VAUNTED (vaunt·ed \ˈvȯn-təd\), adjective.
DEFINITION: highly praised.
EXAMPLE: The renowned vocalist was vaunted for her technical finesse, unique phrasing and sophisticated interpretation.
Faze
FAZE (faze \ˈfāz\), verb.
DEFINITION: to disturb one’s composure.
EXAMPLE: When the athlete was in the zone, nothing could faze him.
Magnifico
MAGNIFICO (mag·nif·i·co \mag-ˈni-fi-ˌkō\), noun.
DEFINITION: a person of high position.
EXAMPLE: As he alighted from his carriage, the magnifico surveyed the peasants who lived and worked on his land.
Mossback
MOSSBACK (moss·back \ˈmȯs-bak\), noun.
DEFINITION: an old fashioned, conservative person.
EXAMPLE: “Back in my day, people actually talked to each other instead of staring at their phones all day,” muttered Mike the mossback.
Diktat
DIKTAT (dik·tat \dik-ˈtät\), noun.
DEFINITION: a harsh decree or order.
EXAMPLE: The losing team were subject to the diktats of the winners – cleaning the dorms, doing laundry and cooking meals.
Fubsy
FUBSY (fubsy \ˈfəb-zē\), adjective.
DEFINITION: short and chubby.
EXAMPLE: The fubsy toddlers wallowed in the playpen, occasionally testing out their limbs with a few clumsy steps.
Germane
GERMANE (ger·mane \jər-ˈmān\), adjective.
DEFINITION: fitting, appropriate.
EXAMPLE: Your remarks about the state of fashion aren’t germane to our conversation about global economic trends.
Toady
TOADY (toady \ˈtō-dē\), noun.
DEFINITION: one who flatters or praises to gain favour.
EXAMPLE: Fred is such a toady – I think he’d literally shine the boss’ shoes if he thought it would earn him a promotion.
Mojo
MOJO (mo·jo \ˈmō-jō\), noun.
DEFINITION: magical power that facilitates success.
EXAMPLE: England lost their mojo early in this year’s World Cup, playing poorly enough to avoid a spot in the final sixteen.
Grig
GRIG (grig \ˈgrig\), noun.
DEFINITION: a lively, lighthearted young person.
EXAMPLE: The playground was abuzz with happy grigs from the neighbourhood, who flocked there after school.
Stymie
STYMIE (sty·mie \ˈstī-mē\), verb.
DEFINITION: to stand in the way of.
EXAMPLE: The thief’s efforts to ransack the factory were stymied by a state-of-the-art alarm system and a particularly alert night watchman.
Picaroon
PICAROON (pic·a·roon \ˌpi-kə-ˈrün\), noun.
DEFINITION: a pirate, rogue or thief.
EXAMPLE: Blackbeard was a notorious English pirate who terrorized the high seas around the West Indies with his band of picaroons.
Pungle
PUNGLE (pun·gle \ˈpəŋ-gəl\), verb.
DEFINITION: to pay or contribute money (usually used with “up”).
EXAMPLE: Billy is such a cheapskate – I’ve never seen him pungle up for his fair share of the bill.
Sook
SOOK (sook \ˈsu̇k\), noun.
DEFINITION: a cowardly person, crybaby.
EXAMPLE: He blinked back his tears and put on a brave face, not wanting anyone to think him a sook.
Inkhorn
INKHORN (ink·horn \ˈiŋk-ˌhȯrn\), adjective.
DEFINITION: pedantic, ostentatiously learned.
EXAMPLE: The professor, in his inkhorn manner, never allowed one to forget how much information resided in his annoyingly massive brain.
Palmy
PALMY (palmy \ˈpäl-mē\), adjective.
DEFINITION: prosperous, flourishing.
EXAMPLE: With the country’s palmy days firmly in the past, its cities, infrastructure and national spirit were rapidly declining.
Reproof
REPROOF (re·proof \ri-ˈprüf\), noun.
DEFINITION: criticism or blame.
EXAMPLE: The fear of reproof kept them from reporting the situation to their superior.
Votary
VOTARY (vo·ta·ry \ˈvō-tə-rē\), noun.
DEFINITION: a devoted follower.
EXAMPLE: As a votary of the arts, he actively promoted the museum and its collection of Chinese ceramics to the community.
Augur
AUGUR (au·gur \ˈȯ-gər\), verb.
DEFINITION: to predict, foretell.
EXAMPLE: Staring intently at the tarot cards, the gypsy entered a mystical trance and augured her predictions for the future.
Foofaraw
FOOFARAW (foo·fa·raw \ˈfü-fə-ˌrȯ\), noun.
DEFINITION: frills and flashy finery
EXAMPLE: The celebrity wedding was a festival of fancy dresses, photographers and foofaraw.