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41st Week

1st Day

Queen of the Supermarket

The American housewife is queen of all she surveys in the supermarket. She decides what items shall be purchased. Grocery manufacturers are well aware of her power to make one product a success and another a failure. They spend huge sums developing new products with which to curry her favor. Fearful that a successful product will soon begin to pall, the manufacturers, without cessation,* come out with "new and improved" versions to whet* her appetite. Sometimes it is only a box or package that has been changedperhaps a colorful photo of a succulent meal on a TV dinner box. In the larger supermarkets the housewife is faced with a satiety of merchandise, particularly in the copiously* stocked laundry detergent section. While there may be almost no intrinsic difference among the many brands, advertising and packaging serves to importune* her to buy one rather than another.

Did you spot it? The "new word" you've seen before? It's intrinsic.

Sample Sentences

Insert the new words in these sentences.

1.The connoisseur* of fine foods declared the restaurant the ultimate* in the preparation of __________ meat dishes.

2.She coveted* the antiquated* locket even though it had only an __________ value.

3.He discreetly* tried to __________ favor with his employer.

4.The host exhorted* his guests to eat to __________.

5.Those conditions were not conducive* to a felicitous* evening as the dance would soon __________ for the lack of feminine companionship.

Definitions

Match the new words with their definitions.

Today's Idiom

a pretty kettle of fisha mess, troubles

Page 261

2nd Day

New Words

It's What's Outside That Counts

Packaging of grocery items is a facet* of advertising that is too little appreciated by consumers. Walking up and down the aisles of a supermarket, one seldom stops to analyze the individual package in the potpourri of items on the shelves. The manufacturer had to glean* and test many different designs before he accepted the one you see in the array* before you. Before he will sanction the use of a particular can, box, or bottle, he must know many things about its efficacy.* He wants to know if the colors attract: a white box may denote cleanliness, a red one, strength. There may be a photo or a drawing that will allude to the product's use or special qualities. A lackluster* package may be fatal.* Next, the size and shape are important elements. The housewife may want a small package for easy storing, but a larger package may suggest economy. A round bottle may look attractive, but a square one is easier to stack. These are some of the insidious aspects of packaging, the main purpose of which is to attract your attention as you peruse* the crowded supermarket shelves.

Sample Sentences

Insert the new words in these sentences.

1.I cannot __________ your lax* attitude towards the imminent* threat of a conflagration.*

2.In some __________ way the glib* salesman played upon my repressed* desires and sold me a gaudy* sports car.

3.You can be sure the candidate will __________ to the moribund* state of our economy and offer his panacea.*

4.A __________ of today's musical hits sounds more like cacophony* than harmony.

5.His levity* at such a serious moment __________ a lack of feeling.

Definitions

Match the new words with their definitions.

Today's Idiom

the acid testa severe test

The new job was an acid test of his ability to bring home the bacon.*

Answers are on Page 318