1. procrustean — producing conformity or uniformity through severe means without regard to natural variation
The sentencing guidelines have created a procrustean nightmare which prevents state judges from exercising discretion in even the most egregious cases.
2. winklepickers — shoes with long pointed toe
The Leningrad Cowboys are known for their winklepickers and overlong quiff haircuts.
3. manqué — “That might have been but is not.” [Oxford]
Like some sort of scholar manqué he had substituted Internet bookmarks for books, Post-its® for research notes, opinions for articles, and food-stained t-shirts for tweed jackets with elbow patches.
4. vellus hair — short, almost invisible hairs covering most of the human body save for the head
Do not be fooled by the claims of this hair growth formula, as vellus hairs are often seen on the scalps of those suffering from male pattern baldness.
5. peg out — (British slang) to die; to be wiped out
He’s passed out in the back bedroom now, and he’ll be better in the morning, assuming he doesn’t just peg out before then.
6. cook-general — (British) servant performing both general housekeeping and cooking
In their straitened circumstances they were forced to let go all their servants save for Nancy, the old retainer who took on the duties of a cook-general in spite of her inaptitude in the kitchen.
7. benison — blessing, benediction
Secure in nature’s benison beneath the vault of distant stars in the clear sky, I slept soundly amidst the pines.
8. supercilious — contemptuously superior or disdainful
Her unfitness for parenting was shown by her supercilious comment when her visiting nephews disturbed her usually placid home: “Now I understand why animals eat their young.”
9. fungo — (baseball) soft fly ball hit for fielding practice
His hand-eye coordination is so bad he can’t even hit fungoes with a wiffle ball and bat.
10. charivari — mock serenade with kitchen implements for newly marrieds; clamor of noise
We are told that the Punk Jazz movement has quite serious antecedents, but the performance last night seemed merely a charivari of discord played by people we resist calling ‘musicians’.