Celebrity English

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Jay-Z: antipathy, cupidity, salacious, indulge, decadent, potation

An executive at the company that manufactures Cristal champagne has expressed his antipathy to hip hop culture and its songs that promote cupidity and relate the details of salacious exploits. He believes that the culture brings "unwanted attention" to the brand; in response to this negative stance, Jay-Z has joined a boycott of Cristal. When Jay-Z's patrons at his restaurant would like to indulge in a decadent potation, they will have to choose between Dom Perignon and Krug.

antipathy – (noun) deep distate

cupidity – (noun) excessive desire for wealth and possessions

salacious – (adjective) lustful

exploit – (noun) adventure, deed

indulge – (verb) to engage in freely; to yield to (as a desire)

decadent – (adjective) self-indulgent

potation – (noun) a drink

Nick, Jessica, and Vanessa: equivocal, glut, speculation, cavort, subsequently

Nick Lachey, who has been equivocal about the glut of speculation concerning his affairs since his separation from Jessica Simpson, was seen leaving a party with Vanessa Minnillo. They danced and cavorted, then subsequently left for a presumed tryst.

equivocal – (adjective)

glut – (noun) excessive supply

speculation – (noun) a conclusion reached by guessing

cavort – (verb) to play in a loud and celebratory manner

subsequently – (adverb) following at a time after the occurrence of something else

presume - (verb) to assume without proof

tryst - (noun) an agreement to meet (usually in a romantic way)

Jake and Ryan: proclivity, sedulous, obviate

Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Phillippe share a proclivity for running track. If they are sedulous in their training, they should obviate any need for further aerobic exercise.

proclivity – (noun) a tendency to prefer something

sedulous – (adjective) persistent in effort

obviate – (verb) make unnecessary

Paris: contrition, addle, tumult, effect, explicate, mores

Paris Hilton was caught on videotape as she backed her SUV into a parked car and drove off, seemingly without contrition. Her publicist explained that she was addled by the flashbulbs of a swarm of photographers and the tumult caused her to effect the accident. He further explicated that, in accordance with social mores and the laws of California, Paris notified a parking attendant and provided her contact information to be delivered to the victim.

contrition – (noun) regret for one's wrongdoing

addle – (verb) to confuse

tumult – (noun) the noise and commotion of a large crowd

effect – (verb) to bring about

explicate – (verb) to explain

mores – (noun) traditional ways

Orlando: august, respite, vocation, avocation

Orlando Bloom is planning to climb the august heights of Mount Everest as a respite from his promotional campaign for the sequel to The Pirates of the Caribbean. Orlando's vocation is acting and his avocation is mountain climbing.

august – (adjective) inspiring awe; majestic

respite – (noun) a short period of rest or relief

vocation – (noun) job

avocation – (noun) hobby [The prefix "a-" means "not" or "without." "Avocation" means "not vocation."]

Taylor: allot, philanthropic, benefactor, facilitate, sustenance

A portion of the sales of Taylor Hicks' single, "Do I Make You Proud," will be allotted as a philanthropic contribution to the American Red Cross. The donation, in combination with those from other benefactors, will facilitate the organization's efforts to provide sustenance during emergencies.

allot – (verb) to give out a portion

philanthropic – (adjective) charitable

benefactor – (noun) a person who provides aid [ben/bene = good; mal/male = bad]

facilitate – (verb) to make easier

sustenance – (noun) 1. support 2. nourishment

Hugh and Russell: supersede, uncouth, prodigious

Hugh Jackman will supersede Russell Crowe in the lead role in Baz Luhrmann's forthcoming film about an uncouth cattle driver who has an affair with an English woman who has inherited a ranch on a prodigious piece of land in World War II-era Australia.

supersede – (verb) to replace

uncouth – (adjective) unrefined; coarse

prodigious – (adjective) extremely large in size, extent, or force

Queen Latifah: sanguine, espouse, apt, attain

The sanguine Queen Latifah has espoused an apt cause: she traveled to Washington, D.C., to show her support of a National Women's Confidence Day. She said she attributes her own self-confidence to her supportive family and that she is living proof that belief in one's self can lead to attaining one's goals.

sanguine – (adjective) 1. optimistically cheerful 2. reddish in color [like blood]
espouse – (verb) to support or adopt (a cause, etc.)

apt – (adjective) appropriate

attain – (verb) to gain or to arrive at

Gwen: lore, resplendent, impeccable, comely

In keeping with the lore of a new mother's shining aura, Gwen Stefani sported a resplendent glow as she left the hospital after giving birth to her first child, a baby boy named Kingston James McGregor Rossdale. Her make-up was impeccable and her hair was pulled back in a comely ponytail.

lore – (noun) traditional belief

aura – (noun) an intangible quality that seems to surround a person or thing
resplendent – (adjective) brightly shining

impeccable – (adjective) flawless

comely – (adjective) attractive