EXPEDITIOUS (ex-ped-i-tious \ek-spuh-‘dish-us\), adjective.
DEFINITION: Efficient.
EXAMPLE: The immigration office delivered my new passport the very next day – how expeditious!
Travail
TRAVAIL (tra-vail \truh-‘vail\), noun.
DEFINITION: Painful or laborious work.
EXAMPLE: George woke to the dull greyness of yet another dreary day, and prepared to face the travails of life.
Precarious
PRECARIOUS (pre-car-i-ous /prɪˈkɛːrɪəs/), adjective.
DEFINITION: Uncertain, insecure.
EXAMPLE: The ladder was in such a precarious position that I feared it would slip and fall.
Nepotism
NEPOTISM (nep-o-tism \’nep-uh-tiz-um\), noun.
DEFINITION: Favouritism.
EXAMPLE: The CEO was accused of nepotism after it emerged that his top management team were all members of his family.
Brusque
BRUSQUE (brusque \’brusk\), adjective.
DEFINITION: Terse, abrupt.
EXAMPLE: The restaurant manager gave a brusque statement to the press that neither confirmed nor denied their use of horsemeat.
Lotusland
LOTUSLAND (lo-tus-land \’loh-tus-land\), noun.
DEFINITION: An idyllic place that induces contentment.
EXAMPLE: The second I stepped off the plane in that tropical paradise, I knew I’d found my lotusland.
Anfractuous
ANFRACTUOUS (an·frac·tu·ous \an-ˈfrak-chə-wəs\) adjective.
DEFINITION: Winding, turning.
EXAMPLE: The course challenged even veteran rally drivers with its anfractuous twists and turns.
Temerity
TEMERITY (te-mer-i-ty \teh-ˈmer-i-tee\), noun.
DEFINITION: Audacity.
EXAMPLE: My boss had the temerity to ask how my weekend went, when he knew I spent it in the office!
Youthquake
YOUTHQUAKE (youth-quake \YOOTH-kwayk\), noun.
DEFINITION: a cultural shift influenced by young people.
EXAMPLE: Social media has spurred a youthquake in the way people communicate.
Gossamer
GOSSAMER (goss-a-mer \’gah-suh-mer\), adjective.
DEFINITION: Light and airy.
EXAMPLE: The gossamer fabric of her dress floated and ebbed with every step.
Huckster
HUCKSTER (huck-ster \’huk-ster\), noun.
DEFINITION: One who sells in a dishonest/aggressive manner.
EXAMPLE: That huckster sold my granny a four-year contract for dial-up Internet service!
Cacophany
CACOPHONY (ca·coph·o·ny \ka-ˈkä-fə-nē\), noun.
DEFINTION: unpleasant noises.
EXAMPLE: The screeching cats made such a cacophony that I couldn’t sleep last night.
Anon
ANON (a-non \ə-ˈnän\), adverb.
DEFINITION: in a short time, soon.
EXAMPLE: I’m going to the market, but I’ll be right back – see you anon!
Persiflage
PERSIFLAGE (per-si-flage /ˈpər-si-flaʒ/), noun.
DEFINITION: Light, frivolous banter
EXAMPLE: As the party grew, the wine and persiflage were flowing in equal measure!
Shtick
SHTICK (shtick \ˈshtik\), noun.
DEFINTION: A performance or routine.
EXAMPLE: The salesman delivered his shtick so many times every day that he could recite it in his sleep.
Gapeseed
GAPESEED (gape·seed \’gāp-sēd\), noun.
DEFINITION: One who stares in open-mouthed wonder.
EXAMPLE: The actress left a trail of star-struck gapeseeds wherever she went.
Dragoman
DRAGOMAN (drag·o·man \ˈdra-gə-mən\), noun.
DEFINITION: A professional interpreter.
EXAMPLE: The foreign businessman relied on his dragoman to communicate with the locals.
Pernickety
PERNICKETY (per·nick·e·ty \pər-ˈni-kə-tē\), adjective.
DEFINITION: Fussy about minor details
EXAMPLE: My boss calls himself detail-oriented, but I think he’s just pernickety.
Slubber
SLUBBER (slub·ber \ˈsluh-bər\), verb.
DEFINITION: To perform carelessly or hastily.
EXAMPLE: The accountant made several careless errors while slubbering through the books to meet a 5pm deadline.
Bovarism
BOVARISM (bo·va·ris·m \’bō-vuh-riz-uhm), noun.
DEFINITION: An exaggerated estimation of oneself.
EXAMPLE: Although bovarism is seen as distasteful, Kanye has made it his calling card.