Barron's 1100 Words You Need to Know (MCQ Test + PDF) Week 5 - Day 3
NEW WORDS
- egregious [i grē´ jəs]
“It is mystifying why some women still stick with Bill through so many egregious episodes.” Maureen Dowd, New York Times, 6/2/99
- distraught [dis trôt´]
“On the veranda of Banker White’s house Helen was restless and distraught.” Sherwood Anderson, “Sophistication”
- duplicity [dü plis´ ə tē]
“The duplicity of which he had been guilty weighed on his spirit.” H. C. Bunner, “Our Aromatic Uncle”
- acrimonious [ak´ rə mō´ nē əs]
“We quickly learn of the acrimonious relationship between the Montagues and the Capulets.” Playbill, Summary of Romeo & Juliet
- paucity [pô´ sə tē]
“In the dictator’s best-case scenario, he can hope for continuing control, thanks to a paucity of opponents.” Massimo Calabresi, “Is This the End for Milosevic?,” TIME, 6/21/99
TODAY’S IDIOM
to pass the buck—to evade responsibility (the “buck” may have been a piece of buckshot passed from one poker player to another to keep track of whose turn it was to deal)
He always gives me a straight answer and never tries to pass the buck.
