Vocabulary

2011

9.6

trekker

8.10

rags-to-riches entrepreneurs

glitterati: the fashionable set of people engaged in show business or some other glamorous activity.

7.17

zany (amusingly unconventional and idiosyncratic) antics (foolish, outrageous, or amusing behavior)

7.15

feisty: having or showing exuberance and strong determination

6.30

Gag order

6.25
panache: flamboyant confidence of style or manner

5.9
run-of-the-mill: lacking unusual or special aspects; ordinary
writer's block

5.8 zing: energy, enthusiasm, or liveliness

5.7 bait and switch

4.7 circadian rhythm 生物钟; full bore (at full speed or maximum capacity)

4.6 persona non grata: an unacceptable or unwelcome person

3.1 lionize

2.22 bandshell

2010

12.19

cornucopia: a symbol of plenty consisting of a goat's horn overflowing with flowers, fruit, and corn

12.15

Armageddon: (in the New Testament) the last battle between good and evil before the Day of Judgment. "Armageddon of the brain" -- Michael Jackson "Stranger in Moscow"

12.11

shades of green

11.30

on the ropes: [boxing] forced against the ropes by the opponent's attack.

11.21

self-possessed: having a firm belief in one's own powers

11.18

petrify: "I was completely petrified since I knew nothing about immigration law or immigration hearings."

10.28

Four-minute mile

10.21

take a pass

9.28

terra incognita
global laughingstock

9.25

cave in, climb down, blink.

5.3

also-ran: There's a new world order for banks, and the Chinese, for the first time, are the biggest, with a market capitalization that has made perennial No. 1 Citigroup Inc. a distant also-ran behind Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., China Construction Bank Corp. and Bank of China Ltd.

4.9

Hakuna matata is a Swahili phrase that is literally translated as "There are no worries". It is sometimes translated as "no worries", although is more commonly used similarly to the English phrase "no problem".

4.8

Carpe Noctem

3.19

storm in a teacup

3.1

fit the bill

quicker on the draw

fly by the seat of one's pants: to proceed or work by feel or instinct without formal guidelines or experience

pas de deux: step of two

2.15

agoraphobia: extreme or irrational fear of crowded spaces or enclosed public places

funky: modern or stylish in an unconventional or striking way.

showstopper:

1) an act, song, or performer that wins applause so prolonged as to interrupt a performance
2) a problem that is known to be unsolvable and will bring the project to a halt.

2.8

beholden: I don't like to be beholden to anybody.

yarmulke: 犹太小帽

bonhomie: cheerful friendliness, geniality; 好性情，温和，和蔼

doppelganger: an apparition or double of a living person

(Alex Heckscher: Doppelganger week is over)

sine qua non

2009

5.6

tresor trové: french rules