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accolade
award, high praise
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-
-
-
-
avant-garde
very modern and experimental
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baroque
Having elaborate symmetrical ornamentation
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bona fide
genuine, authentic
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boondoggle
work of little or no value done merely to look busy
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bourgeois
Belonging to the middle class
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bravado
pretentious display of courage
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brogue
A thick and heavy shoe
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-
-
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camaraderie
feeling of trust and friendship
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capricious
mercurial, whimsical, fickle
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carte blanche
complete freedom or authority to act
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Catch-22
an impossible situation
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caustic
Harsh or corrosive in tone
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charisma
personal qualities that attract, influence and inspire
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-
d�j� vu
feeling of having lived through the present moment before
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dichotomy
division into two parts
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-
-
-
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epitome
a typical example
-
-
equivocate
stonewall, prevaricate
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-
-
-
-
-
-
finagle
contrive, deceive, swindle
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Freudian slip
accidental revelation of subconscious feelings
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-
-
-
hedonistic
sybaritic, voluptuary
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-
-
-
-
-
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junket
A journey taken for pleasure
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kitsch
something pretentious and shallow showing a lack of good taste
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-
lurid
sensational, shocking
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-
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malinger
Avoid responsibilities and duties, e.g., by pretending to be ill
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mantra
commonly repeated word or phrase
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-
mercenary
hireling, soldier of fortune
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minimalist
Advocating minimal reforms (as in government or politics)
-
misnomer
incorrect/unsuitable name
-
-
nirvana
Any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
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non sequitur
illogical statement
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nouveau riche
A person who has suddenly risen to a higher economic status but has not gained social acceptance of others in that class
-
oblivion
The state of being disregarded or forgotten
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-
-
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paradox
a statement that contradicts itself
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perfunctory
Hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
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philistine
lacking in or hostile to culture
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precocious
Characterized by or characteristic of exceptionally early development or maturity (especially in mental aptitude)
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quid pro quo
something for something
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quintessential
Representing the perfect example of a class or quality
-
red herring
misleading clue
-
revel
bask, relish, savour
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rhetoric
exaggerated speech
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scintillating
brilliantly clever
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-
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stoic
unflappable, impassive
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suave
sophisticated, urbane
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Svengali
Someone (usually maleficent) who tries to persuade or force another person to do his bidding
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sycophant
minion, groveler, bootlicker, brownnoser
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teetotaler
A total abstainer
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t�te-�-t�te
A private conversation between two people
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-
-
ubiquitous
pervasive, universal
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unrequited
unreciprocated
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untenable
indefensible, unjustifiable
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vicarious
Experienced at secondhand
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-
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white elephant
A valuable possession whose upkeep is excessively expensive
-
zealous
enthusiastic, fanatic
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