n. bane

flattering speech or act; persuasion

destruction; poison; misfortune

historical records; archives; chronicles

trick or deception; a practical joke

n. bombast

trick or deception; a practical joke

eminent person; celestial body; light source

shrewdness; cleverness; wisdom

pompous speech; pretentious words; trite cliches

n. divisibility

ability to be separated or divided

indirect reference (often literary); hint

self-restraint; self-control; abstinence; moderation

change from one condition to another, often unexpected

n. chauvinist

extreme patriot; person who is excessively devoted

provocation; insulting, jeering or bitter remark; mockery

copy; model; pattern; sample

fictitious name; pen name

adj. cantankerous

ill-natured; quarrelsome; contentious; irritable

appropriate; fitting

festive; gay; friendly; sociable; merry

given to fault-finding and complaining; discontented

n. dictum

formal statement of either fact or opinion; maxim; pronouncement; saying

shrewdness; cleverness; wisdom

danger; peril; hazard

favorable opinion arrived at beforehand; affinity; liking; fondness

n. heresy

secret agreement for an illegal purpose; conspiracy

clique; group who meet frequently, usually socially

opinion contrary to popular belief

to interpret; to explain the sense of; to analyze; to understand

n. temerity

privilege or power attaching to a position; right

foolhardiness; impetuosity; rashness; boldness

brief summary of the main ideas of a larger work; list of contents; inventory

piece of land jutting into a body of water; bluff

n. fathom

nautical unit of depth; unit of length equal to six feet

contrast; direct opposite

remedy for all ills

misprint; typo; printing error

n. facade

assessment; evaluation of prospects

front or face, especially of a building; illusion; deceptive appearance

hostility; malevolence

working class; social class comprised of manual laborers