guffaw(u·faw) n.a noisy, coarse burst of laughter. Michael let out quite a
guffaw when Jamal told him the outlandish joke.
imbroglio(im·brohl·yoh) n.a confused or difficult situation, usually involv-
ing disagreement. An imbroglio developed when the bus drivers went on, leav-
ing thousands of commuters stranded at the bus station with no way to get home.
minutiae(mi·noo·shi·ee) n., pl.very small details; trivial or trifling matters.
His attention to the minutiae of the process enabled him to make his great discovery.
penury (pen·yu ̆·ree) n.extreme poverty, destitution. After ten years of
penury, it’s good to be financially secure again.
rigmarole(ri·ma ̆·rohl) (also rigamarole) n.1. rambling, confusing, or inco-
herent talk. 2. a complicated, petty procedure. We had to go through a great
deal of rigmarole to get this approved.
rubric(roo·brik) n.1. a class or category. 2. a heading, title, or note of
explanation or direction. I would put calculus under the rubric of college math-
ematics, not high school.
savoir faire(sav·wahr fair) n.knowledge of the right thing to do or say
in a social situation; graceful tact. Savoir faire is essential if you want to be a
successful diplomat.
umbrage(um·brij) n.offense, resentment. I took great umbrage at your sug-
gestion that I twisted the truth.
verisimilitude(ver·i·si·mil·i·tood) n.the appearance of being true or real.
The movie aims for complete verisimilitude and has painstakingly recreated the
details of everyday life in the 1920s.