| mad | insane | The mad frequently do not know how bad they are. |
| jacket | in this story, a straightjacket, restraint device used for crazy people | They put him in a jacket to transport him to Camarillo State Hospital. |
| discerning | perceptive | Discerning shoppers wil prefer Coke to Pepsi. |
| prevail | triumph | The Celtic army prevailed over the Roman army. |
| assent | to show agreement | Mom gave us her assent to contest the will. |
| demur | to object, to show dissent | Jackson's lawyer demurred on the issue of releasing information about his previous brush with the law. |
| disclaimed | refused to claim | He disclaimed the rumors of a relationship with the accused. |
| prudent | wise, reasonable | It was prudent to avoid talking about the theft with the watchman. |
| skirt dissension | to avoid disagreement | He thought prudent to skirt dissension when dealing with his mother. |
| Anglo-Saxonized | dominated by "white" thinking | Parts of Ireland are so Anglo-Saxonized that they appear to be parts of England. |
| exemplary | a good example, hence, worth imitating | She was an exemplary student in all areas except Math. |
| profane | crude, coarse, obscene | Profanities flowed from the policeman's mouth like water. |
| obit | short for obituary, a short summary of the life of a dead person | He was surprised to see an obit of a former teacher in the Sunday paper. |
| chameleon | a lizard with the ability to change color | The murderer was a chameleon, capable of blending into any context. |
| flayed | to strip the skin off an animal | They flayed the deer in order to prepare the hide. |
| kosher | appoved by Jewish religious law, or anything made worthy of approval | His arrangement with the bookie was certainly not kosher . |
| prelate | a high-ranking church official | The prelate gave his approval for the dispensation. |