Apr. 26 Corporate Greed and Corruption
Every Boom puts crooks in at the top.

*crook
noun
1 the hooked staff of a shepherd.
• a bishop's crozier.
• a bend in something, esp. at the elbow in a person's arm : her head was cradled in the crook of Luke's left arm.
• a piece of extra tubing that can be fitted to a brass instrument to lower the pitch by a set interval.
• a metal tube on which the reed of some wind instruments (such as the bassoon) is set.
2 informal a person who is dishonest or a criminal.
verb [ trans. ]
bend (something, esp. a finger as a signal) : he crooked a finger for the waitress.
adjective Austral./NZ, informal
(esp. of a situation) bad, unpleasant, or unsatisfactory : it was pretty crook on the land in the early 1970s.
• (of a person or a part of the body) unwell or injured : a crook knee.
• dishonest; illegal : some pretty crook things went on there. [ORIGIN: late 19th cent.: abbreviation of crooked .]
DERIVATIVES
crookery |ˈkroŏkərē| noun

*plunder
verb [ trans. ]
steal goods from (a place or person), typically using force and in a time of war or civil disorder : looters moved into the disaster area to plunder stores | [ intrans. ] the invaders were back and ready to plunder. See note at ravage .
• steal (goods) in such a way.
• take material from (artistic or academic work) for one's own purposes : we shall plunder related sciences to assist our research.
noun
the violent and dishonest acquisition of property : the farmers suffered the inhumanity and indignities of pillage and plunder.
• property acquired illegally and violently : the army sacked the city and carried off huge quantities of plunder.
DERIVATIVES
plunderer noun

*predator
noun
an animal that naturally preys on others : wolves are major predators of rodents
• figurative a rapacious, exploitative person or group : her wealth made her vulnerable to predators.
• figurative a company that tries to take over another.

Apr. 27 What Is Business Ethics?
Business ethics assumes that for some reason the ordinary rules of ethics do not apply to business.

*axiom
noun
a statement or proposition that is regarded as being established, accepted, or self-evidently true : the axiom that supply equals demand.
• chiefly Mathematics a statement or proposition on which an abstractly defined structure is based.

*pauper
noun
a very poor person.
• historical a recipient of government relief or public charity.
DERIVATIVES
pauperdom |-dəm| noun
pauperism |-ˌrizəm| noun
pauperization |ˌpôpəriˈzā sh ən| noun
pauperize |-ˌrīz| verb

*mighty
adjective ( mightier , mightiest )
possessing great and impressive power or strength, esp on account of size : three mighty industrial countries | mighty beasts.
• (of an action) performed with or requiring great strength : a mighty heave | figurative a mighty blow against racism.
• informal very large : she gave a mighty hiccup.
adverb [as submodifier ] informal
extremely : this is mighty early to be planning a presidential campaign.
DERIVATIVES
mightily |ˈmītl-ē| adverb
mightiness noun

*meek
adjective
quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on; submissive : I used to call her Miss Mouse because she was so meek and mild | the meek compliance of our politicians.
DERIVATIVES
meekly adverb
meekness noun

Apr. 23 The Crucial Promotions
The crucial promotion is into the group from which tomorrow's top people will have to be selected.

*pyramid
noun
1 a monumental structure with a square or triangular base and sloping sides that meet in a point at the top, esp. one built of stone as a royal tomb in ancient Egypt.
pyramid 1
Pyramids were built as tombs for Egyptian pharaohs from the 3rd dynasty ( c. 2649 bc) until c. 1640 bc. Monuments of similar shape are associated with the Aztec and Maya civilizations of c. 1200 bc – ad 750, and, like those in Egypt, were part of large ritual complexes.
2 a thing, shape, or graph with such a form : the pyramid of the Matterhorn.
• Geometry a polyhedron of which one face is a polygon of any number of sides, and the other faces are triangles with a common vertex : a three-sided pyramid.
• a pile of things with such a form : a pyramid of logs.
• Anatomy a structure of more or less pyramidal form, esp. in the brain or the renal medulla.
• an organization or system that is structured with fewer people or things at each level as one approaches the top : the lowest strata of the social pyramid.
• a system of financial growth achieved by a small initial investment, with subsequent investments being funded by using unrealized profits as collateral.
verb [ trans. ]
heap or stack in the shape of a pyramid : debt was pyramided on top of unrealistic debt in an orgy of speculation.
• achieve a substantial return on (money or property) after making a small initial investment.
DERIVATIVES
pyramidal |piˈramidl| adjective
pyramidally adverb
pyramidical |ˌpirəˈmidikəl| adjective
pyramidically adverb

*abrupt
adjective
1 sudden and unexpected : I was surprised by the abrupt change of subject | our round of golf came to an abrupt end on the 13th hole.
2 brief to the point of rudeness; curt : you were rather abrupt with that young man.
• (of a style of speech or writing) not flowing smoothly; disjointed.
3 steep; precipitous : the abrupt double peak of the mountain.
DERIVATIVES
abruptly adverb
abruptness noun

Apr. 24 Social Responsibility
Good intentions are not always socially responsible.

*impede
verb [ trans. ]
delay or prevent (someone or something) by obstructing them; hinder : the sap causes swelling that can impede breathing. See note at hinder .

*philanthropy
noun
the desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed esp. by the generous donation of money to good causes.
• a philanthropic institution; a charity.
DERIVATIVES
philanthropism |-pizəm| noun
philanthropize |-pīz| verb

Apr. 25 Sloan on Social Responsibility
Authority without responsibility is illegitimate; but so is responsibility without authority.

*usurp
verb [ trans. ]
take (a position of power or importance) illegally or by force : Richard usurped the throne.
• take the place of (someone in a position of power) illegally: supplant : the Hanoverian dynasty had usurped the Stuarts.
• [ intrans. ] ( usurp on/upon) archaic encroach or infringe upon (someone's rights) : the Church had usurped upon the domain of the state.
DERIVATIVES
usurpation |ˌyoōsərˈpā sh ən| noun
usurper noun

*asperity
noun ( pl. -ties)
harshness of tone or manner : he pointed this out with some asperity.
• ( asperities) harsh qualities or conditions : the asperities of a harsh and divided society.
• (usu. asperities) a rough edge on a surface : the asperities of the metal surfaces.

*congruent
adjective
1 in agreement or harmony : institutional and departmental objectives are largely congruent | the rules may not be congruent with the requirements of the law.
2 Geometry (of figures) identical in form; coinciding exactly when superimposed.
DERIVATIVES
congruence noun
congruency noun
congruently adverb

*commensurate
adjective
corresponding in size or degree; in proportion : salary will be commensurate with experience | such heavy responsibility must receive commensurate reward.
DERIVATIVES
commensurately adverb

Apr. 21 Sloan on People Decision
"If we didn't spend four hours on placing a man and placing him right, we'd spend four hundred hours on cleaning up after our mistake."

*epithet
noun
an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned : old men are often unfairly awarded the epithet “dirty.”
• such a word or phrase as a term of abuse : he felt an urge to hurl epithets in his face.
• a descriptive title : the epithet “Father of Waters,” poetically used for the Mississippi River.
DERIVATIVES
epithetic |epəˈθetik| adjective
epithetical |epəˈθetikəl| adjective
epithetically |epəˈθetik(ə)lē| adverb

Apr. 22 A good Judge of People?
There are only people who make people decisions right... and people who make people decisions wrong and then repent at leisure.

*repent
verb [ intrans. ]
feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one's wrongdoing or sin : the priest urged his listeners to repent | he repented of his action.
• [ trans. ] view or think of (an action or omission) with deep regret or remorse : Marian came to repent her hasty judgment.
• ( repent oneself) archaic feel regret or penitence about : I repent me of all I did.
DERIVATIVES
repentance |riˈpentns| noun
repentant |riˈpentnt| adjective
repenter noun

*conscientious
adjective
(of a person) wishing to do what is right, esp. to do one's work or duty well and thoroughly : a conscientious and hardworking clerk.
• (of work or a person's manner) showing such an attitude : a conscientious and purposeful look on her face.
• relating to a person's conscience : the act does not provide exemption from service on the basis of personal conscientious beliefs.
DERIVATIVES
conscientiously adverb
conscientiousness noun

*quench
verb [ trans. ]
1 satisfy (one's thirst) by drinking.
• satisfy (a desire) : he only pursued her to quench an aching need.
2 extinguish (a fire) : firemen hauled on hoses in a desperate bid to quench the flames.
• stifle or suppress (a feeling) : fury rose in him, but he quenched it.
• rapidly cool (red-hot metal or other material), esp. in cold water or oil.
• Physics & Electronics suppress or damp (an effect such as luminescence, or an oscillation or discharge).
noun
an act of quenching something very hot.
DERIVATIVES
quenchable adjective
quencher noun ( chiefly Physics Metallurgy)
quenchless adjective ( poetic/literary).

*yonder
adverb archaic or dialect
at some distance in the direction indicated; over there : there's a ford south of here, about nine miles yonder.
adjective archaic or dialect
that or those (used to refer to something situated at a distance) : what light through yonder window breaks?
noun ( the yonder)
the far distance : attempting to fly off into the wild blue yonder.

*aplomb
noun
self-confidence or assurance, esp. when in a demanding situation : Diana passed the test with aplomb.

*surmount
verb [ trans. ]
1 overcome (a difficulty or obstacle) : all manner of cultural differences were surmounted.
2 (usu. be surmounted) stand or be placed on top of : the tomb was surmounted by a sculptured angel.
DERIVATIVES
surmountable adjective

*drab
adjective ( drabber , drabbest )
1 lacking brightness or interest; drearily dull : the landscape was drab and gray | her drab suburban existence.
2 of a dull light brown color : drab camouflage uniforms.
noun
fabric of a dull brownish color.
DERIVATIVES
drably adverb
drabness noun
noun archaic
1 a slovenly woman.
2 a prostitute.

Apr. 18 Decision Steps for Picking People
The most important thing is that the person and the assignment fit each other.

*appoint
verb [ trans. ]
1 assign a job or role to (someone) : she has been appointed to the board | [ trans. ] a delegated engineer will be appointed to oversee each graduate | they appointed her as personnel manager.
2 determine or decide on (a time or a place) : they appointed a day in May for the meeting.
• archaic decree : such laws are appointed by God.
3 Law decide the disposal of (property of which one is not the owner) under powers granted by the owner : trustees appoint the capital to the beneficiaries.
DERIVATIVES
appointee |əˌpoinˈtē| noun
appointer noun

Apr. 19 Placements That Fails
The soldier has a right to competent command.

*cop-out
noun informal
an instance of avoiding a commitment or responsibility : being ‘average’ is the lazy person's cop-

Apr. 20 The Succession Decision
The most critical people decision, and the one that is hardest to undo, is the succession to the top.

*carbon copy
noun
a copy of written or typed material made with carbon paper.
• figurative a person or thing identical or very similar to another : Karl was a carbon copy of his father.

*leery
adjective ( leerier, leeriest)
cautious or wary due to realistic suspicions : a city leery of gang violence.
DERIVATIVES
leeriness noun

*by and large
general speaking; mainly; on the whole; in the main; basically;

*anoint
verb [ trans. ]
smear or rub with oil, typically as part of a religious ceremony : bodies were anointed after death for burial.
• ( anoint something with) smear or rub something with (any other substance) : Cuna Indians anoint the tips of their arrows with poison.
• ceremonially confer divine or holy office upon (a priest or monarch) by smearing or rubbing with oil : [ trans. ] the Lord has anointed me to preach to the poor | [ trans. ] Samuel anointed him king.
• figurative nominate or choose (someone) as successor to or leading candidate for a position : he was anointed as the organizational candidate of the party | [as adj. ] ( anointed) his officially anointed heir.
PHRASES
Anointing of the Sick (in the Roman Catholic Church) the sacramental anointing of the ill or infirm with blessed oil; unction.
God's (or the Lord's) anointed a monarch ruling by divine right.

*surmount
verb [ trans. ]
1 overcome (a difficulty or obstacle) : all manner of cultural differences were surmounted.
2 (usu. be surmounted) stand or be placed on top of : the tomb was surmounted by a sculptured angel.
DERIVATIVES
surmountable adjective

Apr. 16
The first sign of decline of an industry is loss of appeal to able people.

*irreversible
adjective
not able to be undone or altered : she suffered irreversible damage to her health.
DERIVATIVES
irreversibility |-ˌvərsəˈbilitē| noun
irreversibly |-blē| adverb

*cope
verb [ intrans. ]
(of a person) deal effectively with something difficult : his ability to cope with stress | it all got too much for me and I couldn't cope.
• (of a machine or system) have the capacity to deal successfully with : the roads are barely adequate to cope with the present traffic.
DERIVATIVES
coper noun

Apr. 17
Don't hire a person for what they can't do; hire them for what they can do.

*dud
noun
1 a thing that fails to work properly or is otherwise unsatisfactory or worthless : a high-grade collection, not a dud in the lot | | all three bombs were duds.
• an ineffectual person : a complete dud, incapable of even hitting the ball.
2 ( duds) clothes : buy yourself some new duds.
adjective
not working or meeting standards; faulty : a dud ignition switch.
• counterfeit : charged with issuing dud checks.

*troop
noun
1 a group of soldiers, esp. a cavalry unit commanded by a captain, or an airborne unit.
• ( troops) soldiers or armed forces : UN peacekeeping troops | [as adj. ] ( troop) troop withdrawals.
• a unit of 18 to 24 Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts organized under a troop leader.
2 a group of people or animals of a particular kind : a troop of musicians.
verb [ intrans. ]
(of a group of people) come or go together or in large numbers : the girls trooped in for dinner.
• (of a lone person) walk at a slow or steady pace : Caroline trooped wearily home from work.

*aide
noun
an assistant to an important person, esp. to a political leader : a presidential aide.
• short for aide-de-camp .

*colonel
noun
an army officer of high rank, in particular (in the U.S. Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps) an officer above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general.
• informal short for lieutenant colonel .
DERIVATIVES
colonelcy |ˈkərnlsē| noun ( pl. -cies).

~No organization can do better than the people it has. by Peter Drucker.~

*mundane
adjective
1 lacking interest or excitement; dull : seeking a way out of his mundane, humdrum existence.
2 of this earthly world rather than a heavenly or spiritual one : according to the Shinto doctrine, spirits of the dead can act upon the mundane world.
• of, relating to, or denoting the branch of astrology that deals with political, social, economic, and geophysical events and processes.
DERIVATIVES
mundanely adverb
mundaneness noun
mundanity |-ˈdānətē| noun ( pl. -ties).

*hornet
noun
a large stinging wasp that typically nests in hollow trees.
bald-faced hornet
• Vespa and other genera, family Vespidae: several species, including the giant hornet ( V. crabro) and the bald-faced (or white-faced) hornet ( V. maculata).
PHRASES
a hornets' nest a situation fraught with difficulties or complications : the move has stirred up a hornet's nest of academic fear and loathing.

*vertebrate
noun
an animal of a large group distinguished by the possession of a backbone or spinal column, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes. Compare with invertebrate . • Subphylum Vertebrata, phylum Chordata: seven classes.
adjective
of or relating to the vertebrates.

*ivory
noun ( pl. -ries)
1 a hard creamy-white substance composing the main part of the tusks of an elephant, walrus, or narwhal, often (esp. formerly) used to make ornaments and other articles : [as adj. ] a knife with an ivory handle.
• an object made of ivory.
• ( the ivories) informal the keys of a piano.
• ( ivories) informal a person's teeth.
2 a creamy-white color.
DERIVATIVES
ivoried |-rēd| adjective

*lush
adjective
(of vegetation) growing luxuriantly : lush greenery and cultivated fields. See note at profuse .
• opulent and luxurious : a hall of gleaming marble, as lush as a Byzantine church.
• (of color or music) very rich and providing great sensory pleasure : lush orchestrations.
• (of a woman) very sexually attractive : Marianne, with her lush body and provocative green eyes.
DERIVATIVES
lushly adverb
lushness noun
noun
a heavy drinker, esp. a habitual one.
verb [ trans. ] dated
make (someone) drunk : Mr. Hobart got so lushed up he was spilling drinks down his shirt.

*ox
noun ( pl. oxen |ˈäksən|)
a domesticated bovine animal kept for milk or meat; a cow or bull. See cattle (sense 1).
• a castrated male of this, formerly much used as a draft animal : [as adj. ] an ox cart.
• an animal of a group related to the domestic ox. See cattle (sense 2).

~A Chief Executive Officer who has 'friendships' within the company....cannot remain impartial. by Peter Drucker.~

*revere
verb [ trans. ] (often be revered)
feel deep respect or admiration for (something) : Cézanne's still lifes were revered by his contemporaries

*tenure
noun
1 the conditions under which land or buildings are held or occupied.
2 the holding of an office : his tenure of the premiership would be threatened.
• a period for which an office is held.
3 guaranteed permanent employment, esp. as a teacher or professor, after a probationary period.
verb [ trans. ]
give (someone) a permanent post, esp. as a teacher or professor : I had recently been tenured and then promoted to full professor.
• [as adj. ] ( tenured) having or denoting such a post : a tenured faculty member.

*gratitude
noun
the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness : she expressed her gratitude to the committee for their support.

*aloof
adjective
not friendly or forthcoming; cool and distant : they were courteous but faintly aloof | an aloof and somewhat austere figure.
• conspicuously uninvolved and uninterested, typically through distaste : he stayed aloof from the bickering.
DERIVATIVES
aloofly adverb
aloofness noun

*contrary
adjective |ˈkänˌtre(ə)rē|
1 opposite in nature, direction, or meaning : he ignored contrary advice and agreed on the deal. See note at opposite .
• (of two or more statements, beliefs, etc.) opposed to one another : his mother had given him contrary messages.
• (of a wind) blowing in the opposite direction to one's course; unfavorable.
• Logic (of two propositions) so related that one or neither but not both must be true. Compare with contradictory .
2 |kənˈtre(ə)rē| perversely inclined to disagree or to do the opposite of what is expected or desired : she is sulky and contrary where her work is concerned.
noun |ˈkänˌtre(ə)rē| ( pl. -traries)
1 ( the contrary) the opposite : the magazine has proved that the contrary is true.
2 Logic a contrary proposition.
PHRASES
contrary to conflicting with; counter to : contrary to his expectations, he found the atmosphere exciting | the restrictions were not contrary to the public interest.
on (or quite) the contrary used to intensify a denial of what has just been implied or stated : there was no malice in her; on the contrary, she was very kind.
to the contrary with the opposite meaning or implication : he continued to drink despite medical advice to the contrary.
DERIVATIVES
contrarily |-əlē| adverb
contrariness noun

~What Churchill gave was moral authority, belief in values and faith in the rightness of rational action. by Peter Drucker.~

*frenzied
adjective
wildly excited or uncontrolled : a frenzied attack.
DERIVATIVES
frenziedly adverb

*decent
adjective
1 conforming with generally accepted standards of respectable or moral behavior : the good name of such a decent and innocent person.
• appropriate; fitting : they would meet again after a decent interval.
• not likely to shock or embarrass others : a decent high-necked dress.
• informal sufficiently clothed to see visitors : make yourself decent.
2 [ attrib. ] of an acceptable standard; satisfactory : find me a decent cup of coffee | people need decent homes.
• good : the deer are small: a 14-inch spread is a pretty decent buck.
• kind, obliging, or generous : that was pretty awfully decent of him.
PHRASES
do the decent thing take the most honorable or appropriate course of action, even if is not necessarily in one's own interests : after his defeat, he should do the decent thing and step down.
DERIVATIVES
decently adverb

*pathetic
adjective
1 arousing pity, esp. through vulnerability or sadness : she looked so pathetic that I bent down to comfort her. See note at moving .
• informal miserably inadequate : his test scores in Chemistry were pathetic.
2 archaic relating to the emotions.
DERIVATIVES
pathetically |-(ə)lē| adverb

*mediocrity
noun ( pl. -ties)
the quality or state of being mediocre : heroes rising above the mediocrity that surrounds them.
• a person of mediocre ability.

*conspicuous
adjective
standing out so as to be clearly visible : he was very thin, with a conspicuous Adam's apple. See note at noticeable .
• attracting notice or attention : he showed conspicuous bravery.
PHRASES
conspicuous by one's absence obviously not present in a place where one should be. [ORIGIN: from a speech made by Lord John Russell in an address to electors (1859): taken from Tacitus ( Annals iii. 76).]
DERIVATIVES
conspicuity |ˌkänspiˈkyoōitē| noun
conspicuously adverb
conspicuousness noun

*totalitarian
adjective
of or relating to a system of government that is centralized and dictatorial and requires complete subservience to the state : a totalitarian regime.
noun
a person advocating such a system of government.
DERIVATIVES
totalitarianism |-ˌnizəm| noun

*hinge
noun
a movable joint or mechanism on which a door, gate, or lid swings as it opens and closes, or that connects linked objects.
hinge
• Biology a natural joint that performs a similar function, for example that of a bivalve shell.
• a central point or principle on which everything depends : this period can be called the hinge of history.
• a small piece of gummed transparent paper used to affix a stamp to a page in an album.
verb ( hinging ) [ trans. ] (usu. be hinged)
attach or join with or as if with a hinge : the ironing board was set into the wall and hinged at the bottom | [as adj. ] ( hinged) a pocket watch with a hinged lid.
• [ intrans. ] (of a door or part of a structure) hang and turn on a hinge : the skull's jaw hinged down.
• [ intrans. ] ( hinge on) depend entirely on : the future of the industry could hinge on the outcome of next month's election.
DERIVATIVES
hingeless adjective

*infallibility
noun
the quality of being infallible; the inability to be wrong : his judgment became impaired by faith in his own infallibility.
• (also papal infallibility) (in the Roman Catholic Church) the doctrine that in specified circumstances the pope is incapable of error in pronouncing dogma.

*uncanny
adjective ( -nier , -niest )
strange or mysterious, esp. in an unsettling way : an uncanny feeling that she was being watched.
DERIVATIVES
uncannily |-ˈkanəl-ē| adverb
uncanniness noun

*espouse
verb [ trans. ]
1 adopt or support (a cause, belief, or way of life) : she espoused communism.
2 archaic marry : Edward had espoused the Lady Grey.
• ( be espoused to) (of a woman) be engaged to (a particular man).
DERIVATIVES
espouser noun

~All one could do in 1939 was pray and hope. by Peter Drucker.~

*hindsight
noun
understanding of a situation or event only after it has happened or developed : with hindsight, I should never have gone.

*ersatz
adjective
(of a product) made or used as a substitute, typically an inferior one, for something else : ersatz coffee.
• not real or genuine : ersatz emotion.
See note at spurious .

*entouage
noun
a group of people attending or surrounding an important person : an entourage of bodyguards.

*deliverance
noun
1 the action of being rescued or set free : prayers for deliverance.
2 a formal or authoritative utterance.

*rhetoric
noun
the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, esp. the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques.
• language designed to have a persuasive or impressive effect on its audience, but is often regarded as lacking in sincerity or meaningful content : all we have from the opposition is empty rhetoric.

*affirmation
noun
the action or process of affirming or being affirmed : an affirmation of basic human values | he nodded in affirmation.
• Law a formal declaration by a person who declines to take an oath for reasons of conscience.

~Keep your eye on the task, not on yourself. The task matters, and you are a servant. by Peter Drucker.~

*alibi
noun ( pl. -bis )
a claim or piece of evidence that one was elsewhere when an act, typically a criminal one, is alleged to have taken place : she has an alibi for the whole of yesterday evening | a defense of alibi.
• informal an excuse or pretext : a catch-all alibi for failure and inadequacy.
verb ( -bis, -bied, -biing) [ trans. ] informal
offer an excuse or defense for (someone), esp. by providing an account of their whereabouts at the time of an alleged act : her friend agreed to alibi her.
• [ intrans. ] make excuses : not once do I recall him whining or alibiing.

*aggrandize
verb [ trans. ]
increase the power, status, or wealth of : an action intended to aggrandize the Frankish dynasty.
• enhance the reputation of (someone) beyond what is justified by the facts : he hoped to aggrandize himself by dying a hero's death.
DERIVATIVES
aggrandizement |-ˌdīzmənt; -diz-| noun
aggrandizer noun

*vain
adjective
1 having or showing an excessively high opinion of one's appearance, abilities, or worth : their flattery made him vain.
2 [ attrib. ] producing no result; useless : a vain attempt to tidy up the room | the vain hope of finding work.
• having no meaning or likelihood of fulfillment : a vain boast.
PHRASES
in vain without success or a result : they waited in vain for a response.
take someone's name in vain use someone's name in a way that shows a lack of respect.
DERIVATIVES
vainly adverb

*genus
noun ( pl. genera |ˈjenərə|or genuses) Biology
a grouping of organisms having common characteristics distinct from those of other such groupings. The genus is a principal taxonomic category that ranks above species and below family, and is denoted by a capitalized Latin name, e.g., Leo.
• (in philosophical and general use) a class of things that have common characteristics and that can be divided into subordinate kinds.

*gourd
noun
1 a fleshy, typically large fruit with a hard skin, some varieties of which are edible.
• a drinking container, water container, or ornament made from the hard hollowed and dried skin of this fruit.
2 a climbing or trailing plant that bears this fruit. • Family Cucurbitaceae (the gourd family): several genera and species, including the colored ornamental gourds ( Cucurbita pepo var. ovifera). The gourd family also includes the marrows, squashes, pumpkins, melons, and cucumbers.
PHRASES
out of one's gourd informal out of one's mind; crazy. • under the influence or alcohol or drugs : he was obviously stoned out of his gourd.
DERIVATIVES
gourdful |-ˌfoŏl| noun ( pl. -fuls).

*graze
verb [ intrans. ]
(of cattle, sheep, etc.) eat grass in a field : cattle graze on the open meadows.
• [ trans. ] (of an animal) feed on (grass or land covered by grass) : llamas graze the tufts of grass.
• [ trans. ] put (cattle, sheep, etc.) to feed on land covered by grass : shepherds who grazed animals on common land.
• informal (of a person) eat small quantities of food at frequent but irregular intervals : advertisers should not encourage children to graze on snacks or sweets.
• informal casually sample something : we grazed up and down the channels.
DERIVATIVES
grazer noun
verb [ trans. ]
scrape the skin of (a part of the body) so as to break the surface but cause little or no bleeding : she fell down and grazed her knees.
• touch or scrape lightly in passing : his hands just grazed hers.
noun
a slight injury where the skin is scraped : it'll be fine, it's only a graze.