chapter 6. aegis: protection, sponsorship since the adult zeus covered his shield with this goat’s...
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Aegis: protection, sponsorship
• Since the adult Zeus covered his shield with this goat’s skin (aigis is Greek for “goatskin”), which made the shield invulnerable, Zeus’ shield was known as the aegis.
• Synonyms: guardianship, support, patronage, auspices
Auspicious: favorable, promising a good outcome
• The word “auspicious” devies from the Latin avis (“ bird”) and specio (“see”). The Romans dissected birds, for they thought the birds’ internal organs predicted events.
• Synonyms: promising, encouraging, propitious• Related word: opportune
Jaded: wearied, dulled, or bored by having too much
• The word “jaded” derives from tired, worn-out horses. Norse jalda meant “mare.”
• Syn: Worn-out, overindulged, satiated
• Americans are so jaded with sweets, spices, and refined foods, that they have no appetite for a wholesome diet.
• Children jaded with an overabundance of toys cannot appreciate any gift.
Atone: make up (for a wrong)
• Originally, “atonement” meant “at-one-ment” with God, in other words reconciled for in peaceful harmony with God.
• Syn: make amends, make reparations, expiate
Lewd: obscene, indecent, lustful
• “Lewd” comes from Old English laewede, meaning “lay” or “not of the church.”
• Syn: vulgar, smutty, lascivious
Succinct: Briefly and clearly expressed
• The ancient Romans wore a loose garment, somewhat like a long shirt called a tunic. When the Romans wanted to shorten their tunics so as to move more freely, they would tuck up the tunic under the cinctura.
• Syn: brief, concise, terse• Related: laconic
• Teachers of freshman composition continually tell their students to cut out wordiness and be succinct.
Prevaricate: stray from the truth: mislead
• “Prevaricate” derives from Latin varicus (“straddling”) which came from varus (“bent”), a term applied to a knock-kneed or crooked-legged person who did not walk straight.
• Syn: lie, misinform, equivocate
• Government officials prevaricated during the Senate hearing in order to cover up their illegal actions.
Aloof: reserved, detached, unconcerned
• “Aloof” comes from a (“towards”) and the Dutch word loef (“to windward”). “Aloof” thus derives from a nautical term meaning to head the ship into the wind so as to keep distance from the shore.
• Syn: removed, unresponsive, indifferent
Jovial: full of hearty humor and fun; jolly
• Jove (Jupiter), on the other hand, went on to joyfully lord the heavens.
• Syn: merry, cheerful, jocular
Saturnine: gloomy, grave
• Foremost among these Titans was Cronus, whose Roman name is Saturn.
• Syn: moody, sulky, morose
Euphemism: pleasant, mild, or inoffensive expression substituted
from an unpleasant or offensive one