Barron's 1100 Words You Need to Know » Week 12 - Day 3

Word List
  • expunge [ek spunj´]
    erase
    → “If the offender made it to adulthood without further problems, everything would be expunged.” James Kilpatrick, “Boy Learns Constitution—the Hard Way,” Burlington Vermont Free Press, 6/12/99
  • flamboyant [flam boi´ ənt]
    showy, colorful
    → “Dame Judi Dench is not as flamboyant as the other British theatrical Dames such as Vanessa Redgrave or Maggie Smith.” Playbill, Vol. 9, No. 55
  • anathema [ə nath´ ə mə]
    something greatly detested
    → “The founding document of the American Reform movement depicted ritual as anachronistic, even anathema in an enlightened age.” Samuel G. Freedman, “The UnReformation,” New York, 6/21/99
  • schism [siz´ əm]
    split
    → “The schism between the manager and his best pitcher spilled over from the locker room onto the field.” Bob Klapisch, The Worst Team That Money Could Buy
  • utopia [yü tō´ pē ə]
    place of perfection
    → “I was held spellbound by the middle-class utopia, without a blot, without a tear.” William James, “What Makes Life Significant”

During the first weeks of the summer, Monte Ziltch didn’t even have time to consider whether he had made an egregious* mistake. He was too engrossed* with his work, performing a thousand and one odd jobs around the theater. First there was the opening production of A Chorus Line, then two weeks of The Fantasticks, followed by a poignant* Diary of Anne Frank, which did excellent business. All through those weeks, Monte painted, carried, nailed, collected, ran, studied, and perspired. He had expunged all traces of debits and credits from his mind, burying himself in the more flamboyant world of the theater. Accounting became anathema to him as the schism between his present utopia and his former drudgery* widened.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in the following sentences.

  1. In Lost Horizon a character recoiled* at the idea of living in a __________.
  2. A pernicious* __________ developed between the two sisters.
  3. The traitor’s name was __________ in his father’s domicile.*
  4. Our theatrical pages were inundated* with press releases from the __________ producer.
  5. After having made the rash* statements, the senator wished that he could __________ them from the record.

Definitions Match the new words with their meanings.

  1. a. split
  2. b. something greatly detested
  3. c. place of perfection
  4. d. erase
  5. e. showy, colorful
  1. expunge __________
  2. flamboyant __________
  3. anathema __________
  4. schism __________
  5. utopia __________

Answer Key
to save face—to avoid disgrace
Instead of firing the corrupt executive, they allowed him to retire in order that he might save face.

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