| A | B |
|---|
| gothic | adj. characterized by or emphasizing a gloomy setting and grotesque or violent events; such a literary or artistic style; a type of medieval architecture |
| lugubrious | adj. sad, mournful, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree |
| parlous | adj. full of danger or risk; perilous |
| punctillio | n. a minute detail of conduct or procedure; an instant of time |
| quixotic | adj. extravagantly or romantically idealistic; visionary without regard to practical considerations |
| apostate | n. one who forsakes his or her religion, party, or cause; adj. renouncing or abandoning an allegiance |
| euphoria | n. a feeling of great happiness or well-being, often with no objective basis |
| dichotomy | n. a division into two contradictory or mutually exclusive parts; a branching or forking in an ancestral line |
| non sequitur | n. an inference or conclusion that does not follow logically from the facts or premises |
| quagmire | n. soft, soggy mud or slush; a difficult or entrapping situation |
| effusive | adj. highly demonstrative; unrestrained |
| consensus | n. a collective or general agreement of opinion, feeling, or thinking |
| raconteur | n. a person who tells stories and anecdotes with great skill |
| mystique | n. an aura or attitude of mystery or veneration surrounding something or someone |
| impasse | n. a dead end; a position from which there is no escape; a problem to which there is no solution |
| metamorphosis | n. a complete transformation, as if by magic |
| vendetta | n. a prolonged feud, often between two families, characterized by retaliatory acts of revenge; any act motivated by vengeance |
| constrict | v. to make smaller or narrower, draw together, squeeze; to stop or cause to falter |
| bravado | n. a display of false or assumed courage |
| sine qua non | n. an essential or indispensable element or condition |
