| acclivity |
a rising slope. |
| canny |
difficult to fool or take advantage of; shrewd; wary; clever. |
| cantankerous |
irritable, stubborn, and quarrelsome. |
| comity |
mutual courtesy and respectful treatment among people or nations. |
| devolve |
of a duty or the like, to be passed on to someone else. |
| ersatz |
serving as a substitute, especially when of inferior quality. |
| garble |
to mix up, distort, or confuse (a message, translation, or the like); cause to be disordered or unintelligible. |
| gullible |
believing almost anything; easily tricked. |
| interdict |
to deter or impede by the steady use of firepower. |
| mahatma |
(sometimes capitalized) in Buddhism and theosophy, any of a class of persons revered for their wisdom and love of humanity. |
| malingerer |
one who pretends to be ill or injured, especially in order to avoid work or duty. |
| pelf |
money or wealth, usually regarded with disapproval or contempt. |
| scabrous |
characterized by a rough or scaly surface, as the leaf of a plant. |
| sotto voce |
in a low voice or undertone, so as not to be overheard; softly (often used as a musical direction). |
| supine |
lying with the face upward. |