Reasonable Faith #2

The room hadn't been cleaned for years and showed several accretions of dirt and dust, All that matters is the quiet accretion of wealth.

It's difficult to wean addicts off cocaine once they're hooked.

a bridge designed to withstand earthquakes, Our toys are designed to withstand the rough treatment of the average five-year-old.

Many atheists think that Jesus feigned his death by slumping his head.

He resuscitated Jesus by his ministrations.; In her last difficult years, she relied on the careful ministrations of her beloved husband.

They moved the stone and Jesus came forth the tomb.

He's been living in seclusion since he retired from acting.

Jesus was the member of the secret order.; monks of the Cistercian/Franciscan Order

His 1991 election victory was probably the high water mark of his popularity

The opening of the superstore will sound/toll the death knell for (= cause the failure of) hundreds of small independent shops.

She is a virulent critic of US energy policy./ A particularly virulent strain of flu has recently claimed a number of lives in the region.

The old Life of Jesus movement ground to a halt in nearly complete scepticism.

She has intimated that she will resign if she loses the vote.

He tried to usher in the eschatological Kingdom of God./ These changes could usher in a period of dramatic economic growth.

You have to go through an initiation rite before you become a full member.

Schweitzer was instrumental in the rediscovery of the eschatological element in Jesus' preaching.

The lawyer asked the jury to take cognizance of the defendant's generosity in giving to charity.

The president's speech heralds a new era in foreign policy.

The putative leader of the terrorist cell was arrested yesterday.

We will not give/lend countenance to any kind of terrorism.; The school will not countenance bad behaviour.

Two influential senators have argued for the retention of the unpopular tax.; The retention of old technology has slowed the company's growth.

The report shows that drugs have penetrated every stratum of American society./ The cliffs are characterized by remarkable zigzagging strata of shale and sandstone.

You should include the date of publication in round brackets after the title.

I don't think that prices will go up but, by the same token, I don't see them going down either.

Radiation from the sun is attenuated by the earth's atmosphere.; They propose more peacekeeping troops to attenuate the violence.

a charming, lopsided grin

Use a thermometer to gauge the temperature.; I tried to gauge (= guess) the weight of the box.

Her ideas have been shamelessly perverted to serve the president's propaganda campaign.

He’s fussy about how a garment fits him.

It is her contention that exercise is more important than diet if you want to lose weight.

He didn’t have to drive the point home. The videotape had done that.

An epochal shift in the global oil market is under way.

It took months of painstaking research to write the book.

The spacecraft will fly around the earth to gain/gather momentum for its trip to Jupiter.

confluent streams

The musical notes on the lines go EGBDF - use the mnemonic "Every good boy deserves fun".

There’s always one facet of my golf game that isn’t working.

They have been accused of being a party of cranks and political gadflies.

The car skidded off the road, hit a tree and overturned./ The Court of Appeal overturned the earlier decision.

a discriminating mark

a defeasible claim

He gave what amounted to an apology on behalf of his company.; His behaviour amounted to serious professional misconduct.

the congruence of the two systems; A necessary congruence between political, cultural and economic forces is needed in order to fight the global warming.

The country is in the midst of an economic crisis.

It isn't always easy to separate the wheat from the chaff.

The kernel of a nut is the part that is inside the shell. / There is often a kernel of truth in what they say./ The kernel of the film is James Franco's relationship with his ill father.

an itinerant journalist/labourer/preacher

The contract contained a restrictive covenant against building on the land.

The pillars rotted away and were replaced.

Aspirin reduces your chances of having a full-blown stroke.

I suppose it's because I live in a city that I have this yearning for open spaces.

His book extolling the benefits of vegetarianism sold thousands of copies.

A large backdrop hung at the back of a stage during a performance./ Their love affair began against a backdrop of war.

The director’s latest film harks back to the era of silent movies.

He spoke in a wavering voice, as if he were not sure of his ground./ It's the party's last attempt to persuade some of the nation's wavering voters to support them.

a country afflicted by civil war

She mounted her horse and rode off.

Although you and your sister constantly fought as young children, your relationship might become more irenic as you grow older.

The bedrock is the hard area of rock in the ground that holds up the loose soil above. / Some people believe that the family is the bedrock of society.

In Christianity Jesus Christ is the Redeemer.

They trace their line of descent back to a French duke.

These are the four major theories that undergird criminal law.

Somebody trampled all over my flowerbeds!

They would be punished for their wickedness.

Both countries had thrown off the communist yoke.

David had to pull out of the Championships when his horse went lame.

Foal is the word we use to name young horses.

Chariots were used in ancient times by gladiators fighting in the arenas.

There is something undeniably conjectural about such claims.

The First Lady unveiled a commemorative plaque.

The Tabernacle was a small tent which contained the most holy writings of the ancient Jews and which they took with them when they were travelling. / In a Roman Catholic church, the box in which holy bread and wine are kept

The villagers are incensed at the decision to close the railway station.

Charity organizations have chastised the government for not doing enough to prevent the latest famine in Africa.

Lee Sin smote Baron Nashor and left the jungle.

He will appear before the magistrates tomorrow.

They had to flay the great, white, fleecy animals and cut them up for food.

the scourge of war/poverty/drugs; Pop-up ads have been described as the scourge of the Internet.

a mournful expression; mournful music

The punishment was 20 strokes of the lash.

The country has been beset by economic woes for the past decade.

She sat through the whole meeting without uttering a word.

The mournful dirge, 'Erin's Lament' was played at his funeral.

An inquest is always held if murder is suspected.

In 1606 Guy Fawkes was executed for treason./ From his cell on board ship, the captain wrote about the treachery of his crew.

He himself was tried for sedition and sentenced to ten years in jail.

He felt that she was trying to seduce him.

An argument broke out and in the ensuing fight, a gun went off.

Religious leaders have called for a total cessation of the bombing campaign.

Barcelona is the locus of Spanish industry./ The locus of decision-making is sometimes far from the government's offices.

The false witnesses had evidently mingle-mangled Jesus’ prediction of the temple’s destruction with his predictions of his resurrection.

She rose to the exalted post of Foreign Secretary.

The compensation will be split between 140 claimants.

She was arrested after making a speech that the government considered to be seditious.

We lighted upon the solution entirely by accident.

Counsel for the defence (= the lawyer giving advice to the accused person) argued convincingly that his client was not guilty.

The sheep were grazing on the lush green pastures.

The lawsuit accused his former associates of defamation.

There is increasing disillusionment with the government.

He describes her beauty by various similitudes./ What is surprising is the similitude between many of the candidates' positions.

He's always had his big brother to lean on.

Her paintings depict the lives of ordinary people in the last century.

There are several absentees from school this week, because a lot of people have flu.

"Don't worry - worse things happen at sea" is her stock expression for whenever anything goes wrong.

The election campaign reaches its climax next week.

Her stratagem for dealing with her husband's infidelities was to ignore them.

Political power is now invested in an elected parliament.

‘the eager consummation that follows a long and passionate seduction’

an honorific title

Jazz is a generic term for a wide range of different styles of music.

filial duty/respect/affection

I shall list my objections to the plan in ascending order of importance.

The best thing about the location of the house is its proximity to the town centre.

The fire burned for eight hours before the fire crews could subdue it.

It is a thrilling tale of a haunted house and the ghosts therein.

He warned that lifting copyright restrictions could beggar the industry. [VERB noun]

Jesus used "bar enasha" as a personal indexical term like "I" and "me".

King Charles I was deposed from the English throne in 1646.

Through the window came the last few oblique rays of evening sunshine.

Bible exegesis is essentially important when we want to talk about biblical stories and passages.

She was wrapped tightly in her mantle.

I got all my Christmas shopping done in one fell swoop.

"Economical with the truth" is a circumlocution for "lying".

He opened the ancient book with reverential care.

The accused entered the courtroom handcuffed to two police officers.

defamatory remarks/statements/allegations

Sanhedrin jurisprudence in cases of capital blasphemy

We may best think that the high priest and the rest of the Sanhedrin judge Jesus to have verbally robbed God of incommensurateness and unity by escalating himself to a superhuman level.

He is in the vanguard of economic reform. / the vanguard of army

There has been a spate of inbreaks in our neighbourhood recently.

He envisioned a partnership between business and government.

Have you considered all the ramifications of your suggestion?

The company has made a valiant effort/attempt in the last two years to make itself more efficient.

They arrogate to themselves the power to punish people.

He never shied away from a fight, no matter how powerful the foe.

Unemployment and inner city decay are inseparable issues which must be tackled together.

The prodigal son has returned to the team after a three-year absence.

irretrievably damaged/lost

Tolls are now collected electronically on most motorways. Toll collectors aren't needed.

His iconoclasm may be why he never got a Nobel Prize.

a fatuous idea

She suffered from a long list of infirmities.

It was unheard-of for an unmarried couple to live together.

He drives like a lunatic.; ‘a ward of lunatic old ladies

We were gratified by the response to our appeal.

Whenever the president is in trouble, her spokesman is trotted out to face the press.

None of the evidence adduced in court was conclusive.

Now that the spadework's all been done, we can start to write the report itself.

It's very difficult to change attitudes that have become so deeply entrenched over the years.

I like kooky foreign films.

a harbinger of doom

It was a really nice day, marred only by a little argument in the car on the way home.

It was such a trifling sum of money to argue about!

The minister repudiated allegations of human rights abuses.; She has repudiated policies associated with previous party leaders.

Medications are sent in sealed factory containers which protect against tampering.; Someone tampered with the brakes of my car.

Luckily, the horse seemed none the worse for his fall.

Ann could find nothing but hollowness in his praise.; The hollowness of the cave echoed with every step I took.

The hurricane put such a strain on the bridge that it collapsed.; Their constant arguments were putting a strain on their marriage.

We were all enjoined to be on our best behaviour., Lawyers are enjoined to follow high ethical principals.

The children had smeared peanut butter all over the sofa.

Well, not quite, not quite perfect -- you see, in intergalactic space -- intergalactic space is completely dark, pitch dark.

A charioteer is a person who is a chariot driver.

Her ex-husband renounced his claim to the family house.

Despite the exhortations of the union leaders the workers voted to strike.

Military training in steadfastness under fire is invaluable to soldiers.

He concocted a story about working late at the office.

5,000 people held an anti-nuclear rally. / The French driver has taken the lead in the Paris-Dakar rally. / Share prices fell again today after yesterday's rally.

Building at the site was halted after human remains were unearthed earlier this month

a man of coarse speech; Now and then coarse laughter broke out.

There is a danger that many homes will subside because of the drought.

a rigid steel and concrete structure; I was rigid with (= stiff and unable to move because of) fear.

acts of piety and charity

corn husks, the fibrous husk of the coconut

After three days, we felt an agonizing, gnawing hunger.

The whole hall was in uproar after the announcement.

A local car dealership was touting its services/wares on the radio.

go to shrift

A smooth, dry surface helps the tiles adhere to the wall.

Because of the explosion, the roof of the building caved in, trapping several people.

The year 1969 was a watershed in her life - she changed her career and remarried.

The accrual of interest begins when the funds are credited to the account.

The king went into exile because of the political situation in his country.

I'm not prepared to give credence to anonymous complaints.

Everyone has an inviolable right to protection by a fair legal system.

The mayor foresaw no political backlash against his proposal.

Ambition spurred him on.

She walked in with a cheery "Good morning!"

Tangent is a straight line that touches a curve at a point, but if extended does not cross it at that point.

The lights of the village were glimmering in the distance.

a salutary reminder of the dangers of mountain climbing; It failed to draw salutary lessons from Britain's loss of its colonies.

a pivotal figure/role/idea

Brierley's book has the merit of being both informative and readable./ an entertaining film with little artistic merit

This case falls outside the purview of this particular court.

He hatched a plot to forge documents that would embarrass the company.

The prisoners' attempt to escape was foiled at the last minute when police received a tip-off.

Many of the soldiers were interred in unmarked graves.

The police surmise (that) the robbers have fled the country.

He failed to pay heed to our advice.

Such traditionalists have prescinded from novel practices and attitudes.

He was the preeminent scientist of his day.

Meier denies that the resurrection “is in principle open to the observation of any and every observer.; It’s easy to conceive of the nonexistence of any and all of the objects we observe in the world.

His parents kept vigil beside his bed for weeks before he died.; Supporters of the peace movement held an all-night candlelit vigil outside the cathedral.

Arranging childcare over the school holidays can be a real conundrum for working parents.

a patent lie; No," he replied, with patent distaste.

Our conversation came to an abrupt end when George burst into the room.

Coordinate is one of a pair of numbers and/or letters that show the exact position of a point on a map or graph.

Stockholm is the terminus for the southbound train. / the exhibition's terminus is 1962

There have been both witting and unwitting participants in the fraud.; Did the CIA cooperate wittingly in illegal activities?

The dolphin had become entangled in/with the fishing nets.

We should arrive at ten o'clock, barring any (= if there are no) unexpected delays.

He was frank about his corporeal appetites.

Mira revealed hitherto unsuspected talents on the dance floor.

It's not always a good idea to delve too deeply into someone's past.

It was a very knotty problem.

She spent her formative years in Africa.; a formative experience

The community has dwindled to a tenth of its former size in the last two years.

We would never compromise the safety of our passengers.

As a heuristic, it is a good test to ask the question: what might I do in this situation?

On display were boxing gloves that bore Rocky Marciano's signature.

a nascent political party

A spokeswoman at the White House has squelched rumors about the president's ill health.

a linen jacket

The judge commended her for/on her bravery.

Interments took place in the churchyard.

I don't need to see a label to identify the provenance of a garment that someone is wearing.

Parliamentary draftsmen seem to delight in complicating even the simplest provision.

They are hoping to hit paydirt with the new release of the software.

The country has a surfeit of cheap labour.

The ceiling was embellished with flowers and leaves.

The bride's hair was adorned with white flowers.

It was a stark room with a bed and chair as the only furniture.

The main egress from the restaurant had been blocked off.

The judge ruled that new evidence was admissible.

a brief moment of levity amid the solemn proceedings

He is famous for the boldness of his business methods.

Community colleges occupy the lower rung of the state’s higher education system.

These old buildings are the last vestiges of a colonial past.

The interviewer accused the minister of stonewalling on the issue of tax increases.

The recent outbreak of violence was foreshadowed by isolated incidents in the city earlier this year.

Somehow she contrived to get tickets for the concert./ Do you think you could contrive something for hanging my clothes on until I can get a wardrobe?

She created conspiracy theories out of the whole cloth.

protracted negotiations

a dazzling white light

The city has now returned to some semblance of normality after last night's celebrations.

Whatever his shortcomings as a husband, he was a good father to his children.; Like any political system, it has its shortcomings.

They claim that the fall in unemployment is based on a fraudulent manipulation of statistics.

The ship foundered in a heavy storm./ Plans for a new airport have foundered because of budget cuts.

I began to muse about/on the possibility of starting my own business.

They were able to elicit the support of the public.; I tried to elicit a smile from Joanna

to administer medicine; It's up to the courts to administer justice.; This drug should not be administered to the very young.

Nary a word of this was mentioned.; We saw nary a soul (= no one at all).

While all the desserts are pretty good, the clear standout is the lemon pie.

The building’s caretaker reported the fire.

He wrapped a robe around himself before answering the door.; Judges wear black robes when they are in court.

A peaceful solution would obviate the need to send a UN military force.

He added a parenthetical comment to his original statement.

They waited out of doors in the cold for tickets.

The danger of shipwreck is much greater in fog./ There have been many shipwrecks along this dangerous stretch of coastline.

regulations pertaining to high-tech industries

It would be folly for the country to become involved in the war.

She has that intangible quality which you might call charisma.

opaque glass/tights

a bereaved widow; It is generally accepted that the bereaved benefit from counselling.

It is always possible that one is subject to an illusion or even a hallucination, so that one's perceptual experience is not veridical.

a thorough revision of the manuscript

To be candid with you, I think you're making a dreadful mistake.

Stupendous news! We've won £500,000!

Beware that it fare not with you as with your predecessor.; Low-paid workers will fare badly/well under this government.

All things being equal, the market should have recovered by the end of the year.

The divers checked their breathing apparatus.

I just had to cobble this meal together from what I had in the fridge.

The main character in her latest novel is a composite of several public figures of that era.

She had no qualms about lying to the police.

He regarded himself primarily as an expositor and defender of Platonic philosophy.

I'll keep the trouser patch in place with pins while I sew it on./ A large picture of the president was pinned to/(up) on the office wall.

The Italian word "mangiare" (= to eat) is cognate with the French "manger". / cognate subjects such as physics and chemistry

In their heyday, they sold as many records as all the other groups in the country put together.

The table held a veritable cornucopia of every kind of food or drink you could want.

The boiler room is somewhere down in the building's nether regions.

I still felt some residual bitterness ten years after my divorce.

Scientists may have solved the riddle of Saturn's rings.

The gospel is never heard in isolation. It is always heard against the background of the cultural milieu in which one lives.

Flag any files that might be useful later.

Racism of any kind is abhorrent to me.

Potted plants are commonly treated with (a) growth retardant so that they retain their shape.

I didn't have the slightest inkling that she was unhappy.

To say that her resignation was a shock would be an understatement - it caused panic.; "It didn't go well? " "That's the understatement of the year/decade/century. It was a disaster."

a formidable obstacle/task; a formidable adversary/enemy/opponent

a large/ample bosom

He abided in the wilderness for forty days. / I said I would abide by their decision.

The bomb reduced the house to rubble.

The rabbinic interpretation is retrojected into the biblical text.

The label saying "out-of-season tulips" emphasizes the artificiality of this highly cultivated flower.

There seems to be an ill-defined air of artificiality or contrivedness about a hypothesis deemed to be ad hoc.

She turned away to hide her discomfiture.

He stepped back, a look of stupefaction on his face. / Because of the drugs, he was in a state of stupefaction by the time we found him.

He was debarred from the club for unacceptable behaviour.

They should have had their ducks in a row beforehand, so they were ready to start the job when required.

The lunch and cutlery trolleys were brought into the room.

Members have called for his resignation.; This calls for a celebration!

Skin was removed from her leg and grafted on/onto her face.; He has had a skin graft on his badly burned arm.

a univocal set of instructions

a highly polysemous word such as "play"

They were quick to disavow the rumour.; She tried to disavow her past

We laid the pieces of the dress pattern out on the floor.

We have agreed to exchange information about our two companies, but strictly on a reciprocal basis.

He insisted that the mineral content of the water determined the opacity.

The president has called on the people to rally to/behind the government. / The pound rallied against the dollar in trading today.