1. campanology — study of bells and their making, ringing, etc.
After enlisting the minister’s support in refocusing your church on the wonders of campanology, you shouldn’t immediately seek to introduce grandsire doubles to your bellringers.
2. veneer — thin layer of decorative wood, usu. placed over other cheaper wood; layer of wood used to make plywood; superficial attractive surface covering less attractive substance beneath
It wasn’t the lack of a plum in his mouth that betrayed his lower class origins—that could have been cured with elocution lessons—but rather the grubby neediness to be liked and approved which he covered in a veneer of brash confidence, both of which made him unattractive to just those people from old money whom he wished to appeal to.
3. tansy — herb with yellow flowers; 17th century dish using tansy for seasoning
On either side of the path grew happy little patches of tansy and verbena.
4. oscitant — yawning, gaping; tired, drowsy
He seemed an oscitant fellow, nearly nodding off behind his lectern, but he became a veritable whirlwind the moment Taylor’s name was mentioned.
5. hincty (also hinkty) — smugly superior, conceited
“Ever since Cab Calloway told him he blew real good he’s been too hincty to sit in on our sessions at Pete’s.
6. huarache — [Spanish] leather Mexican sandal
Of course he should have stopped talking such nonsense long before he felt his mother’s huarache slapping into the back of his head.
7. dacron — polyester material used for thread and cloth
He always looks sharp in his Dacron blend shirts and 100% Dacron slacks.
8. acerbly — sourly, bitterly
Of course she couldn’t leave it there and had to acerbly point out that she’d gotten three degrees in the same amount of time.
9. placket — slit in skirt or other clothing to facilitate putting on or taking off; pocket, esp. in a skirt; petticoat
The pants all had plackets with buttons, so that band members of various sizes could use and re-use the black trousers for years and years, no matter how much the waistlines diminished or grew.
10. decalcomania — transferring decals onto surfaces
But from fake tattoos her decalcomania moved on to decoupage and then to fabrics and grew and grew until every article of clothing in the house—even Billy’s athletic socks!—were covered in cheery slogans and cute images transferred from her burgeoning collection of iron-on decals.
11. cynosure — center of attention; guiding star
From almost the moment of their arrival in Peacock Village the Wilsons became the cynosure of all eyes, and they could hardly have a couple over for afternoon tea without starting new trends in fashion and politics.
Bonus Vocabulary
(British idiom)
plum in one’s mouth — speaking in a posh style associated with the upper class
We kept him around because he had a plum in his mouth from watching all those old actors like Gielgud and Guinness, though really he was just as naff as me.