Blog Title: pomdla

Hey Santa, Remember Me?

Nothing like a Santa Claus Parade complete with marching bands, Christmas carols, humongous floats, and excited kids (of all ages) everywhere, to get you infected early with the Christmas spirit.... Luckily, I dropped by Leah's blog yesterday.... she inspired me to take a break from my anxiety riddled nerd-fest in the Gerstein Library, to greet good ol' St. Nick on his annual pre-Christmas eve visit to Toronto.... I think I'm finally starting to shed the humbug that's been hanging over my head for the past couple of years.... Thanks Leah, I'm glad I found you and your family in that crowd.....
Gimme a big cheeesse Samantha Claus....Whoaw Clifford, you're huge....
Lookin' good Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head.....
Check out SPUDerman in the back....
Watawat....
Weeeeee.....
Santa's workshop, must mean a certain somebody is close by.....KIDS GONE WILD.... I guess they sense the big guy's near.....The big guy himself....
A Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night....
TECHNORATI TAGS: santa clause parade, toronto

Oh No He Di'int!

OH YES HE DID... 338 electoral votes? Whaaaaat.... yaaah boooyyyy!

My faith in America was restored at 11:00 PM EST on November 4, 2008....

We Interrupt Regular Programming To Bring You This Message

Yes, We Can

I just voted in the Canadian federal election.... yaaawwnnn, oh sorry, excuse me..... Ya there was an election here too, I almost forgot, what with all the commotion down south of the border.... Canadian politics?.... meh.... maybe it's election fatigue, I mean this was the third election in the past four years.... maybe its because this election was a choice between meh, meh, meh, and more meh.... if we actually got to vote for the party leader, I might not have even voted, but since we vote for a local Member of Parliament, I was motivated.... this is because the last time I voted FOR my local MP, he went ahead and switched sides after he was elected!.... can these slimy politicians do that?.... he betrayed the constituency that gave him the right to sit in the House of Commons, and we no longer have any say about it?..... I voted for him because of his political party not because he inspired me as an individual.... I should have figured out from the questionable and unconvincing hair(piece) on his opportunistic head that he shouldn't be trusted.... so I didn't just vote FOR a candidate this time round, I voted AGAINST that traitor.... I actually like the current situation of a minority government, it keeps these politicians on their toes, I'm just sick of all these snap elections....

I have never been inspired by a politician, and with politicians like my (hopefully former) MP, how can you be inspired to even trust them?.... at least that follicley-challenged traitor to the electorate made Canadian politics a little more interesting for me.... now, politics in the United States of America? Yeeeehaaaaw! .... I actually rushed home so I could re-hook my IV back into CNN.... reality t.v. has never been so interesting..... oh sorry I meant reality, sometimes I can't tell.... it's more than just the historic nature of this US election..... yes, this election may very well lead to the first black president of the the free world, but with Barack Obama, I finally know what my parents' generation meant when they were inspired by another young politician.... JFK.... yes people will say that Obama is just good at delivering a speech, but I am not the one you should ask whether one should believe that words have power.... not just the power to inspire you to feel good, but the power to inspire the individual to action and affect real change for the better.... I for one have watched these past eight years with dismay and a sense of despondence at the direction the world is heading towards.... in Canada, we liken our relationship with the US as a mouse in bed with an elephant.... of course the US is the elephant.... whenever the elephant moves, the mouse feels it.... this analogy can easily apply to the United States' relationship with the rest of the world.... I was leaning towards the propaganda that the US of America was just a bully rather than the propaganda that America, from its founding is the beacon of liberty, hope, freedom, democracy, hope, opportunity, justice, equality, hope, etc, for all peoples of the world, unlike any other nation on earth..... I could use a little bit of hope right now, and Barack Obama gives me the hope that there are leaders out there who can inspire and lead with a cool, smart, and steady hand, rather than with moronic trigger happy fingers....

Une Nuit Blanche avec moi-même

At 2 A.M. this morning, I found myself neither able to sleep, nor able to focus on what I was trying to study..... I've been having trouble focusing all week.... well, next thing I knew, I found myself making a cup of coffee and hoping into my car, and then driving to Toronto.... it's been a long time since I've done anything remotely spontaneous..... and with gas prices these days, the spontaneous decision to hop in the car and go for a drive is no longer one made lightly.... I figured with crude oil prices dropping and gas at only $1.09/litre, I'd splurge a little.... what the heck? only $1.09/litre? that's still ridiculous.... I thought I'd check out this year's Nuit Blanche, and I figured the drive may do me some good....

after parking the car, I found myself walking down an uncharacteristically empty University Avenue....where the hell am I? what the hell am I doing? and where the hell am I going?..... these are questions I find myself pondering these days, even when I'm not wandering the deserted city streets at 3 A.M.....

check out what they did to city hall....the installation is titled "Stereoscope" by some German dudes, it's an interactive light installation... you can influence what's displayed on the city hall windows through smart phones, the web and physical controllers that are located in Nathan Phillips Square.....
This one is titled "Waterfall" by Katharine Harvey, made from recyclable plastic bottles.... it's hanging on the Ontario Power Generation Building.... I thought that was poetic since it reminds me of Niagara Falls, which generates a lot of Ontario's power....
this one is titled "A Dream of Pastures" by Mitchell F. Chan and Brad Hindson....

Beach Wedding

okay, not a wedding on the beach per se...... more like a Sunnyside Beach Pavilion wedding...... I have driven by this place a million times, but I've never actually stopped to check it out.... Do y'all remember those wintry scenes through a dirty bus window way back when? I showed y'all a picture of the Sunnyside Bathing Pavilion then.... and my friend Christine drove by in her Acura RSX?........ ...... well, thanks to my friend Christine, I finally got to see it up close.... and yes, congratulate her coz it was her wedding....

Before the nuptials however, I got a chance to explore....In its heyday, Sunnyside Park was much larger and had many more attractions.... today, all that's left of the original park is the Bathing Pavilion and The Palais Royale.... the building of the Gardiner Expressway saw to the park's demolition.... some parts were moved to other parts of the city.... the carousel was moved to Disneyland, and is now known as the King Arthur Carousel.... oh well, yet another example of lost Toronto architectural history....
the courtyard reminded me of another great place for a wedding.... San Agustin Church in Intramuros.... that was P20,000 down the drain.... Years ago, Christine told me that she finally knew where she wanted to get married... well, she chose a great place.... the ceremony, reception, and picture taking were all done at one venue.... here's where the reception would take place.... what a great view.....and this is where the magic would happen.....hmmm.... Ionic, Doric, Corinthian?....... Torontonian?....D'OH! Here comes the bride, I better get to my seat....
First Mom and little bro Vince.... not so little anymore.... damn I feel old.... the lovely Nancy.... and the lovely Jaz....here comes the bride, with the proud Papa....
lovely.... Steph, get out of my shot....Dad gives away his daughter to the happy groom Rick.....
Mazel tov!
the beautiful blushing bride....
the new family begins....
I love this shot.... Christian looks bored....
who's that dapper young gentleman with the bride.... I bought this suit for Christine's wedding, I'll be wearing it to my interviews for good luck....
I didn't get a chance to say anything at your wedding C, but if I did have the chance, it would've probably gone something like this:

Good evening folks, my name is Angelo, and I have been Christine's friend since September 1987-88? I still remember the first day I met her. It was in the parking lot of Cardinal Leger Secondary School.... we were both niners, and our mutual friend Ariel Castromayor introduced us to each other.... Ariel was talking about a guy, let's just call him CB in case anybody in this room might know who I'm talking about.... well, CB had a crush on Christine.... and rightfully so....

That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship....a friendship of bff proportions.... We've done a lot of growing up together since then, and I have watched many, many, many a guy come along with a crush on Christine.... Rick, I hope that you truly appreciate how very lucky you are for capturing my friend's heart.... she has never spoken to me about such profound feelings for someone, quite the way she has about you.... I have been privy to a lot of her confidential relationship stuff, so I should know..... C, thanks for always being there for my confidential relationship stuff ......

You finally found The One, and I'm so very happy for you home-G.... when it comes to friends like us, there are things that need not be spoken, but since it's your wedding and another milestone in your life as well as mine, let me just say how very important your friendship has meant to me, and how it will continue to mean the world to me.... love ya!

I must thank Christine for one more thing.... by getting married, she as given me the dubious distinction of being the last remaining bachelor out of our high school friends.... Thanks a lot.....

I wish you and Rick a long life of happiness, prosperity and love.... I pray the Lord continue to bless you, maybe even bless you with some godkids for myself?.... maybe He could bless us bachelors with the same kind of happiness he has showered on you and Rick too?.... anyways, Cheers and Mabuhay.....
I wasn't too happy with my pictures.... I was too excited to pay attention to my settings.... luckily, Christine's sister Jen let me play with her Nikon D50........... thanks again Jen, I'm really tempted to go out and buy my own DSLR, but I'll just live vicariously through you for now.... see how much nicer.... good job Jen, if only we could take your models more seriously....

Well, it looks like the sun has set on another chapter of my life..... I look forward to what's to come....

When to the sessions of sweet silent thought
I summon up remembrance of things past,
I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,
And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste.
Then can I drown an eye, unus'd to flow,
For precious friends hid in death's dateless night,
And weep afresh love's long since cancell'd woe,
And moan th'expense of many a vanish'd sight.
Then can I grieve at grievances foregone,
And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er
The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan,
Which I new pay as if not paid before.

But if the while I think on thee, dear friend,
All losses are restor'd, and sorrows end.

Word of the Day

Today's word of the day is provenance: PROV-uh-nuhn(t)s, noun: origin; source.

I have been at a loss for words, blogging words that is, for quite some time now. Luckily for this blog, I like taking pictures. When you find yourself wordless, the easiest thing to do is post a picture.... "A picture is worth a thousand words" after all, at least that's what they say.... I've always wondered who "they" are anyway, and why do they keep saying stuff?.... well, I would like to make the observation that there are certain words which even when spoken alone, or just whispered in the mind's eye, conjure up a thousand pictures and images. Words like love.... God.... mom.... dad.... life..... death.... etc..... and when you arrange them together just right, words can rival even the Sistine Chapel in their ability to inspire awe. Unfortunately, for myself and this blog, the words that have been wafting through my brain for the past few years are words like sympathetic, parasympathetic, muscarinic, cholinergic, adrenergic, etc. Not very interesting blog fodder, but not so bad because these are the words of my trade. I would like however, to nurture the other hemisphere.... blogging helps me to do that....

Gone are the days when my life was a mere dress rehearsal for the next blog post. I used to constantly run sentences in my head describing the latest interesting happening in my day as it would appear on my blog. Lately, whenever something interesting happens, I hardly even notice. Is this apathy secondary to a lack of inspiration, or does it simply mean that nothing really interesting happens in my life?... probably a little of both.... Several sources of inspiration have sprung out of nowhere lately.... meeting blogger friends Leah and Gina in person, and re-connecting with THE original blogger Foo-Foo! Foofs was the one who forced me to join blogger, and I never left....

I could always count on Foo-Foo to look up the word of the day for us, and make sure we used it in a sentence before the day was up. In fact the word Foo-Foo itself has made me wonder if there is some clandestine meaning attached to it.... I've never looked it up, so what do people think of when they hear "Foo-Foo"? I remember at a restaurant once, a waiter doing a double take and asking me "what did you call her?".... hmmm..... Alas, I have not seen Foofs in a while, instead, I have been exposed to someone.... I won't mention names.... although I will say that she never reads my blog anyway so I could probably just say it.... with a complete lack of communication skills that has stifled my vocabulary and sentence composing abilities. Not to mention suffocated my usually positive outlook.... but this tangent deserves a blog post of its own, so let's just leave it at that....

Foo-Foo, this is for you, glad to see you back in the blogosphere.... my newly re-acquired blogging mojo owes it's provenance to you.... here is every word of the day since we last saw each other....

ebullient: high-spirited.
aplomb: confidence; coolness.
kobold: a kind of domestic spirit in German mythology.
prestidigitation: sleight of hand.
rubicund: inclining to redness; ruddy.
lambent: playing on the surface; flickering.
anodyne: serving to relieve pain.
ingenue: a naive girl or young woman, or an actress representing such a person.
subterfuge: a deceptive device or stratagem.
maelstrom: a large, powerful whirlpool; also, a violent, disordered, or turbulent state of affairs.
crepuscular: pertaining to twilight.
repast: a meal.
soporific: causing sleep; also, something that causes sleep.
bivouac: a usually temporary encampment; also, to encamp.
quidnunc: a gossip; a busybody.
lassitude: lack of vitality or energy.
billet-doux: a love letter.
wheedle: to entice by flattery.
alfresco: outdoors; outdoor.
redivivus: living again; revived; restored.
chagrin: acute vexation or embarrassment.
gaucherie: a socially awkward or tactless act; also, lack of tact.
panache: dash or flamboyance in manner or style.
logorrhea: excessive talkativeness.
assiduous: constant in application or attention.
sylvan: pertaining to woods or forests.
voluptuary: a person devoted to luxury and the gratification of sensual appetites.
inure: to make used to; also, to take or have effect.
auspicious: favorable; also, prosperous; fortunate.
tmesis: in grammar and rhetoric, the separation of the parts of a compound word.
carapace: a shell; a protective covering.
paladin: a champion of a cause.
hale: free from disease and weakening conditions; healthy.
sacrosanct: sacred; inviolable.
melange: a mixture.
vainglory: excessive pride or vain display.
sub rosa: secretly; privately; confidentially.
digerati: persons knowledgeable about computers.
confrere: a colleague, comrade, or intimate associate.
querulous: habitually complaining; also, expressing complaint.
vociferous: clamorous; noisy.
firmament: the sky; the heavens.
jollification: merrymaking; revelry.
benefaction: the act of conferring a benefit; also, a benefit conferred.
apposite: of striking appropriateness and relevance.
cynosure: a center of attention.
quiddity: the essence or nature of a thing.
perquisite: a benefit in addition to a salary.
Hogmanay: the name, in Scotland, for the last day of the year.
vim: energy; vigor.
plenary: full; complete.
gastronome: a lover of good food and drink.
sine qua non: an indispensable thing.
exegete: one who explains or interprets difficult parts of written works.
recondite: difficult to understand.
diktat: an authoritative decree or order.
esurient: hungry; greedy.
ineffable: incapable of being expressed.
dubiety: the condition or quality of being doubtful; also, a matter of doubt.
pugilist: a boxer.
renascent: rising again into being; showing renewed vigor.
sesquipedalian: (of words) long; having many syllables.
encumbrance: a burden, impediment, or hindrance.
pugnacious: combative; quarrelsome.
capricious: whimsical; changeable.
comity: a state of mutual harmony, friendship, and respect.
quondam: former; sometime.
ergo: therefore; consequently.
susurration: a whispering; a soft murmur.
irrefragable: impossible to refute.
tutelage: guardianship; protection; also, instruction.
incommunicado: without means or right to communicate.
predilection: an established preference.
flippant: showing inappropriate levity; pert.
grandee: a man of elevated rank or station; a nobleman.
wunderkind: one who achieves success or acclaim during youth.
lucre: money; profit.
epigone: an inferior imitator.
sang-froid: coolness in trying circumstances.
consanguineous: related by blood; descended from the same ancestor.
malleable: capable of being shaped; also, adaptable.
parlous: fraught with danger; hazardous.
disparate: fundamentally different; also, composed of dissimilar elements.
sapient: wise; sage; discerning.
visage: the face; also, appearance; aspect.
excoriate: to express strong disapproval of; also, to flay.
tendentious: marked by a strong tendency in favor of a particular point of view.
milieu: environment; setting.
deus ex machina: an agent who appears unexpectedly to solve an apparently insoluble difficulty.
autodidact: one who is self-taught.
stertorous: characterized by a heavy snoring or gasping sound.
eleemosynary: relating to charity; charitable.
concupiscence: lust.
spoony: foolishly or sentimentally in love.
desideratum: something desired.
malaise: a condition of uneasiness or ill-being.
imbue: to dye; to instill profoundly.
canard: an unfounded or false report.
probity: complete and confirmed integrity.
titivate: to smarten up; to spruce.
jovial: merry; joyous; jolly.
salutary: beneficial; also, healthful.
alacrity: a cheerful readiness, willingness, or promptness.
munificent: very generous.
cogent: appealing to the mind or to reason; convincing.
apothegm: a short, witty, and instructive saying.
posit: to postulate; also, to suggest.
scion: a descendant; an heir.
doula: a woman who assists in childbirth.
largess: generous giving; also, gifts of money or other valuables.
dilettante: an amateur; also, an admirer or lover of the fine arts.
simulacrum: a representation; an insubstantial or vague semblance.
toothsome: delicious; attractive; luscious.
countermand: to revoke (a former command) or recall by a contrary order.
expropriate: to deprive of possession; also, to transfer (property) to oneself.
perambulate: to stroll; to walk through or over.
contradistinction: distinction by contrast.
ululate: to howl; to wail.
crapulous: sick from, or marked by, excessive drinking.
parvenu: an upstart; one newly risen in class or economic status.
manse: a large and imposing residence.
uxorious: excessively fond of or submissive to a wife.
Ides: the fifteenth day of March, May, July, and October, and the thirteenth day of the other months.
megalomania: a mental disorder characterized by delusions of grandeur.
verdant: green.
amalgam: an alloy of mercury with other metals; also, a mixture.
dudgeon: a state or fit of intense indignation.
paragon: a model of excellence or perfection.
aubade: a song greeting the dawn.
succor: aid; help; also, to help or relieve.
paterfamilias: the male head of a household; the father of a family.
stolid: unexcitable; unemotional.
metier: an occupation, especially in which one excels.
bellwether: a leader or leading indicator.
confluence: a flowing or coming together.
superfluous: more than is wanted or is sufficient.
invidious: tending to provoke envy or ill will.
benignant: kind; gracious; favorable.
edacious: given to eating.
chicanery: the use of trickery to deceive.
defenestrate: to throw out of a window.
martinet: a strict disciplinarian.
brummagem: cheap and showy; also, spurious.
cum: with; along with; combined with.
hobbledehoy: an awkward, gawky young fellow.
fustian: pompous or pretentious language.
bonhomie: pleasant and easy manner.
rusticate: to go or send to the country.
stripling: an adolescent youth.
panoply: a splendid or impressive array.
coeval: existing during the same period of time; also, a contemporary.
salmagundi: a mixture or assortment; also, a kind of mixed dish or salad.
desuetude: disuse.
land of Nod: sleep.
hortatory: serving to encourage or incite.
choler: anger.
expeditious: characterized by speed and efficiency.
implacable: incapable of being pacified.
patina: a superficial layer.
caveat: a warning or caution.
itinerant: traveling from place to place.
agog: in eager desire.
rebarbative: repellent; irritating.
sporadic: occurring singly, or occasionally, or in scattered instances.
equipoise: equilibrium; also, counterbalance.
harridan: a scolding, vicious woman.
provenance: origin; source.
microcosm: a smaller, representative system having analogies to a larger system.
gloaming: twilight; dusk.
luminary: any body that gives light; also, a person of eminence or brilliant achievement.
daedal: skillful; artistic; ingenious.
temerity: unreasonable or foolhardy contempt of danger.
wag: a humorous person; a wit.
execrable: detestable; extremely bad.
rapine: the act of plundering.
pablum: something (as writing or speech) that is trite, insipid, or simplistic.
aspersion: a damaging or derogatory remark.
otiose: ineffective; also, being at leisure; also, of no use.
turgid: swollen, bloated; also, bombastic, pompous.
derogate: to deviate from expectation; also, to detract; also, to disparage.
virtu: love of or taste for fine objects of art; also, productions of art.
appurtenance: an adjunct or accessory.
cupidity: eager or excessive desire, especially for wealth.
multifarious: having great diversity or variety.
fulsome: offensive from excess of praise.
arrant: outright; thoroughgoing.
palimpsest: an object or place whose older layers or aspects are apparent.
spurious: not genuine; false; illegitimate.
cognoscente: a person with special knowledge.
bombinate: to buzz, hum, or drone.
incontrovertible: indisputable; unquestionable.
protean: readily assuming different shapes or forms.
torpid: dull; sluggish; apathetic.
junta: a governmental council or committee, esp. one that rules after a revolution.
variegated: having marks or patches of different colors; also, varied.
malcontent: one who is discontented or dissatisfied.
cerebration: the act or product of thinking.
forfend: to avert; also, to protect or preserve.
equable: equal and uniform; also, not easily disturbed.
pleonasm: the use of more words than are necessary to express an idea.
stormy petrel: a type of seabird; also, one fond of or bringing strife.
neoteric: recent in origin; new.
glabrous: without hairs or projections; smooth.
extricate: to free or release from a difficulty or entanglement.
contumely: rudeness compounded of haughtiness and contempt.
bravura: a showy display.
paucity: fewness; insufficiency.
arbiter: one having the power of judging and determining.
discrete: constituting a separate thing; also, consisting of distinct or unconnected parts.
gainsay: to contradict; to deny.
emolument: the wages or perquisites arising from office, employment, or labor.
billingsgate: foul language.
practicable: feasible; also, usable.
choleric: easily angered; also, indicating or expressing anger.
juxtaposition: the act or an instance of placing in nearness.
salad days: a time of youthful inexperience, innocence, or indiscretion.
gravid: pregnant.
transmogrify: to transform.
ephemeron: something short-lived.
clemency: disposition to show mercy; also, an act of mercy.
languor: lack of energy or vitality.
sobriquet: a nickname.
littoral: on a coastal or shore region.
Brobdingnagian: gigantic; enormous.
sedulous: diligent in application or pursuit.
autocrat: a ruler with unlimited authority.
copious: large in quantity; also, affording an abundant supply.
venal: capable of being bought; also, corruptible.
timorous: full of apprehensiveness; fearful.
aficionado: an enthusiastic admirer; a fan.
plaudit: enthusiastic approval.
depredation: an act of plundering or ravaging.
complaisant: exhibiting a desire to please.
emblazon: to display pompously; to decorate.
apotheosis: a model of excellence or perfection of a kind.
hubris: overbearing pride or presumption.
genuflect: to bend the knee, as in worship; also, to grovel.
histrionic: theatrical.
quisling: a collaborator; a traitor.
cap-a-pie: from head to foot.
mountebank: a quack; also, a charlatan.
connubial: of or pertaining to marriage.
florid: flushed with red; also, excessively ornate.
arrant: outright; thoroughgoing.
quandary: a state of difficulty or perplexity.
imbroglio: a complicated and embarrassing state of things.
innocuous: harmless; also, unlikely to offend or provoke.
scuttlebutt: gossip; rumor.
bon ton: the height of the fashion; fashionable society.
nescience: lack of knowledge or awareness.
exculpate: to clear from alleged fault or guilt.
cursory: hastily or superficially performed.
mordant: biting; caustic; sarcastic.
limn: to draw or paint; also, to describe.
plebeian: common; vulgar.
grandiloquent: lofty in style.
apologia: a formal defense or justification.
germane: appropriate or fitting; relevant.
eschew: to shun; to avoid.
heterogeneous: consisting of dissimilar elements.
contretemps: something inopportune or embarrassing.
prima facie: at first view.
supercilious: disdainfully arrogant.
concatenation: a chain; a succession.
inveigh: to rail (against some person or thing).
sough: to make a soft, low sighing or rustling sound.
avuncular: resembling an uncle, as in kindness or indulgence.
peremptory: precluding or putting an end to all debate or action.
ascribe: to attribute.
compunction: anxiety or unease from guilt; also, a scruple.
animus: a feeling of ill will; also, animating spirit; disposition.
piebald: mottled; also, mixed.
eremite: a hermit.
corroborate: to strengthen or make more certain with other evidence.
fatuous: inanely foolish; stupid; also, llusory.
arrogate: to claim or seize without right or justification.
chary: wary; cautious.
fortuitous: happening by chance.
adumbrate: to outline; also, to foreshadow; also, to suggest; also, to shade.
supposititious: fraudulently substituted; also, hypothetical.
renege: to go back on a promise or commitment.
vagary: an extravagant, erratic, or unpredictable notion, action, or occurrence.
tete-a-tete: a private conversation.
expiate: to make amends for; to atone for.
denizen: an inhabitant.
robustious: boisterous; vigorous.
provender: food or provisions.
habitue: one who habitually frequents a place.
aegis: a shield; protection.
sui generis: unique.
requisite: required; indispensable.
explicate: to explain.
acquiesce: to accept or consent passively or without objection.
confute: to refute conclusively.
insouciant: Marked by blithe unconcern; nonchalant.
surcease: cessation; stop; end.
arcane: understood or known by only a few.
verisimilitude: the quality of seeming to be true.
pervicacious: stubborn; obstinate.
small beer: weak beer; also, matters of little importance.
vade mecum: a book or other thing that one regularly carries about.
suasion: the act of persuading.
pejorative: disparaging; belittling.
tetchy: peevish; testy; irritable.
erudite: characterized by extensive reading or knowledge.
fanfaronade: empty boasting; bluster.
riparian: of or pertaining to the bank of a river.
inhere: to be inherent.
staid: steady or sedate in character.
commodious: comfortably spacious; roomy.
improvident: lacking foresight; negligent; thoughtless.
cataract: a large waterfall; also, a downpour, a flood.
solace: comfort in grief.
opprobrium: reproach mingled with contempt.
stanch: to stop the flowing of; to check.
vertiginous: causing dizziness; also, giddy; dizzy.
militate: to have force or influence.
ostensible: appearing to be true, but not necessarily so.
fulsome: offensive from excess of praise.
aesthete: one who cultivates great sensitivity to beauty.
monomania: obsession with a single subject.
prescient: knowing or anticipating the outcome of events before they happen.
swan song: a final or farewell appearance, action, or pronouncement.
recalcitrant: stubbornly resistant to and defiant of authority or restraint.
indomitable: incapable of being subdued or overcome.
bloviate: to speak or write in a pompous manner.
tutelary: guardian; protecting.
privation: the state of being deprived of something.
gambol: to dance and skip about in play.
deprecate: to disapprove of; also, to belittle.
braggadocio: empty boasting.
perorate: to conclude or sum up a long discourse; also, to speak at length.
hypnagogic: leading to sleep; hypnotic.
concinnity: elegance -- used chiefly of literary style.
extraneous: coming from the outside; also, not essential; also, irrelevant.
lascivious: lewd; lustful.
facile: easily done or performed.
tchotchke: a trinket; a knickknack.
exemplar: an ideal model or type.
obstreperous: noisily and stubbornly defiant; also, boisterous.
qua: in the capacity or character of; as.
ken: perception, view; especially, reach of sight or knowledge.
ancillary: subordinate, subsidiary; auxiliary.
perfidy: faithlessness; treachery.
felicitous: apt or appropriate; also, delightful.
solicitous: manifesting, expressing, or full of care or concern.
crabwise: sideways; also, in a cautiously indirect manner.
rapport: relation characterized by sympathetic understanding.
inveterate: deep-rooted; of long standing.
virtu: love of or taste for fine objects of art; also, productions of art.
contemporaneous: originating, existing, or occurring at the same time.
febrile: feverish.
wan: pale; also, lacking vitality or intensity.
prevaricate: to depart from or evade the truth.
ostracize: to banish or expel.
fillip: a snap; also, a stimulus.
apocryphal: of doubtful authority or authenticity.
harangue: a speech addressed to a public assembly; also, a noisy or pompous speech.
copse: a thicket of small trees.
obfuscate: to darken or obscure.
agrestic: pertaining to fields or the country.
congeries: a collection; an aggregation.
peripatetic: walking about or traveling from place to place.
turgid: swollen, bloated; also, bombastic, pompous.
idyll: a poem or prose work depicting rural or pastoral life; also, a carefree episode or experience.
ab ovo: from the beginning.
gauche: lacking social polish; tactless.
inexorable: unyielding; relentless.
putative: commonly thought or deemed; supposed.
dotage: feebleness of mind due to old age.
bootless: unavailing; useless.
proclivity: a natural inclination.
exacerbate: to aggravate; to make worse.
subaltern: subordinate.
mollify: to reduce in intensity; to soothe; to soften.
trencherman: a hearty eater.
avoirdupois: weight; heaviness.
inclement: harsh; severe -- especially said of the weather.
travail: painful, arduous work; also, agony, anguish.
equivocate: to be deliberately ambiguous or unclear.
redact: to edit.
vapid: flat; dull; spiritless.
galvanic: pertaining to a direct current of electricity; also, having the effect of an electric shock.
debouch: to emerge; to issue.
machination: a crafty scheme intended to accomplish some usually evil end.
unguent: an ointment.
skulk: to hide in a sneaking manner.
dictum: an authoritative statement.
risible: exciting or provoking laughter.
sartorial: of or relating to a tailor, tailoring, or clothing.
interstice: a space between things or parts.
Argus-eyed: extremely observant; watchful.
syncretic: uniting and blending together different belief systems.
ossify: to harden or to become bone.
approbation: formal or official approval; also, praise.
inkhorn: affectedly or ostentatiously learned.
olla podrida: a kind of seasoned stew; also, a mixture, a hodgepodge.
neologism: a new word or expression; the use or creation of new words or expressions.
pule: to whimper; to whine.
reticent: inclined to keep silent.
opportune: suitable for a given purpose or occasion.
impassive: devoid of emotion; also, showing no emotion.
derogate: to deviate from expectation; also, to detract; also, to disparage.
malaise: a condition of uneasiness or ill-being.
flibbertigibbet: a silly, flighty, or excessively talkative person.
urbane: polished and smooth in manner.
wassail: an expression of good wishes on a festive occasion, especially in drinking to some one.
irenic: promoting peace.
bricolage: construction or something constructed by using whatever materials happen to be available.
efface: to cause to disappear by rubbing out, striking out, etc.
equanimity: calmness; composure.
acuity: acuteness of perception or vision.
ignoramus: an ignorant person; a dunce.
fait accompli: an accomplished and presumably irreversible deed or fact.
nascent: beginning to exist.
exegesis: exposition; explanation.
favonian: pertaining to the west wind; soft; mild; gentle.
punctilio: a fine point of exactness in conduct, ceremony, or procedure.
interregnum: the interval between two reigns; also, any breach of continuity in an order.
hinterland: backcountry.
chimerical: merely imaginary; fanciful.
sunder: to break apart.
uxorious: excessively fond of or submissive to a wife.
coxcomb: a vain, showy fellow.
bowdlerize: to remove or modify the parts considered offensive.
incarnadine: pink or red; also, to redden.
tractable: docile; manageable, governable.
bromide: a commonplace or conventional saying.
eddy: a current running contrary to a main current or in a circular direction.
imprecation: a curse.
foofaraw: excessive or flashy ornamentation; also, a fuss over a trivial matter.
cudgel: a short heavy stick.
yeasty: frothy; foamy; spumy, like yeast.
pettifogger: a petty, unscrupulous lawyer; also, who quibbles over trivia.
extemporaneous: composed, performed, or uttered on the spur of the moment.
censure: to criticize severely; also, an expression of disapproval.
supine: lying on the back; also, indolent; listless.
inscrutable: difficult to fathom or understand.
dissimulate: to hide under a false appearance; also, to feign or pretend.
overweening: overbearing; also, excessive.
conflate: to bring together; to meld.
maunder: to talk or wander aimlessly.
gadabout: one who roams about in search of amusement or social activity.
cohort: a group; also, a companion or associate.
homily: a sermon or lecture; also, an inspirational saying or a platitude.
pellucid: transparent, clear; also, easily understandable.
moribund: dying.
roseate: cheerful; bright; also, rose-colored.
conspectus: a sketch, survey, or outline of a subject.
missive: a written message; a letter.
genial: sympathetically cheerful and cheering; kindly.
idee fixe: a fixed idea; an obsession.
Pyrrhic victory: a victory achieved at great cost.
bucolic: rustic; pastoral.
crux: the essential point or feature.
satiety: fullness to or beyond the point of satisfaction.
vivify: to endue with life; to enliven.
slaver: to slobber; to drool.
beau ideal: a perfect or an idealized type or model.
raffish: tawdry; also, rakish.
impregnable: able to resist attack.
doyen: the senior member of a body or group.
sonorous: yielding sound; impressive in sound.
turbid: muddy; not clear; also, confused; disordered.
apogee: the highest point.
hoi polloi: the common people; the masses.
malodorous: having a bad odor.
lapidary: of or pertaining to stone cutting; also, terse or refined in expression.
hardscrabble: barren, marginal; also, marked by poverty.
enjoin: to direct or impose with authority; also, to forbid.
sycophant: one who seeks favor by flattery; a toady.
ambit: circuit or compass; also, sphere of action or influence.
surreptitious: done, made, or gotten by stealth; also, marked by stealth.
profligate: shamelessly immoral; also, recklessly wasteful.
conflagration: a large and destructive fire.
entreat: to ask for or request earnestly.
sagacious: of keen penetration and judgment; wise.
galumph: to move in a clumsy manner or with a heavy tread.
indefatigable: untiring.
collegial: characterized by or having authority vested equally among colleagues.
malapropism: the usually unintentionally humorous misuse of a word, especially by confusion with one of similar sound; also, an example of such misuse.
coterminous: of equal extent or duration.
effete: infertile; also, worn out; also, decadent, effeminate.
nonplus: to confound; to perplex; to bewilder.
trepidation: a state of dread or alarm; apprehension.
cogitate: to think; to ponder.
descry: to catch sight of; to detect.
taciturn: not inclined to talk.
appurtenance: an adjunct or accessory.
specious: apparently right but not so in reality.
limpid: clear; also, serene.
adage: an old saying.
empyrean: the highest heaven; the heavens; the sky.
clerisy: the intelligentsia.
perforce: by necessity.
animadversion: harsh criticism or disapproval.
dour: stern or unyielding or gloomy.
expunge: to strike out or erase; to obliterate.
autochthonous: indigenous; native.
roborant: restoring strength or vigor; also, a restorative.
presentiment: a premonition.
excursus: a digression.
undulant: resembling waves in form, motion, or occurrence.
sedition: incitement of rebellion against lawful authority.
jocular: given to or characterized by joking.
arriviste: an upstart.
errant: wandering; deviating from an appointed course, or from a direct path; roving.
tenet: any opinion, principle, or doctrine held to be true.
deign: to condescend.
clarion: a kind of trumpet; also, loud and clear.
toper: a drunkard; a sot.
obviate: to anticipate and dispose of or make unnecessary.
abecedarian: pertaining to the alphabet; also, rudimentary; also, a beginner.
rivulet: a small stream or brook.
putsch: an attempt to overthrow a government.
brio: vigor; vivacity.
spoonerism: the transposition of usually initial sounds in a pair of words.
accede: to agree or assent; also, to become a party.
refractory: stubbornly disobedient.
cavort: to bound or prance about.
efficacious: producing, or capable of producing, a desired effect.
bedaub: to besmear; also, to overdecorate.
trice: an instant; a moment.
impugn: to call in question; to make insinuations against.
apostasy: desertion or departure from one's faith, principles, or party.
prolix: wordy.
gregarious: seeking and enjoying the company of others.
circumspect: cautious; prudent.
prepotency: predominance.
argot: a specialized vocabulary peculiar to a particular group.
quagmire: a predicament.
ukase: an edict.
indigence: extreme poverty.
supplant: to take the place of.
credulous: inclined to believe too readily.
termagant: a scolding, nagging, bad-tempered woman.
pantheon: the collective gods of a people; also, a group of highly esteemed persons.
redound: to have a consequence or effect.
moil: to labor; to toil; to drudge.
sapid: having flavor, especially a strong pleasant flavor.
pastiche: a hodgepodge; a potpourri.
intransigent: uncompromising.
celerity: quickness; swiftness.
denouement: the final resolution of the main complication of a literary or dramatic work.
acrimony: bitter, harsh, or biting sharpness.
nonpareil: having no equal.
doughty: valiant; brave.
internecine: destructive; especially, mutually destructive; also, relating to conflict within a group.
vitiate: to make faulty or imperfect.
penchant: a strong liking.
flagitious: grossly wicked; scandalous.
bombast: pompous or pretentious speech or writing.
veritable: real; true; genuine.
furtive: obtained or characterized by stealth; sly; secret; stealthy.
insuperable: incapable of being passed over, surmounted, or overcome.
delectation: great pleasure; delight.
redolent: having or exuding fragrance; also, evocative, reminiscent.
polymath: a person of great or varied learning.
fiat: an arbitrary or authoritative command or order.
bon vivant: a person with refined and sociable tastes.
appellation: a name, title, or designation.
enunciate: to utter articulately; also, to state or set forth precisely or systematically.
fecund: fruitful; prolific.
chortle: to utter, or express with, a snorting, exultant laugh or chuckle.
disconsolate: hopelessly sad; also, saddening; cheerless.
omnipresent: present in all places at the same time.
biddable: easily led or commanded; obedient.
discomfit: to disconcert; also, to thwart.
perfunctory: done routinely.
incipient: beginning to exist or appear.
lumpen: those individuals cut off from their normal socioeconomic class.
epicene: having the characteristics of both the male and the female.
palliate: to extenuate; also, to relieve.
sanctum: a place where one is free from intrusion.
leitmotif: a dominant and recurring theme.
quiescent: at rest; still; inactive.
fulminate: to issue or utter verbal attacks or censures.
contravene: to act or be counter to.
proselytize: to convert (someone) to another religion, belief, etc.
clamber: to climb with difficulty, or on all fours.