Last week my mother called me and asked for a favor. Moms is a professor at a HBCU and wanted me to gather some interesting words for her class. She requested 20 words that were not to obscure and could be easily used in intelligent conversation. I got a little carried away and listed 45 words and brief definitions for each. Here are the words (in no particular order):
1. temerity: unreasonable or foolhardy contempt of danger.
2. esoteric: intended or understood by chosen few.
3. elucidate: to make clear or manifest.
4. feckless: ineffective; weak; worthless
5. laconic: using or marked by the use of a minimum of words.
6. egress: the act of going out or leaving; exit
7. subterfuge: a deceptive device or stratagem.
8. copacetic: very satisfactory
9. ennui: a feeling of weariness and dissatisfaction arising from lack of interest.
10. dissolute: loose in morals and conduct
11. trepidation: a state of dread or alarm; apprehension
12. taciturn: not inclined to talk
13. expunge: to strike out or erase; to obliterate
14. sedition: incitement of rebellion against lawful authority
15. malcontent: one who is discontented or dissatisfied
16. stanch: to stop the flowing of; to check
17. acrimony: bitter, harsh, or biting sharpness
18. treacly: overly sweet or sentimental
19. chicanery: the use of trickery to deceive
20. implacable: incapable of being pacified
21. sporadic: occurring singly, or occasionally, or in scattered instances
22. cacophony: harsh or discordant sound
23. inveterate: deep-rooted; of long standing
24. denizen: an inhabitant
25. halcyon: peaceful; undisturbed; happy
26. deride: to laugh at with contempt
27. ubiquitous: being everywhere.
28. exculpate: to clear from alleged fault or guilt
29. diaphanous: allowing light to pass through
30. bellicose: inclined to or favoring war or strife
31. contrite: feeling or expressing grief and regret for sins or offenses
32. tirade: a long angry speech.
33. filial: of, pertaining to, or befitting a son or daughter
34. crux: the essential point or feature
35. inscrutable: difficult to fathom or understand.
36. obsequious: servilely attentive; fawning
37. missive: a written message; a letter
38. encumbrance: a burden, impediment, or hindrance
39. abscond: to depart secretly.
40. proclivity: a natural inclination.
41. recalcitrant: stubbornly resistant to and defiant of authority or restraint
42. collude: to act in concert; to conspire
43. sycophant: one who seeks favor by flattery; a toady
44. capricious: whimsical; changeable
45. predilection: an established preference
So, my mother takes these words to her class and asks them how many of the words they know. It's a vocabulary building exercise, you see. It turns out, that in a class of 20 people, the average amount of words known per student was 3. THREE!!! I am aware that these are not quite on the level of see Dick run, but these are college students. They should know more than three of these terms. Did I mention that these are journalism students? That my mother is a journalism professor and the publication director of the campus newspaper? And that several of these students are involved with said newspaper? I can't take it. I really can't. This is too sad. Apparently, there was one girl who knew 5 words and the rest of the class wondered where she went to school (as if she might have said The High School of Super Nerds).
Wow, I guess a mind really is a terrible thing to waste. What the UNCF didn't tell you is that plenty of kids are going to college without ever having their minds engaged. Or at least not engaged by lexicon.
Maybe I'm overreacting. After all, I am a super word nerd, who used to read the dictionary and encyclopedia for fun. But this seems tragic to me. What do you think? How many of the words do you know?
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