The Importance of Being Earnest Words to know

“The Importance of Being Earnest” Words to know…. • Forte pg 1: a person's strong suit, or most highly developed characteristic, talent, or skill; something that one excels in. • Salver pg 1: a tray, especially one used for serving food or beverages. • Languidly pg 2: lacking in vigor or vitality; slack or slow • Airily pg 2: lightly; delicately • Bunburyist pg 5: One who uses a made-up person to get out of social engagements OR uses an alias to be able to live a “double” life. • Invalid pg 6: a person who is too sick or weak to care for himself or herself

• Sententiously pg 7: given to excessive moralizing; selfrighteous. • Propounding pg 7: later variant of Middle English propone. to put, place, set. • Cynical pg 7: bitterly or sneeringly distrustful, contemptuous, or pessimistic. • Wagnerian manner pg 7: of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Richard Wagner or his works: Wagnerian grandeur • Expurgations pg 9: to amend by removing words, passages, etc. , deemed offensive or objectionable: • Demonstrative pg 10: characterized by or given to open exhibition or expression of one's emotions, attitudes, etc. , especially of love or affection. • Glibly pg 10: readily fluent, often thoughtlessly, superficially, or insincerely so • Domesticity pg 11: the state of being domestic; home life.

• Semi-recumbent pg 12: lying down; reclining; leaning • Indecorous pg 12: violating generally accepted standards of good taste or propriety; unseemly. • Reproachfully pg 12: expression of disapproval • Liberal Unionist pg 13: (formerly) an upholder of the legislative union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. • Tories pg 13: a member of a political party in Great Britain from the late 17 th century to about 1832 that favored royal authority over Parliament and the preservation of the existing social and political order: succeeded by the Conservative party. • Gravely pg 14: serious and solemn • Indignation pg 15: strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, insulting, or bias; righteous anger. • Trivet pg 15: a three-footed or three-legged stand or support • Gorgon pg 15: a mean, ugly, or repulsive woman.

• Patronizing pg 16: offensively condescending manner • Profligate pg 16: utterly and shamelessly immoral; recklessly prodigal or extravagant. • Apoplexy pg 16: stroke • Surmised pg 18: to think or infer without certain or strong evidence; conjecture; guess. • Immoderately pg 18: exceeding just or reasonable limits; excessive; extreme • Indignantly pg 18: expressing strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, insulting, or bias.