52. Exponential

From Bloomberg TV show about working lives on 10/30/11:

"Having a family can be exponentially hard."

Ponder/discuss/write what you think the above statement means. Describe a specific situation in which having a family might/might not be exponentially hard and what determines that. 

Exponential: [increase] becoming more and more rapid

51. Mobilize

From, “Van earthquake sends waves of grief across Turkey,” 10/30/11, Today’s Zaman, Istanbul:

"Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and some Cabinet ministers visited the quake region on the same day the quake struck. State institutions and nongovernmental organizations mobilized taking relief to the quake victims, who are in dire need of tents and blankets ahead of the winter."

What is the mood that is inferred from the writer's tone? 

Can you think of a situation where it was necessary for government to mobilize their troops or general population?

Mobilize: assemble, prepare and organize 

[government - for active service]

50. Resplendent

In a review of the Met's [in New York City] new Islamic Galleries, “A Cosmopolitan Trove of Beauty,” by Holland Cotter, published 10/27/11, New York Times:

“The new, much expanded installation — organized by Sheila Canby, the curator in charge of the department of Islamic art, with Navina Najat Haidar as project coordinator — is as intelligent as it is visually resplendent. The art itself, some 1,200 works spanning more than 1,000 years, is beyond fabulous. An immense cultural vista — necessary, liberating, intoxicatingly pleasurable — has been restored to the city.”

Would 'resplendent' be an hyperbole [GRE #35] to describe your local art gallery, or convincing?

Resplendent: Attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous.

49. Perquisite

From, "11 Charged in L.I.R.R. Disability Fraud Plot," by William K. Rashbaum and Mosi Secret, New York Times 10/27/11:

"The Long Island Rail Road, unlike any other commuter railroad in the country, allows workers to collect an early pension, in some cases at age 50, which they can supplement with disability pensions from the federal railroad agency. The Times found that retired railroad employees who had successfully claimed disability were regularly playing golf at a state-owned course without charge — another perquisite of their disability."

Based on the headline and this paragraph, what do you think is the writer's bias?

Do not confuse perquisite with prerequisite

Perquisite means: perk

Prerequisite means: precondition

48. Inundate

From The View on ABC, on 10/25/11, host Whoopi Goldberg commented,

“Stores are being inundated with requests for Casey Anthony masks [for Halloween].”

 Please, tell all your friends about GRE Pit Stop - I wish to have my blog inundated with hits.

inundate: overwhelm; flood; deluge

47. Pernicious

From Daily Mirror, 8/10/11, “London riots: Is rap music to blame for encouraging this culture of violence?” by Paul Routledge

“I blame the pernicious culture of hatred around rap music, which glorifies violence and loathing of authority (especially the police but including parents), exalts trashy materialism and raves about drugs.”

Pernicious: having a harmful effect, esp in a gradual or subtle way

Discuss/ponder/write what you think of Routledge’s statement

46. Proliferate

From the New York Times, 10/24/11, "Particles Faster Than The Speed of Light? Not so Fast, Some Say" by Dennis Overbye:

"Neutrino time-travel jokes have proliferated on the Internet. Example: “We don’t serve faster-than-light neutrinos here,” said the bartender. A neutrino walks into a bar."

Did you get the joke? Ha, ha!
Why would such jokes 'increase rapidly' on the internet?
 

Proliferate: to increase in number or spread rapidly

45. Plethora

From BBC News on 10/23/11. Commentator reported,

"Tunisia is being presented with a plethora of political parties."

Plethora: overabundance; excess

Having an 'abundance' - is that positive or negative in this situation? Ponder.

Discuss/ponder/write about a situation where a plethora of something is a negative.

44. Voracious

The following headline appeared in an article by John Upton, New York Times, 10/22/11: 
"Voracious Mice Scramble Food Chain on California's Farallon Islands"

Voracious: craving or consuming large quantities; avid; exceedingly eager

What do you think the story is about?

The following paragraph is extracted from the article:

"The tiny rodents, whose numbers soar and plummet every year as the seasons change, have thrown the island food web into chaos by chewing plants down to their roots, eating salamanders and insects, attacking chicks and bird eggs and attracting owls that assault nesting birds"

43. Immolate

From New York Times, 10/20/11, "Tibetans Who Immolated Themselves Denounced by China" by Rick Gladstone, 

"The top two leaders of Tibet’s government-in-exile publicly prayed on Wednesday for the nine Tibetans who have immolated themselves over the past seven months to protest China’s Tibet policies, provoking an angry response from Beijing, where a government spokeswoman called the prayers a promotion of terrorism."

Meaning: to kill or offer [oneself] as a sacrifice, especially by burning

42. Abject

Piers Morgan (Piers Morgan Tonight, CNN, 10/19/11) in his introduction of Herman Cain, said Cain,

"grew up in abject poverty."

 Abject: utterly hopeless; wretched

Many others have grown up in similar conditions, but yet they did not achieve the same level of success as Cain. Discuss/write/ponder what you think determines one's path to success.

41. Grotesque

Leonard Pitts Jr. (The Miami Herald, 10/19/11, "World’s eyes on Occupy movement") wrote,

"It is, however, difficult to escape a certain impatience when you consider that the corporate greed and exploitation the movement exists to oppose have gone unquestioned and unchallenged for an unconscionably long time. There is something grotesque about the idea that one percent of the nation controls more wealth than the bottom 90 percent combined. There is something pitiful about the idea that the bottom 90 has endured economic exploitation in silence for years."

Grotesque: odd or unnatural in shape; bizarre

Do you think Pitts is in support of or opposes the actions of the Occupy Wall Street group?

As you ponder, savor the image below. I'm sure you'll agree it's not grotesque...

40. Wavering

From Mirror (UK online paper) 10/17/11, "Dan Weldon dead: Father pays emotional tribute to true champion who was a gentleman on and off the track."

His voice wavering with emotion, Mr Wheldon concluded his brief statement by saying: "Words cannot describe how much our family will miss him.

"He touched so many and the world is a better place because of Dan."

Wavering: feeling or showing doubt; unsteady

What can be inferred about the Weldon family relationship?

39. Feckless

Newt Gingrich on CNN (State of the Union with Candy Crowley, 10/16/11 in an interview re U.S. relations with Iran), said:

“I'm just saying, we have an almost feckless attraction, like bunch ball for children at soccer, to go to the next spot. What you need is, a -- a grand strategy, b, a sense of priorities. I would argue controlling the American border ought to be a much higher priority. But also, what happens next?

Synonyms: powerless, ineffective

Your challenge is to use this word this week - in writing or in speech

38. Penury

From The Weakest Link TV quiz show (10/13/11), Anne Robinson asked:

“Someone in a state of penury is said to be [    what      ?”

Answer: in extreme poverty/destitute

Consider this statement: The rich have a responsibility to help the poor.

Write (or ponder) a unified essay in which you perform the following tasks. 

Explain what you think the above statement means.

Describe a specific situation in which the rich might not have a responsibility to help the poor. 

Discuss what you think determines whether or not the rich have a responsibility to help the poor.

[question taken from MCAT practice tests]

37. Exculpate

From, “Wall Street’s Gullible Occupiers”by Peter J. Wallison published 10/13/11 The Wall Street Journal:

"There is no mystery where the Occupy Wall Street movement came from: It is an offspring of the same false narrative about the causes of the financial crisis that exculpated the government and brought us the Dodd-Frank Act. According to this story, the financial crisis and ensuing deep recession was caused by a reckless private sector driven by greed and insufficiently regulated. It is no wonder that people who hear this tale repeated endlessly in the media turn on Wall Street to express their frustration with the current conditions in the economy."

Synonyms: excuse, justify, vindicate

36. Recuse

Eric Lipton and John M. Broder published in the New York Times on 10/7/11 in "E-mail Shows Senior Energy Official Pushed Solyndra Loan"....

"A senior Energy Department official pushed hard for the government’s $535 million loan to the now-bankrupt California solar energy company Solyndra even after he had disclosed that his wife’s law firm represented the company and he had promised to recuse himself from matters related to the loan application, according to e-mails provided to Congressional investigators by the administration."

Does 'recuse' have the same meaning as 'rescue' or 'excuse?'

Recuse: to withdraw from a position of judging so as to avoid any semblance of partiality or bias

35. Hyperbole

From Sam Stein's article (Huffington Post, 10/7/11, "Eric Holder Hits Back At Rep. Who Called Obama Administration 'Accessory' To 'Murder'"),  
 

Addressing investigations into the Department of Justice's Fast and Furious program –- which allowed illegal guns to be sent into Mexico to track where they ended up -– Holder both defended the role he and his colleagues played in overseeing the program and criticized Republican lawmakers for using hyperbole.

Synonym: overstatement, exaggeration

I have a fantastic view from my kitchen balcony, and that's no hyperbole. I took this shot of the moon this morning.

34. Stipulate

In the article, “Embracing Global Change” by Steve Lyston (The Gleaner, 10/10/11), he observes that, "Things are changing so quickly on a global level each day — from business and politics to modern technology, sports, personal desires and marketing strategies — the world is seeing changes...."

“In the past some organisations would stipulate that only persons with masters degrees or PhD's could hold certain positions.”

Stipulate means: to specify as a condition or requirement

Do you know what 'glean' means (as in Gleaner - the name of the newspaper)?

33. Venerate

Fareed Zakaria (Program GPS on CNN, 10/9/11) in his comment re Steve Jobs' remarkable comeback from failure said,

"We live in a culture that so venerates success."

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines venerate as:  to regard with reverential respect or with admiring deference.

This is an unusual word to use in ordinary conversation; nonetheless, that is your challenge this week.

32. Suppression

From The Nobel Peace Prize 2011 - Press Release, Nobelprize.org. 8 Oct 2011:

"It is the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s hope that the prize to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman will help to bring an end to the suppression of women that still occurs in many countries, and to realise the great potential for democracy and peace that women can represent."

Congratulations to these three courageous women. 
 

Suppression: putting an end to; prohibit

Let's take a close look at "suppression of women that still occurs in many countries"

Write (or ponder) a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position.

31. Effusive

On his 80th birthday, Desmond Tutu's daughter Mpho described him as, "warm and effusive." [from tv interview]

Effusive: extravagantly demonstrative of emotion

How do you describe yourself?

30. Winnow

A friend recently sent an e-mail to everyone on her address list with the following apology:

"I'm sending this to everyone in my e-address book, without taking time to winnow. My apologies if you have no idea who I am or have no need for the following information."

Can you use 'winnow' in a sentence that relates to the picture below.
 

Winnow: to separate or distinguish

29. Dogma

Extract from Steve Jobs Commencement Address to Stanford University graduating class in June 2005:

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

Dogma: religious doctrine; belief

28. Prurient

Margaret Cho in 'Queer' (Huffington Post, 10/2/11) wrote,

“Sex is very fascinating to me outside purely prurient interest.”

What does she mean?

Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition is: ‘marked by or arousing an immoderate or unwholesome interest or desire, especially sexual desire’

27. Transfixed

From BBC News (online) 10/2/11, Amanda Knox: What does the future hold?

Tom Geoghegan reports:

 “All the mainstream American media was transfixed by the final verdict, reflecting the huge interest there has been in the US ever since the terrible events at Knox's former home, Via della Pergola 7, in the Umbrian city of Perugia.”

Transfixed: captivated; fascinated

How would you describe your level of attention to this case and the final verdict

26. Corpulence

With respect to Chris Christie's readiness for the presidential race, Frank Bruni, NY Times, in his 10/1/11 op-ed piece, The Round and the Oval, writes: 

"First off, a reality check: the New Jersey governor is not yet in the hunt for the Republican nomination, and may never be. But last week, as Christie speculation reached a fever pitch, attention to his corpulence hit critical mass, with the question changing from whether he was too overweight to win to whether he was so overweight that he didn’t deserve to."

Corpulence: physically bulky

Is this more appropriate than 'obesity?'

25. Enthralling

Enthralling:  captivating; spellbinding

How would you describe this image?
Can you think of any cultural references?

24. Caprice

In the article, "Taking Cain Seriously" (9/29/11 The Wall Street Journal), Daniel Henninger wrote,

Does a résumé like Herman Cain's add up to an American presidency? I used to think not. But after watching the American Idol system we've fallen into for discovering a president—with opinion polls, tongue slips and media caprice deciding front-runners and even presidents—I'm rewriting my presidential-selection software.

Merriam Webster defines caprice as, "a disposition to do things impulsively."