| ambidextrous |
able to use both the left and right hands with equal skill. |
| apocryphal |
of dubious authorship or authority. |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| cantankerous |
irritable, stubborn, and quarrelsome. |
| conversant |
familiar; acquainted; practiced (usually followed by "with" or "in"). |
| dilatory |
used to cause a delay. |
| disallow |
to refuse to allow or admit; reject. |
| extralegal |
not regulated or permitted by law; outside of legal authority. |
| garble |
to mix up, distort, or confuse (a message, translation, or the like); cause to be disordered or unintelligible. |
| humanism |
a doctrine or mode of thought that gives highest importance to human dignity, values, potentials, and achievements. |
| laureate |
one honored for achievement in a particular field or by a particular award, especially in the arts or sciences. |
| phlegmatic |
not given to shows of emotion or interest; slow to excite. |
| recant |
to withdraw from commitment to (a former position or statement), especially publicly; retract. |
| sanctimony |
a pretense of righteousness or piety; feigned devotion or holiness. |
| tamp |
to compress and pack tightly by repeated light taps. |