Take Wing with Kay
  • Bulletin
  • The Iliad (Classical Antiquity)
  • Hamlet (circa 1600)
  • Jane Eyre (1847)
  • Invisible Man (1952)
  • The Joy Luck Club (1989)
  • Death of a Salesman (1949)
  • Kafka (1883-1924)
  • Grendel (1971)
  • The Catcher in the Rye (1951)
  • Heart of Darkness (1899)
  • The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891)
  • To Kill a Mockingbird (1960)
  • Slaughterhouse Five (1969)
  • Color Me In (2019)
  • Charles Dickens (1812-1870)
  • As I Lay Dying (1930)
  • 1984 (1949)
  • Victorian Literature (1837-1901)
  • The Awakening (1899)
  • Writing Mechanics
  • Maus (1980-1991)
  • The Divine Comedy (Dante, 1320)
  • Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales
  • Early 20th-century Literature
  • Late 20th-century Literature
  • Vocabulary Might
  • Kay Drama
  • Kay's Garden
  • Essay Lab
  • Ephemera
  • The Great Gatsby (1925)
  • Pygmalion (1913)
  • Cultural Capital
  • Circe (2019)
  • Lord of the Flies (1954)
  • Things Fall Apart (1958)
  • Brave New World (1931)
  • 20th-century Literature
  • Figures in Action
  • For the Sake of Levity
  • IB Year 1 English 3
  • Outliers (2008)
  • IB SL English 4
  • Othello (1603)
  • Romantic Poets
  • Metaphysical Poets

ETYMOLOGY Digest: etymological_digest.docx

Foreign Parlance: useful_social_parlance.docx

Language of Logical Reasoning: language_of_logical_reasoning.docx

DAILY VOCABULARY WHEELS

DE means "down or away." de_down_away.pdf
The client's claim was DECLINED.

DICT (dicere) means "to say" dict.pdf
The EDICT DICTATES that it is his way or the highway.

BENE versus MAL bene_mal.pdf
BUENO O MALO?

AB means "away." ab_away.pdf
All details taken away, it became ABSTRACT.

AD means "to." ad_to.pdf
Pay close ATTENTION to the way this ADDITION works. 

CIRCUM means "around." circum_around.pdf
Who built the round table for King Arthur?
​Sir Cumference!

CORPUS (corp) means "body." corpus.pdf
Corpus Christi is a ​city in Texas. 

CRED (credere) means "to believe." cred_to_believe.pdf
They did not hire the candidate with INCREDIBLE CREDENTIALS.

DUCE (ducere) means "to lead." duce_to_lead.pdf
Let me INTRODUCE the leading lady!​

FIDE [FE] means "faith." fide_faith.pdf
I am CONFIDENT that Santa FE was founded by people of faith. 

VOK (vocare) means "to call." voke__to_call.pdf
Let me INVOKE the fifth Amendment!

TRACT means "to draw." tract_to_draw.pdf
​
Opposites ATTRACT!

MIS means "bad, wrong, wretched, and mixed."  mis_bad__hatred__mixed.pdf
So many miscellaneous items were MISPLACED. 

OB means "toward or against." ob_toward__against.pdf
OBJECTIVITY is measured against concrete standards. 

RUPT means "to tear or break." rupt_to_tear.pdf
​
CORRUPTION leads to the moral BANKRUPTCY of the state. 

MORT means "death." mort_death.pdf
Lord VOLDEMORT is death incarnate. 

GNO/ NOTARE means "to know." gno_to_know.pdf
Carl Sagan was a notable AGNOSTIC. 

SPEC means "to see." spec_to_see.pdf
​
Look at this SPECTACULAR SPECIMEN.

VERT (vertere) means "to turn." vert_to_turn.pdf
It cost me an arm and a leg to turn my car to a CONVERTIBLE.

NOM (nomen) means a "name." nom_the_name.pdf
I named my garden gnome NOMEN.

TURB (turba) means "to upset." turb_to_upset.pdf
The DISTURBING story upset many. 

                         AFFECTIVE LANGUAGE = MOOD Descriptors 

Tone/ mood Descriptors
 
​
Absurd illogical; ridiculous; silly; implausible; foolish
Accusatory suggesting someone has done something wrong, complaining
Acerbic sharp; forthright; biting; hurtful; abrasive; severe; trenchant; incisive 
Admiring approving; think highly of; respectful; praising; laudatory 
Aggressive hostile; determined; forceful; argumentative; belligerent; bellicose; truculent 
Aggrieved indignant; annoyed; offended; disgruntled; affronted 
Ambivalent having mixed feelings; uncertain; in a dilemma; undecided
Amused entertained; diverted; pleased
Animated full of life or excitement; lively; spirited; impassioned; vibrant
Apathetic showing little interest; lacking concern; indifferent; unemotional
Apologetic repentant; remorseful; acknowledging failure; defensive in writing and speech
Appreciative grateful; thankful; showing pleasure; enthusiastic
Ardent enthusiastic; passionate; impassioned; zealous; fervent 
Arrogant pompous; disdainful; overbearing; condescending; vain; scoffing; haughty
Assertive self-confident; strong-willed; authoritative; insistent
Awestruck amazed, filled with wonder/awe; reverential

Belligerent hostile; aggressive; combatant
Benevolent sympathetic; tolerant; generous; caring; well meaning
Bitter angry; acrimonious; antagonistic; spiteful; nasty
bewildered confused; bemused; flabbergasted; flummoxed 

Callous cruel disregard; unfeeling; uncaring; indifferent; ruthless
Candid truthful, straightforward; honest; unreserved; frank
Captious critical; disapproving 
Caustic making biting, corrosive comments; critical; acerbic; vitriolic 
Cautionary gives warning; raises awareness; reminding; circumspect; wary of; chary of
Celebratory praising; pay tribute to; lionizing; idolizing; exalting
Chatty informal; lively; conversational; familiar; colloquial 
Colloquial familiar; everyday language; informal; quotidian; casual; platitudinous 
Compassionate sympathetic; empathetic; warm-hearted; tolerant; kind
Complex having many varying characteristics; complicated
Compliant agree or obey rules; acquiescent; flexible; submissive; amenable; accommodating 
Concerned worried; anxious; apprehensive
Conciliatory intended to placate or pacify; appeasing
Condescending stooping to the level of one’s inferiors; patronizing
Contemptuous showing contempt; scornful; insolent; mocking
Cynical scornful of motives/virtues of others; mocking; sneering

Defensive defending a position; shielding; guarding; watchful
Defiant obstinate; argumentative; contentious
Demeaning disrespectful; undignified
Depressing sad, melancholic; discouraging; pessimistic
Derisive snide; sarcastic; mocking; dismissive; scornful
Detached aloof; objective; unfeeling; distant
Dignified serious; respectable; formal; proper
Diplomatic tactful; subtle; sensitive; thoughtful
Disapproving displeased; critical; condemnatory
Disheartening discouraging; demoralizing; undermining; depressing
Disparaging dismissive; critical; scornful
Direct straightforward; honest
Dispassionate impartial; indifferent; unsentimental; cold; unsympathetic
Distressing heart-breaking; sad; troubling
Docile compliant; submissive; deferential; accommodating

Earnest showing deep sincerity or feeling; serious
Egotistical self-absorbed; selfish; conceited; boastful
Empathetic understanding; kind; sensitive
Enthusiastic excited; energetic
Evasive ambiguous; cryptic; unclear

Facetious inappropriate; flippant; funny in a silly way 
Farcical ludicrous; absurd; mocking; humorous and highly improbable
Flippant superficial; glib; shallow; thoughtless; frivolous
Formal respectful; stilted; factual; following accepted styles/rules
Forthright straightforward; honest; plain
Frank honest; direct; plain; matter-of-fact

Ghoulish delighting in the revolting or the loathsome (ghoul = an ogre in Islamic folklore)
Gloomy moody; depressing; dismal
​Grave somber; serious; depressing
Grim serious; gloomy; depressing; lacking humor; macabre
Gullible naïve; innocent; ignorant

Hard unfeeling; hard-hearted; unyielding
Humble deferential; modest
Hypercritical unreasonably critical; hair splitting; nitpicking

Impartial unbiased; neutral; objective
Impassioned filled with emotion; ardent
Imploring pleading; begging
Impressionable trusting; child-like
Inane silly; foolish; stupid; nonsensical
Incensed enraged
Incredulous disbelieving; unconvinced; questioning; suspicious
Indignant annoyed; angry; dissatisfied
Informative instructive; factual; educational
Inspirational encouraging; reassuring
Intimate familiar; informal; confidential; confessional
Ironic the opposite of what is meant
Irreverent lacking respect for things that are generally taken seriously

Jaded bored; having had too much of the same thing; lack enthusiasm
Judgmental critical; finding fault; disparaging

Laudatory praising; recommending
Light-Hearted carefree; relaxed; chatty; humorous; cavalier 
Lyrical melodic, musical, rhapsodic

Macabre gruesome; horrifying; frightening
Malicious desiring to harm others or to see others suffer; ill-willed; spiteful; vindictive 
Mean-Spirited inconsiderate; unsympathetic
Mocking scornful; ridiculing; making fun of someone
Mourning grieving; lamenting; woeful

Naïve innocent; unsophisticated; immature
Narcissistic self-admiring; selfish; boastful; self-pitying
Nasty unpleasant; unkind; disagreeable; abusive
Negative unhappy, pessimistic
Nostalgic thinking about the past; wishing for something from the past

Objective without prejudice; without discrimination; fair; based on fact
Obsequious overly obedient and/or submissive; fawning; groveling
Optimistic hopeful; cheerful
Outraged angered and resentful; furious; extremely angered
Outspoken frank; candid; spoken without reserve

Pathetic expressing pity, sympathy, tenderness
Patronizing condescending; scornful; pompous
Pensive reflective; introspective; philosophical; contemplative
Persuasive convincing; eloquent; influential; plausible
Pessimistic seeing the negative side of things
Philosophical theoretical; analytical; rational; logical
Pragmatic realistic; sensible
Pretentious affected; artificial; grandiose; rhetorical; flashy

Regretful apologetic; remorseful
Resentful aggrieved; offended; displeased; bitter
Reserved restrained, controlled, quiet, retiring 
Resigned accepting; unhappy
Reverent showing deep respect and esteem
Righteous morally right and just; guiltless; pious; god-fearing

Satirical making fun to show a weakness; ridiculing; derisive
Sarcastic scornful; mocking; ridiculing
Scared daunted; dismayed; intimidated; cowed; unnerved; dispirited; downcast 
Scathing critical; stinging; unsparing; harsh; eviscerating 
Scornful dismissive; contemptuous; derisive; sneering; supercilious 
Sensationalistic provocative; distasteful; indelicate; immodest; indecorous 
Sentimental sickly sweet; treacly; cloying 
Sincere honest; truthful; earnest; forthright
Skeptical disbelieving; unconvinced; doubting; incredulous 
Solemn not funny; in earnest; serious; grave, somber 
Subjective prejudiced; biased
Submissive compliant; passive; accommodating; obedient
Sulking bad-tempered; grumpy; resentful; sullen; glum; gloomy
Sympathetic compassionate; congenial; benevolent

Thoughtful reflective; serious; absorbed; engrossed; engrossed; contemplative; pensive
Tolerant open-minded; charitable; patient; sympathetic; lenient
Tragic disastrous; calamitous; catastrophic 

Unassuming modest; self-effacing; restrained
Uneasy worried; uncomfortable; edgy; nervous; ill at ease; disconcerted 
Urgent insistent; saying something must be done soon; impending; imminent 

Vindictive vengeful; spiteful; bitter; unforgiving
Virtuous lawful; righteous; moral; upstanding; upright 

Weary tired or exhausted
Wary of marked by keen caution and watchful prudence
Whimsical quaint; playful; mischievous; offbeat; impetuous; rhapsodic; ecstatic
Witty clever; quick-witted; entertaining; wry; tongue-in-cheek 
World-Weary bored; cynical; tired; jaded
Worried anxious; stressed; fearful; apprehensive 
Wretched miserable; despairing; sorrowful; distressed
Wry humorously sarcastic or mocking