| antediluvian |
hopelessly old-fashioned; primitive; outdated. |
| canny |
difficult to fool or take advantage of; shrewd; wary; clever. |
| diatribe |
a bitter, abusive attack in speech or writing. |
| élan |
enthusiasm or vigor. |
| elide |
to leave out or slur, as a syllable or letter, in pronunciation. |
| fracas |
a noisy disturbance or quarrel. |
| imprimatur |
any official permission or sanction. |
| inflection |
change that occurs in the form of words to show a grammatical characteristic such as the tense of a verb, the number of a noun, or the degree of an adjective or adverb. |
| insipid |
having a bland or uninteresting flavor; tasteless. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| ostentation |
a showy display to impress others. |
| parvenu |
a person who has suddenly acquired wealth or status, without acquiring the tastes, manners, customs, or the like of his or her new station. |
| picayune |
having little value or significance; small; paltry. |
| tummler |
an entertainer or social director who encourages participation by guests or audience. |
| veneration |
a feeling of great respect; awe; reverence. |