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 expression s 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.i strative setup that has become overgrown or that
insists upon following complex rules and procedures that seem to hinder or stifle quick and effective action.
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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 regu lations, 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. s hore up, strengthen
Antonyms: (verbs) weaken. impair, undermine
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74. ca-jole
verb
or ka-jol'
k;;>-jol'
[cajoler (French), "ch a tter 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 som e-
thing 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:
75. cal-lous
soft-soap, sweet-talk; cu rry favor with; a pple-polishing
adjective
kal'-;;>s
[callosus (Latin). "thick-skinned," from callus (Latin). " h ard skin")
Definition: Unfeeling or insensitive.
The sigh t of children starving slowly 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) callou s ness; (adverb) callously
Usage Note:
Do not confu se 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; thick-
skinned, hard-hearted , hard-boiled, h ard-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 simply have no basis in fact."
Related Forms: (verb) calumniate; (adjective) calumnious
Synonyms:
(nouns) lie, falsehood; slander, libel; slur, aspersion
Antonyms: (nouns) flattery. a dulation
Related Phrases: do a hatchet job on, hurl brickbats at; mudslinging
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77. can-did
adjective
kan'-did
lcandidus (Latin). "white: pu re ... 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: (a d verb) candidly
Synonyms: (adjectives) objective. disinterested. unbiased. unprejudiced .
balan ced: for thright. unreserved . straight-fro m-the-shou lder: s pontaneou s. impromptu
Antonyms: (adjectives) pa rtia l. biased. prej udiced; reserved. re ticent
(Word 34 1): dis ingen uous. a rtful. evasive. equivocal, a m biguous
Candidate
In a ncient Rome a m a 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 m ore 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.
11 3
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 opposi-
tion party"). the word may also be a pplied 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 cantankerou s
camel."
Synonyms: (adjectives) peevish, contrary, cross-grained, irritable. irasci-
ble. perverse, choleric, bearish , testy, crabby. grouchy, cranky; intractable, unamenable, ornery; (nouns) curmu dgeon, 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 objection s; overly demanding 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; nig-
gling, pettifogging, h airsplitting, picky, picayune, nit-picking; artful,
tricky, loaded
Antonyms: (adjectives) unexacting, uncritical, undiscriminating; straight-
forward ; laudatory, complimentary
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80. cath-o-lic
adjective
kath'-d-lik
or
k ath '-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 m ore 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 th at
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 o f 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.
3. callous
5. calumny
1. bungle
6. catholic
4. cajole
2. buttress
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
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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.
bureau cracy
callous
captious
buttress
bungle
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 Bu chenwald
and not be moved deeply is indeed
and insensitive.
5. "Just how am I supposed to get qu ality 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. wh eedle
4. a. mannerism b . libel c. chaos d. s lander e. order
5. a. objective b . grisly c . spurious d . lethargic
e . impartial
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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 . cantanker ous
e. workmanlike
b. penniless c. genial
d . auth entic
a. s pry b. captious c. illegal d. chipper e. unexacting
3. a. deft b. inept c. academic d. collective e . inimical
2.
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 r elated meanings are given
below. Indicate the items in each that would be classified as
slang or overly colloquial.
A. Ability
a . expert
c. competent
d. ace
b. inept
e . klutz
f. adroit
B. Persuasion
a . coax
b. sweet-talk
c. inveigle
d. cajole
e. wheedle
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
2. bureaucrat
3. buttress
4. cajole
5. callously
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
calumniate
candor
cantankerous
captious
catholic
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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 s o 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,
enth usiasm)
4. grasping : rapacious
= generous
: (miserly, ardent, liberal,
bellicose, grotesque)
5. buttress : undermine
promote, redress, blight)
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=
foster : (sanction, foreshadow,
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.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11 .
12.
13.
checks and balances
political machine
revenu e sharing
civil rights
merit system
pocket veto
executive privilege
separation of powers
lobby or interest group
reapportionment
referendum
party platform
executive order
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22 .
23.
24.
25.
26.
popular sovereignty
regulatory agency
due process of law
judicial review
civil service
bipartisan
franchise
eminent domain
senatorial courtesy
pork barrel
conflict of interest
filibuster
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.
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(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 a bout" 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
s hort depth of the property that the contour is such as to preclude
any r easonable development potential for active r ecreation.
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
5. impromptu
2. impair
8. amenable
3. cavil
6. disingenuous
9. curmudgeon
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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.
noun
choreography
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 gradual 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 agreement.
Soon after 1900, dissonance became a hallmark of modernist music:
witness the works of such composers as Richard Strauss and Arnold
Sch oenberg.
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 s hort 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 m usical 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 throu gh m u sic.
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
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Lorenzo DaPonte as a collaborator; he authored the libretto for three of
the composer's most successful operas.
pas de deux
p a-d d-dd(r)'
noun phrase
Definition: In ballet, a da nce 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 . disson ance 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
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