The Wizard of Oz Glossary

The Wizard of Oz Glossary

shiftless

Lazy and unmotivated.

tinker

to work on fixing something without having a professional knowledge of the facts

contraption

a name given for any machine that you aren't sure what it does or how it works

anemia

a condition in in which too little iron in the blood leads to fatigue

authentic

actual, factual and capable of being verified

muddled

confused or not completely clear on the details

vernacular

the words and use of them that is common to a specific group and understood by them, but may be leave outsiders somewhat puzzled

cyclone

part of the midwestern vernacular for a tornado; in the South Pacific the same word would be applied to a hurricane system

tedious

Slow, boring and lacking any stimulants for continued interest

shimmering

reflecting light in beautiful way that seems to glimmer

degraded

humiliated in a way that seems to remove an essential component of being

prowess

having a better than average skill at something

fancy

to believe something to be true

meek

timid and unassuming

caliginous

dark and dim, often with the implication being a lacking intelligence

effrontery

an exhibition of manners viewed as lacking respect toward something or someone

beneficent

a moral goodness or kindness

liquidate

technically, to full remove components so that it can no longer be said to exist, but often used as a sly synonym for murder

pusillanimous

Lacking courage or bravery

valor

Showing great courage or bravery under fire

phenomenon

something so out of the ordinary as to seem strange and unfamiliar

cataclysmic

a word that describes an earth-shattering event; related to a particularly singular or rare phenomenon

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