"Simon's Saga," Vocabulary from Episode 14

Philip Geer's "Simon's Saga" includes 820 SAT-level words and gives students an entertaining glimpse into college life.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 10, Episode 11, Episode 12, Episode 13, Episode 14, Episode 15, Episode 16, Episode 17, Episode 18, Episode 19, Episode 20, Episode 21, Episode 22, Episode 23, Episode 24, Episode 25, Episode 26, Episode 27, Episode 28, Episode 29, Episode 30, Episode 31, Episode 32, Episode 33, Episode 34, Episode 35, Episode 36, Episode 37
30 words 695 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. cajole
    influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
    I cajoled this woman into showing me this really obscure opening gambit.
  2. hypothesis
    a tentative insight that is not yet verified or tested
    His hypothesis was confirmed by the look on Jaz’s face.
  3. lucid
    transparently clear; easily understandable
    The vision was completely lucid, like the most intense dream she had ever had.
  4. oblivious
    lacking conscious awareness of
    Jaz could see the opening at the top of the bag: books were spilling out onto the sidewalk as she walked, but she was oblivious to the laughter of the people around her.
  5. stolid
    having or revealing little emotion or sensibility
    She trudged on stolidly through the icy, snow-covered street.
  6. dour
    showing a brooding ill humor
    She wore a bulky gray coat as she shuffled along, a dour expression on her face.
  7. myopic
    unable to see distant objects clearly
    Now the woman was squinting myopically through the thick lenses of her wire-rim glasses at a complex mathematical formula that completely covered an ancient, dilapidated blackboard in a squalid classroom.
  8. dilapidated
    in a state of decay, ruin, or deterioration
    Now the woman was squinting myopically through the thick lenses of her wire-rim glasses at a complex mathematical formula that completely covered an ancient, dilapidated blackboard in a squalid classroom.
  9. squalid
    foul and run-down and repulsive
    Now the woman was squinting myopically through the thick lenses of her wire-rim glasses at a complex mathematical formula that completely covered an ancient, dilapidated blackboard in a squalid classroom.
  10. vicissitude
    a variation in circumstances or fortune
    The vicissitudes of Russian life since the fall of the Soviet Union had obviously taken their toll.
  11. stereotype
    a conventional or formulaic conception or image
    How can such stereotypes be a part of my mind?
  12. demean
    reduce in worth or character, usually verbally
    You're the one always telling people stereotypes are demeaning to the unique individual dignity of each person.
  13. patent
    clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
    This was a patent violation of the laws of probability, of the very structure of the universe, in fact.
  14. unorthodox
    breaking with tradition or typical norms
    He must have been thinking, what if this is some brilliant, unorthodox variation I’ve never seen?
  15. stratagem
    a maneuver, especially in a game or conversation
    Of course, he gradually recovered and beat me, but he had to resort to a lot of pretty extreme stratagems.
  16. transitory
    lasting a very short time
    Of course, it had just been one brief, transitory moment, but he cherished it nevertheless.
  17. taciturn
    habitually reserved and uncommunicative
    “I mean, how was I to know that Diane would be practically as taciturn as Axel?”
  18. rueful
    feeling or expressing pain or sorrow
    He looks rueful, she thought.
  19. debacle
    a sudden and complete disaster
    He’s probably blaming himself for another debacle.
  20. founder
    fail utterly; collapse
    Their scheme had foundered on one little factor that they had, inadvertently, overlooked.
  21. inadvertently
    without knowledge or intention
    Their scheme had foundered on one little factor that they had, inadvertently, overlooked.
  22. intimate
    marked by close acquaintance, association, or familiarity
    “Talked? Oh yeah, an hour of the most romantic dialogue. It was so intimate I started to get embarrassed being there with them.”
  23. coy
    affectedly shy especially in a playful or provocative way
    'So, which do you prefer as an alternative to the traditional Einsteinian view of spacetime, the Lagrangian formulation of general relativity or the Hamiltonian one?’ she asks coyly.
  24. stifle
    smother or suppress
    Jaz tried to stifle a laugh.
  25. gravity
    a solemn and dignified feeling
    Despite the gravity of the situation, she had to admit, Simon could be pretty amusing.
  26. coup
    a brilliant and notable success
    “Yeah, it was a real coup, wasn’t it?
  27. laconic
    brief and to the point
    I mean, what a combination! Two almost completely laconic people.
  28. loquaciousness
    the quality of being wordy and talkative
    “Yeah, next time I’ll have to check out the candidate’s loquaciousness index.”
  29. pessimist
    a person who expects the worst
    Now we’ve reversed. I’m the pessimist and you’re the optimist.
  30. intuition
    instinctive knowing, without the use of rational processes
    But listen, really, we’ve got to go with the world famous Simon Intuition, right?
Created on Mon Aug 18 20:53:00 EDT 2014 (updated Tue Aug 19 14:47:03 EDT 2014)

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