Bitter, sharp hostility, especially in speech.

A strong dialectal accent, especially a strong Irish or Scottish accent in English.

Intended for or understood by only a restricted number of people (a particular audience).

Something that indicates or foreshadows what is to come; a forerunner.

One who is excessively preoccupied with oneself; an extremely self-centered person.

A repetitive recital or list.

Lively and exceptionally intelligent; animated and brilliant.

An agreement, as between lovers, to meet at a certain time and place.

Discontented or irritable.

“Without the controlling power of science, consumer demand for high-quality table wine never could have been satisfied, and fine wine would have had to remain an ________________ luxury enjoyed by only a privileged few” (Paul Lukacs, American Vintage, 2000).

“In The Jungle (1906) Upton Sinclair described a ________________ of horrors” (Eric Schlosser, Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal, 2001).

“If there’s any current trend towards meeting present problems with old clichés, this is the moment to stop it—before it lands us all in a bog of sterile ________________” (President John F. Kennedy, Yale University Commencement Address, June 11, 1962).

“But I need a cover. I need for you to pretend we are having a ________________ conversation, and you are wildly entertained.  I know it’s tough” (from the film Vanilla Sky, 2001).

“The morning programs have always put an enormous premium on the ‘likability’ of their on-air personalities, to an often ________________ degree” (Ken Auletta, “The Dawn Patrol: The Curious Rise of Morning Television and the Future of Network News,” The New Yorker, August 8, 2005).

Seeking and enjoying the company of others; sociable.

A statement that seems to contradict itself but that may nonetheless be true.

A show of bravery or defiance, often intended to make an impression or mislead someone.

A long, angry speech, usually of a critical nature.

To use vague or ambiguous language in order to avoid committing oneself to a position or to deceive someone.