English Synonyms and Antonyms Part 191

English Synonyms and Antonyms Part 191

QUESTIONS.

1. What does _skilful_ signify? 2. How does _dexterous_ compare with _skilful_? 3. How does a _skilled_ compare with a _skilful_ workman?

EXAMPLES.

So ---- seamen ken the land from far, Which shows like mists to the dull pa.s.senger.

Thousands of ---- workmen are thrown into enforced idleness by the strikes and lockouts of every year.

Much that has been received as the work of disembodied spirits has been but the ---- sleight of hand of spirits embodied.

SLANDER (page 336).

QUESTIONS.

1. What is it to _slander_? to _defame_? to _libel_? 2. When is _defame_ equivalent to _slander_? When is it equivalent to _libel_? 3. What is it to _asperse_? to _malign_? to _traduce_? to _disparage_? 4. How do _slander_ and _libel_ differ in legal signification from the other words? 5. Which words of the group apply to open attack in one's presence, and which to attack in his absence?

EXAMPLES.

----ed to death by villains That dare as well answer a man, indeed, As I dare take a serpent by the tongue.

If the Scriptures seem to ---- knowledge, it is the knowledge that despises virtue.

Challenging each recreant doubter Who ----ed her spotless name.

SLANG (page 336).

QUESTIONS.

1. What is a _colloquialism_? 2. What is _slang_ in the primary and ordinary sense? in special senses? 3. What is a _vulgarism_? 4. What is _cant_ in the sense here considered?

EXAMPLES.

There is a ---- bred of vileness that is never redeemed; there is also a ---- that is the vigorous utterance of uncultured wit, that fills a gap in the language and mounts ultimately to the highest places.

A ---- is worse than ----, because it bears the ineffaceable stamp of ignorance.

SOCIALISM (page 338).

QUESTIONS.

1. What is _socialism_? What term do many of its advocates prefer? 2.

What is _communism_? _anarchism_?

EXAMPLES.

---- in its full sense means the abolition of inheritance, the abolition of the family, the abolition of nationalities, the abolition of religion, the abolition of property.

----, in some modified form, is steadily making its way among thinking men under the guise of cooperation.

---- is the offspring of sore hearts and shallow brains. It is the wisdom of the man who burned down his house because his chimney smoked.

SPONTANEOUS (page 340).

QUESTIONS.

1. When is anything properly said to be _spontaneous_? _voluntary_?

_involuntary_? 2. How do _voluntary_ and _involuntary_ compare with each other? both with _spontaneous_?

EXAMPLES.

---- is opposed to reflective. Those operations of mind which are continually going on without any effort or intention on our part are _spontaneous_.

No action that is not ---- has any merit.

SPY (page 340).

QUESTIONS.

1. In what are the _spy_ and the _scout_ alike? 2. In what do they differ? 3. What are their respective rights in case of capture? 4. What is an _emissary_?

EXAMPLES.

A daring ---- of General Stuart made his way to my quarters, and informed me that General Imboden had planned an attack upon the town.

I had grown uneasy in regard to the disjointed situation of our army and, to inform myself of what was going on, determined to send a ---- into the enemy's lines.