Creative Writing Vocab Lesson 3 There’s a lot to be learned from The Simpsons

Flabbergasted Itchy and Scratchy never fails to flabbergast me. Once I think they’ve outdone themselves, they leave me speechless again! Adj or V. Shocked, often to the point of confused or speechless.

vamoose Homer found that he had to vamoose, and fast! He had to leave Springfield because the town wanted to lynch him for dumping a silo of pig-doo in the lake. V. to leave quickly

fjord The Simpsons drove over the horizon and saw the beautiful fjords of Alaska. The cliffs dropped down into the ocean where the waves crashed. They were awed. N. Cliffs that drop straight into the ocean

zest Homer ate his pork chops with zest. He loves his pork chops with a passion. N. passion, great energy, enthusiasm and excitement for Adj = zestful, zesty

lackadaisical Bart is usually very lackadaisical, reading comic books and lounging in front of the TV. But when motivated properly, like getting Krusty’s job back or getting free from the grasp of Sideshow Bob, he’s anything but lazy. Adj. Lazy, spiritless

sinuous Bart skateboarded through the town, taking a sinuous path. He wound his way this way and that. Adj. bending and twisting; curving and twisting Sometimes has a connotation of moral twisting

bamboozle Sideshow Bob bamboozled Chief Quimby into thinking that he was reformed; however, he really wanted to kill Bart. V. to trick or cheat

lummox Barney reformed as he trained and competed against Homer to be an astronaut. He developed coordination and gymnastic skills, but once he took a sip of Champaign, he became the lummox he normally is--a complete oaf. N. an oaf; an uncoordinated person

iota Professor Frink has made many crazy inventions over the year, but not one had a single iota of practicality. There isn’t even the smallest usefulness in any of them! N. a jot; an infinitesimal amount

ogle Bart and Milhouse ogled the latest edition of Radioactive Man; he stared at it for the longest time until Comicbook Guy chased them out of the store. V. to stare at; to “check out”

quirky Moe is a very quirky fellow. He has a lot of odd habits and tendencies, like writing all of the horrible things that occur to him on Post-It notes. Adj. having odd and unique tendencies; characterized by peculiar or unexpected traits N = quirkiness

raze When Bart and Lisa received a lot of cardboard boxes, they built a castle with it, but the other kids wanted to raze the palace. V. To level or knock completely down –Odd-- “raise” means “to build or lift,” but “raze” means “to knock down.” Odd, huh.

hovel Groundskeeper Willy’s hovel was a small shack in the back of the school; the dilapidated building leaked and dripped and let the cold winds blow in. But he usually slept on his tractor anyway. N. a shanty, a shack, a small dilapidated building

D’oh D’oh! Is this the end of the PowerPoint? And gee, I didn’t know Homer’s catchphrase was in some dictionaries! Not all of them, the informal ones at least!