Bravado (bruh-VAH-doh) is a bold manner or show of boldness intended to impress or intimidate. As I used it today: “I was charmed by his total lack of bravado (which I would have expected from a man of his young age) and his trust in me.”
The fantods (FAN-tahds) – a.k.a. the fidgets or the willies – is a state of extreme agitation or restlessness. As used by Mark Twain in Huckleberry Finn: “They was all nice pictures, I reckon, but I didn’t…
Nebulous (adjective) – Nebulous (NEB-yuh-lus) can mean hazy, vague, indistinct, or confused. As I used it in today’s essay: “When you think of investing as something as nebulous as putting money into stocks…
Something that is labyrinthine (lab-uh-RIN-thin or lab-uh-RIN-then) is complicated; tortuous. As used by Zane Grey in Tales of Fishes: “Millions of marine creatures swarmed in the labyrinthine waterways.”
Filial (FIL-yul) describes something that is due to a parent from a child. As I used it today: “Filial piety is an important element in Buddhism, Korean Confucianism, Taoism, and in Japanese and Vietnamese…
In Greek mythology, the halcyon (HAL-see-un) bird was said to calm the wind and the waves. The phrase “halcyon days” refers to a tranquil period of happiness, success, and prosperity, especially in the past…
