The Custom of the Country Glossary

The Custom of the Country Glossary

affluence

A state of wealth, influence and prosperity.

asperity

A harsh in manners, tone or surface.

asseveration

An emphatically solemn declaration.

betrothed

The state of being engaged or the person to whom one is engaged.

capricious

Impulsive and impetuous; prone to acting on a whim.

colloquy

A formal conversation taking place or the written description of a formal conversation.

desultory

The quality of being done haphazardly and without a plan so that the trajectory from beginning to end represents a jagged line of digressions rather a straightforward path.

dyspeptic

Not just the physical act of suffering the ravages of indigestion, but the overall state of ill-heath associated with that suffering.

importunately

Persistently...past the point of becoming an annoyance and verging on becoming an outright pest.

insouciance

Expressing an indifference and lack of serious concern, but not in a contemptuous or scornful way.

locution

The idiomatic style a person uses in their speech.

pecuniary

Related to all things monetary, economic and financial.

salient

The most important point of the matter.

sardonically

In a scornful manner or through expressing disdain.

supercilious

Descriptive of the kind of arrogant person with a superior attitude who would speak sardonically almost as a rule.

suzerainty

When a nation's goverment lacks actual power because the country exists in subservience to another nation.

sumptuous

Extravagant and grandiose; money especially well spent; lavish.

droll

A dry sense of humor.

vanity

A disproportionate focus on and regard for one's own appearance, intellect or accomplishments.

covetous

A greediness that springs from jealousy of others and envy for the things they own.

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