RD201812-201901

(avery) #1
matthew cohen

By the Letters


identify what it is in each case?



  1. ambience (c)
    atmosphere. “Randy’s
    Slop House” isn’t much
    of a name, but the place
    actually has a nice
    ambience.

  2. diabolical (a) devilish.
    Wile E. Coyote’s diabolical
    schemes usually end as
    spectacular failures.

  3. sabbatical (c) extended
    leave. Dr. Klein is taking
    a sabbatical this semester
    to finish her book.

  4. abject (b) lowly.
    The sight of a spider in the
    bathtub made Big Joe act
    like an abject coward.

  5. swashbuckler (b)
    daring adventurer.
    Robin Hood and Zorro
    are two famous fictional
    swashbucklers.


Vocabulary Ratings
9 & below: able
competitor
10–12: fabulous
contender
13–1=: absolute champ


  1. abacus (c) ancient
    counting tool. I couldn’t
    do my homework,
    because my dog ate the
    beads off my abacus.

  2. rambunctious (b)
    unruly. Is there anything
    more exhausting than
    babysitting a group of ram-
    bunctious five-year-olds?

  3. ambivalence (b)
    contradictory feelings.
    I do have some ambiva-
    lence about trapping the
    chipmunks in my attic.

  4. lambency (c) radiance.
    By the moon’s lambency,
    the lovers staged their
    secret rendezvous.

  5. abdicate—(a) give up.
    Having failed her account-
    ing course, Paulina was
    forced to abdicate her role
    as class treasurer.


(c) red wine.

(c)


  1. shambolic (b)
    disorganized. Kyle’s
    bachelor pad is always in
    a shambolic state, with
    dirty socks on the floor
    and dishes in the sink.

  2. abscond (a) steal
    away. Where’s that knave
    who absconded with
    the queen’s tarts?

  3. sawbuck (b)
    ten-dollar bill. “In the old
    days, you could buy dinner
    and a movie for just a saw-
    buck,” Jean grumbled as
    she pulled out her wallet.


Word Power


ANSWERS


By the Letters Answers: 1. All five vowels are in alphabetical order.


  1. All letters are from the second half of the alphabet. 3. No letter is repeated.

  2. Letters are in alphabetical order. 5. Letters are in reverse alphabetical order.

  3. facetious

  4. nonsupports

  5. uncopyrightable

  6. almost


126 dec 2018 )jan 2019


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