Would E-cigarettes Lose the Smoker's Stigma if Called by Another Name? A Quick Current Events Vocab Quiz

An evolving conundrum in the Ukraine, semantics issues behind undetected use of e-cigarettes among teens, continuing disfigurement and worse for U.S. soldiers deaths in Afghanistan, and news from the Vatican.

Follow this week's news coverage from a vocabularian's perspective by learning 10 words from this week's New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post coverage.

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. bluster
    a swaggering show of courage
    For all his bluster and bravado, President Vladimir V. Putin’s assurance on Tuesday that Russia does not plan, at least for now, to seize eastern Ukraine suggested a possible path forward in the geopolitical crisis that has captivated the world.
    --No Easy Way Out of Ukraine Crisis, The New York Times, Mar. 4, 2014
    Bluster can describe the behavior of both humans and winds. Blustery winds come in fast and hard; they gust. Blustery people make a big show of force and courage which they may or may not be able to back up.
  2. conundrum
    a difficult problem
    But the development presented a tricky conundrum for President Obama and his European allies.
    --No Easy Way Out of Ukraine Crisis, The New York Times, Mar. 4, 2014
    The classic Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum puzzle. An impasse in weekend planning: lie to your parents or annoy your friends? These difficult decisions can be described as a conundrum, a question or a puzzle with no easy answer.
  3. influx
    the process of flowing in
    And they detected no new influx of troops into Crimea.
    --No Easy Way Out of Ukraine Crisis, The New York Times, Mar. 4, 2014
    Can you find the Latin root meaning "flow" inside influx? It's flu. Think of how something's that fluid will flow, and you'll remember. Here influx, which means "a flowing in," is being used to describe Russian troops moving into the Ukraine.
  4. vapor
    a visible suspension in the air of particles of a substance
    Olivia Zacks, 17, recently took a drag of peach-flavored vapor from a device that most people would call an e-cigarette.
    --E-Cigarettes, by Other Names, Lure Young and Worry Experts, The New York Times, Mar. 4, 2014
    Teens deny smoking "e-cigarettes" but when it comes to "hookah pens" or "e-hookahs" or "vape pipes," well, that's a horse of a different color. The vape in vape pipe comes from vapor, which translates into steam carrying something else. Here, it's carrying all the stuff teens don't smoke because they want to avoid.
  5. stigma
    a symbol of disgrace or infamy
    These devices are part of a subgenre of the fast-growing e-cigarette market and are being shrewdly marketed to avoid the stigma associated with cigarettes of any kind.
    --E-Cigarettes, by Other Names, Lure Young and Worry Experts, The New York Times, Mar. 4, 2014
    In elementary school, "having cooties" was the ultimate stigma. Now, cigarettes are stigmatized, or seen as tainted, in the same way.
  6. semantics
    the meaning of a word, phrase, sentence, or text
    Indeed, public health officials warn that they may be misjudging the use of such products — whatever they are called — partly because of semantics.
    --E-Cigarettes, by Other Names, Lure Young and Worry Experts, The New York Times, Mar. 4, 2014
    When teens who wouldn't go near e-cigarettes are apparently sucking on "vape pipes" without any awareness of the dangers, the problem comes down to semantics, or the names by which these devices are known.
  7. disfigure
    mar or spoil the appearance of
    “We must fight the battles that need to be fought,” Obama told those in attendance, among them a soldier disfigured by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.
    --The last casualties: As a long war ends, risks still prove real, The Washington Post, Mar. 4, 2014
    A person's figure can refer to their shape, their face, or just the whole of their appearance--"to cut a fine figure" means to look particularly sharp. Therefore, disfigure means to mess with your appearance in ways large or small. Anything from a pimple to major scarring to an amputation can be described as disfiguring.
  8. proficient
    of or relating to aptitude in a practical skill
    Kirby Gross, a physician who studies trauma care for wounded troops and who is deployed at Bagram, struggled to find the right words to explain how insurgents have become so proficient at killing and maiming American service members.
    --The last casualties: As a long war ends, risks still prove real, The Washington Post, Mar. 4, 2014
    If you're proficient at speaking a foreign language, it means you can make yourself understood with confidence and skill. Here, where insurgents are described as proficient in developing bombs, it means they're getting very good at it. Wouldn't it be nice if they spent their energy learning a foreign language instead?
  9. rebuff
    force or drive back
    As the anniversary of his election approaches, the Argentinean-born pontiff also sought to rebuff criticisms that he has done too little to respond to the sex abuse scandals that have rocked the church, while he also renewed his criticisms of globalization.
    --Women Could Have Greater Role in Church, Says Pope, The Washington Post, Mar. 4, 2014
    To rebuff is to reject or defend against. An army can rebuff the advances of an invading force. A love object might rebuff the advances of a suitor. Here, the pope is rebuffing, or defending himself against criticism.
  10. papacy
    the government of the Roman Catholic Church
    At the same time, Pope Francis sought to play down the huge popularity that his papacy has generated, saying that he is "not some sort of superman."
    --Women Could Have Greater Role in Church, Says Pope, The Washington Post, Mar. 4, 2014
    You probably know what a pope is, but do you also know that papacy, like presidency, describes a pope's administration? Now you're in on this knowledge, and congratulations! This key vocabulary word will help you discuss the pope in the news with more precision and fluency.
Created on Wed Mar 05 10:53:33 EST 2014 (updated Wed Mar 05 12:56:00 EST 2014)

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