Building a Better Vocabulary

z Unctuous comes from the Latin unctus, meaning “anointed with

oil.” This etymology is a perfect reminder for the oily, slick, and

smooth-talking behavior of unctuous people. You might link

unctuous with a description of an unctuous character written by

Alan J. Lerner for the musical My Fair Lady: “oozing charm from

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z A wonderful synonym for unctuous that’s a little shorter and more

down to earth is smarmy, as in “The smarmy aide thought that

his constant blandishments would butter up the congressman and

eventually lead to an appointment.”

1. :KDWZRUGVDSSO\WRVHOIVHUYLQJÀDWWHUHUVDQGWKHW\SHRIFRQYHUVDWLRQ
   WKH\HQJDJHLQWRDGYDQFHWKHLURZQLQWHUHVWV"


2. Although Farhad praised his supervisor, Amy, for her generosity and
   ability to recognize talent, she refused to be taken in by his __
   and didn’t give him a raise.


3. :HZDONHGRXWRIWKHFDUGHDOHUVKLSDIWHUMXVW¿YHPLQXWHVZLWKWKH
   __ salesman.


4. Despite the efforts of an image consultant and an expert in public
   speaking, the politician was unable to suppress his tendency to
   __.


5. The __ behavior of some millennials has earned the generation
   as a whole a reputation for arrogance.


6. 7KLVSHUVRQDOÀDZZDVWKHGRZQIDOORI2WKHOOR


7. Parents must learn to ignore the twin tactics of whining and __
   from their children.

Review Questions