porous

porous [Pawr-uh s]

adjective. 1) full of pores or holes 2) allowing passage in and out, penetrable

"Kenya burned over 100 tons of ivory tusks to protest poaching. However, many believe that the burning will not end the killing of elephants because international gangs take advantage of Kenya’s porous borders and corruption to continue the illegal trade."

"The football team is seeking help for inconsistent pass rush and porous secondary through the draft."

"All genre boundaries are porous, and the boundary between horror fiction and literary novels is especially so."

emblematic

emblematic [em-bluh-MAT-ik]

adjective. symbolic

emblem [em-bluh] noun. a symbol

"The olive branch is an emblem of peace."

"Dionel Delgado is emblematic of financially successful Cuban artists."

"For many, her death was emblematic of violence against transgender people, who are frequently the targets of beatings."

misogyny

misogyny [mi-Soj-uh-nee]

noun. hatred of women; prejudice against women

"Excluding women from joining a club just because of their gender is misogyny."

"Many views Donald Trump has history of misogyny."

"Like other forms of identity-based hatred, misogyny is irrational and hard to control."

unscrupulous

unscrupulous [uhn-Skroo-pyuh-luh s]

adjective. without scruples or principles, lacking of moral standards or conscience

scruple [Skroo-puh l]

noun. a moral or ethical consideration or standard

"Volkswagen cheating in diesel tests is an unscrupulous business practice."

"Unscrupulous politicians would be happy to sell their country in order to gain power."

"Unscrupulous brokers will sell you bad loans for them to make money."

trifle

trifle [Trahy-fuh l]

noun. a thing of little value or importance
verb. treat (someone or something) without seriousness or respect

"Beyonce debuts 'Lemonade' on HBO: A woman not to be trifled with."

"We needn't trouble the headmaster over such trifles."

“These are dangerous people, and they are nothing to be trifled with.”

tranquilize

tranquilize [Trang-kwuh-lahyz]

verb. to make or become tranquil, pacify, calm

"Nothing contributes so much to tranquilize the mind as a steady purpose."

"Palm beach zoo chose to tranquilize, not kill, the tiger when keeper Stacey Konwiser was attacked and fatally injured by the tiger. The choice meant longer time for emergency personnel to reach Konwiser, who died after being airlifted to a hospital in critical condition."

"Nothing contributes so much to tranquilize the mind as a steady purpose."

"To relieve his embarrassment, and tranquilize his temper, I suggested that they took a break."

abolish

abolish [uh-Bol-ish]

verb. to do away with; put an end to

abolitionist [ab-uh-Lish-uh-nist]

noun. a person who advocated or supported the abolition of slavery in the U.S.

"The U.S. Treasury Department announced to replace the slaveholding Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill with Harriet Tubman, the former slave and abolitionist."

"You can't propose to abolish the teaching of history and literature, two basic humanities."

cry foul

cry foul

phase.  to protest about injustice 

"Fans cry foul over expensive Captain America packages."

"The Sanders campaign and New York officials cry foul after New York voters report voting issues."

"Australia has cried foul over the decision to increase export subsidies."

shenanigan

shenanigan    [shuh-Nan-i-guh n] 

noun. mischievous behavior or action 

"Quentin was Roosevelt’s favorite child, and they shared a bond — whether in writing letters or engaging in pillow fights or other shenanigans."

"These are halloween shenanigans."

"Trump has accused Cruz of luring delegates with unspecified 'goodies' and 'crooked shenanigans'."

luminary

luminary [Loo-muh-ner-ee]

noun. a person who inspires or influences others

"Bill Campbell, a former coach at Columbia University, who became a management guru for Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Google former CEO Eric Schmidt, and other Silicon Valley luminaries, has died at age of 75."

"Pope Francis gave Leonardo DiCaprio an audience at the Vatican Thursday afternoon, bringing the two luminaries together in one place."

"Stephen J. Hawking is a luminary in scientific writing."

gangbuster

gangbuster [Gang-buhs-ter]

adjective.  very successful, especially commercially

"The U.S. economy is not going gangbusters, but it's certainly not going into recession here." - Art Hogan, chief market strategist at Wunderlich Securities

"The company had a profitable, gangbusters quarter."

"The restaurant did a gangbuster business."

masquerade

masquerade [mas-kuh-Reyd]

verb. to pretend to be someone else

"You don't lose friends, because real friends can never be lost. You lose people masquerading as friends, and you're better for it." - Mandy Hale

"Bank users are at risk of having banking credentials stolen after downloading malicious payment apps masquerading as official ones."

"He is masquerading as an expert of this subject on the internet.”

internecine

internecine    [in-ter-Nee-seen]

adjective.  (of conflict) within a group;  mutually destructive 

"Internecine battle is ravaging the GOP this year. The Democrats will benefit from it."

"Many wars are internecine, as are most Shakespearean tragedies and Hollywood action films."

"Civil wars are internecine."

bemoan

bemoan [bih-Mohn]

verb. to express distress or grief over

"Apple new iPhone SE owners bemoan an audio bug with the latest update of iOS 9.3.1."

"Despite their differing ideologies, they all bemoaned what they deemed the lack of inspiring candidate choices to succeed Obama."

"They bemoan the fact that poker games are too often delayed because players take smoke breaks."

idyllic

idyllic [ahy-Dil-ik]

adjective. charmingly simple and serene

"New Zealand was an idyllic haven for birds. Without ground-dwelling predators, many of the local species lost the ability to fly."

"In this portrait, a beautiful, lighthearted child was representing the idyllic Ralph Lauren lifestyle."

"Spring finally is here! She has posted photos of flowers and other idyllic scenes of daily life."

cocao, cocao

Chocolates are the most popular endorphin-producing food on earth. How chocolates are made?

1) cocao [kuh-KAH-oh] (beans)

2) cocao [KOH-koh] (powder)

3) chocolates

endorphins

endorphins [en-Dawr-fin s]

noun. endorphins are neurotransmitters, which are able to bind to the neuro-receptors in the brain to give relief from pain

"Chocolate is by far the most popular endorphin-producing food on earth. Known by the Greeks as the 'food of the Gods', chocolate is derived from cacao beans that were revered by the Aztecs, who believed that eating chocolate would confer wisdom and vitality."

"Hot chili peppers provide a stimulating heat and 'bite' that increases the body's production of endorphins."

serotonin

serotonin [ser-uh-Toh-nin]

noun. a neurotransmitter involved in sleep, depression and memory

"Your brain needs serotonin to be happy."

"Serotonin is regarded by some researchers as a chemical that is responsible for maintaining mood balance, and that a deficit of serotonin leads to depression."

castigate

castigate [Kas-ti-geyt]

verb. to criticize severely; to punish harshly

"Apple is constantly castigated by TV commentators to do something with their $70+ billion in cash."

"Washington has castigated the Russians for virtually ignoring the Islamic State and indiscriminately bombing civilian areas."

"I shouldn’t castigate a large group of Americans to make a point." - House Speaker Paul Ryan

scuttle

scuttle    [skuht-l] 

verb.  deliberately cause (a scheme,  plan, deal, etc.) to fail

"Jacob deGrom is scheduled to start the home opener for the Mets for the second straight year, unless the pending birth of his first child scuttles that plan."

"The Premier League floated the idea that every team plays an one regular season game overseas, but vehement fan-protests scuttled the notion."

"Any disagreement we had was criticized as an attempt to scuttle the building of the memorial."

resuscitate

resuscitate    [ri-Suhs-i-teyt] 

verb. to revive, especially from apparentdeath or from unconsciousness.

"In certain circumstances, particularly when individuals have been resuscitated after having stopped breathing and lost a pulse, they can return with vivid recollections of their experience."

"Efforts to resuscitate the female firefighter failed and she was pronounced dead at nearby Albert Einstein Medical Center."

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation -  CPR

a dime a dozen

a dime a dozen 

phase. very common and of no particular value

"Exoplanets --- or planets orbiting other stars -- are a dime a dozen. But Kepler spacecraft goes the extra mile to determine whether they are habitable."

"Experts in this field are a dime a dozen"

"Romantic movies are a dime a dozen."

Trojan horse

trojan horse 

phase. 1) someone or something that attacks the group or organization it belongs to. 2) a type of computer virus 

"'He is a Trojan horse': Donald Trump rages after getting crushed in Wisconsin by Ted Cruz."

"Technology in healthcare is a Trojan Horse for culture change."

Origin:  The term is derived from the Ancient Greek story of the wooden horse that was used to help Greek troops invade the city of Troy. A selected force of men is hidden inside the wooden horse. 

dementia

dementia    [dih-Men-shuh]

noun.  a mental illness marked by gradually deteriorated cognitive functioning. The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer's disease, which makes up 50% to 70% of cases. 

"The global incidence of dementia will more than triple in the next 35 years. A study shows that regular walking, cycling, swimming, dancing and even gardening may substantially reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s."

"One of the big problems with dementia is personality change."

Zeitgeist

Zeitgeist    [TSahyt-gahyst]

noun. the spirit or essence of a particular time or era

"His years at MTV put him at the center of the pop culture zeitgeist for a time."

"The story captured the zeitgeist of the late 1980s."

"Woodstock was part of the Zeitgeist of the 1960s."

Origin:  Mid 19th century: from German Zeitgeist, from Zeit 'time' + Geist 'spirit'.

mint

mint

verb.  1) to produce for the first time  2) to make (a coin) by stamping metal

"Although American Idol is entering its final season, the stars it has minted in the past 15 seasons are shining bright as ever."

"He is demonstrating the newly minted technology."

"This shilling was minted in 18th century."

get someone's goat

get someone's goat

phase. to irritate, annoy or anger someone

"Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders clearly got the goat of GE's CEO, Jeff Immelt, who has fired back at him."

"It really gets my goat when people push past without saying 'Excuse me'."

"Tom got his girlfriend's goat and she made quite a fuss about it."

Origin:  The phrase comes from a tradition in horse racing. Goats were placed with racehorses to keep them calm. Unscrupulous opponents would then steal the goat in an effort to upset the horse and cause it to lose the race.

isthmus

isthmus    [IS-muh s] 

noun. a narrow strip of land, bordered on bothsides by water

"The Panama Canal is a 48-mile ship canal in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a key conduit for international maritime trade." - Wikipedia

condor

condor    [Kon-der] 

noun. a type of large vulture with a bare head and black plumage

melatonin

melatonin [mel-uh-Toh-nin]

noun. a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain to control sleep and wake cycles

"Studies have shown that the artificial lights emitted from smartphones disrupt the body’s production of melatonin, which can delay sleep for hours past your bedtime."

"Light affects how much melatonin your body produces. During the shorter days of the winter months, your body may produce melatonin earlier in the day than usual."

skittish

skittish [Skit-ish]

adjective. unpredictable, excitable, restless, lively

"Investors are acting in a more skittish manner, selling earlier and in greater amounts."

"After years of neglect or abuse, many of the animals are skittish, and anything can set them off."

"The skittish stock market took another tumble and plunging biotech stocks led the way lower."

sketchy

sketchy    [skech-ee]

adjective. incomplete, lack of details

"The evidence is so far inconclusive, and some of the numbers underpinning the theory that Zika is the cause of the birth defect microcephaly have proven sketchy."

"The president has given a sketchy speech that outlined some important ideas but was short on specifics."

"From canned goods on the shelf, baked beans and corned beef, we prepared a sketchy supper, and ate on the counter."

mayhem

mayhem    [Mey-hem]

noun. violent or damaging disorder; disturbance 

"Moving is stressful. But these apps can help you survive moving mayhem."

"Cherry blossoms cause so much mayhem and traffic in the city."

"He is speaking of murders and mayhem in his novels and short stories."

aristocratic

aristocratic    [uh-Ris-tuh-Krat-ik]

adjective. 1) of aristocracy (a class of persons holding exceptional rank and privileges)  2) elegant or stylish in appearance and behavior

"Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall officially tied the knot Friday at Spencer House, an aristocratic palace built by ancestors of the late Princess Diana."

"The novel follows the lives of aristocratic Russian families during the French invasion in the early 19th Century."

"The beer has the rich aroma of wheat malt flavor and aristocratic bearing.”

grid

gird

verb.  1) fasten something tightly with a belt or a band  2) get ready for a dangerous situation

"Mrs. Clinton is preparing to spend far more in New York than she originally budgeted. Her campaign is girding for a fight and knows it needs to spend money to win."

"Both sides are girding for a protracted court fight, one that could make it to the Supreme Court."

"Kim Moo-sung, a leader of South Korea’s ruling party, called this week for the government to gird itself for a currency clash."

forensic

forensic     [fuh-REN-sik] 

adjective.  relating to the use of scientific knowledge or methods in solving crimes

"Cellebrite is an Israeli forensics company that might have helped the FBI crack open a terrorist's iPhone."

"According to forensic tests, the knife reportedly found near the former home of OJ Simpson last month is not a murder weapon."

"Officials said the weapon had been tested for DNA, fingerprints and other forensic evidence."

deplorable

deplorable    [dih-Plawr-uh-buh l]

adjective.  of shockingly bad quality or condition

"A 100-year-old woman kept the apartment in deplorable conditions and was eventually evicted from her California apartment."

"The state of childcare in this nation goes from inadequate to deplorable, even as compared to the child care services in the 1940s.

"He has deplorable manners!"

gunslinger

gunslinger [Guhn-sling-er]

noun. 2) a person who is armed with a gun, especially an outlaw 2) a person who acts in an aggressive and decisive manner

"Mr. Trump’s campaign had failed to evolve beyond the 'personal gunslinger, random-behavior model'." - Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker.

"This investor is a gunslinger who takes large risks in seeking large, quick gains."

iron out the wrinkles

iron out the wrinkles

phase. to ease, solve, or remove minor difficulties, troubles, or problematic details

"If the Cleveland Cavaliers isn't able to iron out the wrinkles of what has become a drama-filled season and the Cavaliers bow out early in the postseason, LeBron James may leave the team after this season."

"The couple is seeing a counselor to try and iron out the wrinkles in their marriage."

"Your friends and family are great means of support when you need to iron out the wrinkles of your life."