That pet you lent me barked and snapped and was generally petulant. I’m giving
it back.
philanthropy
improvement of the world through charity; love of humanity in general
We did not write this book out of a penchant for pecuniary gain. Instead,
philanthropy was our motive.
pithy
concise and meaningful
Pythagoras approached this triangle from the right angle, when he came up with
his pithy Pythagorean theorem: a^2 + b^2 = c^2.
Note: The root “plac-” in the next two words means “calm.”
placate
to appease, pacify, or calm
7 tried to placate gossip-starved 8 by telling her that 9 had 6 with 5, but instead
of appeasing her, the news seemed to plague 8.
placid
calm; composed; undisturbed
“Pla!” Sid said, spitting out a mouthful of water. “This lake is calm and placid,
but it tastes disgusting.”
plaintive
sad; see MELANCHOLY (think: complain)
When she realized that the judge was going to rule against her, the plaintiff
became plaintive.
plethora
superabundance; plenty; excess (opposite of DEARTH)
In case you haven’t noticed yet, there is a plethora of terrible puns in this book.
politic
shrewd; clever
Politicians must be politic in order to win votes.