Al Jolson

     Actor most noted for his black-faced portrayal of an African American singer in the silent movie The Jazz Singer.

cliché

a word or phrase used so many times, it becomes meaningless

enclave

a small area enclosed by a larger area

faux pas

a social mistake

isolation

the state of being alone or separated from a group

perpetuating

continuing or causing to continue

plausible

believable, understandable

salvo

sudden attack

surname

last or family name

cornucopia

an image of bounty, usually a goat's horn filled with fruits and vegetables

disseminate

to give away or to spread; to tell

edicts

official announcements

fancier

a person knowledgeable about a particular subject; an expert

issuance

distribution

lamentation

grief or regret

oeuvre

an entire collection of one's works

resolution

in computer terms, the final form of an image on a computer screen.  The higher the resolution, the clearer the image.

technophobes

people afraid of technology

ventures

risks

material

space on a chessboard

pawn formation

moves by pawns that aid other pieces

pawn sacrifice

allowing a pawn to be captured

excruciating

unbearable

Preakness

championship horse race

pathogen

a disease causing agent

totality

the moment during an eclipse when the moon completely covers the sun

promenading

strolling

provincial

unsophisticated

venerable

respectable, honorable

villas

small houses

virulent

harmful, hostile

sacking

attacking

smiting

striking hard

wicket

a set of three poles; in cricket, the object is to deflect a ball away fromthe wicket with a paddle.

adept

skilled

empathetic

sharing the feelings someone else feels

linguistic

related to language

beget

create or produce

demigod

a being that is more than human but less than god

derided

insulted

fervor

earnest enthusiasm

flailing

moving wildly

gangsta rap

a type of hip-hop music spotlighting crime and violence

mantra

holy word or phrase often repeated for power

mottling

staining with a different color

aura

energy field that surrounds people

catastrophe

major emergency or problem

calamity

major upset or upheaval

feng shui

an Eastern philosophy centered on the relationship between physical surroundings and human energies

foreclosure

where a bank assumes the loan on a house due to lack of payment by the owners

malice

evil intent

profusion

a large amount

qui

energy

abhorred

strongly disliked

ergo

therefore; which leads to

loathe

hate

accruing

gathering

alumni

graduates of a school, usually a college or university

basso profundo

big and profound; grand

commiserate

empathize, share similar feelings

conspicuous

noticeable, obvious

dunning

demanding payment of debt

fortnight

fourteen nights; two weeks

prudence

thoughtful consideration

usury

extremely high interest rate

Woody Guthrie

folk singer