269. Internecine

Excerpt from, "October Surprise Shows Ever-Loosening Grip On Commonest Courtesies: The 2012 Speculatron Weekly Roundup For Oct. 2" by Jason Linkins and Elyse Siegel, Huffington Post, Posted: 10/27/2012 9:3


THE INERT ARGUE MOMENTUM: Meanwhile, as the country started to tip, slightly, in the direction of end-of-the-election insanity, the political media sort of took leave of their senses, and pitched themselves a weird little internecine war over which media outlets were being worked by whose campaign, for the purpose of spinning a narrative of "momentum."

Internecine: destructive to both sides in a conflict

268. Neologism

Excerpt from, “'Romnesia': Obama Coins Mitt Romney 'Condition'” by Sam Stein, Huffington Post, 10/19/12:

Obama went through a number of other so-called cases, including tax cuts and the coal industry. The neologism [romnesia] got hearty laughs and applause, especially as the president informed the crowd that the condition was covered under his health care law.

Neologism: a newly coined word or expression

267. Insurmountable

Excerpt from, “Lance Armstrong Gets Dumped” by Reed Albergotti, Vanessa O’Connell and Suzanne Vranica, The Wall Street Journal, 10/18/12:

Nike was particularly harsh, citing what it described as insurmountable evidence that he [Armstrong] participated in doping and misled Nike for more than a decade.

Insurmountable: too great to be overcome

266. Apotheosis

Excerpt from, "Pop Goes the President" by Frank Bruni, The New York Times, 10/15/12:

This presidential election will go down as the one in which the pop-culture pander reached its ludicrous apotheosis and we were asked to believe things even more fantastical than a revenue-neutral 20-percent cut in marginal tax rates.

Apotheosis: the highest point in the development of something; culmination or climax

265. Ebullient

Excerpt from, “The Generation War,” by David Brooks, The New York Times, 10/12/12:

Vice President Joe Biden, of course, could stand on Neptune and distract attention away from the sun. He entered the Senate in 1973, back when the old Democratic giants from the New Deal era still roamed the earth. Every sentimental tone of voice, every ebullient and condescending grin brought you back to the kitchen tables in working-class Catholic neighborhoods of places like Scranton, Pa., Chicago, San Francisco, Providence, R.I., and Philadelphia.

Ebullient: overflowing with fervor, enthusiasm, or excitement

264. Adulteration

Excerpt from, “Why Potatoes Are Good for You. The Underrated Benefits of Spuds,” by Bryn Mooth, August, 2012, SparkPeople.com

But there's no need to avoid carbohydrates in moderation—especially complex carbs like the ones found in potatoes. The main problem with the humble potato is that it seems to lend itself to all kinds of adulteration: mashed with butter and cream, deep fried, stuffed with bacon and cheese—all diet-wreckers for sure.

 

Adulteration: being mixed with extraneous material

263. Acolyte

Excerpt from, “Complicity in Duplicity?” by Maureen Dowd, The New York Times, 10/2/12:

The U.S. military is preparing to retaliate for the Libyan attack. But, even if Stevens is avenged, will the president get the credit he deserves if his acolytes have left the impression that they’re willing to rewrite the story for political advantage?

Acolyte: an assistant or follower

Complicit: involved with others in an illegal activity or wrongdoing