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conjugal

Hillary is Our Lady of Perpetual Conjugal Suffering; the patron saint of every woman who's every been wronged." Maureen Dowd, "Rudy in Reverse," New York Times, 6/6/99

connoisseur

"This is the car for the connoisseur who doesn't have to think about cost." Car and Driver, 10/99

connubial

"I never could imagine connubial bliss until after tea." W. Somerset Maugham, Cakes and Ale

consternation

"Father and son stared at each other in consternation and neither knew what to do." Pearl Buck, The Good Earth

constricted

"He grew up in slightly less constricted circumstances than his teammates." Darcy Frey, The Last Shot

construed

"Hemingway's simple approach was construed as mysticism." Robert Ruark, "Ernest Was Very Simple"

consummate

"Arnold Zweig, a writer of consummate artistry, presents a picture of delicacy and charm that hovers on the brink of disaster." Roger Goodman, World-Wide Stories

contemptuous

"It is not difficult to feel contemptuous when studying the ugly behavior of some of the powerful figures of motion pictures." Pauline Kael, I Lost It at the Movies

contort

"He is an actor who can contort his face into any number of shapes." People, 4/15/99

controversial

"His three-year tenure was controversial and contained charges of racism." Monte Williams, "Roosevelt Island Chief," New York Times, 6/10/99

cope

"Every single muscle in the body was strained to the uttermost throughout the watch to cope with the steering." Thor Heyerdahl, Kon Tiki

copious

"The wedding reception featured copious amounts of food, drink, and music." New York Times, 9/26/99

corpulent

"When he squeezed his corpulent body into a chair he seemed to be stuck there forever." Charles W. Thompson,

Presidents I Have Known

corroborated

"Bill corroborated the captain's statement, hurried back down the glistening ladders to his duty." Hanson W. Baldwin, "R.M.S. Titanic"

coterie

"The aristocratic coterie finally got the upper hand." Edith Hamilton, The Greek Way

countenance

"Behind a most pleasant countenance, this dictator has maintained a most brutal regime." Newsweek, 2/21/98

coup

"Newt Gingrich was nearly toppled in a coup attempt in the House." Michael Duffy, "Who Chose George?," TIME, 6/21/99

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cryptic

''Ms. Bogart, an iconoclastic director known for her cryptic reworkings of everything, turns out to be an ideal interpreter for Gertrude Stein." Ben Brantley, "Gertrude and Alice," New York Times, 6/14/99

culminated

"The years of physical and mental training culminated in the fulfillment of a lifelong dream." Vim & Vigor, Summer 1998

culpable

"When the jury found Stacy culpable, she collapsed in a state of shock." Eloise R. Baxter, "Judgment Day"

culprit

"We pointed out the tender age and physical slightness of the little culprit." Thomas Mann, "Mario and the Magician"

cumbersome

"Grizzly bears may look cumbersome and awkward, but don't be deceived." Nature, 2/97

cumulative

"There can be an extraordinary cumulative strength in Mr. Foote's plays." Ben Brantley, New York Times, 6/18/99

cupidity

"There is little real humor in this picture of cunning and cupidity as revealed by a petty contest for a paltry sum." Liam O'Flaherty, "A Shilling"

curry

"The candidates are visiting many senior centers in an attempt to curry support among the elderly." AARP Bulletin, 9/99

cursory

"Even a cursory glance at the text of the peace agreement shows that the Yugoslav leader has accepted NATO's demands in full." Tim Judah, "What Do We Do With Serbia Now?," New York Times, 6/4/99

curtail

"A court decision to a freeze on regulations to curtail cross-state pollution was unpopular." "EPA's Reduced Standards," Newsday, 6/15/99

cynical

"A cynical view of phone calls or mail offering free merchandise or membership is the safest approach." Newsweek, 6/7/98

D

dearth

"There was no dearth of criticism of his work." H. L. Mencken, "The Case of Dreiser"

debacle

"After leading the league for most of the season, September brought the debacle that ruined their hopes." Roger Kahn, The Boys of Summer

debilitating

"Exercise can help people overcome debilitating illnesses." Vim & Vigor, Summer 1998

debris

"They continued their support for earthquake victims in the debris of collapsed houses." New York Daily News, 8/7/99