, pettifogging, hairsplitting, picky, picayune, nit-picking; artful, tricky, loaded
Antonyms: (adjectives) unexacting, uncritical, undiscriminating; straightforward ; laudatory, complimentary
114
80. cath-o-lic adjective kath'-d-lik or kath '-lik [katholikos (Greek). "general." from lwta (Greek). "accot·ding to + halos (Greek). "(the) whole" + ikos (Greek). "pertaining to"]
Definition: a. Broa d or widely inclusive.
Painting and sculpture. architecture and engin eering. mathematics and music-these were just a few of Leonardo da Vinci's truly catholic interests.
b. General or universal: worldwide. Even th ough living s tandards in many parts of the world have noticeably improved s ince 1900. poverty. h unger. a nd unemployment are still catholic concerns for humankind more than one hundred years la ter.
Related Form: (noun) catholicity
Usage Note: Be s ure to dis tinguish carefully between catholic (with a c) and Catholic (with a C). Th e word wiU1 the capital letter is a proper adjective that refers to the ancient universal (that is. undivided) Christian church or to its present-day representa tives. Frequently, of course. Catholic is used as an abbreviation for Roman Catholic-that is, in reference to the Church of Rome, its beliefs and practices. o r its members.
Synonyms: (adj ectives) comprehensive, wide, liberal; ecumenical. global
Antonyms: (adjectives) na rrow, provincial. parochial (Word 293)
Using the Words
Exercise I. Parts of Speech Indicate the part of speech of each of the following words. In one case, two answers are correct.
1. bungle 3. callous 5. calumny 2. buttress 4. cajole 6. catholic
Exercise II. Words in Phrases In each of the following, select the item that best expresses the meaning of the italicized word in the introductory phrase.
1. nothing more than a blatant calumny
a. trick b. crime c . mistake d . joke e. falsehood
2. a cantankerous lawn mower
a. useful b . ornery c. complicated d . expensive e . new
115
3. unusually candid comments a . learned b . tactful c . sour d. frank e. amusing
4. catholic tastes in music a . broad b. strange c . ordinary d . austere e. narrow
5. tried to buttress her position at the office a . undermine b. clarify c. strengthen d . eliminate e. utilize
Exercise Ill. Completing Sentences
Complete each of the following sentences or pairs of sentences by selecting the most appropriate word from the group of words given below.
callous
buttress
captious
bungle
bureau cracy
cajole
1. If you focus your attention too single-mindedly on trifles, as some overly critics do , you may lose sight of the more important aspects of the thing you are considering.
2. "I'd hoped that my proposal for reducing our overgrown federal _____ would have passed the House by now," the representative told the press. "Unfortunately, it is still all tied up in congressional red tape."
3. "If you keep telling your uncle what a superb driver he is," Marv advised me, "you may be able to him into giving you driving lessons in his new car."
4. Anyone who can look at photos from Auschwitz or Buchenwald and not be moved deeply is indeed and in-sensitive.
5. "Just how am I supposed to get quality work out of a staff tha t manages to the simplest job?" the production chief asked ruefully.
Exercise IV. Synonyms and Antonyms
A. In each of the following numbered groups, select the two words that are most nearly synonyms.
1. a. discourage b. butcher c. mangle d. attend e . retain
2. a. bolster b. impair c. pretend d . brace e . convene
3. a . patronize b . magnify c . inveigle d . boycott e. wheedle
4. a. mannerism b . libel c. chaos d. s lander e. order
5. a. objective b . grisly c . spurious d . lethargic e . impartial
11 6
Now, for each of the pairs of synonyms tha t you have selected, supply a word from the Basic Word List for this lesson (Words 71-80) that means the same or almost the same thing.
B. In each of the following numbered groups, select the two words that are most n early antonyms.
1. a . cantankerous b. penniless c. genial d . authentic e. workmanlike
2. a. spry b. captious c . illegal d. chipper e. unexacting
3. a. deft b. inept c . academic d. collective e . inimical
4. a. illusory b. atrocious c. catholic d. narrow e. gaudy
5. a. smooth-talking b. glib c . brand-new d. callous
e. tenderhearted
Exercise V. Word Roundup
1. Two groups of expressions with related meanings are given below. Indicate the items in each that would be classified as slang or overly colloquial.
A. Ability
a . expert c . competent e . klutz b. inept d. ace f. adroit
B. Persuasion
a . coax c. inveigle e. wheedle b. sweet-talk d. cajole f. soft-soap
2. Define callous, callus, and callow. Use each in an original illustrative sentence.
3. What is the difference between catholic and Catholic? Use each in a sentence tha t clearly illustrates its meaning.
4. Defme red tape, and use the phrase in an original sentence.
5. Explain the story behind the word candidate. How is the word related to candid?
Exercise VI. Framing Sentences Use each of the following words in an original sentence that clearly illustrates its meaning.
1. bungle 6. calumniate 2. bureaucrat 7. candor 3. buttress 8. cantankerous 4. cajole 9. captious 5. callously 10. catholic
117
Completing Verbal Analogies
"A Denotes the Lack of B." Another word relationship frequently encoun tered on standardized vocabulary tests may convenienUy be expressed as "A denotes U1e lack of B ... An example of an a nalogy question utilizing this word relationship is given below. See if you can figure out the correct answer.
A B c .-------- D------ ---, cowardly : courage =awkward :lfear. honor. grace, kindness. intelLigence)
The answer. of course, is grace. An awkward person lacks grace (or gracefulness). just as a cowardly person lacks courage.
Exercise I
Complete the following analogies based on the word relationship "A denotes the lack of B."
1. biased : objectivity = callous : (ambition, exp erience, compassion, malice, humor)
2. boorish : manners = blithe : (slcills, morals, funds, friends, cares)
3. indigent : money= lethargic: (wisdom, energy, taLen t ,family, schooling)
Exercise II Answers will vary.
Write three original analogies based on the relationship "A denotes the lack of B." In your analogies use at least one of the basic words studied in Lessons 1-8 (Words 1-80).
Exercise Ill
The following items review what you have so far learned about analogy questions. Complete each.
1. affable : cantankerous = catholic : (liberaL, genial, critical, provincial, abnormal)
2. bungle : botch = defame : (flatter, s lander, ignore, praise, p ersuade)
3. bleak : warmth = brash : (caution, frankness, pride, greed, enthusiasm)
4. grasping : rapacious = generous : (miserly, ardent, liberal, bellicose, grotesque)
5. buttress : undermine = foster : (sanction, foreshadow, promote, redress, blight)
118
Enriching the Lesson
Exercise I. The Language of Government and Politics The word bureaucracy, studied in this lesson, often comes up in discussions of government and politics. A number of other words and phrases connected with the workings of our government or political system are listed below. Define each.
1. checks and balances 14. popular sovereignty 2. political machine 15. regulatory agency 3. revenu e sharing 16. due process of law 4. civil rights 17. judicial review 5. merit system 18. civil service 6. pocket veto 19. bipartisan 7. executive privilege 20. franchise 8. separation of powers 21. eminent domain 9. lobby or interest group 22. senatorial courtesy
10. reapportionment 23. pork barrel 11 . referendum 24. conflict of interest 12. party platform 25. filibuster 13. executive order 26. political patronage
Can you think of any others? List and define them.
Exercise II. Gobbledygook
Gobbledygook is the name by which people commonly refer to the inflated, involved. and unnecessarily obscure language that is characteristic of bureaucratic pronouncements. The word was coined by Maury Maverick, chairman of the Smaller War Plants Corporation during World War II. As head of this government agency, Maverick was subjected to a seemingly endless flow of trite, tortured, or pompous language, for which he devised the name gobblebygoolc. Here is an example of the kind of writing (and speaking) that Maverick had in mind. It is taken from an a dministrative order issued by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
References in this order to any order shall be construed as referring to that order as amended by any subsequent order. whether made before or after the making of this order, and if any order referred to in this order is replaced by any such subsequent order, the references shall be construed as referring to that subsequent order.
As you know, the purpose of language is to communicate ideas and information clearly and concisely. Needless to say, this sentence and the kind of writing it represents defeat that purpose. To begin with, the sentence is oppressively long (58 words) and involved. This makes it almost impossible for the reader to grasp what is being said without rereading the sentence several times.
119
(A s imple way to begin correcting this problem would be to break the sentence in two just before the words and if.)
In addition, th e phrasing is awkward and unnatural. Notice, for instance. the number of passive constructions, the use of the single word order to indicate several different sets of instructions issu ed at different times. and the presence of clumsy or tortured expressions (e.g., "shall be construed as referring to," "the making of this order," "any such subsequent order"). These items a dd to the difficulties the reader already faces in trying to make something meaningful out of this muddle.
By now the poinl of this discussion should be clear to you: Write as clearly, simply, and concisely as you can. Don't let your senten ces become unduly long and involved. Don't overload them with highfalutin expressions or bizarre turns of phrase. Use the active voice of the verb ralher than the passive. And, finally, try not to string together too many Latinate words; s uch expressions tend to weigh down a sen tence and produce a ponderous effect. As Maury Maverick wrote to his staff in a now-famous memo about writing style: "Say what you're talking about" as clearly and directly as possible.
One final note: Needless to say, gobbledygook is not the exclus ive preserve of government. Indeed, anyone who has been in the armed forces. tried to make sense out of the fme print in an insurance policy, or had occasion to inspect business documents knows just how pervasive it can be.
1. Read the following statement from an official report issued by one of the administrative departments of the government of New Zealand. The statemen t concerns the possible use of a certain piece of land for recreational purposes. Then try your hand at rephrasing the statement in comprehensible Englis h.
It is obvious from the difference in elevation with relation to the short depth of the property that the contour is such as to preclude any reasonable development potential for active recreation.
2. A federal agency that was cons idering the accuracy of a label u sed on a certain brand of bottled beer said that the label "retained a tendency to mislead." Rephrase the italicized words in intelligible English.
Exercise Ill. Expanding Your Word Power
The words listed below are not on the Basic Word List, but they were mentioned in passing, in one form or another, in Lesson 8. All of them would mal\:e 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 the word's meaning.
1. deft 4. adulation 7. irascible 2. impair 5. impromptu 3. cavil 6. disingenuous
8. amenable 9. curmudgeon
120
Academic Vocabulary
The following vocabulary words and phrases are often used in the field of the performing arts. Like bravado, introduced in Lesson 7. they are useful when discussing music, dance, and drama.
brio noun bre'-6 Definition: Animation; zest; unrestrained enthusiasm.
Comedienne Carol Burnett acted her roles with such brio that the audience invariably gave her a standing ovation.
choreography noun kor-e-a' -gr;:)-fe Definition: The arrangement or written notation of dance movements;
dance movements, especially ballet. Julius Reisinger created the choreography for the original production of Swan Lake, in 1877, but most productions today follow the stagings created for the 1895 revival by Marlus Petipa and Lev Ivanov.
crescendo noun kr;:)-shen' -do Definition: A gradual increase in loudness, especially of music; any grad
ual increase in force or intensity. Maurice Ravel's most famous musical composion, MBolero," is notable for a crescendo that extends practically over the length of the entire piece.
dissonance noun di' -S;:)-n;:)n(t)s Definition: A discordant, inharmonious sound: lack of harmony or agree
ment. Soon after 1900, dissonance became a hallmark of modernist music: witness the works of such composers as Richard Strauss and Arnold Schoenberg.
intermezzo noun in-t;:)r-met-s6 Definition: A brief, light drama tic, musical, or ballet en tertainment between
the acts of a play; any short movement connecting the main parts of a musical composition; a pleasant break or interruption. Two-thirds of the way through the opera, a lyrical intermezzo offered a striking contrast to the melodramatic action on stage.
leitmotif noun 1It'-m6-tef Definition: A short, recurring musical phrase or theme, typically linked
with a particular character. event, or emotion: a dominant theme or underlying pattern. Opera composer Richard Wagner was especially ingenious in his use of leitmotifs, musical segments in which the orchestra signals a character 's inner thoughts or intentions through music.
libretto noun 1;:)-br e' -to Definition: The words or text of an opera, oratorio, or long choral work: a
book con taining those words. Music historians generally agree that Mozart was fortunate to have
121
Lorenzo DaPonte as a collaborator; he authored the libretto for three of the composer's most successful operas.
pas de deux noun phrase p a-d d-dd(r)'
Definition: In ballet, a dance for lwo performers; a set of movements and coun ter-movements. Reviewers glovvingly praised the two principa l dancers of the ballet troupe for their pas de deux al last night's performance.
Exercise. Completing Sentences
Complete each of the following sentences by selecting the most appropriate academic word or phrase.
1. The 1850s witnessed such a steady in a bolitionist condemnations of slavery that some observers thought civil war was inevitable.
a . crescendo b . choreogra phy c. brio d . pas de deux
2. In contrast to most other opera composers, Richard Wagner, drawing heavily on the texts of medieval legends, wrote not just the music but also the for each of his works.
a . dissonance b. crescendo c. pas de deux d. libretto
3. George Balanchine was one of the giants of 20th century ______ , and many of his ballets continue to be hailed as classics.
a . choreography b. pas de deux c . brio d . dissonance
4. In last week's performance of Rossini's The Barber of Seville, Ezio Torre sang the part of Don Basilio with , often provoking hearty laughter from the audience.
a. brio b . intermezzo c. dissonance d . crescendo
5. A dominant in public education today is the issue of accountability, which has caused an explosion in standardized testing to identify students' s trengths and weaknesses.
a. pas de deux b . leitmotif c . choreography d . brio
6. For many of today's corporate executives, a week's vacation at the seashore offers a welcome in a summer schedule that is otherwise packed with meetings and bus iness travel.
a . crescendo b . pas de deux c. intermezzo d . dissonance
7. In modern music, the classical rules of harmony are often breached, causing to become a distinctive feature of many musical forms .
a . dissonance b. crescendo c. libretto d. brio
8. For several months the two candidates for the nomination engaged in a political , with neither one willing to accord the other a dominant role.
a . crescendo b . intermezzo c. pas de deux d. libretto
122
