Lesson 22 :Legal Language

Lesson 22

Legal Language

1. amicus curiae: a friend of the court; a lawyer or layman who advises the court on a legal matter

2. arson: the crime of setting fire to property in order to collect insurance

3. barrister: lawyer in England. A barrister practices at the bar, or court of justice.

4. embezzle: to steal money that was entrusted to your care.

5. extradition: turning over a fugitive from one jurisdiction to another. The root of the word is the Latin trachtio (“the act of handing over”)

6. habeas corpus: a court order requiring that a prisoner be produced to determine the legality of his imprisonment; a procedure that lawyers use to get clients out of illegal detention. In Latin it means “to have the body.”

7. immaterial: without substance; unimportant

8. incarcerate: to jail; confine

9. indeterminate: having inexact limits; indefinite

10. larceny: theft. Grand larceny involves theft in excess of a fixed sum, whereas petty larceny refers to a less consequential theft.

11. litigious: quarrelsome; given to carrying on lawsuits

12. miscreant: villain; criminal; evil person. The original meaning was “unbeliever” or “heretic.” From there it was easy to jump to “villain”

13. perpetrator: a person who commits an offense

14. plagiarism: passing off someone else’s writings or ideas as your own. The Latin word for kidnaper is plagiarus

15. probation: a period of testing or trial. This refers to a suspension of sentence on the condition that the convicted person demonstrates good behavior in order to stay out of jail.

Exercises

I. Which Word Comes to Mind?

In each of the following, read the statement, then circle the word that comes to mind.

1. A prominent psychiatrist offers to help out in a court case

                                                (perpetrator, larceny, amicus curiae)

2. The fire marshal suspects foul play

                                                (probation, arson, immaterial)

3. Detectives fly across the border to bring back a suspect

                                                (indeterminate, extradition, habeas corpus)

4. A scholar suggests that Shakespeare was not especially original

                                                (plagiarism, incarcerate, miscreant)

5. The crooked bank manager fears the day when his books will be audited

                                                (litigious, embezzle, barrister)

6. Sal was sentenced to five to ten years in jail

                                                (probation, indeterminate, larceny)

7. The teacher quickly recognized that Gary’s report was beyond his capacity

                                                (larceny, immaterial, plagiarism)

8. The jury found the defendant guilty as charged

                                                (barrister, litigious, miscreant)

9. The bank officer suddenly acquired unexplainable wealth

                                                (litigious, embezzle, incarcerate)

10. Enid made a proposal that had no connection to the problem

                                                (immaterial, probation, extradition)

II. True or False?

In the space provided, indicate whether each statement is true or false.

____ 1. Burning down a building is an act of larceny.

____ 2. Litigious people provide a good income for lawyers

____ 3. An alert lawyer can use a write of habeas corpus to keep his client out of jail before charges are brought against him.

____ 4. When you embezzle funds you misuse money that has been entrusted to you.

____ 5. That which is immaterial is usually critical in any court case.

____ 6. A miscreant is likely to be involved in grand larceny

____ 7. Probation is an investigative procedure to determine if a crime has been committed

____ 8. A perpetrator is someone who betrays his country

____ 9. A barrister would likely be familiar with court procedure

____ 10. A person guilty of arson could sometimes be charged with murder.

III. Fill in the Blank

Insert one of the new words in the proper space in each sentence below

1. Anyone who believes “there is a little ___________ in everyone’s heart” is merely trying to rationalize his own failing.

2. The rigorous _____________ period was intended to discourage unsuitable applicants

3. Murder was added to the ________________ change when the firemen discovered a body in the burned out structure

4. The terrorist sought refuge in a country where he believed he would be free from _____________.

5. ____________ may not be punishable by a prison sentence but it can cost a pretty penny and ruin a reputation.

6. The unexpected appearance of a(n) ________________ gave the prosecution the impetus to follow through to a guilty verdict.

7. The British _____________ may sound more sophisticated but he is in reality the same as a U.S. lawyer

8. Paul, ever the romantic, told Peggy she was guilty of ________________ for she had stolen his heart.

9. It is hard to believe that the club treasurer would _______________ the money entrusted to him.

10. The police collared the ______________ but lacked witnesses or evidence to get an indictment.

IV.What’s the Antonym?

Which of the new words is most nearly opposite in meaning to the one provided?

1. important                             ____________________

2. release                                 ____________________

3. forgiving                             ____________________

4. precise                                 ____________________

5. paragon                               ____________________

6. reimburse                             ____________________

7. benefactor                           ____________________

8. easy-going                           ____________________

9. definite                                ____________________

10. liberate                              ____________________

From Sunny Spain:Lesson 8

Lesson 8:From Sunny Spain

1. aficionado: a fan; devotee. Although this word originally described bull-fighting fans, it is now used to refer to devotees of all sports.

2. barrio: part of the city where Spanish-speaking people live; ghetto.

3. bonanza: rich pocket of ore; any source of wealth. In Spanish it means “fair weather at sea.” A popular television program of the 1960s was entitled “Bonanza”

4. bravado: pretended courage

5. desperado: bold outlaw; dangerous criminal. The relationship to our word “despair” is apparent. One who is without hope can be a dangerous criminal.

6. flotilla: a small fleet. The Spanish word flota means “fleet” Flotilla, then, is a diminutive form of flota.

7. grandee: a nobleman of the highest rank

8. hacienda: large estate; country house. The Old Spanish word facienda meant “estate.” The change from f to h is apparent in many words.

9. lariat: lasso; a rope used for tethering grazing horses. Reata is “rope” in Spanish.

10. machismo: manly self-assurance; masculine drive; virility.

11. manana: tomorrow; at some indefinite time in the future. There is a perjorative twist to manana, suggesting laziness.

12. palmetto: small palm tree

13. renegade: deserter; turncoat; traitor. In Spanish, the word renegado means “to deny.”

14. siesta: midday nap. In Spanish and Latin American countries businesses often close at midday to allow for siesta time.

15. torero: bullfighter on foot. The toreador was a bullfighter on horseback, but that term is no longer used since all bullfighters today are toreros.

Exercises

I. Which word comes to Mind?

In each of the following, read the statement, then circle the word that comes to mind.

1. You go to see a performance of the opera “Carmen”

(lariat, flotilla, torero)

2. The calendar pictures a man asleep under a tree next to a lawn mower.

(barrio, bravado, manana)

3. A young man starts a fight to impress his girlfriend.

(machismo, siesta, renegade)

4. You win the lottery

(aficionado, bonanza, palmetto)

5. There is a wild police chase after the bank robber

(desperado, grandee, hacienda)

6. The FBI arrests a man for selling U.S. secrets to a foreign country

(aficionado, renegade, grandee)

7. Stores in Spain close for two hours after lunch

(siesta, hacienda, palmetto)

8. The Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria

(flotilla, barrio, manana)

9. David stands up to Goliath

(desperado, lariat, bravado)

10. A bull-fighting fan shouts, “Ole!”

(bonanza, aficionado, barrio)

II. True or False?

In the space provided, indicate whether each statement is true or false.

____ 1. A truly courageous person does not have to resort to bravado.

____ 2. Feminists have contempt for those men who display machismo.

____ 3. Ordinarily a grandee might take a siesta in his hacienda

____ 4. The Spanish Armada was too awesome to be described as a flotilla.

____ 5. A lariat can be the high point of a Spanish meal when it is seasoned properly.

____ 6. The spectators applauded the torero for his fearlessness.

____ 7. We bought an expensive barrio as a wedding gift

____ 8. Our winning lottery ticket proved to be a bonanza

____ 9. General Parker promised amnesty for any renegade who turned himself in.

____ 10. Because of his lifelong philanthropy, the desperado was honored at a White

             House ceremony.

III. Fill in the Blank

Insert one of the new words in the proper space in each sentence below.

1. Since Teddy is an _____________ of baseball, we got him two tickets to the World Series.
2. Refreshed by her ______________, Maria was ready to go to work.
3. As fish prices declined, the ______________ of shrimp boats was cut in half.
4. Our new mayor proposed to tear down sections of the _____________ and build middle-income housing.
5. The _____________ was caught up on a horn of the bull and badly injured.
6. With unexpected _______________, the young man confronted the bully.
7. Movie cowboys generally are proficient with a ________________.
8. “Au revoir, so long, ciao, _____________” she said as her taxi pulled away.
9. A photograph of the ______________ appeared on the Most Wanted list in our post office.
10. On Navy Day, we stood upon the pier to watch the ____________ sail into the

Harbor.

IV. What’s the Antonym?

Which of the new words is most nearly opposite in meaning to the one provided?

1. cowardice                            _______________

2. patriot                                  _______________

3. today                                   _______________

4. weakness                             _______________

5. lawman                                _______________

6. loss                                      _______________

7. state of alertness                 _______________

8. shack                                   _______________

9. peon                                                _______________

10. wealthy neighborhood      _______________

��t � � � �� P�� ornucopia                   corpulent                     plethora

5. erotic                       wandering                   digression                    desultory

IV. Fill in the Blank

Insert one of the new words in the proper space in each sentence below

1. When the package was opened, out poured a veritable ______________ of goodies.
2. Filling fifty bags of leaves from our lawn in two hours proved to be a __________ task.
3. Like the ____________, our last place team rose from the ashes to become champions.
4. The designer filled her dark showroom with _____________ fabrics, which brightened it considerably.
5. As I read the autobiography, I followed the author’s _____________ from poverty to riches.
6. Receiving an Academy Award is akin to scaling ____________ heights.
7. Although he had been an ordinary looking teenager, Maxwell developed into a genuine ______________.
8. When smallpox destroyed the model’s good looks, she was cured of her ____________.
9. I always anticipate a victory but my sister remains a _______________.
10. The choir and organist launched into a beautiful _______________ as the bridal couple entered the chapel.

Mythology (I):Lesson 6

Lesson 6:Mythology (I)

1. Adonis: an exceptionally handsome young man; a plant with solitary red or yellow flowers. Adonis was beloved by both Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and Persephone, the queen of the dead. He was killed by a boar in a hunting expedition and from his life’s blood sprang up a crimson flower.

2. Bacchanal: a follower of Bacchus (Greek, Dionysus), the god of wine; a drunken reveler; an orgy. Early Greek drama developed in connection with the festival honoring this god.

3. Cassandra: a daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy who had the gift of prophecy but was cursed by Apollo so that her prophecies, though true, were fated never to be believed;  one who prophecies doom or disaster. The Trojans thought Cassandra was insane and would be destroyed if Paris went to Sparta, and that there were armed Greeks in the Wooden Horse. If either of these prophecies had been heeded, Troy would have been saved.

4. Cornucopia: abundance; horn of plenty. Named after the horn of the goat Amalthea that suckled the infant Zeus, the horn is always full of food and drink in endless supply.

5. Erotic: concerning sexual love and desire; amatory. Eros was the Greek god of love, identified by the Romans with Cupid and represented as a winged child. While erotic has retained the sexual connotation, cupidity has acquired the meaning of “greed.”

6. Herculean: tremendously difficult and demanding; resembling Hercules in size, power, or courage. Hercules was the son of Zeus and Alcmene who won immortality by performing Twelve Labors demanded by the jealous Hera.

7. Hermetic: made airtight by fusion or sealing; insulated or cloistered; magical. Hermes (Latin, Mercury) was the messenger of the gods and the god of roads, commerce, invention, cunning, and theft. A most versatile god, Hermes is identified with the caduceus, the golden staff with wings at the top and intertwined with serpents, which is the symbol of today’s medical profession.

8. Hydra: the nine-headed serpent slain by Hercules; a persistent or many-sided problem that presents new obstacles as soon as old ones are solved. The hydra had to b en slain by Hercules as one of his Twelve Labors. This monster grew two heads for each one cut off. Hercules finally destroyed the hydra by cauterizing the necks as he cut off the heads.

9. Hymeneal: pertaining to marriage; a wedding song or poem. Hymen, the god of marriage, was represented as a handsome youth holding a torch.

10. Iridescent: displaying lustrous colors like those of the rainbow. Iris was a messenger of the gods and regarded as the goddess of the rainbow.

11. Narcissism: excessive admiration of oneself; egocentrism. Narcissus was a youth who, having spurned the love of Echo, fell in love with his own image reflected in a pool, and after wasting away from unsatisfied desire was transformed into the flower that bears his name. The plant, incidentally, has narcotic effects (from Greek narke, “numbness)

12. Odyssey: a long series of wanderings, especially when filled with notable experiences or hardships. The Odyssey, called “the greatest tale of all time,” is the second epic of Homer. It recounts the wandering and adventures of Odysseus after the fall of Troy, and his eventual return home to his faithful wife Penelope.

13. Olympian: pertaining to the twelve gods of the ancient Greek pantheon whose abode was Mt. Olympus; majestic; incomparably superior; pertaining to the Olympic games. Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece, is located in northern Greece (Macedonia). It is sometimes used synonymously with “heaven” or “the Sky.”

14. Palladium: anything believed to provide protection or safety; a safeguard or guarantee of the integrity of social institutions. Palladion was the fabled statue of Pallas Athena that assured the safety of Troy as long as it remained within the city.

15. Phoenix: a person or thing of peerless beauty or excellence; a person or thing that has become renewed or restored after suffering calamity or apparent annihilation. The phoenix was a mythical bird of great beauty, fabled to live 600 years in the Arabian desert, to burn itself on a funeral pyre, and to rise form its ashes to live through another cycle. It is an emblem of immortality.

Exercises

I. Which Word Comes to Mind?]

In each of the following, read the statement, then circle the word that comes to mind.

1. Stung by Cupid’s arrow

(hydra, Cassandra, erotic)

2. A sumptuous feast

(narcissism, cornucopia, odyssey)

3. Joseph’s coat of many colors

(iridescent, hymeneal, palladium)

4. Superhuman feats of strength

(Adonis, hermetic, Herculean)

5. Wine, women, and song

(Olympian, bacchanal, phoenix)

6. Admiring himself in the mirror

(narcissism, hymeneal, palladium)

7. The male model appeared on several magazine covers

(hermetic, Herculean, Adonis)

8. This year, designers are using vivid rainbow colors

(iridescent, erotic, bacchanal)

9. Story of the journey of Ulysses

(odyssey, Olympian, palladium)

10. From last place to first place

(phoenix, narcissism, hermetic)

II. True or False?

In the space provided, indicate whether each statement is true or false.

____ 1. Phoenix and palladium both suggest permanence.

____ 2. A stick-in-the-mud would be unlikely to engage in an odyssey.

____ 3. A narcissist is a lover of flowers.

____ 4. A bacchanal would likely attend every wedding feast but his own.

____ 5. Cassandra’s song would probably be a top seller.

____ 6. The happy month held a cornucopia of good news for the family.

____ 7. I refuse to deal with iridescent complaints.

____ 8. After his plastic surgery, Ronnie was a regular Adonis.

____ 9. The president said, “Bringing peace to the Middle East is a Herculean task.”

____ 10. Feeding the hydra was very costly.

III. Find the Imposter

Find and circle the one word on each line that is not related to the other three.

1. Cassandra                dramatic                      prophetic                     doomsday

2. baccalaureate           revelry                         bacchanal                    Dionysian

3. wisdom                   metallic                        palladium                    safety

4. luxuriant                  cornucopia                   corpulent                     plethora

5. erotic                       wandering                   digression                    desultory

IV. Fill in the Blank

Insert one of the new words in the proper space in each sentence below

1. When the package was opened, out poured a veritable ______________ of goodies.
2. Filling fifty bags of leaves from our lawn in two hours proved to be a __________ task.
3. Like the ____________, our last place team rose from the ashes to become champions.
4. The designer filled her dark showroom with _____________ fabrics, which brightened it considerably.
5. As I read the autobiography, I followed the author’s _____________ from poverty to riches.
6. Receiving an Academy Award is akin to scaling ____________ heights.
7. Although he had been an ordinary looking teenager, Maxwell developed into a genuine ______________.
8. When smallpox destroyed the model’s good looks, she was cured of her ____________.
9. I always anticipate a victory but my sister remains a _______________.
10. The choir and organist launched into a beautiful _______________ as the bridal couple entered the chapel.

Words About Groups:Lesson 3

Lesson 3

Words About Groups

1.      cabal – a clique; a small group joined in a secret intrigue; a conspiracy. This French word was formed from the initials of Charles II’s ministers (Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley, Lauderdale); cabal ultimately derives from the Hebrew word qabbalah, which referred to a mystical interpretation of the Scripture.

2.      camaraderie – comradeship; good fellowship. Two soldiers sharing the same room (in German, kammer) usually developed a loyal and warm friendship. The Communist Party adopted the word comrade to denote a fellow member.

3.      caste – a distinct social class or system. Hindu society is traditionally divided into four major hereditary castes, each class separated from the others by restrictions in marriage and occupation.

4.      cortege – a group of attendants accompanying a person; a ceremonial procession. It is not surprising that cortege is related to court, a place where followers and ceremonies abound.

5.      detente – a relaxing or easing, especially of international tension. After the Cold War years following World War II, the U.S. embarked on a policy of closer ties with Russia; hence was born the policy of détente.

6.      echelon – a level of command or authority or rank; a steplike formation of ships, troops, or planes. Coming to English through several languages, the word echelon has descended a ladder starting with the Latin word scale, which indeed means ladder, and explains why we still “scale a ladder”

7.      ecumenical – universal; general; fostering Christian unity throughout the world. The idea of ecumenism, as well as the spirit of brotherhood, was fostered by the far-reaching policies of Pope John XXIII

8.      elite – the best or most skilled members of a given social group. The word is related to elect and suggest that some people are born with “a silver spoon in their mouth” or at least, are entitled to special privileges. Elite is also used as an adjective.

9.      esprit de corps – a sense of union and of common interests and responsibilities. The French expression literally means “spirit of feeling as one body.” It implies not only a  camaraderie but a sense of pride or honor shared by those involved in an undertaking.

10.  freemasonry – secret or tacit brotherhood; instinctive sympathy. The Freemasons is an international fraternity for the promotion of brotherly love among its members, as well as a mutual assistance. It began in the Middle Ages as a class of skilled stoneworkers who possessed secret signs and passwords, a ritual that is still preserved today.

11.  genealogy – lineage; science of family descent. Though our hereditary character is transmitted through genes in our chromosomes, that does not assure us that our genealogy has provided us with the most desirable traits. Much can and does happen as the generations pass.

12.  hierarchy – a group of persons or things arranged in order, rank, or grade; a system of church government by clergymen in graded ranks. The Greek word hierarkhes meant “high priest.” From there it was a small step to the designation of the entire church leadership as a hierarchy. With the loss of temporal power by the church after the Middle Ages, the word now refers to any arrangement by authority or position.

13.  hobnob – to associate on very friendly terms. The title of the novel To Have and Have Not is an exact translation of the original meaning of hobnob. This word was formed by a combination of the Old English words habban (to have) and navban (not to have). The modern meaning suggests the egalitarian idea of friendship not based on one’s possessions.

14.  liaison – the contact maintained between military or naval units in order to undertake concerted action; a similar connection between the units of any organization; an illicit relationship between a man and a woman. This word is a cousin to ligature, a connection on the physical level similar to the connection made on an informational level by a liaison.

15.  rapprochement – a reestablishing of cordial relations. If there is to be an end to war, people and nations must learn to meet each other, to approach each other, on common grounds. That is what this word implies, a coming together in friendship and trust.

Exercises

I. Which Word Comes to Mind?

In each of the following, read the statement, then circle the word that comes to mind

1. The superpowers agree to a mutual reduction of nuclear stockpiles

            (cabal, echelon, rapprochement)

2. A young man breaks the engagement because his fiancé cannot afford a dowry

            (caste, liaison, hierarchy)

3. Firemen risk their lives to rescue a trapped buddy     (cortege, camaraderie, genealogy)

4. He associates informally with our town’s high society (détente, freemasonry, hobnob)

5. The sermon ended with a call for universal brotherhood and recognition of individual

worth               (ecumenical, elite, esprit de corps)

6. A funeral procession of hundreds of mourners      (cortege, freemasonry, cabal)

7. Police arrest a  group of  men who were plotting an assassination

 (cabal, rapprochement, détente)

8. You receive an offer of a framed history of your ancestors (echelon, genealogy, caste)

9. Speaking a foreign language made the French student invaluable as a link between our two countries               (esprit de corps, liaison, hierarchy)

10. Stepping in between the two warring factions, we got them to agree to a cease-fire

            (elite, hobnob, détente)

II. True or False?

In the spaces provided, indicate whether each statement is true or false.

__1. The cabal holds a public forum to discuss the issue

__2. Detente involves risks and compromises by both sides.

__3. A member of the elite feels that the world is his oyster.

__4. Esprit de corps denotes a stronger bond than camaraderie.

__5. A liaison serves a purpose similar to that of a go-between.

__6. The gossip columnist frequently hobnobs with movie stars.

__7. We paid an expert to research our family’s genealogy.

__8. Entering into a rapprochement, the cousins continued their bitter fight.

__9. The producer wanted a young caste for his new musical.

__10. Arnold joined his company’s hierarchy when he became a vice-president.

III. Fill in the Blank

Insert one of the new words in the proper space in each sentence below.

1.      At the highest ______in our company sit the founder and his two trusted advisers.

2.      We formed a _______ group to avoid needless duplication among the three committees.

3.      The former society reporter used to _______with the rich and famous.

4.      Baseball managers strive to develop a winning ________in their locker room lectures.

5.      Laden with floral displays, the funeral ____________ wound its way into the cemetery.

6.      All members of the failed _________were arrested last night.

7.      I picked up the phone in order to bring about a _________ with my twin sister.

8.      A study of our __________revealed our descent from Spanish royalty.

9.      Promoted to cardinal, the bishop became part of the church’s ________

10.  As a member of the _____________group, Hedley was invited everywhere.

IV. What’s the Antonym?

Which of the new words is most nearly opposite in meaning to the one provided?

1. commoners                  ____________
2. dissension                    ____________
3. hostility                       ____________
4. parochial                      ____________
5. withdraw                     ____________
6. breaking off                ____________
7. disorganization            ____________
8. equality                       ____________
9. ill will                          ____________
10. unaffiliated                 ____________