Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days!: Chapters 1–6

by Stephen Manes
When Milo comes across a book about achieving perfection, he decides to follow the book's advice — with hilarious results.
30 words 255 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. glower
    look angry or sullen as if to signal disapproval
    Dr. Silverfish glowered at him from the back cover, but Milo didn’t care.
  2. succulent
    tasty and full of juice
    “Broccoli,” read the package, “in a delicious imitation cheese sauce made from only the finest, most succulent chemicals.”
  3. liable
    likely to be or do something
    Dr. Silverfish hadn’t said anything about imitation cheese sauce, but it was liable to be messy when it thawed out.
  4. halo
    radiant light drawn around the head of a saint
    A halo of green light surrounded him as he smiled down at all the imperfect people in the world and laughed at their mistakes.
  5. utmost
    of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity
    It was the dumbest-looking thing he’d ever seen, but he didn’t dare laugh, because this was a matter of the utmost importance.
  6. dawdle
    take one's time; proceed slowly
    He dawdled awhile.
  7. inquire
    ask about
    “Would you mind telling me just what you think you’re doing?” his mother inquired.
  8. fad
    an interest followed with exaggerated zeal
    “Is this some kind of new fad or something?” asked his father.
  9. consumption
    the process of taking food into the body through the mouth
    “By the time it finishes walking around with you all day, that broccoli won’t be fit for human consumption anyhow. We’ll use up the leftover rutabaga tonight.”
  10. scoff
    laugh at with contempt and derision
    George scoffed, making another futile grab at Milo’s vegetable.
  11. futile
    producing no result or effect
    George scoffed, making another futile grab at Milo’s vegetable.
  12. pungent
    strong and sharp to the sense of taste or smell
    The only other real problem was that the vegetable began to develop a rather pungent odor and started dropping little green flowers all over his shirt.
  13. snide
    expressive of contempt
    He ignored his sister’s snide remarks about broccoli-wearers, he politely asked people to pass the dishes instead of reaching for them himself, and he even said thank you when he got them.
  14. improvise
    perform without preparation
    Milo improvised. “I am a broccoli, big and green...”
  15. feeble
    pathetically lacking in force or effectiveness
    “I’m not going to eat breakfast today,” Milo yelled back feebly.
  16. reluctantly
    with a certain degree of unwillingness
    “I’m not going to eat anything this morning,” Milo said reluctantly.
  17. peppy
    marked by lively action or high spirits
    Milo tried to act peppier. “I’m fine,” he said.
  18. trudge
    walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
    After school Milo trudged home.
  19. groggy
    stunned or confused and slow to react
    Still half asleep, he groggily told her he’d be right there.
  20. waft
    be driven or carried along, as by the air
    Suddenly the smell of his favorite food—sweet-and-sour wonton from Bo Wo’s To Go Restaurant in the shopping center—wafted up to him from the dining room.
  21. rustle
    forage food
    “I can rustle something up for you if you can wait until this program’s over,” said his father.
  22. sly
    marked by skill in deception
    When Milo went back upstairs and picked up the book, he thought Dr. Silverfish looked extremely sly.
  23. dribble
    let or cause to fall in drops
    Eating gives you too many chances to dribble ketchup down your chin.
  24. inferior
    of low quality
    Some inferior minds call it “stick-to-it-iveness.”
  25. absentminded
    lost in thought; showing preoccupation
    Suddenly Milo noticed he was absentmindedly tapping his fingers on his desk.
  26. vegetate
    engage in passive relaxation
    Now there was nothing to do but think, relax, and vegetate.
  27. churn
    be agitated
    He listened to his stomach digest his dinner, but after churning and gurgling for a few minutes, it developed laryngitis and hushed to a whisper.
  28. laryngitis
    an inflammation characterized by hoarseness or loss of voice
    He listened to his stomach digest his dinner, but after churning and gurgling for a few minutes, it developed laryngitis and hushed to a whisper.
  29. solitaire
    a card game played by one person
    He wished he could read or play solitaire or build a model plane or something.
  30. obnoxious
    causing disapproval or protest
    “What do you mean?” Elissa said, coming down the stairs. “I’m perfect.”
    “You sure are,” Milo replied. “Perfectly obnoxious. And we can’t stand living with you!”
Created on Mon Sep 14 10:50:25 EDT 2020 (updated Mon Sep 14 11:01:18 EDT 2020)

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