"Simon's Saga," Vocabulary from Episode 28

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
20 words 322 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. autonomous
    free from external control and constraint
    I mean, here you’re supposed to almost rebel against your parents, establish your own identity, be autonomous. Otherwise you’re not quite a real person in this society.
  2. ironic
    displaying incongruity between what is expected and what is
    “You know, it’s sort of ironic,” Simon said.
  3. filial
    relating to or characteristic of or befitting an offspring
    “I mean, the conservative value of filial piety was what made you follow your father, who was, presumably, trying to make you more open in your outlook.”
  4. piety
    righteousness by virtue of being religiously devout
    “I mean, the conservative value of filial piety was what made you follow your father, who was, presumably, trying to make you more open in your outlook.”
  5. citadel
    a stronghold for shelter during a battle
    “The citadel of democracy and capitalism—Burgers, hot dogs, football, Hollywood, cable, MTV, 1,000 brands of breakfast cereal, guns—and, of course, guys like me.”
  6. stasis
    inactivity resulting from a balance between opposing forces
    And then there’s insanely cold, where your cells stop functioning at the molecular level. I mean it’s like they’re in stasis or something.
  7. inconsequential
    lacking worth or importance
    There are so many little things that seem inconsequential when you grow up in a place, but to an outsider they’re really critical to know.
  8. pragmatism
    the doctrine that practical consequences determine value
    “I’ve always prided myself on my pragmatism,” Simon said.
  9. stratum
    one of several parallel layers of material
    you have to dress so you’re covered in many strata of clothes.
  10. thermal
    relating to or associated with heat
    That way you can adjust to the temperature around you by taking stuff off or putting it back on so you maintain thermal equilibrium.
  11. equilibrium
    a stable situation in which forces cancel one another
    That way you can adjust to the temperature around you by taking stuff off or putting it back on so you maintain thermal equilibrium.”
  12. inexorable
    impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, or reason
    It seems funny now, but I was completely clueless, wandering around in my sari and a little sweater, wondering why my life force seemed to be inexorably ebbing away, and why everything always seemed kind of blurry.
  13. debilitating
    impairing strength and vitality
    The cold was completely debilitating.
  14. hyperbole
    extravagant exaggeration
    “Well, maybe a little hyperbole,” Simon said.
  15. creed
    any system of principles or beliefs
    “I thought it was against the creed of modern women to use their charms on a guy to get something.”
  16. proximity
    the region close around a person or thing
    Is your roommate in the proximity of this room? That was him we heard singing before, wasn’t it Simon?
  17. orthodoxy
    a belief or orientation agreeing with conventional standards
    You said your father wanted you to challenge the beliefs—the orthodoxies—you had been taught, right?
  18. presupposition
    an assumption made in advance
    His basic tenet is that a person needs to challenge his or her presuppositions, to inquire about the world, to ask why things are a certain way, to ask if his or her beliefs are congruent with reality.
  19. edifice
    a structure that has a roof and walls
    But, as we were discussing before, wasn’t he afraid that in doing that you might lose your moral foundation, an unshakable edifice of values that you don’t question, beliefs that are immutable truths and that give your life meaning?
  20. immutable
    not subject or susceptible to change or variation
    But, as we were discussing before, wasn’t he afraid that in doing that you might lose your moral foundation, an unshakable edifice of values that you don’t question, beliefs that are immutable truths and that give your life meaning?
Created on Tue Aug 19 06:40:35 EDT 2014 (updated Tue Aug 19 16:48:37 EDT 2014)

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