Vocabulary words and expressions 6.

toast            raising a glass to honor someone or     
                 something

demonstration    to show how to do something by example

lecture          educational speech before an audience

appointment      an arrangement to meet somebody

scuttlebutt      drinking cask on ship; gossip

cask             a container for liquids

gossip           conversation about personal details     
                 about someone’s life, not necessarily true.

participant      someone who takes part in an activity

provisions       supplying or providing something often  
                 for a trip

symptoms         indication of illness or sign of        
                 something else; something undesirable

disadvantaged    in a worse position than someone else

strategic        done for a reason; also for military    
                 planning

folly            thoughtless act or deed

profits          income; also an advantage over something

authorize        to give somebody permission to perform  
                 an act

Expressions

“back to the drawing board”    to go back to the         
                               beginning or the planning stage  
                               of a failed project; to start    
                               over again.

“Seward’s folly”               name given to the purchase 
                               of Alaska by the U.S. Secretary  
                               of State, William Seward. It was 
                               considered by many to be a bad   
                               decision.

“check it out”                 investigate or find out   
                               about something