1100 Words You Need to Know Week 39 Day 1
1100 Words You Need to Know Week 39 Day 1
New Words
saga – belated – decrepit – imperturbable – vacillate
Words in Context
Rule, Brittania
An unforgettable saga of World War II has to do with the small French coastal town of Dunkirk. There, in 1940, thousands of British troops made a belated escape from the awesome power of the German army and air force. They were removed by an array of private boats, from huge yachts to decrepit fishing boats. At their own volition, the skippers came close to the shore, while German planes bombed implacably. They remained imperturbable under heavy fire. When their vessels were loaded, they dashed back to England. Once unloaded, they did not vacillate, but returned with equanimity to their vigil in the danger zone. The British proved once again that they are paragons of comradeship in times of jeopardy.
Sample Sentences
Insert the new words in these sentences.
1. The saga of a lone man confronting the turbulent oceans in a small boat is an exploit we find laudable.
2. The speaker remained imperturbable while his audience shouted caustic comments about his mendacious activities.
3. The ingrate refused to accept Cindy’s belated gift.
4. When released from incarceration, he was gaunt and decrepit.
5. We are all familiar with the cliché that he who vacillates is lost.
Definitions
Match the new words with their definitions.
6. saga: heroic story
7. belated: late, delayed
8. decrepit: broken down, worn out
9. imperturbable: calm, steady, serene
10. vacillate: hesitate, fluctuate
Today’s Idiom
A sacred cow: a person or thing that cannot be criticized (From India, where cows may not be harmed because of religious rules)
I decided to throw down the gauntlet* by exposing the boss’s son who had been ruling the roost* as the sacred cow of the business.