cyn・ic

n.

A person who believes all people are motivated only by self-interest.

I prefer to spend less time with him as he is such a cynic.

Source: The American Heritage Dictionary Fifth Edition

schil・ling

n.

The primary unit of currency in Austria before the adoption of the euro.

Do you have some 20 Schilling coin with you?

Source: The American Heritage Dictionary Fifth Edition

Weekly Review #3

Three weeks? What an accomplishment! Let us review the new words we’ve learned this past week.

• natty – neat, trim, and smart; dapper
• recant – to make a formal denial of
• evanesce – to dissipate gradually; fade away like vapor
• gauche – lacking social polish; tactless
• nonesuch – a person or a thing without equal
• porcine – of or resembling a swine or pig
• thenceforth – from that time forward; thereafter

Time to have fun with those words.

“I’ve fallen in love with him,” the natty Secret Agent O confessed to her teammate.

Secret Agent L didn’t know how to react to a surprising disclosure. They had been hunting Mephisto for months. O’s revelation revealed why they had not been successful. The mission’s leader was protecting the target.

“I know everyone describes him as freaky, gauche, malicious, and even porcine, but I have never felt such affection towards any other like I do for him,” continued Agent O, tears trickling down her cheeks.

Agent L enveloped Agent O in a hug. “Your feelings will evanesce once you get to know the real Mephisto. Thenceforth, you must recant everything you just said here.”

“I can’t,” sobbed Agent O. “He’s a nonesuch.”

Write your own sentences with these words in the comments section below.

pom・pa・dour

n.

A hairstyle formed by sweeping the hair up from the forehead.

“It’s not your costume that drew the audience to you,” the judge said. “It’s that slick pompadour.”

Source: The American Heritage Dictionary Fifth Edition

thence・forth

adv.

From that time forward; thereafter.

Thenceforth, her view in life has become global, grand, and ambitious.

Source: The American Heritage Dictionary Fifth Edition

por・cine

adj.

Of or resembling swine or a pig.

Last Halloween, Ian won best costume with his scaly sweatsuit and porcine mask.

Source: The American Heritage Dictionary Fifth Edition

none・such

n.

A person or a thing without equal.

My lover of 11 years was a nonesuch. I don’t know how to live life without him.

Source: The American Heritage Dictionary Fifth Edition

gauche

adj.

Lacking social polish; tactless.

Do you agree that kids today are self-centred, gauche, and narcissists?

Source: The American Heritage Dictionary Fifth Edition

ev・a・nesce

v.

To dissipate gradually; fade away like vapor.

The ghost of the manor, that appears every midnight, will evanesce only when someone plays the piano.

Source: The American Heritage Dictionary Fifth Edition

re・cant

v.

To make a formal denial of (e.g., an earlier statement)

His publicist urged him to recant his announcement in the TV interview that he will change genre for his next album.

Source: The American Heritage Dictionary Fifth Edition