Oates Glossary
1. coyly: showing reluctance, especially when insincere or affected, to reveal one's plans or opinions, make a commitment, or take a stand: The mayor was coy about his future political aspirations 2. mimesis: imitation, mimicry
3. nasty, brutish, and short: words famously used by the writer Thomas Hobbes in his classic Leviathan to describe what life is like for the majority of people
4. remunerative: financially rewarding; lucrative; profitable
5. ambiguous: (of language) open to more than one interpretation; having a double meaning
6. embodiment: someone or something that is a perfect representative or example of a quality, idea, etc.
7. ingenuity: the quality of being clever, original, and inventive
8. catharsis: the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions
9. analogue: a person or thing seen as comparable to another
10. delirium: a mental disturbance characterized by confusion, disordered speech, and hallucinations
11. Dionysian: of or relating to the sensual, spontaneous, and emotional aspects of human nature
12. expendable: of little significance when compared to an overall purpose, and therefore able to be abandoned
13. supposition: an uncertain belief14. culminate: reach a climax or point of highest development
15. putative: commonly accepted or supposed16. eradicate: destroy completely; put an end to
17. gloat: To feel or express great, often malicious, pleasure or self-satisfaction: Don't gloat over your rival's misfortune
18. alleviate: make (suffering, deficiency, or a problem) less severe19. finesse: do (something) in a subtle and delicate manner
20. zealous: feeling or showing strong and energetic support for a person, cause, etc.
21. anachronistic: something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, especially a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time: The sword is an anachronism in modern warfare. 22. pretension: the use of affectation to impress; ostentatiousness
23. humanitarian: a person promoting human welfare and social reform24.exemplary: serving as a desirable model; representing the best of its kind 25. mythopoeic: a creating of myth : a giving rise to myths 26. poignant: evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret
27. implicit: capable of being understood from something else though unexpressed
28. red light district: an area of a town or city containing many brothels, strip clubs, and other sex businesses
29. prevail: prove more powerful than opposing forces; be victorious
30. befitting: suitable, appropriate31. prodigious: remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree
32. definitive: serving to define or specify precisely <definitive laws> b : serving as a perfect example : quintessential
33. exhaustive: including all possibilities : thorough34. welter: a state of wild disorder : turmoil. 2 : a chaotic mass or jumble
35. succinct: (especially of something written or spoken) briefly and clearly expressed36. gloss: as in glossary
37. tandem: a group of two or more arranged one behind the other or used or acting in conjunction
38. ominous: giving the impression that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen; threatening; inauspicious
39. elude: evade or escape from (a danger, enemy, or pursuer), typically in a skillful or cunning way.
40. hone: refine or perfect (something) over a period of time
41. idiosyncrasy: a mode of behavior or way of thought peculiar to an individual
42. brash: self-assertive in a rude, noisy, or overbearing way43. fisticuffs: fighting with the fists
44. rejuvenate: make (someone or something) look or feel younger, fresher, or more lively45. accumulative: gathering or growing by gradual increases
46. irrevocable: not able to be changed, reversed, or recovered; final.47. visceral: relating to deep inward feelings rather than to the intellect.
48. secular: of or relating to worldly things or to things that are not regarded as religious, spiritual, or sacred
49. quotidian: ordinary or common; mundane
50. repudiate: to refuse to have anything to do with : disown. 3 a : to refuse to accept; especially : to reject as unauthorized or as having no binding force <repudiatea contract> b : to reject as untrue or unjust <repudiatea charge> 51. censorious:severely critical of others
52. beleaguered: beset with difficulties53. incendiary: stimulating offense, argument or controversy; "a provocativeremark"
54. inglorious: (of an action or situation) causing shame or a loss of honor
55. elegiac: mournful or sad.56. invincible: too powerful to be defeated or overcome
57. incandescent: passionate or brilliant58. feckless: irresponsible, incompetent, inept, or without purpose in life
59. insouciant: showing a casual lack of concern; indifference
60. King Lear: a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It depicts the gradual descent into madness of the title character, after he disposes of his kingdom giving bequests to two of his three daughters
61. unfathomable: incapable of being fully explored or understood62. resilience: the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness 63. transmogrify: to change or transform into a different shape, esp a grotesque or bizarre one
64. masochism: the tendency to derive pleasure, especially sexual gratification, from one's own pain or humiliation
65. bedlam: a place, scene, or state of uproar and confusion
66. emissary: a person sent on a special mission, usually as a diplomatic representative
67. interstice: an intervening space, especially a very small one
68. Howard Cosell: an American sports journalist who was widely known for his blustery, cocksure personality. Cosell said of himself, "Arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, cruel, verbose, a showoff. 69. judiciously proportioned: appropriately sized
70. coda: an ending part of a piece of music or a work of literature or drama that is separate from the earlier parts. : something that ends and completes something else.