“Honey is one of the few foods free of bacteria, because it absorbs the moisture essential to their life.”
(Fred McGuinness, Reader’s Digest)
“Error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it.” (Thomas Jefferson)
She’s very free (i.e. carefree) with my money.
FREE
(V)“When the states of Europe freed themselves from papal ove r l o rdship and protection, each state encouraged nationalism as a supplement to its army and navy.”
(Fred McGuinness, The Reader’s Digest)
“The astronauts in outer space, freed from gravity, lost up to 20 percent of their calcium.”
( Dr. Paul Brand & Philip Ya n c e y, Fe a rfully and Wo n d e rf u l l y Ma d e)
FREEDOM
“I know but one freedom and that is the freedom of the mind.” (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
“The State’s . . civic creed left ample freedom for the psyche within the empire.” (Paul Johnson)
“Complete freedom from stress is death.”
(Dr. Hans Selye)
FREEHOLD
“No generation has a freehold on this earth. All we have is a life tenancy with a full repairing lease.”
(Margaret Thatcher, The Economist)
FREIGHT
(V)“The Holocaust and Auschwitz are so freighted with significance that we must let this story tell itself.”
(Willem Dafoe, actor)
FRET
“A scant 20,000 years ago, the rivers and lakes we now fret about preserving did not exist.”
(Gregg Easterbrook, (Newsweek mag.) The ship was fretting at her chains.
Her mind was fretted (i.e. vexed) by the problems of her irresponsible family.
“This majestical roof, fretted (i.e. adorned) with golden fire.” (Shakespeare)
FRICTION
She loved to cause friction between her friends.
There’s a lot of friction in this family.
FRIEND
He’s a friend of Mrs. Baker.
She was a friend to the downtrodden.
I wish I could be friends with my ex-wife.
FRIENDLY
That article is very friendly to our cause.
He’s been friendly with James since school days.
FRAUGHT - FRIENDLY 102
F
FROWN
(N)He came in with a frown on his face.
FROWN
(V)“He was still frowning at the engine noise.”
(Paul Théroux)
I thought you liked me. Why are you frowning upon me?
FRUITFUL
His missionary work was always fruitful of good results.
FULL
She brought a paper bag full of apples.
The bucket of wild strawberries was full to the brim.
The basket was so full with apples, it was spilling over.
FUMBLE
He fumbles at any manual task.
She is fumbling for the earrings in her purse.
They fumbled with their citizenship documents.
FUNCTION
(N)The functions of the brain are impaired by alcohol.
FUNCTION
(V)“These three systems (the immune system, the nervous system and the endocrine system) are now known by physiologists to function as the master controls of the body.”
(Dr. Deepak Chopra, Ageless Body, Timeless Mind)
“Most (of our) critical organs can function well at 30 percent of peak capacity.”
They may have functioned like kelp.
A robot can function (i.e. perform) like a human in certain prescribed ways.
FUNDAMENTAL
This procedure is fundamental to the whole process.
FURIOUS
I’m furious at that, of course, but I’m more furious with you.
He’s furious about everything this morning.
FURNISH
The whole lobby was furnished (i.e. embellished) in art deco fashion.
I promise to furnish (i.e. give) the proof to you first thing tomorrow morning.
“The Catholic Church has long furnished (i.e. provided) mankind with its brightest dreams.”
(Winston Churchill)
FUSE
(V)“The unborn baby has 350 bones which will gradually f u s e t o g e t h e r i n t o the 206 carried by most adult humans.”
( Dr. Paul Brand & Philip Ya n c e y, Fe a rfully and Wo n d e rf u l l y Ma d e)
FUSS
(V)You are fussing about silly details again.
She always fusses over me.
103 FROWN - FUSS F
GAIN
(N)It’s a net gain for democracy.
She had to admit a gain of four pounds in one week.
GAIN
(V)He gains weight by eating too much.
“Too many parents have forgotten that freedom gains meaning from restraint.” (Roger Rosenblatt, Time mag.)
“Politics is the only profession in which mediocrities can gain the world’s attention through slander.” (Gore Vidal)
GAMBLE
(V)She gambles (i.e. invests) in stocks and bonds for a living.
They prefer to gamble (i.e. bet) on greyhounds.
I’m gambling (i.e. relying) on his going to the tavern this evening.
He likes to gamble with other people’s money.
GAME
(A)Are you game (i.e. eager) for a few sets of tennis?
GAP
“A persistent gap between interest rates and income growth . . serves warning of insolvency.”
(The Economist)
“The path led me . . through a gap in a high elder hedge.”
(J.T. Story, Oxford English Dictionary)
“One of those narrow rocky gaps . . over the line of ranges.” (R. Boldrewood, Oxford English Dictionary)
GASP
(V)They gasped in amazement at his antics He was gasping for breath.
GATHER
The children gathered around the maypole.
The Hindu worshippers are gathering by the Ganges.
The crowd gathered in a clearing on the mountaintop.
“Herrerasaurus, the most ancient dinosaur discovered to date, flourished 230 million years ago . . when most of the eart h’s landmasses we re g a t h e re d i n t o a single supercontinent, now called Pangea.” (Time mag.) Note: As for all VV (versatile verbs), they can be followed by a variety of prepositions; whichever best describes the action that follows.
GAZE
(V)She just sat there and gazed at the moon.
She was gazing into the mirror, delighted with her new hat.
“You may not, cannot, appropriate beauty. It is the wealth of the eye, and a cat may gaze upon a king.”
(Theodore Parker)
They spend their last days gazing through the windows.
Note: As for all VVs, this versatile verb can be followed by a variety of prepositions; whichever best describes the action that follows.
GENERATE
“Antibodies are generated by the immune system in response to an antigen (a foreign cell or chemical)”.
(Ricki Lewis)
“Some 76% of Britain’s electricity is generated from coal.” (The Economist, 1988)
“An adult bird can generate up to 20,000 new neurons in a single day.” (Geoffrey Montgomery, Discover mag.)
GENEROSITY
He’s shown great generosity of spirit.
G G
GAIN - GENEROSITY 104
GENEROUS
He’s generous in his relations with people.
That’s very generous of you.
Why are you always so generous to me?
You’re so generous with my money.
GENIUS
He had a genius for finding oil.
GENUFLECTION
“The public sacrifices were simply a routine genuflection to government.” (Paul Johnson)
GET
I’m trying to get at (i.e. reach) that big apple up there.
First, let me try to get by (i.e. past) you.
Get in the house or get out of my yard.
“Clichés” he said, “are the best way to get simple ideas into the heads of idiots.” (Len Deighton, Berlin Game) He got round (i.e. circumvented) that problem first.
I’ll get through (i.e. complete) this work by evening.
We’re finally getting to the bottom of (i.e. finding out about) this thing.
You’re getting under his skin (i.e. really bothering him).
“In the U.S.A., we get on or off a train; in Great Britain, we get in or out of a train.”
(Logan Pearsall Smith, Words and Idioms)
Note: As for all VVs, this versatile verb can be followed by a variety of prepositions; whichever best describes the action that follows.
GIBE
(V)He is always gibing at me.
GIFT
(N)I have a gift for you from your sister.
The magi made a gift of myrrh and incense.
“The weakest among us has a gift however seemingly trivial, which is peculiar to him and which worthily used will be a gift also to his race.” (Ruskin)
GIFT
(V)“You can . . be gifted (i.e. given) up to 90,000 pounds before you become liable to tax.”
(Daily Telegraph, Oxford English Dictionary) He is gifted (i.e. endowed) with great skills.