| A | B |
| brevity | shortness |
| comport | to conduct oneself; behave |
| concise | expressing much in a few words |
| demure | sober or serious in manner, modest |
| depreciation | a lessening in value; a belittling |
| deteriorate | to lower in quality or value |
| divulge | to tell, reveal; to make public |
| enlightened | free from ignorance and false ideas |
| forestall | to prevent by acting first |
| garble | to distort, jumble, confuse |
| proponent | one who supports a cause |
| quaver | to shake, tremble; to trill |
| recoil | to spring back, shrink |
| recoup | to make up for, regain |
| reek | an unpleasant smell; stench |
| relentless | unyielding, harsh, without pity |
| rivulet | a small stream |
| squander | to spend foolishly, waste |
| staccato | detached in sound or style |
| statute | a law |