bunting

bunting [Buhn-ting]

noun. 1) a loosely woven fabric used for making flags; flags 2) a type of songbird

"The charming bunting will dress up your Memorial Day weekend."

lenient

lenient [Lee-nee-uh nt]

adjective. permissive, merciful, or tolerant

"Chicago is more lenient about illegal handguns than New York."

"Grandparents tend to be lenient toward their children."

"He would appeal the decision if the sentencing is too lenient."

crochet

crochet    [kroh-Shey]

verb. To make a piece of needlework by looping thread with a hooked needle

"This year's Chelsea Flower Show at London's Royal Hospital opens today with a particularly stunning exhibit: a lawn filled with more than 300,000 crocheted poppies from volunteers around the world."

"Lace, crochet and laser-cut leather are the trend going bro this summer."

"She could crochet and she could embroider."

perk

perk

noun. a special privilege or side benefit

"Having such easy access to some of the best cinema and theater is one of the perks of living in Sydney, Australia."

"Free child care for preschool children of employees was a popular perk of today's tech employers."

"One of the perks you get with your Costco membership: You can buy various gift cards at a discount - usually a $100 value for just $79.99."

in lieu of

in lieu of

phase. in place of, instead of

"Trump said he would be willing to debate with Sanders in lieu of likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton."

"In lieu of flowers, the family of the deceased has requested that donations be made to the charity."

"I got a cash award, in lieu of the promised prize package."

binge-watch

binge-watch

phase. to watch (many videos, episodes of a TV show, etc.) in one sitting, over a short period of time

"What are the five new Netflix shows to binge-watch in May?"

"She binge-watched two seasons of the show in one day."

"TV binge-watching is a pandemic that has afflicted many college students."

binge

binge [binj]

noun. a short period of indulging in doing something excessively, e.g. drinking alcohol or eating

"The golfer opened the day with a four-stroke lead, and closed emphatically with the birdie binge."

"The man went on a binge and was in no shape to drive home."

"He was fired because he went on a binge, and didn't show up for work."

alma mater

alma mater    [Ahl-muh Mah-ter]

noun. a Latin phrase for a school one once attended;  Literally, alma means nourishing; mater  means mother

"Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland is scheduled to speak to the graduates at his alma mater, Niles West High School, in Skokie, Illinois."

"He spent 12 seasons coaching his alma mater."

"She was unemployed for a year before returning to her alma mater."

pander

pander    [Pan-der] 

verb. to appease or gratify, and often in a negative, self-serving way

"Unlike Trump, I won't pander to gun lobby." - Hillary Clinton

"The film is pandering to the basest emotions."

"The politician is moving away from good judgment, and just pandering to a certain group of individuals to get votes.”

choreograph

choreograph [Kawr-ee-uh-graf]

verb. 1) to plan and arrange the dance steps, movements, and patterns so that everyone is in sync. 2) to manage, maneuver, or direct

"Some DNA changes, particularly those in genes that choreograph brain development, may have a lifelong legacy."

"The author is a genius at choreographing a large cast of characters."

“The meeting between the two nations' presidents had been carefully choreographed.”

where the rubber meets the road

where the rubber meets the road

phase.  where the practical reality or crucial test is

"The New York Giants will begin organized team activities at the their training center next week. This is where rubber meets the road."

"An athlete can train all day, but the race is where the rubber meets the road and they will find out how good they really are."

"The sales effort is where the rubber meets the road in every competitive business."

good riddance

good riddance 

phase.  relief at being free of an undesired or unwanted person or thing

"The noisy neighbor and his nasty dog have finally moved out. Good riddance!"

"She slammed the door behind me and said, Good riddance to bad rubbish!"

"Good riddance, I thought, and I didn't plan on ever coming back."

mirth

mirth [murth]

noun. happiness, merriment, as shown by laughter

"Instead of simply being a source of mirth, Mr. Trump has become Mr. Obama’s favored symbol for the country’s growing political dysfunction."

"I love the book - House of Mirth."

"His clumsy attempt to cut the cake was the cause of much mirth."

encore

encore    [ahng-kawr]

noun. a repeated or extra performance, usually as called for by an audience 

"Following his 400th home run, Carlos Beltran looks for encore performance as Yankees head to Arizona tonight."

"The comic man retired to an enthusiastic demand for an encore."

"The singer returned several times to the stage as the standing ovation lingered, but  played no encores."

at loggerheads

at loggerheads 

phase.  in stubborn dispute or disagreement

"The Fox Network and the presidential candidate Mr. Trump were at loggerheads."

"The council was at loggerheads with the government over the grant allocations."

"The two sides remain at loggerheads."

parsimonious

parsimonious     [pahr-suh-Moh-nee-uh s] 

adjective. unwilling to spend money or use resources; stingy

"Women found her parsimonious, ungraceful in dress and manner, sour in temper!"

"The U.S. will never be as parsimonious with energy as a Scandinavian country."

"Scientists prefer parsimonious explanations -- the simpler the better."

hammer

hammer    [Ham-er] 

verb. attack or criticize forcefully and relentlessly

"A tornado touched down south of Wynnewood, Oklahoma. The Midwest has been hammered by tornadoes all week."

"He got hammered for an honest mistake."

"In 1930, baseball legend Babe Ruth  hammered 49 homers."

ax / axe

ax / axe    [aks] 

verb. end, cancel, or dismiss suddenly and ruthlessly

"ABC TV network goes on cancellation rampage, axes multiple long-running shows."

"The company is axing more than 100 jobs."

"The boss will ax anyone who leaks company secrets."

conundrum

conundrum    [kuh-Nuhn-druh m]

noun. 1) a confusing and difficult problem 2) a tricky riddle 

The riddle of the Sphinx is an example of a conundrum: "What walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three in the evening?" The answer is "A person."

"A fifth nuclear test by North Korea would create another conundrum for the international community."

"This is the conundrum facing Japan over what to do with its stubbornly strong yen."

acumen

acumen [uh-Kyoo-muh n]

noun. the ability to make good judgments and sharp decisions in a particular domain

"Donald Trump has touted his acumen for restructuring four of his companies under bankruptcy laws, but his resistance to release his tax return leaves a major question mark on his business acumen."

"She has remarkable acumen in business matters."

"I have known this man for two decades and admire his audacity, acumen, and vision."

mojo

mojo    [moh-joh]

noun. a power that may seem magical and that allows someone to be very effective, successful, etc.

"The politician needs to get his mojo back if he's going to win the election."

"The new manager must have their mojo working over at the record company. The sales have been soaring."

"How to rebuild your mojo after escaping a toxic workplace?"

inundate

inundate    [In-uh n-deyt]

verb.  to fill up quickly; to flood; to overwhelm. 

"The radio station had been inundated with complaints from listeners."

"Afghanistan is inundated with mines and other explosives left over from decades of war."

"Heavy rain inundated the Houston area with as much as 10 inches of rainfall in just six hours."

elope

elope [ih-Lohp]

verb. run away secretly to get married

"A 16-year-old girl was burned alive by a tribal council in Pakistan for helping a couple elope."

"You promised Countess Rostov to marry her and were about to elope with her, is that so?" - War and Peace

"He eloped with one of the maids."

estuary

estuary    [ES-choo-er-ee] 

noun.  a place where the fresh water of a river or stream empties into the salt water of an ocean 

baguette

baguette    [ba-Get] 

noun. 1) Jewelry. a gem, cut in a long rectangular shape.  2) a long, narrow loaf of French bread.

cannibalize

cannibalize

verb. 1) (of a company) reduce the sales of (one of its products) by introducing another similar product 2) (Of an animal) eat (an animal of its own kind)

"Apple has historically cannibalized products including the iPod with the iPhone, Macs for a short time with iPads and perhaps again with the iPad Pro, and iPads with the iPhone 6/6S+. While Apple has yet to launch a product that cannibalizes the iPhone franchise, we believe that the company realizes that the smartphone as we know it won’t last forever. To this end, we believe Apple will cannibalize iPhone as virtual reality becomes the new screen."

"Female spiders cannibalize courting males."

tamarin

tamarin    [Tam-uh-rin]

The tamarins are squirrel-sized monkeys from Central and South America.