Wordsmith – Test your wordpower
Improve and test your wordpower by matching each of the words below to one of the multiple possible definitions.
Vocabulary Ratings | ||
14-15 correct | ………………….. | excellent |
12-13 correct | ………………….. | good |
9-11 correct | ………………….. | fair |
(1) gridlock A: computer error. B: immune reaction. C: traffic jam. D: wrestling move.C: Traffic jam in which major intersections are blocked and vehicles are unable to move because of their excessive numbers, Combination of grid and lock.
|
(2) machismo {mack eez mo} A: leader. B: acuity. C: exaggerated manliness. D: aggression.C: Exaggerated sense of manliness and the attitude that men should dominate; as, the machismo of the dictator. Spanish macho (male).
|
(3) yuppie A: tropical fish. B: young professional. C: fashion model. D: board game.B: Young urban professional, viewed as upwardly mobile, trendy and affluent. Acronym.
|
(4) masterclass A: powerful group. B: top students. C: chess players. D: expert instruction.D: Session in which a distinguished expert gives instruction, typically to advanced learners in a particular field.
|
(5) franglais {frahn glay} A: type of yoghurt. B: French use of English words. C: display of cool attachment. D: subtle banter.B: French use of English words and expressions; for example, “une cover girl avec beaucoup de sex appeal.” Blend of Francois (“French”) and Anglais (“English”).
|
(6) neo-colonialism A. military invasion. B: exploitation of one country by another. C: territorial exploration. D: yearning for the past.B: The current exploitation of one nation by another through economic and political pressures. Greek neo- (new) and English colonialism (acquisition of a colony).
|
(7) refusenik A: Soviet astronaut. B: rubbish tip. C: one refusing to co-operate. D: religious fanatic.C: Person who refuses to co-operate; originally, a Soviet Jew refused permission to emigrate. From Latin refusus and Russian -nik.
|
(8) flexitime - system allowing A: planned holidays. B: routine exercise. C: variable work schedules. D: integration of lists.C: System allowing employees variable work schedules. Combination of flexible and time.
|
(9) streetwise A: good navigator. B: careful with money. C: capable of dealing with danger. D: local-history expert.C: Capable of dealing with dangerous situations or rough people, especially in big cities.
|
(10) stonewall A: to panic. B: be heavy-handed. C: insult. D: be uncooperative.D: To be uncooperative or evasive; hinder. “He stonewalled the prosecuting lawyer.” From the immovability of a stone wall.
|
(11) glitch A: decorative knot. B: elf. C: malfunction. D: flash.C: Malfunction; as, a glitch in the bank’s computers. Origin unknown.
|
(12) newspeak A: journalistic jargon. B: pidgin English. C: dialect. D: misleading language.D: Deliberately misleading, ambiguous language, especially by government officials; for example, “negative growth in the economy.” Combination of new and speak. Coined by George Orwell in his novel 1984.
|
(13) glasnost A: democracy. B: restructuring. C: friendliness. D: openness.D: Openness in the divulging and discussion of official policy ; specifically as a reform measure in the Soviet Union. Russian.
|
(14) plea bargain A: admission of a crime. B: wage negotiation. C: second chance. D: merciful decision.A: Agreement between a prosecutor and a defendant who pleads guilty to a crime so as to receive a lighter sentence. From American legal usage.
|
(15) bionics - study of A: biology and technology. B: upper atmosphere. C: life in deep space. D: germs and viruses.A: Study of biology and technology to help solve engineering problems. From biology and electronics.
|
(16) des res A: invitation requiring reply. B: table booking. C: nice house. D: computer termC: House with many features attractive to prospective purchasers. Abbreviation of desirable residence.
|
(17) champagne socialist A: drunken revolutionary. B: hypocritical left-winger. C: cocktail. D: windbag politician.B: Person with an extravagant lifestyle at odds with his/her professed socialism.
|
(18) camp A: outdoorsy. B: modern. C: exclusive. D: bizarre.D: So affected and exaggerated as to be bizarre; effeminate; as, to decorate with camp furnishings. Origin uncertain.
|
(19) troika {troy kuh} A: Soviet bureaucrat. B: type of pastry. C: hang-gliding manoeuvre. D: group of three.D: Any group of three, especially in a position of authority. Russian (a vehicle drawn by three horses abreast).
|
(20) big-bang theory -that which pertains to A: the universe's origin. B: an atomic explosion. C: humour. D: anger.A: Assertion that the universe began about 15 billion years ago with a huge explosion of super-dense mass
|