“Quandary,” meaning uncertainty, or difficulty in knowing what to do. Example: “Two of his friends asked him for a recommendation to the same job, and he’s in a quandary because he can’t sponsor one of them without alienating the other.”
“Pedestrian” - When you’re walking down the street, you’re a pedestrian – that’s a noun. But unless you’re doing a very silly walk, you’re also being pedestrian – an adjective. The adjective “pedestrian” means “unremarkable” or “ordinary.” Example: “The lives … Continue reading…
“Brook” – We’re not talking about the noun referring to a small stream, but rather a verb that means to tolerate or put up with, specifically with something negative. Example: “I have been teaching school for over thirty years, and … Continue reading…
It’s a word you hear frequently in sports, when you’re talking about a winner, someone who’s made it to the top. The meaning we’re going to learn is actually very similar. As a verb, “to champion” means to promote, to … Continue reading…
“Verbatim” means word for word, exactly as it was said. Example: “The court reporter read back the lawyer’s words verbatim, and the judge realized that his arguments were based on false evidence.”
Something that seems believable and reasonable at first glance, but is easily proven false when examined closely, is said to be “specious”. This term is often used to describe argument, or reasoning. Example: “The lawyer tried to prove that the … Continue reading…
A “chimera” is a creation of the imagination, a foolish fancy, or an imaginary thing. Example: “Early European travellers to Africa brought back descriptions of giraffes and elephants that were dismissed as chimeras by people who didn’t believe such things … Continue reading…
“Erroneous” means “based on false information,” in error, mistaken. Example: “When the zoo reported a missing elephant, the city closed all of the schools, in the erroneous belief that the lions had also gotten loose.”
A “fabrication” is something that’s made up – that is, a lie. A fabrication is a story, a fiction, a falsehood. Example: “Steven was four hours late, but his explanation that his late arrival was due to an escaped circus … Continue reading…
The word “potter” means to mess about doing nothing in particular. In parodies, this is a common foible of an older person, or one who’s not altogether mentally sound. Example: “After he won the lottery, Bruce quit his job and … Continue reading…