frankness; candidness
“Speaking with complete candor, Hansel,” said the wicked witch, “I have
chopped Gretel up and canned her.”
capitulate
to surrender (see RECAPITULATE, which does not resurrender)
After a ten-day siege, the king had no choice but to capitulate to the invading
forces.
capricious
unpredictable; following whim
The album charts were capricious; one week Katy Perry was on top—but the
next week Taylor Swift took over.
captious
fault-finding
“What?! You’re only in the Cs? And your room’s still messy, and you haven’t
cooked us dinner,” said the captious review-book authors.
cathartic
cleansing; allowing a release of tension or emotion
Manek’s method of preparing for the SAT is cathartic (see page 343).
caustic
burning; characterized by a bitter wit
When she saw the dead mouse that her cat had hidden in her bed, she said
caustically, “Having a cat has its costs. Ick!”
Note: Being sarcastic and being caustic often go hand in hand, so relate them in
your memory via the nonword sarcaustic.
censor
(v.) to remove inappropriate stuff
(n.) someone who censors things
When Alex sensed her secret mission was in danger, she grew angry and
screamed, “Motherf—