Barron's 1100 Words You Need to Know » Week 41 - Day 2

Word List
  • potpourri [pō´ pü rē´]
    medley, mixture
    → “A potpourri of fresh fruits and cool cottage cheese make for a delicious lunch treat when the temperatures rise into the high 90s.” Martha Stewart, CBS News, 5/23/98
  • sanction [sangk´ shən]
    endorse, certify
    → “He received his father’s sanction and authority.” George Meredith, Diana of the Crossways
  • denote [di nōt´]
    indicate, show, mean
    → “The origins of the letters ‘O.K.’ to denote ‘all right’ are not clear.” Bill Bryson, Mother Tongue
  • allude [ə lüd´]
    hint, suggest
    → “Gertrude Stein’s phrase, ‘A rose, is a rose, is a rose’ alludes to nothing more or less than what she writes.” Alice B. Toklas, Time Capsule, 1933
  • insidious [in sid´ ē əs]
    sly, seductive, treacherous
    → “For them, civilization is an insidious but no less sure and deadly poison.” Hernando Bates, Central America

Packaging of grocery items is a facet* of advertising that is too little appreciated by consumers. Walking up and down the aisles of a supermarket, one seldom stops to analyze the individual package in the potpourri of items on the shelves. The manufacturer had to glean* and test many different designs before he accepted the one you see in the array* before you. Before he will sanction the use of a particular can, box, or bottle, he must know many things about its efficacy.* He wants to know if the colors attract: a white box may denote cleanliness, a red one, strength. There may be a photo or a drawing that will allude to the product’s use or special qualities. A lackluster* package may be fatal.* Next, the size and shape are important elements. The housewife may want a small package for easy storing, but a larger package may suggest economy. A round bottle may look attractive, but a square one is easier to stack. These are some of the insidious aspects of packaging, the main purpose of which is to attract your attention as you peruse* the crowded supermarket shelves.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in these sentences.

  1. I cannot __________ your lax* attitude towards the imminent* threat of a conflagration.*
  2. In some __________ way the glib* salesman played upon my repressed* desires and sold me a gaudy* sports car.
  3. You can be sure the candidate will __________ to the moribund* state of our economy and offer his panacea.*
  4. A __________ of today’s musical hits sounds more like cacophony* than harmony.
  5. His levity* at such a serious moment __________ a lack of feeling.

Definitions Match the new words with their definitions.

  1. a. sly, seductive, treacherous
  2. b. hint, suggest
  3. c. endorse, certify
  4. d. medley, mixture
  5. e. indicate, show, mean
  1. potpourri __________
  2. sanction __________
  3. denote __________
  4. allude __________
  5. insidious __________

Answer Key
the acid test—a severe test
The new job was an acid test of his ability to bring home the bacon.*

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