OBTUSE (adj.): lacking intelligence; difficult to comprehend; not quick or alert in perception or feeling Link: NOOSE “‘Don’t be OBTUSE; the horse-thief gets the NOOSE, not the horse!’” - The OBTUSE boy failed every class. - Many believe there was a hidden meaning behind the OBTUSE lyrics of the song.

OSTRACIZE (v.): to exclude from a group; to shun Link: OSTRICH “Ozzie the OSTRICH wondered why he was being OSTRACIZED from the group.” - Andre felt OSTRACIZED by the members of the club, but the truth was they couldn’t understand his accent. - The popular girls at school OSTRACIZED anyone from their group who didn’t wear designer clothes.

PENITENT (adj.): feeling sorrow or remorse for past misdeeds; humble Link: PENITENTIARY “Bubba was PENITENT for the crimes that landed him in the PENITENTIARY.” - Clark became PENITENT when he learned his careless driving had put two people in the hospital. - Jennifer felt PENITENT that she had caused her mother so much sorrow.

PETULANT (adj.): ill-humored; irritable; cranky Link: PET “The PET you gave me made me PETULANT.” - The PETULANT clerk slammed down her papers and stalked angrily from the office. - The PETULANT little creature, spoiled rotten by her parents, she had everything one could imagine and yet seldom never smiled.

PORCINE (adj.): pertaining to, reminiscent of, or resembling a pig Link: POOR SCENE “It was a POOR SCENE when Mark arrived with his PORCINE date.” - She had a PORCINE attitude about food; that is to say, she would eat anything and everything. - In order to endure the PORCINE smell of the sty, Frank tied a bandana around his head to cover his nose.

POTENTATE (n.): a powerful ruler; an important person Link: IMPORTANT TATER “A POTENTATE in ‘Tater Kingdom’ is an IMPORTANT TATER.” - POTENTATES are usually not elected officials, but the descendants of a line of rajahs, sheiks, or kings. - The Shah of Iran was an Iranian POTENTATE who lived in the twentieth century.

PRECARIOUS (adj.): unsafe; unsteady; unstable Link: CARRY US “To escape the dinosaur, Mississippi Jones CARRIED US to safety across a PRECARIOUS bridge.” - John was scared to climb the PRECARIOUS ladder because he didn’t want to fall and break his back. - Isabel’s habit of arriving at work late almost every morning made her job future PRECARIOUSLY uncertain.

PROWESS (n.): exceptional skill or bravery Link: PROWLER “The PROWESS of a PROWLER” - The PROWESS of the Sioux chief, Crazy Horse, at leading his warriors into battle was legendary. - Because of his PROWESS in tennis, the player won the Grand Slam tournament twice.

QUEUE (v./n.) to wait for or to wait in line; a line Link: Q “Qs in a QUEUE” - During the Wimbledon Tennis Championships fans QUEUE outside the gates the day before and spend the night waiting for the gates to open. - The QUEUES at Disney World are usually the longest during holiday weekends.

QUIXOTIC (adj.): totally or foolishly impractical Link: IDIOTIC “Jim, the messenger, is not IDIOTIC; he’s just QUIXOTIC.” - Sally’s QUIXOTIC dream was that a prince riding a white stallion would someday scoop her up and ask her to marry him. - Putting all taxpayers on the honor system is a QUIXOTIC system.

RESURGENT (adj.): rising after defeat Link: SERGEANT “A RESURGENT SERGEANT” - After failing math the last two years, the RESURGENT young boy studied diligently and passed with an “A.” - RESURGENCE and strong determination help most climbers conquer Mount Everest.