My Big binder of Writing Tools

6. Infrequently Used Words that are Really Cool

  This is a long one, it took up 10 pagesin my binder, which is a lot. Also, I can't find the source so if you know the original creator, please tell me.   I want to make sure everything gets the credit they deserve. Some of these could be good titles or chapter names.
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A

Alacrity = a-lack-ra-tee cheerful willingness and promptness

Anathema = a-nath-a-ma a thing or person, cursed, banned, or reviled

Anodyne = An-a-dine not likely to cause offence or disagreement and somewhat dull/anything that soothes or comforts

Aphorism = Aff-our-ism a short, witty saying or concise principle

Apostate = ah-poss-tate (also apostasy) person who has left the fold or deserted the faith

Arrogate = arrow-gate to make an unreasonable claim

Atavistic = at-a-vis-tic reverting to a primitive state

Avuncular = a-vunc-you-lar "like an uncle", benevolent

B

Bathos = bath-ose an anticlimax

Bereft = ba-reft to be deprived of something valuable, "he was bereft of reason"

C

Calumny = kal-um-knee a slander or false accusation

Canard = kan-ard a fabricated story
(French= "duck";morte canard= dead duck)

Cant = kant insincerity

Chimera = ki-meer-ah (NOT Chim-er-uh) originally: a mythical beast; any unreal thing, foolish fancy (adj= chimerical ki-meer-a-cal)

Cloy = to grow sick from an abundance of something

Comitatus = com-a-toy-tus loyalty to ones band or group

Concatenation = con-cat-a-nation things linked together or joined in a chain

Copacetic = " going just right "

Cosseted = koss-ated pampered

Cupidity = que-pid-a-tee greed; avarice

Cynosure = sigh-na-shore (from the Greek: "dogs tail") center of attention; point to which all eyes are drawn
(Really? From "dogs tail"? Yes, the "dogs tail" appears in a constellation, locating the North Star, which rivets the attention of the sailors at sea. Thus: center of attention)(see also: sinecure)

D

Dilettante = dill-ah-tent
1. Having superficial/ amateurish interest in a branch of knowledge
2. A connoisseur or lover of the fine arts

Discursive = dis-kur-seive covering a wide field of subject

Docent = doe-cent a teacher, but not of regular faculty; a museum tour guide

E

Egregious = a-gree-jous conspicuously bad, flagrant; shocking

Epigone = ep-a-goan a second-rate imitation or follower

F

Fatuous = fat-chew-us foolish, stupid; silly

Felicity = fa-liss-a-tee bliss, a pleasing aptness to speech and department, grace

Furitive = furr-tive sly, shifty, secretive

G

Gratuitous = gra-too-a-tus given freely