120 Words Every 12th Grader Should Know: List 6

“For those of us who take our vow of austerity seriously, conclave is the only time we allow ourselves the luxury of fine food and drink. It reminds us that we’re human.” Scythe

She organized a group of sixty women who canvassed the state of New York, collecting ten thousand signatures on petitions. Votes for Women!

The workers who started the organizing said their pay was not commensurate with the risks they took and the productivity they must maintain. New York Times (Mar 17, 2021)

She looked at each in turn with a strained smile on her countenance. Seattle Times (Mar 22, 2013)

Dr. Shaw at first demurred; then let her have what she wanted. Brave New World

When visitors praised it, my mother would deprecate: "It's just an overgrown farmhouse." The Guardian (Jun 26, 2010)

After decades of dissolute living, Andrew is proclaiming how sorry he is; inevitably, he will be forgiven. The Guardian (Jan 21, 2020)

Now, this is an equivocal and obscure reply, demanding explanation. Various

"These actions would require prior approval from an appropriate supervisory official and would typically involve exigent circumstances necessitating immediate action." Los Angeles Times (Apr 3, 2018)

He was garrulous and sociable and loved to be at the center of attention, but at the same time he was extraordinarily guarded about his private life. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

Of course, the two "types" of health — physical and mental — are intimately intertwined, even inextricable, as health experts and doctors will attest. Salon (Jan 1, 2020)

Now, the Hong Kong neighborhood is thriving, as a nascent cultural scene emerges and as young creative types and entrepreneurs alike are being lured by cheaper rents. New York Times (Mar 19, 2010)

"A precocious child," Miss Honey said, "is one that shows amazing intelligence early on. You are an unbelievably precocious child." Matilda

Finding my seat at last, I was overcome with a presentiment of worse things to come. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

He stared over at Franny’s prostrate, face-down position on the couch, and heard, probably for the first time, the only partly stifled sounds of anguish coming from her. Franny and Zooey

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone sidling up to him, and he knew who it was without looking. The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage

She and Grace are solicitous on the way home, linking their arms through mine, asking me how I feel. Cat's Eye

No one even knew Major de Coverley’s first name, because no one had ever had the temerity to ask him. Catch-22

Ash went about her work in silence as Ana upbraided her about her poor cooking skills, the invisible layer of dust on the dining room table, the unevenness of her stitching on their stockings. Ash

I learn that Lou Anne, whom I find dull and vapid and have never paid much mind to, gave Louvenia two weeks off with pay so she could help her grandson. The Help