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30 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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coup d'état
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a sudden overthrow or alteration of an existing government by a small group
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élan
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a. enthusiastic vigor and liveliness; zest. b. style; flair.
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entrée
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a. the liberty to enter; admittance. b. the main course of a meal
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esprit de corps
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a common feeling of devotion to a cause among the members of a group; team spirit; comradeship
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laissez faire
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a. an economic doctrine that opposes governmental regulation of commerce beyond the minimum necessary for a free enterprise system to operate according to its own economic laws. b. noninterference in the affairs of others
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nouveau riche
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a person who has recently become rich, especially one who flaunts his or her wealth. adj. referring to the actions of such a person
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par excellence
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superior; outstanding; of the highest degree. adverb - outstandingly
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potpourri
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a. a combination of diverse elements; medley. b. a mixture of dried flower petals and spices kept in a jar and used to scent the air.
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savoir-faire
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the ability to say and do the appropriate thing in any situation; tact.
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tête-à-tête
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a private conversation between two people. adverb - together without the intrusion of a third person; in intimate privacy.
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abstract
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a. concerned with designs or shapes that do not represent any recognizable person or thing. b. considered apart from concrete existence. c. theoretical rather than practical.
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aesthetic
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a. of or pertaining to the sense of the beautiful. b. having a love of beauty. c. artistic. d. of or pertaining to the criticism of taste
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avant-garde
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a group, as of writers and artists, who are the leaders in inventing unconventional styles and new techniques in a given field. adj. of or exhibiting new or advanced ideas, as in the arts; ultramodern.
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eclectic
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a. choosing what appears to be the best from diverse sources, systems, or styles. b. consisting of elements taken from diverse sources
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grotesque
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a. characterized by ludicrous or incongruous distortion. b. extravagant; outlandish; bizarre.
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hackneyed
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lacking in freshness because of overuse; trite
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perspective
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a. the technique of representing objects on a flat surface so that they have a 3D quality. b. a view or vista. c. point of view; one's one manner of viewing things. d. a mental view of the relationships of the aspects of a subject to each other and to a whole.
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representational
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of or pertaining to realistic graphic portrayal in art; lifelike.
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surrealistic
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of or pertaining to the 20th century literary and artistic movement that attempts to express the workings of the subconscious by fantastic imagery and incongruous juxtaposition of subject matter. b. characterized by unusual and unexpected arrangements and distortions of images. c. having an oddly dreamlike or unreal quality
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verisimilitude
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the quality of appearing to be true or real; likelihood.
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buffoon
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a clown; jester. b. a person given to making undignified or rude jokes
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farce
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a. a comic play in which exaggerations and improbabilities of plot and characterization are used for humorous effect. b. humor typical of a farce. c. ludicrous and empty show; absurd pretense; mockery
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irony
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a. the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; an expression or utterance marked by a deliberate contrast between the apparent and the intended meanings. b. incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs
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jocular
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a. given to or characterized by joking; fun-loving. b. meant in jest; facetious.
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lampoon
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a. a broad comic peace that uses ridicule to attack a person, group, or institution. b. a light, good-natured criticism
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levity
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a light manner or attitude, especially when inappropriate frivolity; flippancy
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parody
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a. a comic imitation of a person, literary work or style that exaggerates the characteristics of the original to make it seem ridiculous. b. a performance so bad as to be the equivalent of intentional mockery.
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raillery
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good-natured teasing; banter
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regale
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a. to delight or entertain; give pleasure to. b. to entertain lavishly with food and drink; provide a feast for.
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satirical
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of, relating to or characterized by a sarcastic, mocking or witty attack on human vice or folly, sometimes with the intent to bring about improvement
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