OCTOBER THREAD - updated regularly

Make sure to do all words from April/ May/ June/ July/ September/
October thread also...

1. Invigorate - To impart vigor, strength, or vitality to; animate;

stimulate; heighten or intensify; give life or energy to; make lively;
impart vigor, strength, or vitality to
2. Assiduous - Constant in application or attention; diligent;
unceasing; persistent; hard-working
3. Penchant - A definite liking; a strong inclination; fondness; strong
liking for or bias in favor of something
4. Eulogy - A laudatory speech or written tribute, especially one
praising someone who has died; high praise or commendation;
expression of warm approval; acclamation
5. Disavow - To disclaim knowledge of, responsibility for, or
association with; refuse to recognize or acknowledge; reject
6. Incompetent - Not qualified in legal terms; inadequate for or
unsuited to a particular purpose or application; devoid of those
qualities requisite for effective conduct or action; unskillful, unable;
lacking the qualities, as efficiency or skill, required to produce
desired results
7. Resilient - Marked by the ability to recover readily, as from
misfortune; capable of returning to an original shape or position, as
after having been compressed; bouncy, flexible; having the quality
of springing back to a former position. Also: Able to recover quickly
from sickness or difficulty; sturdy
8. Arid - Lacking moisture, especially having insufficient rainfall to
support trees or woody plants; lacking interest or feeling; lifeless
and dull; uninterested, spiritless; having little or no liquid or
moisture; extremely dry
9. Bedlam - A place or situation of noisy uproar and confusion;
chaotic situation; a state of extreme confusion and disorder; scene of
great uproar and confusion
10. Frenetic - Wildly excited or active; frantic; frenzied; marked by
extreme excitement, confusion, or agitation; maniacal
11. Erratic - Having no fixed or regular course; wandering; lacking
consistency, regularity, or uniformity; unpredictable; wandering
12. Penitent - Feeling or expressing remorse for one's misdeeds or
sins; person performing penance under the direction of a confessor;
shamed, sorrowful; undergoing or awaiting punishment
13. Elation - High spirits; extreme happiness; lifting up by success;
exaltation; inriation with pride of prosperity
14. Probity - Complete and confirmed integrity; uprightness; quality
or state of being morally sound; fairness, honesty; virtue or
integrity tested and confirmed
15. Indefeasible - That cannot be annulled or made void
16. Dawdler - One who wastes time in trifling employments; an idler;
a trifler; someone who takes more time than necessary; someone
who lags behind
17. Bogus - Counterfeit or fake; not genuine; fraudulently or
deceptively imitative
18. Abstruse - Difficult to understand; recondite; difficult to
understand
19. Resplendent - Splendid or dazzling in appearance; brilliant;
bright, radiant; bright and colorful, almost glowing; marked by
extraordinary elegance, beauty, and splendor
20. Metaphorical - Figure of speech in which a word or phrase that
ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus
making an implicit comparison; one thing conceived as representing
another; a symbol; expressing one thing in terms normally denoting
another
21. Literal - Employing the very same words as another; exact, real;
being in accordance with, conforming to, or upholding the exact or
primary meaning of a word or words; avoiding exaggeration,
metaphor, or embellishment; factual; prosaic
22. Hapless - Luckless; unfortunate; involving or undergoing chance
misfortune
23. Intransigent - Refusing to moderate a position, especially an
extreme position; uncompromising; firmly, often unreasonably
immovable in purpose or will; not capable of being swayed or
diverted from a course; unsusceptible to persuasion
24. Predicament - A situation, especially an unpleasant,
troublesome, or trying one, from which extrication is difficult; a
difficult, often embarrassing situation or condition; the wage of
consistency
25. Tactual - Of, relating to, or arising from the sense of touch;
producing a sensation of touch; tactile
26. Opulent - Possessing or exhibiting great wealth; affluent;
characterized by rich abundance; luxuriant; rich and superior in
quality
27. Floppy - Tending to flop; loose and flexible; lacking in stiffness or
firmness; limp
28. Willowy - Slender and graceful; planted with or abounding in
willows
29. Potentiate - To enhance or increase the effect of (a drug);
promote or strengthen (a biochemical or physiological action or
effect); make potent or powerful
30. Frugality - Careful use of material resources; prudence in
avoiding waste
31. Insolent - Presumptuous and insulting in manner or speech;
arrogant; audaciously rude or disrespectful; impertinent; bold,
disrespectful; rude and insulting
32. Mushroom - Any of various fleshy fungi of the class
Basidiomycota, characteristically having an umbrella-shaped cap
borne on a stalk, especially any of the edible kinds; to increase or
expand suddenly, rapidly, or without control; sprout
33. Fungus - A plant that has no leaves, flowers, or green color
34. Satirize - A literary work in which human vice or folly is
attacked through irony, derision, or wit
35. Lampoon - A written attack ridiculing a person, group, or
institution; light, good-humored satire; a work, as a novel or play,
that exposes folly by the use of humor or irony; ridicule, make fun of
36. Toil - To labor continuously; exhausting labor or effort;
something that binds, snares, or entangles one; an entrapment;
hard work; walk heavily, slowly, and with difficulty; to exert one's
mental or physical powers, usually under difficulty and to the point
of exhaustion
37. Motley - Having elements of great variety or incongruity;
heterogeneous; mixed, varied; having many colors; variegated;
parti-colored
38. Assuage - To make less severe or more bearable; soothe, relieve;
reduce fear, excitement, pain, or disease
39. Immaculate - Impeccably clean; spotless; free from fault or
error; innocent, uncorrupted; very clean
40. Dicey - Involving or fraught with danger or risk; risky;of
uncertain outcome; especially fraught with risk
41. Feisty - Touchy; quarrelsome; full of spirit or pluck; frisky or
spunky; showing courage; irritable and looking for trouble
42. Apocryphal - Of questionable authorship or authenticity;
erroneous; fictitious; questionable; fake; of questionable
authenticity
43. Mire - A usually low-lying area of soft waterlogged ground and
standing water; viscous, usually offensively dirty substance; soil
with mud; marsh or bog
44. Palpitate - To move with a slight tremulous motion; tremble,
shake, or quiver; beat with excessive rapidity; throb; make rhythmic
contractions, sounds, or movements; beat at a rapid pace, like heart;
tremble; beat rapidly and irregularly
45. Redoubtable - Arousing fear or awe; formidable; worthy of
respect or honor; formidable; causing fear
46. Amalgamate - To put together into one mass so that the
constituent parts are more or less homogeneous; blend
47. Rebut - To refute, especially by offering opposing evidence or
arguments, as in a legal case; to repel; present opposing evidence or
arguments; argue against; prove wrong
48. Censor - To examine (material) and remove parts considered
harmful or improper for publication or transmission; ban; forbid;
person authorized to examine books, films, or other material and to
remove or suppress what is considered morally, politically, or
otherwise objectionable
49. Torpor - A state of mental or physical inactivity or insensibility;
apathy; dormant, inactive state of a hibernating or estivating
animal; deficiency in mental and physical alertness and activity;
lethargy; dullness
50. Sangfroid - A stable, calm state of the emotions
51. Diatribe - A long, violent, or blustering speech, usually of censure
or denunciation; harangue, criticism; bitter or angry attack in
speech or writing
52. Complaisance - agreeableness; disposition or tendency to
The inclination to comply willingly with the wishes of others; a miability;

yield to the will of others

Perturbable - Liable to be perturbed or agitated; liable to be
53.

disturbed or disquieted
54. Amenable - Willing to carry out the wishes of others; able to be
judged; responsible; willing, cooperative; willing to change or
submit
55. Aberration - A departing from what is prescribed; condition of
being abnormal; serious mental illness or disorder impairing a
person's capacity to function normally and safely; state of
abnormality; deviation from the normal or usual; straying away
from what is normal; defect of focus, such as blurring in an image
56. Digression - The act of digressing; deviation; straying
57. Phlegmatic - Without emotion or interest; having or suggesting a
calm, sluggish temperament; unemotional
58. Concord - Harmonious mutual understanding; formal, usually
written settlement between nations; pleasing agreement, as of
musical sounds; agreement, treaty; unity, harmony
59. Modicum - A small, moderate, or token amount
60. Fathom - A unit of length equal to 6 feet (1.83 meters), used
principally in the measurement and specification of marine depths;
to perceive and recognize the meaning of; discern, understand
61. Incomprehensible - Difficult or impossible to understand or
comprehend; unintelligible; impossible to know or fathom; not
understandable
62. Tardy - Occurring, arriving, acting, or done after the scheduled,
expected, or usual time; late; moving slowly; sluggish
63. Hapless - Luckless; unfortunate; involving or undergoing chance
misfortune
64. Metaphysical - Having no body, form, or substance; of, coming
from, or relating to forces or beings that exist outside the natural
world; not physical; without physical presence; ideal
65. Deferential - Marked by or exhibiting deference; marked by
courteous submission or respect; respectful, considerate
66. Palliated - To relieve the symptoms of a disease or disorder; to
make less severe or intense; mitigate; to make (an offense or crime)
seem less serious; extenuate
67. Fawn - To seek favor or attention by flattery and obsequious
behavior; to support slavishly every opinion or suggestion of a
superior; a young deer, less than one year old; a grayish yellow-
brown to moderate reddish brown
68. Avaricious - Immoderately desirous of wealth or gain; greedy
69. Covet - To feel blameworthy desire for (that which is another's);
wish for longingly; feel immoderate desire for that which is
another's; desire strongly; feel envy towards or for; Wish, long, or
crave for (something, especially the property of another person)
70. Byline - A line at the head of a newspaper or magazine article
carrying the writer's name; a line giving the name of the writer of a
story or article; an auxiliary activity
71. Indigenous - native
72. Tincture - An alcoholic, hydroalcoholic, or ethereal solution of a
drug; something that imparts color; coloring or dyeing substance; a
pigment; quality that colors, pervades, or distinguishes; to stain or
tint with a color; to infuse, as with a quality; impregnate
73. Askew - To one side; awry; crooked(ly); crooked; out of
alignment
74. Puckish - Mischievous; impish; naughtily or annoyingly playful
75. Abscond - To leave quickly and secretly and hide oneself, often to
avoid arrest or prosecution; leave confinement or threat, run away
76. Alcove - A recess or partly enclosed extension connected to or
forming part of a room; secluded structure, such as a bower, in a
garden; small recessed space, opening directly into a larger room
77. Recess - A pause or interval, as from work or duty; interrupt
regular activity for a short period; stop action; break, interval in
action; any shallow depression in a surface
78. Furtive - Characterized by stealth; surreptitious; expressive of
hidden motives or purposes; shifty; slow, deliberate, and secret as to
escape observation; trickily secret; sneaky, secretive; done on the
sly or in a sneaky way
79. Untenable - Incapable of being defended or justified
80. Amalgamate - To combine into a unified or integrated whole;
unite; mix or alloy (a metal) with mercury; unite or blend with
another metal
81. Choir - An organized company of singers, especially one
performing church music or singing in a church
82. Ephemeral - lasting for a markedly brief time
83. Enduring - Lasting; continuing; durable; long-suffering; patient;
existing or remaining in the same state for an indefinitely long time
84. Splint - A rigid device used to prevent motion of a joint or of the
ends of a fractured bone; thin, flexible wooden strip, such as one
used in the making of baskets or chair bottoms; plate or strip of
metal; bony enlargement of the cannon bone or splint bone of a
horse; hin piece split off from a larger piece; a splinter; a rigid
appliance for the fixation of displaced or movable parts; a support
or brace used to fasten or confine; metal, acrylic resin, or modeling
compound fashioned to retain in position teeth that may have been
replanted or have fractured roots
85. Choreography - The art of creating and arranging dances or
ballets; art of designing dances
86. Plot - A secret plan to achieve an evil or illegal end; series of
events and relationships forming the basis of a composition; piece of
land; show graphically the direction or location of, as by using
coordinates; plan, scheme
87. Laconic - Using or marked by the use of few words; terse or
concise; short, to the point
88. Sobriquet - An affectionate or humorous nickname; an assumed
name; a familiar name (often a shortened version of a person's given
name)
89. Audacious - daring ;bold
90. Lassitude - lack of energy
91. Rile - To stir to anger; to stir up (liquid); roil; to trouble the
nerves or peace of mind of, especially by repeated vexations; anger,
upset; cause annoyance in; disturb, esp. by minor irritations; make
turbid by stirring up the sediments of
92. Debilitated - Showing impairment of energy or strength;
enfeebled; lacking strength or vigor
93. Impel - To urge to action through moral pressure; drive; to drive
forward; propel; prompt, incite
94. Flashy - Cheap and showy; gaudy; Giving a momentary or
superficial impression of brilliance; flamboyant, in poor taste
95. Esoteric - Beyond the understanding of an average mind;
mysterious, obscure; not publicly disclosed; confidential; confined
to a small group; intended for or understood by only a particular
group; of or relating to that which is known by a restricted number
of people
96.Topography - Concerned with topography; the character, natural
features, and configuration of land; surface features of a place or
region
97. Measureless - Too great to be measured; immeasurable; having
no ends or limits; boundless
98. Connotation - Something, such as a feeling, thought, or idea,
associated in one's mind or imagination with a specific person or
thing; that which is signified by a word or expression; implication
99. Rue - European strong-scented perennial herb with gray-green
bitter-tasting leaves; leaves sometimes used for flavoring fruit or
claret cup but should be used with great caution; feel remorse for;
feel sorry for; be contrite about
100. Exhortation - A speech or discourse that encourages, incites, or
earnestly advises; urging; a communication intended to urge or
persuade the recipients to take some action
101. Canonize - To declare (a deceased person) to be a saint and
entitled to be fully honored as such; to treat as sacred; glorify;
approve as being within canon law
102. Lachrymose - Weeping or inclined to weep; tearful; causing or
tending to cause tears
103. Evanescence - The act or state of vanishing away;
disappearance; act or an example of passing out of sight; the event
of fading and gradually vanishing from sight
104. Rebuke - To criticize or reprove sharply; reprimand; check or
repress; a sharp reproof; harsh criticism
105. Feral - Existing in a wild or untamed state; having returned to
an untamed state from domestication; of or suggestive of a wild
animal; savage; wild; being wild after escaping from domestication
106. Dilettante - A dabbler in an art or a field of knowledge; lover of
the fine arts; a connoisseur; superficial; amateurish; lacking
professional skill and ease in a particular pursuit
107. Incredulous - Skeptical; disbelieving; expressive of disbelief;
refusing or reluctant to believe; unbelieving
108. Gullible - Easily deceived or duped; easily imposed on or
tricked; naive, trusting
109. Ossified - Changed to bone or something resembling bone;
hardened by deposits of mineral matter of any kind; -- said of
tissues; rigid, unimaginative convention; process of becoming set in
a rigidly conventional pattern, as of behavior, habits, or beliefs
110. Pantry - A small room or closet, usually off a kitchen, where
food, tableware, linens, and similar items are stored; small room
used for the preparation of cold foods; small room off a kitchen
where dishes, food, etc are stored; room for preparing refreshments,
not complete meals; serving room between kitchen and dining space
111. Bungle - To work or act ineptly or inefficiently; handle badly;
botch; clumsy or inept performance; proceed or perform in an
unsteady, faltering manner; blunder, mess up
112. Prevaricate - misleading or equivoacte
113. Prodigal - Rashly or wastefully extravagant; giving or given in
abundance; lavish or profuse; wasteful; a recklessly extravagant
consumer
114. Zealot - excessive enthusiasm or u can say excessive zeal; or
fanatic
115. Persecutor - One who persecutes, or harasses
116. Persecute - To oppress or harass with ill-treatment, especially
because of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or beliefs;
annoy persistently; bother; do a wrong to; treat unjustly; wrong,
torment
117. Flippancy - The state or quality of being flippant; irreverence
118. Unbridled - Unrestrained; uncontrolled; lacking in moral
restraint; being without restraint
119. Currency - The state of being current; up-to-dateness; money in
any form when in actual use as a medium of exchange, especially
circulating paper money; prevalence
120. Detraction - A derogatory or damaging comment on a person's
character or reputation; disparagement; act or an instance of
belittling; expression of injurious, malicious statements about
someone; misrepresentation; slander
121. Daft - Mad; crazy; foolish; stupid; scots; frolicsome
122. Prolix - Rambling and wordy
123. Ameliorate - To make or become better; improve; relieve or
reduce pain
124. Ruse - A crafty stratagem; a subterfuge; indirect, usually
cunning means of gaining an end; a deceptive maneuver
125. Portrait - Drawing, painting, or photograph of a person
126. Uncanny - Peculiarly unsettling, as if of supernatural origin or
nature; so keen and perceptive as to seem preternatural; of a
mysteriously strange and usually frightening nature; very strange,
unusual
127. Exonerate - To free from blame; free from a responsibility,
obligation, or task; excuse, clear of responsibility or blame
128. Groundless - Having no ground or foundation; unsubstantiated;
without reason, justification; false
129. Thwart - To prevent from accomplishing a purpose; stop,
hinder; oppose and defeat the efforts, plans, or ambitions of; seat
across a boat on which a rower may sit
130. Tortuous - Full of plot twists
131. Nebulous - Cloudy, misty, or hazy; lacking definite form or
limits; vague; liable to more than one interpretation; confused,
obscure
132. Therapeutic - Having or exhibiting healing powers; healing
133. Bonhomie - A pleasant and affable disposition; geniality; a
disposition to be friendly and approachable (easy to talk to)
134. Illicit - Not sanctioned by custom or law; unlawful; not legal;
forbidden
135. Abase - To lower in rank, prestige, or esteem; deprive of self-
esteem or confidence
136. Eavesdrop - To listen secretly to the private conversation of
others
137. Bulge - A protruding part; an outward curve or swelling; a
bilge; a sudden, usually temporary increase in number or quantity;
cause to curve outward; slang term used to describe a rapid advance
in prices within the commodities market; swollen object; project
outward
138. Pulchritude - Great physical beauty and appeal
139. Succinct - Characterized by clear, precise expression in few
words; concise and terse
140. Err -To make an error or a mistake; violate accepted moral
standards; sin; do wrong
141. Malingerer - To feign illness or other incapacity in order to
avoid duty or work
142. Disentangle - To extricate from entanglement or involvement;
free; clear up or resolve (a plot, for example); unravel; unwind,
disconnect; solve; smoothen and neaten with or as with a comb
143. Bootless - Without advantage or benefit; useless; unproductive
of success
144. Futility - The quality of having no useful result; uselessness;
lack of importance or purpose; frivolousness; condition or quality of
being useless or ineffective; fruitlessness
145. Banal - Commonplace; without freshness or appeal because of
overuse
146. Psychophant - One who attempts to curry favor by flattering
influential people, but does so to a psychotic, often violent degree
147. Skimp - To deal with hastily, carelessly, or with poor material;
be stingy or very thrifty; scanty; be cheap or frugal about; give
barely enough or not enough attention, funds or effort
148. Parsimony - Unusual or excessive frugality; extreme economy
or stinginess; adoption of the simplest assumption in the
formulation of a theory or in the interpretation of data, especially in
accordance with the rule of Ockham's razor; extreme stinginess
149. Dulcet - Pleasing to the ear; melodious; having a soothing,
agreeable quality; archaic; sweet to the taste
150. Defiance - The act or an example of defying; bold resistance to
an opposing force or authority; intentionally contemptuous
behavior or attitude; readiness to contend or resist; disobedience,
disregard; an act that is intentionally provocative; disposition
boldly to defy or resist authority or an opposing force
151. Senility - Old age; mental and physical deterioration associated
with aging; loss of faculties
152. Obviate - To make unnecessary
153. Equivocal - Open to two or more interpretations and often
intended to mislead; ambiguous; uncertain significance; of a
doubtful or uncertain nature
154. Aberrant - Deviating from the proper or expected course;
deviating from what is normal; untrue to type; not being normal
155. Halcyon - Calm and peaceful; tranquil; prosperous; golden;
serene; a fabled bird, identified with the kingfisher, that was
supposed to have had the power to calm the wind and the waves
while it nested on the sea during the winter solstice
156. Despot - A ruler with absolute power; a person who wields
power oppressively; a tyrant; dictator
157. Therapeutic - Having or exhibiting healing powers; healing;
serving to cure
158. Seethe - To churn and foam as if boiling; be in a state of turmoil
or ferment; be violently excited or agitated; be angry and silently
fixated on a problem; be very angry; be in a state of emotional or
mental turmoil
159. Scrimp - To economize severely; be excessively sparing with or
of; to cut or make too small or scanty; spend as little as possible;
save money; be severely sparing in order to economize
160. Incriminate - To accuse of a crime or other wrongful act; cause
to appear guilty of a crime or fault; implicate; to show evidence of
involvement in a crime or fault; make an accusation against; to
cause to appear involved in or guilty of a crime or fault
161. Podium - An elevated platform, as for an orchestra conductor or
public speaker; stand for holding the notes of a public speaker; a
lectern; low wall serving as a foundation; wall circling the arena of
an ancient amphitheater; structure resembling or functioning as a
foot; low platform, especially one where the conductor of an
orchestra stands
162. Conductor - One who directs an orchestra or other such group;
substance or medium that conducts heat, light, sound, or especially
an electric charge; lightning rod, as on a house or barn; one who is
in charge of a railroad train, bus, or streetcar
163. Incrimination - The act of incriminating; crimination; charging
of someone with a misdeed; an accusation that you are responsible
for some lapse or misdeed
164. Pulpit - An elevated platform, lectern, or stand used in
preaching or conducting a religious service; elevated metal
guardrail extending around the bow or stern of a yacht or other
small vessel; elevated platform, such as one used by harpooners in a
whaling boat; clerics considered as a group; ministry of preaching
165. Malaise - A vague feeling of bodily discomfort, as at the
beginning of an illness; general sense of depression or unease;
general feeling of discomfort or uneasiness, often the first indication
of an infection or other disease
166. Retract - To disavow (something previously written or said)
irrevocably and usually formally; pull back in: draw in; move back
or away from a point, limit, or mark; take back; renege on; recall or
take back (something that one has said)
167. Chicanery - Deception by trickery or sophistry; lack of
straightforwardness and honesty in action; legal trickery or false
argument; deception, trickery
168. Harbinger - One that indicates or foreshadows what is to come;
a forerunner; signal the approach of; presage
169. Fervor - Great warmth and intensity of emotion; intense heat;
excitement, enthusiasm
170. Ceaseless - Without stop or pause; constant
171. Rapport - Relationship, especially one of mutual trust or
emotional affinity; understanding between people; harmonious
mutual understanding
172. Truculence - A disposition or apparent disposition to fight,
especially fiercely; ferociously cruel actions or behavior;
obstreperous and defiant aggressiveness
173. Careworn - Showing the effects of worry, anxiety, or
burdensome responsibility; pale and exhausted, as because of worry
or sleeplessness; showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or
suffering
174. Extricate - To release from an entanglement or difficulty;
disengage; get out of situation; relieve of responsibility
175. Comestible - Fit to be eaten; edible; something that can be eaten
as food
176. Monarch - One who reigns over a state or territory, usually for
life and by hereditary right, especially; sovereign, such as a king or
empress, often with constitutionally limited authority; sole and
absolute ruler
177. Turmoil - A state of extreme confusion or agitation; commotion
or tumult; chaos
178. Yawn - To open the mouth wide and breathe in deeply especially
when one is sleepy; to open the mouth wide with a deep inhalation,
usually involuntarily from drowsiness, fatigue, or boredom
179. Foolhardy - Unwisely bold or venturesome; rash; characterized
by unthinking boldness and haste; impetuous, rash; adventurous or
bold but lacking in good sense
180. Befriend - To behave as a friend to; make social acquaintance;
support
181. Bungalow - A small house or cottage usually having a single
story and sometimes an additional attic story; thatched or tiled one-
story house in India surrounded by a wide verandah
182. Pedantic - Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious
concern for book learning and formal rules; bookish, precise;
showing off learning
183. Pithy - Precisely meaningful; forceful and brief; consisting of or
resembling pith
184. Ambulate - To walk from place to place; move about; to go on
foot; walk about; not be bedridden or incapable of walking
185. Minuet - A slow, stately pattern dance in 3/4 time for groups of
couples, originating in 17th-century France; a movement in 3/4 time
that is usually the third, but sometimes the second, of a four-
movement symphony or string quartet
186. Dissect - To cut apart or separate (tissue), especially for
anatomical study; examine, analyze, or criticize in minute detail;
cut into pieces; cut up; take apart
187. Specimen - A bit of tissue or blood that is taken for diagnostic
purposes; individual, item, or part representative of a class, genus,
or whole

ANALOGIES

1). frenetic:energetic
2). mushroom:fungus - X is a type of Y
3). lampoon:satirize
4). palpitate:beat
5). tilt:level
6). perturbable:annoy
7). aberration:usual
8). incomprehensible:fathom
9). avaricious:covet
10). article:byline
11). singer:choir
12). tincture:stain
13). depart:abscond
14). alcove:recess
15). choreography:dance
16). splint:mobility
17). ephemeral:enduring
18). topographical:surface
19). measureless:limit
20). evanescence:permanence
21). ossified:flexibility
22). oxygen:gas
23). portrait:paintings
24). document:file
25). metamorphosis:latent
26). banana:peel
27). fixture:permanent
28). school:fish
29). abase:prestige
30). vocabulary:word
31). listen:eavesdrop
32). malingerer:incapacity
33). wildness:feral
34). bootless:futility
35). skimp:parsimonius
36). accelerate:speed
37). defiance:resistance
38). senility:consciousness
39). conductor:podium
40). verbose:succinct
41). queen:monarch
42). pantry:comestible
43). yawn:sleepiness
44). curtain:stage
45). aridity:humidity
46). tin:metal
47). exultant:elation
48). bungalow:building
49). eulogy:praise
50). zealot:enthusiasm
51). dislocation:position
52). dissect:specimen
53). school:educate

ISSUE TOPICS

1. It is primarily through formal education that a culture tries to

perpetuate the ideas it favors and discredit the ideas it fears
2. In any field of inquiry, the beginner is more likely than the expert
to make important discoveries
3. Technologies not only influence but actually determine social
customs and ethics
4. It is always an individual who is the impetus for innovation; the
details may be worked out by a team, but true innovation results
from the enterprise and unique perception of an individual
5. The best way to understand the character of a society is to
examine the character of the men and women that the society
chooses as its heroes or its heroines
6. It is more important to allocate money for immediate, existing
social problems than to spend it on long-term research that might
help future generations
7. Governments should focus more on solving the immediate
problems of today rather than trying to solve the anticipated
problems of the future
8. Most people are taught that loyalty is a virtue. But loyalty—
whether to one's friends, to one's school or place of employment, or
to any institution—is all too often a destructive rather than a
positive force
9. We can usually learn much more from people whose views we
share than from people whose views contradict our own;
disagreement can cause stress and inhibit learning
10. Too much emphasis is placed on role models. Instead of copying
others, people should learn to think and act independently and thus
make the choices that are best for them
11. The study of history places too much emphasis on individuals.
The most significant events and trends in history were made
possible not by the famous few, but by groups of people whose
identities have long been forgotten
12. Some educational systems emphasize the development of
students' capacity for reasoning and logical thinking, but students
would benefit more from an education that also taught them to
explore their own emotions
13. History teaches us only one thing: knowing about the past
cannot help people to make important decisions today
14. Scandals—whether in politics, academia, or other areas—can be
useful. They focus our attention on problems in ways that no
speaker or reformer ever could
15. The study of an academic discipline alters the way we perceive
the world. After studying the discipline, we see the same world as
before, but with different eyes
16.The surest indicator of a great nation is not the achievements of
its rulers, artists, or scientists, but the general welfare of all its
people
17. The study of history has value only to the extent that it is relevant
to our daily lives

ARGUMENT TOPICS

1. The following appeared in a memorandum from a dean at Omega

University.

"Fifteen years ago, Omega University implemented a new procedure

that encouraged students to evaluate the teaching effectiveness of all
their professors. Since that time, Omega professors have begun to
assign higher grades in their classes, and overall student grade
averages at Omega have risen by thirty percent. Potential
employers apparently believe the grades at Omega are inflated; this
would explain why Omega graduates have not been as successful at
getting jobs as have graduates from nearby Alpha University. To
enable its graduates to secure better jobs, Omega University should
now terminate student evaluation of professors."

2. "Typically, as people age, their bone mass decreases, making

them more vulnerable to bone fractures. A recent study concludes
that the most effective way to reduce the risk of fractures in later life
is to take twice the recommended dose of vitamin D and calcium
daily. The three-year study followed a group of French women in
their eighties who were nursing-home residents. The women were
given daily supplements of twice the recommended dose of vitamin
D and calcium. In addition, the women participated in a light
weightlifting program. After three years, these women showed a
much lower rate of hip fractures than is average for their age".

3. The following is a recommendation from the director of personnel

to the president of Professional Printing Company.

"In a recent telephone survey of automobile factory workers, older

employees were less likely to report that having a supervisor
present increases their productivity. Among workers aged 18 to 29,
27 percent said that they are more productive in the presence of
their immediate supervisor, compared to 12 percent for those aged
30 or over, and only 8 percent for those aged 50 or over. Clearly, if
our printing company hires mainly older employees, we will
increase productivity and save money because of the reduced need
for supervisors. "

4. The following appeared in a memorandum from the planning

department of an electric power company.

"Several recent surveys indicate that homeowners are increasingly

eager to conserve energy and manufacturers are now marketing
many home appliances, such as refrigerators and air conditioners,
that are almost twice as energy-efficient as those sold a decade ago.
Also, new technologies for better home insulation and passive solar
heating are readily available to reduce the energy needed for home
heating. Therefore, we anticipate that the total demand for
electricity in our area will not increase, and may decline slightly.
Since our three electric generating plants in operation for the past
20 years have always met our needs, construction of new generating
plants should not be necessary."

5. The following appeared in a memo from the president of a

company that makes breakfast cereals.

"In a recent study, subjects who ate soybeans at least five times per
week had significantly lower cholesterol levels than subjects who
ate no soy products. By fortifying our Wheat-O cereal with soy
protein, we can increase sales by appealing to additional consumers
who are concerned about their health. This new version of Wheat-O
should increase company profits and, at the same time, improve the
health of our customers."

6. The following appeared in a memorandum from the president of

Mira Vista to the college's board of trustees.

"At nearby Green Mountain College, which has more business

courses and more job counselors than does Mira Vista College, 90
percent of last year's graduating seniors had job offers from
prospective employers. But at Mira Vista College last year, only 70
percent of the seniors who informed the placement office that they
would be seeking employment had found full-time jobs within three
months after graduation, and only half of these graduates were
employed in their major field of study. To help Mira Vista's
graduates find employment, we must offer more courses in business
and computer technology and hire additional job counselors to help
students with their resumès and interviewing skills
7. The following appeared in a letter to the editor of the Walnut
Grove town newspaper.

"Walnut Grove's town council has advocated switching from EZ

Disposal (which has had the contract for trash collection services in
Walnut Grove for the past ten years) to ABC Waste, because EZ
recently raised its monthly fee from $2,000 to $2,500 a month,
whereas ABC's fee is still $2,000. But the town council is mistaken;
we should continue using EZ. EZ collects trash twice a week, while
ABC collects only once. Moreover, EZ—which, like ABC, currently
has a fleet of 20 trucks—has ordered additional trucks. Finally, EZ
provides exceptional service: 80 percent of respondents to last year's
town survey agreed that they were 'satisfied' with EZ's
performance."

8. The following appeared in a medical newsletter.

"Doctors have long suspected that secondary infections may keep

some patients from healing quickly after severe muscle strain. This
hypothesis has now been proved by preliminary results of a study of
two groups of patients. The first group of patients, all being treated
for muscle injuries by Dr. Newland, a doctor who specializes in
sports medicine, took antibiotics regularly throughout their
treatment. Their recuperation time was, on average, 40 percent
quicker than typically expected. Patients in the second group, all
being treated by Dr. Alton, a general physician, were given sugar
pills, although the patients believed they were taking antibiotics.
Their average recuperation time was not significantly reduced.
Therefore, all patients who are diagnosed with muscle strain would
be well advised to take antibiotics as part of their treatment. "

9. The following appeared in an editorial in a Prunty County

newspaper.

"In an attempt to improve highway safety, Prunty County recently

lowered its speed limit from 55 miles per hour to 45 on all major
county roads. But the 55 mph limit should be restored, because this
safety effort has failed. Most drivers are exceeding the new speed
limit and the accident rate throughout Prunty County has decreased
only slightly. If we want to improve the safety of our roads, we
should instead undertake the same kind of road improvement
project that Butler County completed five years ago: increasing lane
widths and resurfacing rough roads. Today, major Butler County
roads still have a 55 mph speed limit, yet there were 25 percent
fewer reported accidents in Butler County this past year than there
were five years ago."