| A | B |
|---|
| ad hoc | for this specific purpose, improvised; with respect to this |
| depredation | the act of preying upon or plundering |
| harbinger | a forerunner, herald; to herald the approach of |
| de facto | actually existing or in effect, although not legally required or sanctioned; in reality, actually |
| aberration | a departure from what is proper, right expected, or normal; a lapse from a sound mental state |
| empathy | a sympathetic understanding of or indentification with the feelings, thoughts or attitudes of someone or something else |
| bathos | the intrusion of commonplaceor trite material into a context whose tone is lofty or elevated; grossly insincere or exaggerated sentimentality; the lowest phrase; nadir; an anticlimax, comedown |
| bane | the source or cause of fatal injury, death, destruction, or ruin; death or ruin itself; position |
| cantankerous | ill-tempered, quarrelsome; difficult to get along or deal with |
| casuistry | the determination of right and wrong in questions of conduct and conscience by the application of general ethical principles; specious argument |
| peccadillo | a minor sin or offense; a trifling fault or shortcoming |
| syndrome | a group of symptoms or signs that collectively characterize or indicate a disease, disorder, abnormailty, etc |
| nepotism | undue favoritism to or excessive patronage of one's relatives |
| hedonism | the belief that the attainment of pleasure is life's chief aim; devotion to or the pursuit of pleasure |
| piece de resistence | the principal dish of a meal; the principal event, incident, or item; an outstanding accomplishment |
| remand | to send or order back; in law, to send back to jail or to a lower court |
| pander | to cater to or to provide satisfaction for the low tastes or vices of others; a person who does this |
| mellifluous | flowing sweetly or smoothly; honeyed |
| lackluster | lacking brilliance or vitality; dull |
| malcontent | discontented with or in open defiance of prevailing conditions; such a person |
