Hitchens, Two

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apocryphal

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adj.

Lacking authenticity or validity in essence or origin; spurious (); not genuine; false
"Wildly apocryphal rumors about starvation in Petrograd . . . raced through Russia's trenches" (W. Bruce Lincoln).

Hint 1

spurious, adj

1. false

2. Of illegitimate birth.

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ham

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noun

A performer who overacts or exaggerates.

idiom: ham it up
to overact; ham.

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crackpot

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n. An eccentric person, especially one with bizarre ideas.

adj. Foolish; harebrained: a crackpot notion.

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schismatic

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adj

Of, relating to, or engaging in schism()

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schism

a formal division within or between religious bodies over church doctrine.

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farrago

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fa-RA-go

noun

a confused mixture; hodgepodge; medley; conglomeration
a farrago of doubts, fears, hopes, and wishes.

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pogrom

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noun

a massacre or persecution of a minority group, particularly Jews.

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iconography

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noun

the images and symbols that are traditionally associated with a person or a subject;
"religious iconography"
"the propagandistic iconography of a despot"

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garble

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verb

1. to confuse unintentionally or ignorantly; jumble:
to garble instructions.

2. to make unfair or misleading selections from or arrangement of (fact, statements, writings, etc.); distort:
to garble a quotation.

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avatar

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AV-uh-tahr

noun

1. the embodiment of a quality or concept; archetype
the very avatar of cunning.

2. Hindu Mythology. the descent of a deity to the earth; the incarnation of a god, esp. Vishnu

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incandescent

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adj.

1. Emitting visible light as a result of being heated.

2. Shining brilliantly; very bright.

3. Brilliant, ardently () emotional, intense;
an incandescent performance

Hint 10

ardent: adg
passionate, fervent

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verve

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–noun

vivaciousness, spirit, vigor, liveliness, or animation, esp a literary or artistic work
I like a teacher with plenty of verve.

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parthenogenesis

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noun

development of an egg without fertilization.

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gnomic

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NO-mic (NO rhymes with GO)

adj.

expressing what is generally or universally true

Marked by aphorisms()

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aphorism: noun

A tersely phrased statement of a truth or opinion; an adage

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riposte

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ri-POST (POST rhymes with GHOST)

noun

1. a quick, clever retort; rejoinder; reply
"it brought a sharp riposte from the teacher"

2. Fencing: a return thrust

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casuistry

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KAZ-oo-uh-stree

noun

1. Excessively subtle reasoning intended to mislead;

2. Specious() arguments; sophistry().

2. the application of general ethical principles to particular cases of conscience or conduct.

Hint 15

specious: adj.
plausible but false

sophistry: noun
Plausible but fallacious arguments

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adumbrate

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a-DUM-breyt

verb

1. to produce a faint image; to outline or sketch.

2. to indicate beforehand; foreshadow; prefigure; presage

3. to darken or conceal partially; overshadow.

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monoglot

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adj.

Knowing only one language; monolingual

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caliphate

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noun

the era of Islam's ascendancy from the death of Mohammed until the 13th century; some Moslems still maintain that the Moslem world must always have a calif as head of the community; "their goal was to reestablish the Caliphate"

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meretricious

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adj.

1. Attracting attention in a vulgar manner: gaudy()
meretricious ornamentation.

2. Plausible but false or insincere; specious:
a meretricious argument.

3. Of or relating to prostitutes or prostitution:
meretricious relationships.

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gaudy: adj
Showy in a tasteless or vulgar way.

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paternity

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adj.

1. The state of being a father; fatherhood.

2. Descent on a father's side; paternal descent.

3. Authorship; origin.

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paltry

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adj.

1. ridiculously or insultingly small:
a paltry sum.

2. Lacking in importance or worth; trivial.

3. Wretched or contemptible.

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nom de guerre

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noun

an assumed name, pseudonym.

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dervish

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noun

1. A Muslim ascetic monk; some perform whirling dances and vigorous chanting as acts of ecstatic devotion.

2. One that possesses abundant, frenzied energy:
"[She] is a dervish of unfocused energy, an accident about to happen" (Jane Gross).

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mendicant

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noun

1. A beggar.

2. A member of an order of friars forbidden to own property in common, who work or beg for their living.

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fakir

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fuh-KEER

noun

a Muslim or Hindu religious ascetic or mendicant monk commonly considered a wonder-worker.

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overawe

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verb

to restrain or subdue by inspiring awe; intimidate:
He often uses that imperious scowl to overawe his subordinates.

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coreligionist

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noun

an adherent of the same religion as another.

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atelier

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AT-l-yey (yey rhymes with "hay")

noun

A workshop or studio, especially for an artist or designer.

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presage

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noun

1. a sign of a future occurrence; an omen.

2. A feeling of what is going to occur, esp. something evil; a presentiment; premonition

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hayseed

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noun

an unsophisticated person from a rural area; yokel; hick.