| aberration |
a deviation from what is considered normal or right; irregularity. |
| blithe |
indifferent or casual; unconcerned. |
| brash |
rudely self-assertive; bold; impudent. |
| consummate |
of the highest order or degree. |
| contretemps |
an embarrassing or unfortunate happening; mishap; mischance. |
| flagitious |
viciously or shamefully wicked; infamous. |
| kibbutz |
an Israeli farming settlement whose ownership is shared by those who live and work there. |
| lorgnette |
eyeglasses, such as opera glasses, that have a short handle by which one holds them in position. |
| maunder |
to speak in an aimless or foolish way; babble. |
| 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. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| picayune |
having little value or significance; small; paltry. |
| pungency |
sharpness or bite in taste or smell. |
| reprisal |
injury inflicted in retaliation for injury received, as in war; revenge. |
| shyster |
a person, usually a lawyer, who uses underhanded, unethical methods. |