(Example) The Easter egg hunt featured cryptic clues such as, "somewhere narrow" and "Look for the pink."

(Example) Verbose writing can be hard to follow. For instance, "At this point in time, we have an urgently felt need for more and greater financial resources" is less clear than "We now need money urgently."

(Synonym--in sentence)

"I'll try any ride in this amusement park except the Twister," said Nick. "I'll venture getting sick to my stomach, but I won't risk my life."

(Synonym--in sentence)

In the past three hundred years, several people have gone on a quest for Noah's Ark. The search has taken some to northeastern Turkey, on Mount Ararat, thousands of feet above sea level.

(Synonym--in sentence)

Samuel Langhorne Clemens wasn't the first author to use the pseudonym Mark Twain. A newspaper writer of the time used the same false name.

(Antonym) Computer manuals are often very hard to understand, so I was surprised to discover how lucid this one is.

(Antonym) When my sister first got her job at the recording studio, she was excited to go to work each day. Now after ten years, she's blasé about her work and wants to change jobs.

(General Sense) A person can be very intelligent and yet be deficient in common sense.

(General Sense) The store detective faced the dilemma of either having an elderly, needy man arrested or ignoring store rules about shoplifters.

(Example) Every habitat in the world, from volcano tops to icebergs, can support some sort of life.

(Examples) Common redundant phrases include "cooperate together" (instead of simply "cooperate") and "postponed until later" (instead of "postponed").

(Synonym--in sentence) The Amish people prefer austere styles--their clothing and homes are plain.

(Synonym--in sentence) Airport security guards must observe people's demeanor so as to notice any suspicious conduct.

(Synonym--in sentence) In business, it can be harmful to be too unassuming. If you're overly modest about your achievements, for example, you may be passed up for a promotion.

(Antonym) Even when textbooks are standardized throughout a school system, methods of teaching with them may be greatly varied.

(Antonym) During the Middle Ages, everyone--from the rich landowner down to the most impoverished peasant--had a clear place in society.

(General Sense) America has often been called a "melting pot" into which people of many different cultures assimilate.

(General Sense) During the 1960s and 1970s, many American folk singers used anti-war lyrics to espouse an end to the Vietnam War.

(General Sense) It is widely believed that Columbus sailed westward to validate the theory that the world is round. In fact, it was already well known at that time that the world is round.

It's a good idea for married couples to discuss their plans in case of each other's demise. For example, do they wish to be buried or cremated?

The press assailed the company responsible for the oil spill until it increased its efforts to clean up the mess.

One tenet of Islam is that its followers should not drink alcohol.

Toddlers are naturally inquisitive. It is because they are so curious about their surroundings that they are so eager to explore everything.

After x-rays were discovered in 1895, there were some preposterous reactions. For example, London

merchants sold x-ray-proof underwear.

The foolish defendant waived his right to an attorney and instead spoke for himself in court.

Sexual standards in England during the 1800s were so strict that it was considered sordid for women to

reveal their legs in public.

Young children believe their parents are perfect, until they become teenagers, when their parents suddenly

become fallible.

At the company where Gerry works, people who are laid off during a brief recession are often rehired when there's a business upturn.

The Englishman John Merrick's illness gave him such a grotesque appearance that he was called "The Elephant Man." Despite people's reactions to his misshapen head and body, Merrick remained affectionate and gentle.

After the Civil War, trolleys and streetcars greatly expanded workers' mobility, permitting them to move beyond walking distance from factories.

What people say may not reflect accurately what they are actually feeling. It is sometimes necessary to resort to clues other than their spoken words to understand them fully.

Individual political organizations often join together to form coalitions to increase the support for their issues.

Surveys about people's sexual habits are often inaccurate because people may lie, and there is no way to corroborate what they say.

Burning the flag and damaging a church are outrageous acts that blatantly violate American norms.

Following the English principle that voters had to have a stake in the community, the colonies generally required citizens to own a minimum amount of land in order to vote.

William Henry Harrison's 1840 campaign brought many innovations to the art of electioneering. For example, for the first time, a presidential candidate spoke out on his own behalf.

To fully assess patients in order to place them in appropriate programs, mental health professionals need information on emotional adjustment and physical health.

In the eating disorder bulimia nervosa, a person will go on huge eating binges and then will try to nullify the outrageous food intake by purposely vomiting or strictly dieting.

Adults who have both elderly parents and children need to balance their commitments: while they are responsible for their own family, they also should allocate time and energy to caring for their parents.

The possibility of developing a top seller is so alluring that American companies spend billions of dollars a year trying to create new products or improve old ones.

Using sign language, chimpanzees can convey such ideas as "Candy sweet" and "Give me hug."

Smoking or chewing tobacco, wrote King James I, was "loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, and dangerous to the lungs."

The death of a spouse can cause profound depression that, in some cases, can even lead to the death of the partner.

The healthiest type of parents are those who guide and instruct their children, but also grant them a degree of autonomy, encouraging the children to make their own decisions and form their own opinions.