Vocabulary Mnemonics

Dec. 27, 2025

Matt’s words

Beatific (adj): having a happy appearance; blissful

His eyes were limpid, faraway, flooded with tears, his gaze beatific. —Helen Molesworth, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025

A bit of a drive further on Santa Monica offers the beatific resting place of many stars, Hollywood Forever Cemetery. —Samantha Dunn, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025

Mnemonic: Just like beautiful is more powerful than “pretty,” beatific is more powerful than “happy.”

Scaramouch (n): a cowardly buffoon

I see a little silhouetto of a man, Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango?

Much like his namesake, the scaramouch, the Mooch masquerades as a useful idiot and a sly schemer, performing both roles while never forgetting to enthrall the audience and, most important, the boss. —Tiana Lowe, National Review, 28 July 2017

Mnemonic: “Scare” is right in the word and is similar to cowardly.

Prolix (adj): wordy; verbose; long-winded; unduly prolonged or drawn out; of all its synonyms it implies the most wordiness.

His answer is this book: a laudably sincere, exasperatingly prolix and occasionally affecting rumination on the state of Egypt—its society, culture, history and politics—pegged to the maddening bureaucracy of the archive. —Kapil Komireddi, WSJ, 12 Mar. 2023

Mnemonic: Think about someone being “pro licks,” or in favor of lots of licks with the tongue (as in saying lots of words)

Propound (v): To offer for discussion or consideration (similar to propose, advocate, present)

Only a revival of what the Founders propounded as truths and sound beliefs can save us. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 31 May 2025

Let’s propound the idea that…

Mnemonic: If you “pound the table” for something you support it and discuss it a lot. That’s what you’re doing when you propound.

Mutable (adj): prone to change; capable of change; able to mutate; inconstant

Normally we hear immutable. The immutable laws of nature…

Their watery and mutable nature gives them the rare ability to transcend and grow. —Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 23 Nov. 2025

Mnemonic: Think of something being able to “mutate.”

Mom’s words:

Reveille (n): a military bugle call, from the French “wake up,” signaling the start of the duty day, typically at sunrise, with ceremonies involving flag raising and morning roll call, requiring personnel to show respect.

Luggage lined up in Dallas terminals like dwarf soldiers in a nightmare reveille. —Dan Zak, Washington Post, 28 Dec. 2022

At scout camp, only a few of the kids revved up before reveille.

Mnemonic: “Rev” at the beginning reminds us of “revive” or “revved” up. You can also “revel” in the thought of the new day.

Reverie (n): being lost in thought—generally pleasantly; daydream

A late-night knock on my door broke my reverie.

Reaching the end of the slideshow is a bit like waking from a fashion reverie. —Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 1 Feb. 2018

Mnemonic: Think of being in a state of reverence. You’re calm, relaxed, and probably pondering something.

Avocation (n): a subordinate occupation pursued in addition to one’s vocation, especially for enjoyment; hobby

He’s a professional musician, but his avocation is photography. Merriam-Webster

Mnemonic: “A,” as in not or the opposite of, and “vocation,” as in one’s job. It means something that’s not your job.

Glib (adj): (of words or the person speaking them) fluent and voluble but insincere and shallow; said or done offhand and especially with inadequate attention or concern : said or done too easily or carelessly; non-chalant

It was offputting when the woman seemed always to give glib answers to difficult questions.

The politician rather glibly dismissed a serious issue. —Sean Cowlishaw

Mnemonic: Comes from the Low German “glibberig,” which meant slippery. The glib answer slips right out and seems about that deep.

Disconcerting (adj): to throw into confusion or disturb the composure of

He had a disconcerting habit of offering jobs to people he met at dinner parties. Oxford

As the Alabama Crimson Tide prepare for the rival Auburn Tigers ahead of Saturday’s Iron Bowl, the team received a bit of disconcerting news. —Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025

Mnemonic: The word breaks down into “dis,” or not, and “concert,” meaning in alignment with. Something disconcerting isn’t in concert with what you expect. Also, it sounds a lot like discomforting.

COLOSSAL COMPILATION:

My glib Uncle Larry, typically a scaramouch who makes it his avocation to propound disrespectfully, and with prolix flair, about topics that move others into beatific reverie, quite suddenly disconcerted all of us by mutating into a lover of sunrises and reveille.