| alfresco |
in the open air; outdoors. |
| belabor |
to continue excessive efforts on or excessive discussion of. |
| ersatz |
serving as a substitute, especially when of inferior quality. |
| expound |
to discuss or explain in detail (usually followed by "on" or "upon"). |
| extort |
to extract or obtain (money or the like) by force, threats, or abuse of authority. |
| facetious |
not serious; humorous or frivolous. |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| laureate |
one honored for achievement in a particular field or by a particular award, especially in the arts or sciences. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |
| parlance |
manner of speaking or writing, especially word choice; vernacular. |
| perilous |
causing or involving great danger; risky; hazardous. |
| preferment |
the act of promoting or being promoted to a higher position or office. |
| repine |
to express or feel unhappiness; complain; fret. |
| saturnine |
gloomy, sullen, or cynical in temperament or appearance. |
| unadulterated |
unmixed with or undiluted by additives or extraneous elements; pure; complete. |