Bright Lights, Big City
Terms
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- Coitus
- the act of sexual intercourse
- Penitent
- remorseful, demonstrating sorrow and regret for transgressions
- Cop
- (as a verb) To obtain, or (in some cases) to steal
- Niggardly
- not generous, stingy
- Slumming
- the condition when one or more members of the middle or upper classes frequents the haunts of the lower classes
- Nubbly
- coarse or knobbly in texture (especially as regards fabric)
- Compulsion
- an irresistible urge to behave in a certain way, against one's conscious wishes and will
- Decadence
- moral decay or cultural decline; luxurious self-indulgence
- Bathos
- the effect created by a lapse from the sublime to the ridiculous
- Surly
- ill-tempered and unfriendly
- Penchant (for)
- a strong or habitual liking for or tendency to do something
- Accrue
- to accumulate (money or benefits) at regular intervals over time
- Manquée
- unfulfilled; having failed to become what one might be
- Snubbed
- rebuffed, ignored, or spurned disdainfully
- Frivolous
- not having any serious purpose; foolishly carefree
- Debauchery
- excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures
- Ostensibly
- apparently or purportedly, but not actually
- The Kremlin
- The Cold War (Soviet) adversity of The White House (U.S.); the seat of Soviet power was known for its chilly reign of secrecy, particularly regarding leadership succession
- Detachment
- the state of being objective, aloof, or dispassionate
- Presumption
- behavior perceived as arrogant, disrespectful, or transgressing the limits of appropriateness
- Bon Mots
- witty remarks
- Prig
- a self-righteously moral person
- Discreet
- careful or circumspect in one's speech or actions especially in order to avoid causing offense
- Defile
- to sully, mar, spoil, desecrate, profane, pollute; to render morally unfit
- Strident
- loud, harsh, grating; presenting a point of view, especially a controversial one, in an offensive way
- Hedonism
- sensual self-indulgence or the belief that sensual pleasure is the highest good in life
- Flotsam
- the wreckage of a ship, floating on the sea; any discarded or rejected items
- Dago
- (informal offensive) an Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese speaking person
- Nonpareil
- French for "without equal, without rival"
- Amicable
- friendly; without serious dispute or rancor
- Pedantry
- excessive concern with minor details or rules in the realm of academic accomplishment
- Spiel
- a long or fast speech or story, typically regarded with skepticism by those who hear it
- Pendulous
- hanging down loosely
- Self-aggrandizement
- promoting oneself as powerful or important
- Carrion
- the decaying flesh of a dead animals
- Implacable
- relentless, unstoppable, unyielding; unable to be placated; remorseless
- Sabbatical
- a period of paid leave from one's work, typically granted to academics
- Conspicuous
- attracting notice or attention; visibly standing out; obvious
- Tutelage
- instructive guardianship
- Riff
- in music, a short repeated phrase
- Upbraided
- scolded
- Disgorge
- to yield or spew out; to eject from the throat or mouth
- Procure
- to obtain, often with care or effort; when used in reference to a person, the verb often has a sexual connotation
- Libidinous
- lustful or, colloquially, "horny" (strongly sexually driven or aroused)
- Dubious
- of suspect quality, questionable
- Suture
- a row of stitches holding together the edge of a wound or incision
- Supplicant
- literally, one who begs earnestly and humbly
- Ineffability
- the condition of being beyond language, beyond expression
- Lucrative
- productive of great profit and wealth
- Carnage
- bloodshed in large measure
- Fraught (with)
- filled with great stress and anxiety; likely to result in an undesirable outcome
- Olfactory
- relating to smell
- Chic
- cutting edge in terms of style, fashion, and elegance
- Hapless
- unfortunate
- Spic
- (informal offensive) a contemptuous term for a non-European Spanish-speaking person
- Hasidim
- adherents to strict Orthodox Judaism
- Tumescent
- swollen or becoming swollen, especially from sexual arousal
- Behest
- a person's orders or command
- Impeccable
- faultless; in accord with the highest standards
- Innocuous
- harmless, benign
- Galleys
- printing proofs
- Qualify
- (verb) to add reservations or exceptions to; to make a statement or assertion less than absolute
- Elusive
- difficult to find, catch, or achieve
- Spurned
- rejected with disdain or contempt
- Ex cathedra
- literally "from the chair" (of the Pope), with the full authority of office
- Clemency
- mercy, lenience
- Credence
- plausibility; likelihood of something being true
- Precious
- affectedly concerned with elegant or refined manners or language
- Carouse
- (verb) to drink plentiful amounts of alcohol and enjoy oneself in a loud and lively way; (n) a party or series of parties in which one so drinks
- Detumescence
- the process of subsiding from a state of tension, swelling, and sexual arousal
- Temperate
- showing moderation or self-restraint
- Gotham
- nickname for New York City, sometimes suggestive of its dark, crime-ridden side
- Officious
- assertive of authority in an overly domineering way; intrusively enthusiastic in offering help or advice
- Skein
- a tangled or complicated arrangement, state, or condition
- Precipitous
- (of an action) done suddenly and without careful consideration
- Debilitated
- weakened
- Singularly
- uniquely; remarkably
- Deprecating
- disapproving
- Illiberal
- uncultured, unrefined; not generous, mean; reactionary
- Skittish
- likely to bolt away upon being frightened; nervously lively and unpredictable
- Crenelated
- having crenellations (battlements) as on a castle
- Fealty
- sworn loyalty
- Entrepreneurial
- characterized by risk-taking associated with owning, operating, starting, or promoting a business
- Emissary
- a person sent on a special mission (often diplomatic in nature)
- The Met
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC
- Eccentric
- unconventional and slightly strange
- Venerable
- accorded respect (especially because of age, wisdom, or noble character)
- Libelous
- falsely and maliciously stated; slanderous
- Arcadia
- in Greek mythology, a pastoral paradise home to Pan
- Gratuitous
- uncalled for, lacking good reason, unwarranted
- Renowned
- known or talked about by many people; famous
- Unprecedented
- never done or known before
- Vis-a-Vis
- in relation to, with regard to
- Myopia
- nearsightedness; lack of imagination, insight, or foresight
- Enervated
- drained of energy and vitality
- Reticence
- condition of not readily revealing one's thoughts or feelings
- Tenure
- the period for which an office is held
- Synapses
- junctions between nerve cells, consisting of minute gaps
- Acquisitiveness
- excessive interest in acquiring material goods; greed
- Couture
- the design and manufacture of fashionable clothes
- Languorous
- (often pleasantly) tired or inert
- Transience
- condition of impermanence
- Reconnoiter
- make a military observation of a region
- Foible
- a minor weakness or eccentricity in one's character
- Juncture
- a particular point in events or time
- Hale
- strong and healthy, hearty
- Hermeneutics
- the branch of knowledge that deals with interpretation, especially of the Bible
- Fetid
- smelling extremely unpleasant
- Hone
- to make sharper, more focused, or more efficient
- Stanchion
- an upright bar, post, or frame forming a support or barrier
- Guileless
- innocent and without deception
- Retraction
- a printed admission that what one has previously stated as true is in fact false or unsubstantiated
- Privy (to)
- sharing in the knowledge of a secret or private matter
- Recalcitrant
- obstinately uncooperative, especially toward an authority figure
- Morale
- general emotional condition of a person or group at a given time
- Cursory
- hasty, and therefore not thorough or detailed
- Nookie (vulgar)
- sexual activity
- Narcoleptic
- characterized by sudden sleep
- Stripling
- (noun, humorous) a young man
- Ravaged
- severely damaged
- Menial
- (of work) undemanding in the skills required and lacking in prestige; lowly
- Angular
- awkward or jerky in movement; lean and having a prominent bone structure
- Mortification
- extreme embarrassment, shame, or humiliation
- Druid
- a priest, magician, or soothsayer in the ancient Celtic religion.
- Pathos
- a quality that evokes pity or sadness
- Irreverence
- showing a lack of respect for people or things generally taken seriously
- Magnanimous
- generous in forgiving an insult, injury, or rival; kind to less powerful ones
- Conspiratorial
- characteristic of a conspiracy (a secret plan to do something harmful or illegal)
- Infidel
- a person who doesn't believe in religion or who believes in a religion other than one's own
- Tryst
- a private, romantic rendezvous between lovers
- Gag Order
- a judge's order that a case must not be discussed in public
- Social Disease
- a euphemism for venereal disease, a sexually transmitted disease