| A | B |
|---|
| aberration | (n.) a departure from what is proper, right, expected, or normal |
| ad hoc | (adj.) for this specific purpose; improvised |
| bane | (n.) the source or cause of fatal injury, death, destruction, or ruin |
| bathos | (n.) the intrusion of commonplace or trite material into a context whose tone is lofty or elevated |
| cantankerous | (adj.) ill-tempered, quarrelsome |
| casuistry | (n.) the determination of right and wrong in questions of conduct or conscience by the application of general ethical principals |
| de facto | (adj.) actually existing or in effect, although not legally required or sanctioned |
| depredation | (n.) the act of preying upon or plundering |
| empathy | (n.) a sympathetic understanding of or identification with the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of someone |
| harbinger | (n.) a forerunner, herald |
| hedonism | (n.) the belief that the attainment of pleasure is life's chief aim |
| lackluster | (adj.) lacking brilliance or vitality |
| malcontent | (adj.) discontented with or in open defiance of prevailing conditions |
| mellifluous | (adj.) flowing sweetly or smoothly |
| nepotism | (n.) undue favoritism to or excessive patronage of one's relatives |
| pander | (v.) to cater to or provide satisfaction for the low tastes or vices of others |
| peccadillo | (n.) a minor sin or offense |
| piece de resistance | (n.) the principal dish of a meal; the principal event, incident, or item |
| remand | (v.) to send or order back; in law |
| syndrome | (n.) a group of symptoms or signs that collectively characterize or indicate a disease |
