Lesson 9 81 . caustic - 90. clandestine

81. caus-tic adjective k6s'-tik [kaustikos (Greek). "burnt")

Definition: a. Able to dissolve or eat away by chemical action.

Substances with highly caustic or corrosive properties are widely used in present-day commercia l processes, s uch as the manufac­ture of cloth and yarn.

b. Sharp and biting. Why is it that so many successful theater critics seem to possess s harp tongues and caustic wits?

Phrases: a caustic substance. a caustic agent, a caustic reply

Related Forms: (noun) causticity: (adverb) caustically

Synonyms: (adjectives) corros ive; keen , cutting. s tinging, tart. pungent, trenchant. mordant, astringent. acidulous, sarcastic, sardonic, acri­monious . venomous; (nouns) asperity, acrimony. mordancy, acerbity; sarcasm

Antonyms: (adjectives) mild. bland (Word 60). a miable, good-natured, charitable; sweet. s ugary. honeyed. saccharine

82. cen-sor noun and verb sen'-s;;>r [censor (Latin) , from censere (Latin). "estimate. assess"!

Definition: a. (noun) An official who examines works of literature, films. and the

like for things cons idered to be immoral, offensive, or dangerous and who is empowered to prohibit or remove this materia l; anyone who acts as an arbiter of morals or reading/viewing matter.

"If it were always easy to dis tinguish art from obscenity," the offi­cial remarked, "the job of a censor wouldn't be so difficult."

b . (verb) To examine for and remove objectionable material. Many parents believe that prime-time 1V programs should be carefully censored in order to protect children from accidental exposure to "adult" ma terial.

Related Forms: (adjectives) censorial, censorious; (noun) censorship

Synonyms: (nouns) expurgator, bowdlertzer; Comstockery, Grundyism; (verbs) expurgate, bowdlerize; excise, delete (Word 120), expunge

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Anthony Comstock (left); Cato the Censor (above)

Censors and Censorship

English has borrowed a good many words and phrases without change from Latin. One such word is censor. In ancient Rome there were two magistrates with this title. Their functions included taking the census of citizens (which was necessary for tax purposes). filling vacancies in the Senate (Rome's governing body) , and supervising public morals and behavior. One Roman censor, Cato the Elder (234-149 B.c .), became espe­cially well known for his stern and unyielding standards of behavior and for the overly aggressive way in which he sought to impose them on the Roman people.

The word censor and the powers connected with the office or the act have passed down to present-day society. Various public officials in the United States possess a limited power of censorship over moving pictures, written materials, TV programs, etc., although the word itself is likely to be avoided. Of course, censorship is limited by the First Amendmen t guar­antees of freedom of expression.

English has a number of interesting expressions connected with censor­ship. One of these is Grundyism Grundyism is a rigid insistence upon strict conformity to the accepted moral or social code. The word derives from Mrs. Grundy, an overly proper character in the English playwright Thomas Morton's comedy Speed the Plough (1798).

Another useful expression is Comstoclcery, which indicates zealous but narrow-minded (and often unfair) censorship of art, literature, or the like. The word is derived from Anthony Comstock (1844-1915), an American author and an aggressive, if somewhat bigoted, crusader against what he considered immorality.

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83. cen-sure noun and verb sen '-shdr [censura (Latin). "censorship''!

Definition: a. (noun) Open and strong criticism or disapproval (often taking the

shape of a formal reprimand by someone in authority). Perhaps my actions were hasty and ill-advised, but they certainly did not merit the kind of harsh public censure they received. The 18th-century English satirist Jonathan Swift wrote that "censure is the tax a man pays to the public for being eminent." What do you think Polonius means when he advises h is son, Laertes, to "take each man's censure but withhold thy judg­ment''?

b . (verb) To criticize severely: to disapprove strongly. I am very wary of anyone who is too quick to censure and too slow to forgive.

Phrases: a letter of censure, a vote of censu re, a resolution of censure

Related Forms: (noun) censurer; (adjective) censurable

Synonyms: (nouns) rebuke, reprimand, reproof; (verbs) rebuke. repri­mand, reprove, reprehend, condemn, upbraid, chastise; (acljectives) repreh ensible , blameworthy

Antonyms: (nouns) praise, commendation : approval, approbation; (verbs) praise, commend, laud, extol, applaud; (adjectives) laudable, praise­worthy, meritorious, admirable, creditable

Related Phrases: (expressing strong disapproval) take to task, call on the carpet, dress down, bawl out; (expressing mild disapprovaO let off with a s lap on the wrist; (expressing approvaO give a pat on the back

84. cha-grin noun and verb sh;;)-grin' (chagrin (French). "sadness"!

Definitio n: a . (noun) Irritation, embarrassment, or humiliation caused by disap-

pointment or frustration . "I didn't particu larly want to go to the party." Alex admitted. "Still, I felt a deep sense of chagrin when I realized that I wouldn't be invited."

b . (verb) To cause such a feeling. Since Marsha prides herself on her skill as a politician, her failure to win election to the student council chagrined her deeply.

Synonyms: (nouns) vexation, annoyance. mortification: (verbs) vex, annoy. mortifY, abash

Antonyms: (nouns) jubilation. exultation, delight, exhilaration. elation: (verbs) exult. delight. exhilarate, elate

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85. char-la-tan noun [ciarlaLano (Italian). a variant of cerretano (Italian). "an inhabitant of Cerreta." a vil­lage near Spoleto in central Italy . The place was famous for its quacks. ]

Definition: Anyone who claims to have skills or knowledge that he or she doesn't possess.

"Don 't be too eager to accept the claims of every fad diet that comes along," my physician warned me. "Some of these programs may have been concocted by charlatans whose recommendations could do you great harm."

Related Forms: (nouns) charlatanism, charlatanry

Synonyms: (nouns) impostor, quack, mountebank, humbug, fraud, faker

Two famous charlatans and their 20th-century impersonators: Burt Lancaster as Elmer Gantry and Fernando Corena as Dr. Dulcamara ("Sweet and Sour"), the quack doctor in Gaetano Donizetti's comic opera The Elixir of Love (inset).

Quacks and Other Charlatans

A quack (from quaclcsalver) Is a person who makes fa lse claims about the salves and other medications that he or she sells. By extension, the word indicates anyone who makes false or exaggerated claims about his or her medical knowledge, s kills, or techniques. A mountebank (literally, a per­son who "climbs on a bench") is a charlatan who uses clownish or flam­boyant techniques to sell his or her wares. By extension. the word Is applied to any boastful or unscrupulous salesman. A humbug is a self­important fraud. An impostor is s imply someone who assumes another person's iden tity for the purposes of fraud or deception.

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86. chron-ic adjective kron'-Ik lchronikos (Greek). "perta ining Lo Um e,;, from chronos (Greek). "time"]

Definition: Continuing over a long period of time or recurring often. The poor woman suffers terribly from chronic a rthritis . His ina bility to arrive anywhere on time. at first a n a musing weakness, has become a chronic problem. There have been long periods when our economy has been plagued by chronic infla tion.

Phrases: chronic insomnia, chronic attacks of asthma, chronic fina ncial problems. chronic unemployment, a chronic compla iner

Related Form: (adve rb) chronically

Usage Note: When used as a medical term. chronic indicates the kind of a ilment or disease that develops s lowly over a very long period of time a nd only gradually becomes serious or fatal-for example. heart disease. The op­posite is acute, which indicates the kind of medical problem tha t comes on a person suddenly or unexpectedly and ta kes only a short lime to become crilical- for example. appendicilis.

Synonyms: (adjectives) long lasting. prolonged . continu a l. constant; habitua l, inveterate, confirmed, deep-rooted. ingrained; perennia l, recurrent

Antonyms: (adjeclives) tra nsitory. t ransient. evanescent, ephemera l; sporadic. occasiona l

Related Phrases: a hardened crimina l, a lingering illness. a confirmed bachelor, s poradic fighling

87. cir-cu-i-tous adjective ser-kyoo'-I-t;;)s ]circu(m) (Latin). "around" + ire. itus (Lalin). "go"]

Definition: Indirect or roundabout: long-winded. "If I have a li ttle time on my hands after school. I take the long way home." Ma rta said. "It's a circuitous route , but the scenery is just beautiful!" His style of writing is so circuitous and diffuse lhat I often get lost half­way through one of his paragraphs.

Phrases: circuitous logic or reasoning, circuitous procedures

Related Forms: (nouns) circuitousness. circuit

Synonyms: (adjectives) winding, meandering. ra mbling, sinuous. devi­ous. oblique; circumlocutory. periphrastic. digressive

Antonyms: (adjectives) direct. undeviating, unswerving. s traigh tforward , unveering

Related Phrases: veer off at a tangent, s idetrack a discussion. beat around U1e bush; as the crow flies

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88. cir-cum-spect adjective sur'-kdm-spekt (circum (Latin). "around" + specere. spectus (Latin). "look"(

Definition: Cautious or prudent. especially in regard to the consequences of actions or statements: tactful.

Since you don't know most salespeople personally. always be as cir­cumspect as possible in your dealings with them.

Phrases: a circumspect investor, circumspect behavior

Related Forms: (noun) circumspection: (adverb) circumspectly

Synonyms: (adjectives) careful, watchful, vigilant. guarded, wary, chary, leery: discreet, politic. diplomatic. judicious

Antonyms: (adjectives) careless. imprudent, incautious, heedless: rash, reckless. foolhardy: brash (Word 68) , precipitate: indiscreet, tactless

89. cir-cum-vent verb sur-kdm-vent' [circum (Latin). "around" + uenire. uentus (Latin). "come"(

Definition: To get around or avoid, especially by trickery or deception. We planned our route so as to circumvent heavily congested urban areas that might slow down our progress. If people are not in agreement with a given law, they may attempt to ig­nore or circumvent it.

Related Form: (noun) circumvention

Synonyms: (verbs) bypass, skirt, evade, s idestep, dodge, duck

Antonyms: (verbs) obey. observe, comply with, respect, abide by

90. clan-des-tine adjective klan-des'-tin [clandestinus (Latin) , "secret." from clam (Latin). "in secret"]

Definition: Concealed from view so as to hide one's purpose. Try as they might, federal agents were unable to locate the clandestine printing press that had turned out the counterfeit $ 100 bills.

Related Forms: (noun) clandestineness; (adverb) clandestinely

Phrases: a clandestin e meeting, clandestine broadcasts. clandestine activities

Synonyms: (adjectives) surreptitious, covert, furtive, stealthy, under­hand(ed)

Antonyms: (a.cljectives) open, undisguised. overt, manifest, obvious, avowed

Related Phrases: deep cover, behind closed doors. cloak-and-dagger, an undercover agent

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Using the Words

Exercise I. Syllabication and Pronunciation Syllabicate the following words correctly, and place the major stress mark ( ' ) after the syllable that is accented when the word is pronounced.

Example: a-bet'

1. charlatan 3. censor 5. circuitous 2. circumspect 4. chagrin 6. circumvent

Exercise II. Words Out of Context In each of the following groups, select the item that best expresses the meaning of the numbered word at the left.

1. charlatan a . officer b . immigrant c. fraud d. critic

2. clandestine a. sharp b . secret c. savage d. sensible

3. censure a . rebuke b . remove c. relax d . restore

4. circuitous a . electrical b. collective c . indirect d. foolhardy

5. caustic a. expensive b. final c . responsible d. biting

Exercise Ill. Completing Sentences Complete each of the following sentences or pairs of sentences by selecting the appropriate word from the group of words given below. Use each word only once.

censor chagrin circumvent

charlatan chronic circumspect

1. The novelist felt a deep sense of when the book he had worked on so long and hard received unfavorable reviews in the press.

2. "A person never knows where a friendship will lead," Mom ob-served. 'That's why it's always best to be as as possible in choosing one's companions."

3. Unemployment is a , rather than an occasional, problem for some members of our society.

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4. I thought we should meet the problem head-on; Tom thought we should try to it.

5. During a war, a government will often all kinds of documen ts in order to keep sensitive or classified material from falling into the hands of the en emy.

Exercise IV. Synonyms and Antonyms

Classify each of the following pairs of words as S for synonyms or A for antonyms.

1 . caustic- corrosive 6. cover t-overt 2. bowdlerize-expurgate 7. habitual-chronic 3. commend-censure 8. circuitous-straightforward 4. chagrin-delight 9. imprudent-circumspect 5. charlatan-mountebank 10. circumvent-dodge

Exercise V. Word Roundup

1. Explain the difference between a chronic illness and an acute illness.

2. Give two colloquial phrases that mean "censure strongly." Use each in an original sentence.

3. Define each of the following. a. a humbug e. an undercover agent b. a quack f. as the crow flies c. a pat on the back g. a harden ed criminal d. cloak-and-dagger h. a confirmed bachelor

4. What is the source of the term Grundyism? the word Com­stoclcery? What does each of these words mean?

5. Give three synonyms for each of the following. Consult a the­saurus if necessary.

a. praiseworthy b. blameworthy

Exercise VI. Framing Sentences

A. Use each of the following in an original sentence.

1. clandestine 5. circuitous 2. censor 6. censure 3. charlatan 7. circumvent 4. chagrin 8. cau stic

B. Give an adverb form of each of the following, and use it in an original sentence.

1. chronic 2. circumspect

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Dissecting the Words

Prefix

The Latin prenx circum. meaning "around" or "about," occurs in a num­ber of English words. including circuitous, circumspect. and circumvent, all of which were studied in this lesson. Here are some other examples:

circumference (literally "a carrying around")-the boundary of a circle

circumlocution-a roundabout way of saying something. Adjective: circumlocutory

circumnavigate-to sail a round (for example. lhe globe)

circumscribe (literally. "to write around"-to encircle; to confine or restrict within limits

circumstance (litera lly. "a s ta nding around")-a fact or condition that accompanies an event or has some bearing on it. The related adjective circumstantial means "relating to the circumstan ces involved" or, by extension, "incidental: nonessential."

In some English words circum loses its m and becomes circu. Good examples of this include circuitous and circuit.

Finally. note that circum itself comes from the Indo-European root (s)ker. which means "bend" or "turn ... Words from this root include circus. circle. circulate, curvature. a nd. s urpris ingly. search and crown.

Roots

1. The Greek root chron(o) means "time ... It is found in a small number of English words. including chronic and anachronism. Here are some other words us ing this root:

chronology- the arrangement of events in time: a lis t of events in the order that they ha ppened. Adjective: chronological

chronicle-a year-by-year record of his torical events: to record events in this way. Noun: chronicler

synchronize-to occur at the same time: to cause to coincide in time.

2. English words ending in -cracy are derived from the Greek root kratos meaning ''rule" or "power." One such word is bureaucracy (Word 72). Here are a few more:

democracy (demos [Greek[ "people" + lcratos. "rule")-rule by the people

plutocracy (ploutos, [Greek[ "wealth~+ lcratos. "rule")-rule by the wealthy class of society. Noun: p lutocrat; adjective: plutocratic

aristocracy (aristos [Greek[ "bes t" + lcratos. "rule")-rule by the upper or privileged classes. Noun: aristocrat; adjective: aristocratic

theocracy (theos [Greek[ "god" + lcratos. "rule")-a government controlled solely by the religious a uthorities. Adjective: theocratic

ochlocracy (ochlos [Greek[. "mob"+ lcratos. "rule")-mob rule

thalassocracy (thalassa [Greek[. "sea" + lcratos. "rule")-domination of the sea; nava l supremacy. Noun: thalassocrat

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Exercise

1. Define the following terms or phrases, and indicate what part the prefix circum plays in each.

a . circum stantial evidence c. a circuit court b. a circuit breaker d. a circumlocution

2. Two of the books of the Bible are called Chronicles. Judging by this name and your knowledge of the meaning of th e root chron(o}, what do you think these books contain?

3. One of the most common forms of Elizabethan drama is called the chronicle play. Judging by this name and your knowledge of the root chron(o}, what do you think su ch a play would be abou t, and how would it be organized?

4. What is a person's chronological age? mental age?

5. Name an example, past or present, of each of the following forms of government. For instance, Great Britain is a good ex­ample of a constitutional monarchy.

a. aristocracy c. autocracy b. democracy d. theocracy

Enriching the Lesson

Exercise I. "Time on My Hands"

With or without the aid of a dictionary, defme each of the following expressions involving the word time. Then choose any five of the items, and for each compose an original sentence that clearly illus­trates the expression's meaning.

1. timeserver 6. time bomb 2. timely 7. in good time 3. time-honored 8. for the time being 4. behind the times 9. time-out 5. t ime deposit 1 0. timetable

11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

make time high time timepiece time clock keep time

Now, using a thesaurus, supply the following information:

16. List and define five nouns that relate in one way or another to the concept of time. For instance, you might begin with duration or infinity.

17. List and define five verbs that have to do with time. For ex­ample, you might begin with tarry or abide.

18. List and define five adjectives involving the concept of time. For instance, you might begin with retroactive or transient.

19. List and define five phrases connected in some way with the concept of time. For instance, the ravages of time or tide over might top your list.

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Exercise II. Our Latin Heritage

A good number of words commonly used in modern English come with little or no change from Latin. One such word, censor, was studied in this lesson. Some other words of this kind are listed below. With or without the aid of a dictionary, define each. Then choose any five, and for each compose an original sentence.

1. alias 6. onus 11 . animus 2. quorum 7. affidavit 12. caveat 3. propaganda 8. opprobrium 13. ultimatum 4. bonus 9. consensus 14. verbatim 5. gratis 1 0. alibi 15. imprimatur

Can you think of any others? Make a list of them.

Exercise Ill. Curious Compounds

The way English forms compound words is fascinating. Com­pound words are words that are made up of two (or more) separate words or word elements (e.g .. standoff, takeover; kingless, jeaifuQ. One curious group of compound words is made up of a short, usu­ally monosyllabic verb plus its object, usually a noun, in that order. A good example of this kind of compound is scarecrow, which, as you already know, is a dummy set up in a field to scare (the verb) off crows and other birds (the object) looking for food.

Below are listed a number of other compound words made up of a verb and its object. The first ten items are given out of context; the others are italicized in a representative phrase. Define each item, and indicate which part of the word is the verb and which its object. Then choose any five, and for each supply an original sen­tence that illustrates the word's meaning.

1. scofflaw 6. tattletale 11. at a breakneclc pace 2. pickpocket 7. scapegrace 12. a telltale odor 3. turncoat 8. spoilsport 13. a makeshift arrangement 4. spendthrift 9. daredevil 14. a laclcluster performance 5. breakwater 10. cutthroat 15. a stopgap measure

Exercise IV. Expanding Your Word Power The words listed below are not on the Basic Word List. but they were mentioned in passing in Lesson 9. All of them would make useful additions to your working vocabulary. Define each, give its etymology, list two synonyms and two antonyms (where possible). and use in a short sentence that clearly illustrates the word's meaning.

1. sarcasm 2. saccharine 3. sporadic 4. abash

5. manifest 6. 7. 8.

inveterate ephemeral oblique

9. periphrastic 1 0. diplomatic 11 . approbation 12. trenchant

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