session-40

money, and what it will buy

• penury: dire, object poverty, complete lack of financial resources

  • it is one of the two strongest english words there are to denote absence of money.

• penurious (adj): stingy, close-fisted, niggardly; so sparing in the use of money as to give the appearance of penury.

  penurious (twice as stingy) is a synonym of parsimonious (stingy), but is much stronger in implications.

  • penuriousness: stingyness, excessive frugality

  • parsimony (noun)

• indigence: a somewhat milder word than penury for poverty.

  indigent people are not absolutely penniless - they are simply living in reduced circumstances.

• destitution: a close synonym of penury, and one of equal strength.

  destitute people do not even have the means for mere subsistence - as such, they are on the verge of starvation.

• affluence: the possession of money, especially in increasing amounts.

  affluent people, people of affluence, or those living in affluent circumstances, are more than comfortable; in addition, there is the implication that their wealth is increasing.

  root:  ad- (af-)   +   fluo
        (to, towards)    (to flow)

• opulence: much stronger term than affluence, which not only implies much greater wealth than affluence, but in addition suggests lavish expenditures and ostentatiously luxurious surroundings. People of opulence ows estates; drive only outrageously expensive and specially equipped cars (Rolls-Royce, mercedes-benzes, porsches,etc)

• opulent: may describe people, surroundings, style of life, or the like

  latin root: opulentus (wealthy)

• confluence: a "flowing together"

• fluent: the words flow smoothly.

doing and feeling

• vicarious fatigue: if you watch a furious athletic event, and you get tired, though the athlete expend all the energy.

• vicarious intoxication: if your friend goes on a bender, and as you watch him absorb one drink after another, you begin to feel giddy and stimulated.

• vicarious torment: if you watch a mother in a motion picture or dramatic play suffer horribly at the death of her child, and you go through the same agony.

living vicariously => living at second hand

time is relative

• dayfly: a short-lived creature

  • called ephemera in greek

    • ephemeral: anything so short-lived

• evanescent: synonym of ephemeral

  • staying for remarkably short time, vanishing

  • something intangible, like a feeling, may be called evanescent. It's here and before you can quite comprehend it, it's gone-vanished.

  • evanescence (noun)

  • evanesce (verb)

root:  e- (ex-)       +   vanesco      +   -ent
      (prefix -> out)     (to vanish)     (suffix)

• the suffix -esce often, but not always, means begin to

• -exent may mean becoming or becoming to

  • adolescent : beginning to grow up; beginning to become an adult.

  • evanesce: begin to vanish

  • convalesce: begin to get well after illness

  • putrescent: beginning to rot; beginning to become putrid

  • obsolescent: becoming obsolete

an exploration of various good things

root:  ell-  +  pheme  +  -ism
      (good)   (voice)   (noun suffix)

• euphemism: etymologically, "something said in a good voice!"

  • a word or expression that has been substituted for another that is likely to offend.

Other english words constructed from the prefix eu-

1. euphony: good sound; pleasant lilt or rhythm

   • euphonic or euphonious (adj)

2. eulogy: etymologically, "good speech"; a formal speech of praise, usually delivered as a funeral oration.

   • eulogistic (adj)

   • eulogize (verb)

   • eulogist: person who delivers a eulogy

• epilogue: words upon the other words, or "after-words".

• prologue: words before the main part, "before-words", or introduction.

1. euphoria : good feeling, a sense of mental buoyancy and physical well-being

   • euphoric (adj)

2. euthanasia: etymologically, "good death";

   method of painless death inflicted on people suffering from incurable disease - not legal ot the present time, but advocate by many people.

   greek root: thanatos (death)

exploration of modes of expression

• badinage: a half-teasing, non-malicious, frivolous banter, intended to amuse rather than wound.

• persiflage: a close synonym of badinage, which is a little more derisive, a trifle more indicative of contempt or mockery - but still totally unmalicious.

• cliche: a pattern of words which was once new and fresh, but which now is so old, worn, and threadbare that only banal, unimaginative speakers and writers ever use it.

• bromide: any trite, dull, and probably fallacious remark that shows little evidence of original thinking, and that therefore convinces a listener of the total absence of perspicacity on the part of the speaker.

• platitude: similar to a cliche or bromide - but, to add insult to injury (cliche), the speaker uses it with an air of novelty - as if the just made it up, and isn't he the brilliant fellow!

• anodyne:

  • [medical] a drug that always pain without curing an illness, like aspirin or morphine

  • [figuratively] a statement made to allay someone, fear or anxieties, not believed by the speaker, but intended to be believed by the listener

  greek: odyne (pain)

"prosperity just around the corner" was a popular anodyne of the 1930s.

• A bromide is also a drug, formerly used as a sedative.

  • bromidic (Adj)

• platitude derives from greek platys (broad or flat)

  • platitudinous (adj)

  • plateau : flat land

  • plate & platter : flat dishes

  • platypus : flat foot

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Helping Words

• allay (v): diminish or put at rest (fear, suspicion or worry)

  • relieve or alleviate (pain or hunger)

• fallacious: based on a mistaken belief

  eg: fallacious argument (false)

• derisive: expressing contempt or ridicule (mocking)

  eg: he gave a harsh, derisive laugh

• lilt (n,v) : a characteristic rising and falling of the vice when speaking; a pleasant gentle accent

• bender:

  1. an object or person that bends something

  2. a wild drinking spree

  3. a gay man

  4. a shelter made by covering a framework of bent branches with canvas or tarpaulin

• agony: extreme physical or mental suffering.

• giddy: dizzy

• spigot:

  1. a small plug, especially for insertion into the vent of a cash

  2. a tap

  3. the plain end of a section of a pipe fitting into the socket of the next one.

• embroidery: needlework (बुनाई - कढाई)

• major-domo: the chief steward of a large household.

• ostentatious(ly): (दिखावटी) the quality of being economical with money or food.

• frugality: (किफायत) the quality of being economical with money or food.

• niggardly: ungenerous with money, time, etc. (कंजूस से)

• stingy: mean, ungenerous (कंजूस)

• close-fisted: unwilling to spend money; mean

• abject:

  1. (of something bad) experienced or present to the maximum degree

     (of a situation or condition) extremely unpleasant and degrading

  2. (of a person or their behaviour) completely without pride or dignity; self-abasing.