Source: Google search.com

Zany- amusingly unconventional and idiosyncratic

2. One who acts the buffoon to amuse others

When I first saw this word in the text ” A picture of language ” I had a little bit of an idea of what it may have meant. It stated, ” If you weren’t taught to diagram a sentence, this might sound a little zany”. Now that I have researched this word I have a better understanding of what it was conveying. However, the numerous definitions such as the second one provided, made it a little confusing as to which one properly fits the text. Obviously now I realize that the first one makes the most sense.

Source: Merriam-Webster.com

Domesticity- life inside a home; the activities of a family or of the people who share a home.

I found this particular word in the passage “Reading Lucy” by Jennifer Egan. After reading the sentence I found that I had no idea what this sentence was saying. It stated, “Savor this fluke of independence before the champ of 1950s domesticity closes around you”. After researching the meaning of this word, the sentence was immediately cleared up. Egan wanted Lucy to enjoy her last bit of independence that she has left because soon it will no longer be just her alone. Once the 1950s hit, her independence would have been nothing but a memory to her.

Source: Merriam-Webster.com

Querlous: complaining in a petulant or whining manner

I came across this word in the text “Reading Lucy” by Jennifer Lucy. It sort of caught me off guard in a way because I hadn’t seen any previous vocabulary. In the text it stated: “She also had a habit of footnoting words whose meanings Alfred might not know-like querulous-and providing definitions”. the sentence I found it in is interesting because this particular word was an example of something people would not generally know. I saw it as a question within a question. When I found the definition it didn’t really make much of a difference because it was not included for the purpose of getting a message across.

Source: Merriam-Webster.com

Nebulous- unclear, vague or ill defined

When I came across this word in the text in class( What if you could choose between the fastest route and the most beautiful). My lack of knowledge of what this word meant made it confusing to understand what the text meant. Using context clues did not help the situation as much either. The sentence this word was found in states, ” But how do you quantify concepts as nebulous as beauty or happiness”. Finding the definition made the text simpler to understand as usual. But in this case I can know the specific question they’re trying to involved.

Source- Merriam-Webster.com

Melancholy- a sad mood or feeling

I came across this vocabulary word in the article ” A literary visitor strolls from the airport”. It states, “.. Mr. Self, who is unusually tall and very thin and has a long melancholy face that he once described as looking like a bag of genitals…..” From the text it came from, I determined that it isn’t a positive word that people may use often to describe an individual. Once I found the meaning of the world, I was able to picture the typical expression that Mr. Self may always have on. With this in mind, the actions that he takes on further in the passage makes more sense because I have more of an understanding of who this man is.

Source: Merriam-Webster.com

Voyeur- a person who gets sexual pleasure from secretly watching other people having sex

I came across this word in the text ” Barney Collier’s book” during class. It states, ” You could have had some award winning photographs of her underpants as her skirt billowed over her head, you voyeurs”. By observing context clues, I new it was not a positive term or something that was looked down upon in society, especially considering the circumstances it was used in. After researching this word it was clear that i was something that is inappropriate in the moment it may have taken place. This isn’t a word that I would generally see in any other text. But it does clearly get the point across with emphasis.

Source: Merriam-Webster.com

Wince- to shrink back involuntarily (as from pain)

Colson Whiteheads seems to like using a broad range of vocabulary to convey his point throughout the passage. When I came across this particular vocabulary word it had me a standstill in my reading for a moment. It states ” It saw you wince when the single frigid drop fell from the air-conditioner twelve stories up and zapped you”. Using the context clues from the sentence surrounding the word, I was able to get some idea of what this word meant. I simply imagined a drop of ice cold waters splashing right in my face. My reaction would be much like what Whitehead describes. I still searched the word just to be sure of its meaning.