It’s What’s outside that counts

Packaging of grocery items is a facet* of advertising that is too little appreciated by

consumers. Walking up and down the aisles of a supermarket, one seldom stops to analyze the

individual package in the potpourri of items on the shelves. The manufacturer had to glean*

and test many different designs before he accepted the one you see in the array* before you.

Before he will sanction the use of a particular can, box, or bottle, he must know many things

about its efficacy.* He wants to know if the colors attract: a white box may denote cleanliness,

a red one, strength. There may be a photo or a drawing that will allude to the product’s use or

special qualities. A lackluster* package may be fatal.* Next, the size and shape are important

elements. The housewife may want a small package for easy storing, but a larger package

may suggest economy. A round bottle may look attractive, but a square one is easier to stack.

These are some of the insidious aspects of packaging, the main purpose of which is to attract

your attention as you peruse* the crowded supermarket shelves.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in these sentences.

1. I cannot ________________ your lax* attitude towards the imminent* threat of a

conflagration.*

2. In some ________________ way the glib* salesman played upon my repressed*

desires and sold me a gaudy* sports car.

3. You can be sure the candidate will ________________ to the moribund* state of our

economy and offer his panacea.*

4. A ________________ of today’s musical hits sounds more like cacophony* than

harmony.

5. His levity* at such a serious moment ________________ a lack of feeling.

Definitions Match the new words with their definitions.

6. potpourri a. sly, seductive, treacherous

7. sanction b. hint, suggest

8. denote c. endorse, certify

9. allude d. medley, mixture

10. insidious e. indicate, show, mean

T ODAY ’ S I DIOM

the acid test —a severe test

The new job was an acid test of his ability to bring home the bacon.*

N EW W ORDS

Propriety

prə prī´ ə tē

Advent

ad´ vent

Impious

im´ pē əs

Proffer

prof´ ər

Spate

spāt

W EEK 41 D AY 3

“TRIED AND TRUE”

Few question the propriety of the current haste on the part of manufacturers to bring out “new

and improved” products at the prevalent* rate. At one time, in the dim, distant past before the

advent of television, it was the vogue* for products to be advertised on the merits of their

“tried and true” qualities. Few advertisers were impious enough to jettison* any part of a

product that had been accepted by the public. Year after year, the local grocery store owner

would proffer the same box of cereal, the same house cleaner. The acceptance was of the timetested

product, and it appeared almost unconscionable* for the manufacturer to change his

merchandise. Today’s spate of transient* products would have been considered an anomaly*

in those days.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in these sentences.

1. A few years ago there was a ________________ of science-fiction films about

awesome* monsters causing pandemonium* on our planet, but after a surfeit* of that

genre*, their popularity began to wane.*

2. With the ________________ of text messaging, Roger was busy night and day.

3. We question the ________________ of making fun of obese* people.

4. I’d like to ________________ my belated* congratulations on your 25 years of

married serenity.*

5. In the milieu* of city street life it is not atypical* to hear ________________ comments

about authority.

Definitions Match the new words with their definitions.

6. propriety a. suitability, correctness

7. advent b. offer for acceptance

8. impious c. the coming of an important event

9. proffer d. lacking respect, irreverent

10. spate e. rush, flood

T ODAY ’ S I DIOM

a blind alley —a direction that leads nowhere

The modus operandi was leading up a blind alley and they were barking up the wrong

tree.

N EW W ORDS

Shibboleth

shib´ ə lith

Bogus

bō´ gəs

Substantiate

səb stan´ shē āt

Nutritive

nü´ trə tiv

Raucous

rô´ kəs

W EEK 41 D AY 4

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Supermarkets now carry their own products to compete with the national brands. These

“house” brands are not in a felicitous* position because they cannot be advertised widely.

Supermarkets overcome this encumbrance* by making these brands less expensive. Many

people believe the shibboleth, * “You get what you pay for,” and they purchase items on the

premise* that quality varies as the price does. Are the claims made by nationally advertised

brands bogus? How can one bread company substantiate its nutritive superiority over

another? As there is no incontrovertible* evidence, the more expensive bread (or coffee, etc.)

must compensate* by increased advertising. They make inordinate* claims, using those

raucous techniques proven so successful in convincing the frugal* consumer to switch to a

more costly brand.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in these sentences.

1. Mothers should be vigilant* that their children’s food has the proper

________________ value.

2. There were ________________ complaints about the inordinate* number of fatal*

accidents caused by inebriated* drivers.

3. People often try to compensate* for their deplorable* lack of culture by repeating the

________________, “I know what I like.”

4. He had the audacity* to try to foist* a ________________ dollar on me.

5. The reporter wanted to elicit* the pertinent* facts from the reticent* witness so he

could ________________ the charge of moral turpitude* against the high city official.

Definitions Match the new words with their definitions.

6. shibboleth a. pet phrase, slogan

7. bogus b. harsh, shrill

8. substantiate c. counterfeit, fake

9. nutritive d. having nourishing properties

10. raucous e. confirm, ratify

T ODAY ’ S I DIOM

to twist around one’s finger —to control completely

He winked at* the little girl’s bad behavior; she had him twisted around her finger.

W EEK 41 D AY 5

REVIEW

You can be sure of a balanced language if you are well acquainted with all the products

(words) available in your supermarket (vocabulary).

REVIEW WORDS DEFINITIONS

1. advent a. suggest, hint

2. allude b. surfeit,* excess, fullness

3. bogus c. coming of an important event

4. curry d. having nourishing properties

5. denote e. slogan, pet phrase

6. impious f. correctness, suitability

7. insidious g. juicy

8. intrinsic h. mixture, medley

9. nutritive i. mean, show, indicate

10. pall j. to seek favor by flattery

11. potpourri k. irreverent, lacking respect

12. proffer l. fake, counterfeit

13. propriety m. ratify, confirm

14. raucous n. rush, flood

15. sanction o. become dull, cease to please

16. satiety p. treacherous, sly, seductive

17. shibboleth q. certify, endorse

18. spate r. inherent,* within itself

19. substantiate s. offer for acceptance

20. succulent t. shrill, harsh

IDIOMS

21. to twist around one’s finger u. a severe test

22. the acid test v. a direction that leads nowhere

23. a pretty kettle of fish w. a mess, trouble

24. a blind alley x. to control completely

WORDS FOR

FURTHER STUDY

MEANINGS

1. _________________________ _________________________

2. _________________________ _________________________

3. _________________________ _________________________

WORDSEARCH 41

Using the clues listed below, record separately using one of the new words you learned this

week for each blank in the following story.

Clues

2nd Day

4th Day

3rd Day

1st Day

2nd Day

Age Discrimination

One of the most forms of discrimination is that based upon age. We have become

aware through publicity and education that bias and discrimination based upon race, color,

creed, and sex are not to be accepted. Through laws passed by the Congress of the United

States and by individual states, we agree that using these criteria for hiring, promoting, or

firing in the workplace is a and undemocratic excuse. Many lawsuits have supported

this most basic right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” protected by our

Constitution.

Why is it, then, that so few question the of preventing those viewed as “too old”

from getting positions, or, if already on the job, promotions? Advanced age also leads to the

firing of such employees and their replacement with younger applicants. Is there something

in youth that suggests that older workers cannot do the job as well? Until age

discrimination goes the way of all of the other forms of prejudice, we may continue to

the reasoning that “younger is better.”

N EW W ORDS

Quandary

kwon´ dər ē

Callous

kal´ əs

Expedient

ek spē´ dē ənt

Negligible

neg´ lə jə bəl

blas é

blä zā´

W EEK 42 D AY 1

YOU CAN’T HELP BUT WATCH

The consumer is in a quandary about making a felicitous* selection among the array* of

products. The advertisers must influence the malleable* consumer, and often they do it in the

most callous ways. Television offers many tangible* advantages for reaching the consumer.

As a result, the consumer is inundated* by commercials. The advertiser knows that a

television commercial is the most expedient way to reach large numbers of people. The cost

for each commercial film is prodigious,* but because the audience is so large, the cost per

viewer is negligible. Each commercial is prepared in the most meticulous* way in order to

catch the attention of even the most blas é viewer and hold it until the message is through.

The reintroduced “new word” should have stood out immediately. Did it? It’s callous, of

course.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in these sentences.

1. It was fortuitous* that the accident occurred when there were ________________

numbers of children in the buses.

2. He was in a ________________ about which selection from his extensive repertoire* it

would be feasible* to perform for the children.

3. Because she had committed only a venial* offense, he thought it ________________ to

abjure* a severe punishment.

4. Who can be ________________ about the presence of many indigent* families in

proximity* to affluence?*

5. People have become so ________________ about the once thrilling, now mundane*

flights into space.

Definitions Match the new words with their definitions.

6. quandary a. indifferent, not responsive to excitement

7. callous b. hardened, unfeeling

8. expedient (adj.) c. doubt, dilemma

9. negligible d. advisable, fit

10. blasé e. trifling, inconsiderable

T ODAY ’ S I DIOM

to do one’s heart good —to make one feel happy or better

It did my heart good to see that inveterate* egotist* eat humble pie.*

N EW W ORDS

Ennui

än´ wē

Comely

kum´ lē

Frenetic

frə net´ ik

Artifice

är´ tə fis

Diversity

də vėr´ sə tē

W EEK 42 D AY 2

TRICKS OF THE TRADE

Some television commercials, trying to break through the ennui built up in the viewer by the

plethora* of competition, employ humor. Others feature a comely girl as a pretext* for

getting the viewer to stay tuned in. At times raucous* music, accompanied by some frenetic

activities, is designed to preclude* the viewer ’s loss of attention. The advertiser will employ

every bit of artifice at the film maker ’s command to make a trenchant* commercial. The

diversity of appeals made to the viewer is a concomitant* of the many ways people react to

commercials. A great deal of time and money has gone into placing the consumer ’s

psychological make-up under scrutiny.*

Sample Sentences Use the new words in these sentences.

1. The omnipotent* dictator employed all of his rhetoric* to vilify* those who would be

brash* enough to suggest that a ________________ of opinions should be expressed.

2. The fledgling* pianist knew that his mentor* would take umbrage* at his yawning

during the lesson, but the feeling of ________________ was overwhelming.

3. He was reticent* about revealing his clandestine* meetings with a ________________

young girl counselor at this camp.

4. They furtively* employed every kind of ________________ to be able to meet.

5. They were vigilant* in order that their surreptitious* meetings would not be

discovered, and it often required ________________ changes of plans to preclude*

exposure.

Definitions Match the new words with their definitions.

6. ennui a. frantic, frenzied

7. comely b. boredom

8. frenetic c. beautiful, handsome

9. artifice d. strategy, trickery

10. diversity e. variety, change

T ODAY ’ S I DIOM

worth one’s weight in gold —extremely valuable, very useful

The coach said the new star center was worth his weight in gold.

N EW W ORDS

Qualm

kwäm

Expurgate

ek´ spər gāt

Begrudge

bi gruj´

Artless

art´ lis

Gratuity

grə tü´ ə tē

W EEK 42 D AY 3

GOING TO THE SOURCE

The wide diversity* of reasons people have for buying one product rather than another are

investigated by the advertising people in order to prepare efficacious* commercials. They do

not have the slightest qualm about questioning the consumer about personal things in her own

domicile.* The consumer is requested not to expurgate * her answers. Generally, people are

not reticent* and do not begrudge giving the time and effort. The questions delve rather

deeply, and what the artless responses divulge* will help the advertiser decide what to put into

his next commercial. After a large number of interviews, the copious* results make it

feasible* to prognosticate* how well the commercial will do. The interviewer usually offers

no gratuity to the person who has helped, but often a sample of the product is proffered* as

thanks.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in these sentences.

1. A successful television program can be built around the ________________ comments

of very young children.

2. At times, the producer must ________________ some of the things said by these

children because they are too candid.*

3. He had a serious ________________ about hunting for the nearly extinct* quarry.*

4. He took umbrage* when I offered a ________________ to augment* his small salary.

5. She did not ________________ paying the pittance* extra for a better coat.

Definitions Match the new words with their definitions.

6. qualm a. remove objectionable parts or passages

7. expurgate b. to be resentful or reluctant

8. begrudge c. innocent, naive*

9. artless d. tip

10. gratuity e. twinge of conscience

T ODAY ’ S I DIOM

to make the best of a bad bargain —