Barron's 1100 Words You Need to Know (MCQ Test + PDF) Week 26 - Day 1
NEW WORDS
- lethargic [lə thär´ jik]
“Ricky Henderson’s lethargic stroll toward second base led the sports reporters to blast him in yesterday’s papers.” Ralph Kiner, baseball announcer, Fox Sports News, 10/4/99
- prevalent [prev´ ə lənt]
“On the all-news channels the most prevalent images were from a helicopter pursuing the police chase.” New York Post, 7/30/99
- paramount [par´ ə mount]
“For him, winning was paramount; coming in second meant he had swum a poor race.” Len Sussman, “Born to Swim”
- remiss [ri mis´]
“If the mayor thought that one of his commissioners had been remiss in following instructions, he would fly into a rage and throw his glasses at him.” David Rockefeller on Mayor LaGuardia, New York Times, 10/10/99
- hostile [hos´ tl]
“He might commit some hostile act, attempt to strike me or choke me.” Jack London, White Fang
TODAY’S IDIOM
to split hairs—to make fine distinctions
The mother and child spent a great deal of time arguing about the hair-splitting question of whether “going to bed” meant lights out or not.
