Lugubrious – from the Latin for “mourn” – means gloomy, full of sadness or sorrow. As used in a NYT article about this year’s Westminster Dog Show: “Trumpet [the bloodhound that won Best in Show] had little to say. But he looked every inch the champion, his lugubrious face and quizzical air for some reason adding to, rather than detracting from, his dignity.”

Ersatz – from the German for “substitute” – describes something that is a poor imitation of something better. As I used it today: “It used to be easy to spot ersatz Rolexes. Like Cohiba wrappers, their faces bore minor typographical irregularities. They weighed less than the genuine watches. And they stopped working within a year.”

To be prostrate is to be lying face down on the ground. As I used it today: “My first experience with tequila, about 50 years ago, left me prostrate at the door I couldn’t quite open where I spent the rest of the night.”

Fatuity is another way of saying stupidity or foolishness. As used by Theodore Dalrymple in “Empty Frames,” above: “Mr. Haaning, wittingly or unwittingly (I suspect the former), performed a useful social service by exposing the fatuity of the way in which, in our contemporary conditions, money for the arts is doled out by the supposed keepers of the flame.”

Assiduous means working diligently at a task, showing great care and perseverance. As used by V.S. Naipaul in the above letter to his editor: “Every writer has his own voice…. An assiduous copy-editor can undo this very quickly, can make A write like B and Ms C.”

A pied-à-terre (pee-YAY-duh-tair) – French for “foot on the ground” – is a small apartment or house kept for occasional use. As I used it in today’s travel brief: “I was so enchanted by [Oaxaca] that I nearly bought a small house in the center of the city to use as a pied-à-terre. I didn’t. Oh well.”

Equanimity is mental calmness and composure, especially in a difficult situation. As I used it in today’s essay: “I was – and am – as blind as the next person to seeing and seizing these small moments. I’ve been particularly bad at noticing all the little opportunities I have to increase my stores of happiness and equanimity. But in one area of my life, I did learn to do it. And it did make a difference.”

 An ideolog (AYE-dee-uh-log) is a person who promotes a particular ideology, especially as an official or the most eminent advocate. As I used it in today’s book review: “Dozens of books have been written about Stalin as a Communist ideolog and a political leader.”

Manifold means diverse, numerous in kind or variety. As I used it in today’s essay: “Although proving rape against an intimate partner has become more difficult, the damage caused by these accusations can be huge – and motivations to make false accusations are now manifold.”

“What you want in your career is the confidence that follows accomplishment, not the pride that precedes a fall.” – Michael Masterson