Mencken Glossary
introduction: elegiac: (especially of a work of art) having a mournful quality
2. concoct: create or devise (said especially of a story or plan)
2. mortuary: of or relating to burial or tombs
9. elegist: the author of a mournful poem lamenting the dead
10. effusion: an act of talking or writing in an unrestrained or heartfelt way
32. expansive: (of a person or their manner) open, demonstrative, and communicative
33. amiability: the quality of having a friendly and pleasant manner; geniality
36. palpable: readily or plainly seen, heard, perceived, etc.; obvious; evident
37. agnostic: (in a nonreligious context) having a doubtful or noncommittal attitude toward something
39. hagridden: afflicted by nightmares or anxieties
39. mount: a horse being ridden or that is available for riding
40. steed: a horse being ridden or available for riding
41. incarnation: a person who embodies in the flesh a deity, spirit, or abstract quality
46. bard: a poet, traditionally one reciting epics and associated with a particular oral tradition
47. vain: producing no result; useless
50. pinched: hurt by financial hardship
50. man of substance: someone with a large amount of money or property
53. to cut a ____ figure: present oneself or appear in a particular way
72. prescience: the fact of knowing something before it takes place; foreknowledge
47B. arduous: involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring
48A. restrained: characterized by reserve or moderation; unemotional or dispassionate
48A. undemonstrative: (of a person) not tending to express feelings, especially of affection, openly
48B. stoic: a person who can endure pain or hardship without showing their feelings or complaining.
48D. oblivious: not aware of or not concerned about what is happening around one
48E. avaricious: having or showing an extreme greed for wealth or material gain
49. infinitive: The simple or dictionary form of a verb: walk, think, fly, exist. Often the word to marks a verb as an infinitive: “to walk,” “to think,” “to fly,” “to exist.”
49A. anticipate: regard as probable; expect or predict
49A. subsequent: coming after something in time; following
50A. euphemism: a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.
50D. maxim: a short, pithy statement expressing a general truth or rule of conduct.
51II. mythologize: create or promote an exaggerated or idealized image of. "much of his life was devoted to mythologizing his own career"
52A. eulogy: a speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly, typically someone who has just died
52D. pejorative: expressing contempt or disapproval.
53. blatant: completely lacking in subtlety; very obvious