1. quixotic
\kwik-SOT-ik\ , adjective;
1.
Caught up in the romance of noble deeds and the pursuit of unreachable goals; foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals.
2.
Capricious; impulsive; unpredictable.
Quotes:
Some of his plans were quixotic and much too good for this world, but he never wavered in a cause that he considered just and he commanded the respect of all who opposed him.
-- "Dr. John Dewey Dead at 92; Philosopher a Noted Liberal", New York Times, June 2, 1952
He is buying up commercial buildings in his hometown of Archer City and filling them with used books -- hundreds of thousands of used books gathered from all over the country -- as part of aquixotic scheme to turn this sleepy rural community into a mecca for book lovers.
-- Mark Horowitz, "Larry McMurtry's Dream Job",New York Times, December 7, 1997
I was amazed to learn that he didn't have much experience climbing mountains and that he wasn't intending to do any intensive training for his quixotic expedition.
-- Michael D. Eisner, Work in Progress
2. bombast
\BOM-bast\ , noun;
1.
Pompous or pretentious speech or writing.
Quotes:
A more serious difficulty, though, is that "love" has inspired a vast deal of high-toned rhetoric, and Ms. Ackerman seems determined to boost the bombastthat already engulfs this troublesome word.
-- "This Crazy Thing Called Love", New York Times, June 26, 1994
It was partly this gift for nuance that caused Kempton to notice, while reviewing the work of Whittaker Chambers, something undeniably authentic beneath the bombast and self-pity.
-- "Age of Ideology: Murray Kempton on the 30's",New York Times, January 31, 1999
He especially loved pro wrestling shows, where he learned the importance of bombast, and how to immobilize a larger opponent.
-- John Brady, Bad Boy: The Life and Politics of Lee Atwater
3. fractious
\FRAK-shuhs\ , adjective;
1.
Tending to cause trouble; unruly.
2.
Irritable; snappish; cranky.
Quotes:
In Marshall's case, the experience of dealing with a clamorous band of younger siblings, earning their affection and respect while holding them to their tasks, proved remarkably useful in later years when dealing with fractious colleagues jealous of their prerogatives.
-- Jean Edward Smith, John Marshall: Definer of a Nation
Marcus frequently took a rod to Ambrose's back--with the predictable result of making the boy even morefractious and slow to obey.
-- Roy Morris Jr., Ambrose Bierce: Alone in Bad Company
Fractious heirs drink too much and squabble over dock space for their sailboats.
-- Marilyn Stasio, review of Stormy Weather, by Carl Hiaasen, New York Times, September 3, 1995
Origin:
Fractious is from fraction, which formerly had the sense "discord, dissension, disharmony"; it is derived from Latin frangere, "to break."
4. fructuous
\FRUHK-choo-uhs\ , adjective;
Quotes:
It had by now reached much beyond even that status to appear in our minds as a place sentient, actively helping these once forlorn and homeless sailors, presenting us with fructuous soil to grow our food, bountifully adding its own edible offerings, its waters supplying us with an abundance of fish.
-- William Brinkley, Last Ship
Theory does not provide us worthy Marching orders for a fructuous future, for theory in itself tells us nothing about how and when it is applicable.
-- Sheila McNamee and Kenneth J. Gergen, Relational Responsibility
Lagerfeld is talking about reducing his mighty Chanel shows to more intimate experiences. And this collection proved that such a fructuous collaboration with the couture hands deserves to be played out on a quieter note.
-- Suzy Menkes, "Chanel plays pipes, turning tiny tubes of tulle into couture", New York Times, July 1, 2008
Fructuous comes from Latin fructuosus, from fructus, "enjoyment, product, fruit," from the past participle of frui, "to enjoy."
5. arcanum
\ar-KAY-nuhm\ , noun;
plural arcana \-nuh\
2.
Specialized or mysterious knowledge, language, or information that is not accessible to the average person (generally used in the plural).
Through the years, Usenet evolved into an international forum on thousands of topics, called Usenet news groups, from the arcana of programming languages to European travel tips.
-- Katie Hafner, "James T. Ellis, 45, a Developer of Internet Discussion Network, Is Dead", New York Times, July 1, 2001
Here we must enter briefly into the technical arcanaof employment law.
-- Paul F. Campos, JurismaniaThe Madness of American Law
Each arcanum, made visible or tangible by one of these paintings, is the formula of a law of human activity in its relationship with spiritual and material forces whose combination produces the phenomena of life.
-- Lida A. Churchill and Paul Christian, History and Practice of Magic
Arcanum is from the Latin, from arcanus "closed, secret," from arca, "chest, box," from arcere, "to shut in."
6. gregarious
\grih-GAIR-ee-us\ , adjective;
1.
Tending to form a group with others of the same kind.
2.
Seeking and enjoying the company of others.
Quotes:
True locusts, which are actually certain kinds of grasshoppers, are usually solitary and rather sluggish, but when they are crowded they enter agregarious and highly active migratory phase.
-- Gilbert Waldbauer, Millions of Monarchs, Bunches of Beetles
In the newly discovered gene, the change of a single unit of DNA converts the worm from a solitary forager into a gregarious diner.
-- "Can Social Behavior of Man Be Glimpsed in a Lowly Worm?", New York Times, September 7, 1998
My efforts to cultivate an identity as a strong silent type have consistently been undermined by mygregarious nature and my delight in conversation.
-- Marty Jezer, Stuttering: A Life Bound Up in Words
Origin:
Gregarious is from Latin gregarius, "belonging to a herd or flock," from grex, greg-, "herd, flock."
7. supplicate
\SUP-luh-kayt\ , intransitive verb;
1.
To make a humble and earnest petition; to pray humbly.
transitive verb:
1.
To seek or ask for humbly and earnestly.
2.
To make a humble petition to; to beseech.
Quotes:
Lehi's list of enemies was long and broad, including not only the British and the Arabs, but respected Jewish leaders like David Ben-Gurion and Golda Meir, whom they dismissed as weaklings and compromisers prepared to supplicate before the aristocratic count.
-- Tod Hoffman, "Count (Folke) Bernadotte's folly",Queen's Quarterly, December 22, 1996
Their ambassadors would plead, supplicate, cajole, threaten, lobby, or bribe the bureaucrats who were administering the licenses and quotas.
-- Zafar U. Ahmed, "India's economic reforms",Competitiveness Review, January 1, 1999
In this formula, practitioners of religion are more or less powerless over the supernatural beings with whom they deal; they can only supplicate those beings for favours and then await their response.
-- Ronald Hutton, "Paganism and Polemic", Folklore, April 2000
Origin:
Supplicate derives from the past participle of Latin supplicare, from supplex, "entreating for mercy." The noun form is supplication.
