backdrop

backdrop 

noun. 1) the rear curtain of astage setting 2) the setting or background 

"In today's NFL, defenses are no longer stars, they're backdrops. Quarterbacks and passing offenses are the real stars."

"The real economic effect of Brexit remains to be seen, but persistent uncertainty is not a healthy backdrop for consumers."

"The core of the story is set against the backdrop of the Iraq invasion."

gleeful

gleeful    [Glee-fuh l] 

adjective. full of exultant joy; delighted

"Surfers and weathermen are probably the only people who gleefully run to the beach when they hear a hurricane is coming."

"The actor gleefully signed autographs and posed for pictures."

"The kid gleefully trotted into the backyard, touching his chest and pointing skyward."

trump

trump    [truhmp] 

noun. a playing card of a winning suit verb. out-perform, out-rank, defeat

"Taste trumps most if not all other factors when consumers choose food products."

"In this election, it would seem issues of national security trumped economic issues."

"This company operated on the assumption that money trumped everything."

nihilism

nihilism    [Nahy-uh-liz-uh m]

noun.  complete denial of all established authority and institutions; the belief that life is meaningless

"Brexit is the result of a deep nihilism among the British public. This nihilism has not just emerged recently."

"The voter nihilism that Trump both reflects and stimulates is a symptom of political decay."

"I’m against cynicism and nihilism and corruption and dishonesty."

chisel

chisel    [Chiz-uh l] 

noun.  a metal tool with a flat, sharp end that is used to cut and shape a solid material (such as stone, wood, or metal)

El Capitan

El Capitan    [el kap-i-Tan] 

El Capitan (Spanish for The Captain, The Chief) is a vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park.

El Capitan is the name of the last major release of OS X, Apple's operating system for Macintosh computers.

hankering

hankering    [Hang-ker-ing]

noun. a strong desire 

"By the middle of the last winter, they were hankering for a warm day. Now they are hankering for a cooler day in Southern California."

"He is a millionaire with a hankering for the White House."

"I'm hankering for some sushi."

solstice

solstice    [Sol-stis] 

noun.  either of the two times when the sun reaches its highest point (summer solstice) or lowest point (winter solstice) at noon, resulting in the longest and shortest days of the year

"Tonight, on June 20th, the full moon will rise on the same day as the summer solstice for the first time since 1948, in over half a century."

pinnacle

pinnacle    [Pin-uh-kuh l] 

noun. the most successful point, culmination 

"Jay Z and Beyoncé are two artists at the pinnacle of their careers."

"Serena Williams has been at the pinnacle of the tennis world since she first reached the No. 1 ranking in 2002."

"It is now a pinnacle moment for women in politics in the US."

stance

stance    [stans]

noun. 1) standing posture 2) a mental attitude or position 

"Presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump touted his stance on gun rights during a campaign rally on Wednesday."

"California pastor resigned over his gay marriage stance."

"The outspoken leader was known for his socialist agenda and anti-American stance."

have a chip on one's shoulder

have a chip on one's shoulder

phrase.  holding a grudge or grievance; seem to be angry all the time for being treated unfairly

"Victor Cruz is an undrafted football player who plays every game with a chip on his shoulder for New York Giants."

"The boy grew up very poor, and always disliked rich people, he has a chip on his shoulder whenever he meets someone who is wealthy."

"I had a chip on my shoulder about immigrants until I moved to another country."

forgo

forgo    [fawr-Goh] 

verb.  to give up, do without 

"Bulgaria announced they will forgo adopting the single Euro currency."

"Don't forgo the gym, spin or yoga class just because you may not see the results on the scale immediately."

"Many patients opted to forgo medical treatment."

valedictorian, salutatorian

valedictorian    [val-i-dik-Tawr-ee-uh n]

noun.  the student ranking highest academically in the graduating class, who delivers the valedictory at commencement

salutatorian    [suh-loo-tuh-Tawr-ee-uh n]

noun.  the student ranking second highest academically in the graduating class, who delivers the salutatory at commencement

Pantanal

Pantanal    [pan-tuh-Nahl]

noun.  a natural region encompassing the world's largest tropical wetland area. It is located mostly within Brazil, but it extends into Bolivia and Paraguay. It is home to an impressive variety of life, from jaguars and alligators to the imperiled hyacinth macaw.

coy

coy    [koi] 

adjective.  1)  reluctant to give details  2)  pretending to be shy

"In an interview with ABC News on Tuesday night, Mrs. Clinton continued to be coy about her shortlist for the vice presidency."

"Apple's Siri gets coy about the upcoming WWDC event, when asked for hints about the Sunday event. Here is Siri's answer:  'There will be some cool stuff...'"

"Vice President Biden was coy with his plans for months, but Biden announced in October he would not run for President."

on the cusp

on the cusp    [kuhsp] 

phase.  at the point in time that marks the beginning of something

"Hillary Clinton stands on the cusp of history as the first woman to be the presidential nominee of a major US political party."

"Philadelphia is on the cusp of becoming the first large city in the U.S. to pass a soda tax."

"The transistor was on the cusp of a new age in electronics."

paltry

paltry [Pawl-tree]

adjective. (of an amount) very small or meager

"Stephen Curry averaged such a paltry (in his standard) 14.5 points per game in the Golden State Warriors’ first two victories over the Cavaliers."

"She would earn a paltry $33 more each month with her new job."

"The figure has averaged a paltry one percent — and occasionally has dipped below zero."

cost an arm and a leg

cost an arm and a leg

phase. extremely expensive 

"I'd love to buy a Porsche, but they cost an arm and a leg."

"These opera tickets in NYC cost us an arm and a leg!"

“I wish I could find a nice summer camp where my daughter could go, with activities, that didn’t cost an arm and a leg."

doe, fawn

doe - female deer

fawn - baby deer

mother doe and her fawn

annihilate

annihilate    [uh-Nahy-uh-leyt]

verb.  destroy utterly

"In Game 1 of the NBA finals, the Warriors’ bench annihilated the Cavaliers, outscoring Cleveland’s bench by 45-10."

"A single one nuclear warhead could annihilate an entire metropolitan region on the other side of the planet."

"The heavy bombing almost annihilated the city."

neck and neck

neck and neck

phase.  even in a race or a contest

"Polls shows that Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are neck and neck, as they begin their final campaign push."

"Jim and Bob finished the race neck and neck."

"The brothers were neck and neck in the spelling contest. Their scores were tied."

moat

moat 

noun.  a deep, wide ditch surrounding a castle, fort, or town, typically filled with water and intended as a defense against attack

vociferous

vociferous    [voh-SIF-er-uh s] 

adjective. crying out noisily; clamorous

"Who is to blame when a majestic silverback gorilla was shot to death on Saturday after a little boy climbed into his enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo?  That question is at the center of a vociferous debate."

"He protested vociferously, but to no avail."

"Vociferous people always express their opinions loudly and repeatedly in speech."