V
Robin Hood's faithful merry men were not only (crotchety, jovial) companions, but brave and clever fighters as well.
jovial : good-humored, in high spirits, merry
Normally, I'm very even tempered, but I can become a little (martial, crotchety) when I'm tired or hungry.
crotchety: cranky, ill-tempered, full of odd whims
Of all the different types of writing, humor may be the most (perishable, jovial) since each generation has its own idea of what is funny.
perishable: likely to spoil or decay
Thanks to my brother's (templates, innovations) to a classic recipe, we won first prize at the fair for best hot sauce.
innovations: something new, a change, the act of introducinga new methor or idea, device, etc.
Despite all his efforts, he was never able to (retrieve, partition) the fine reputation he had lost by that crooked deal.
retrieve: to find and bring back, get back, put right, make good
Some hikers are surprised when they get a poison ivy rash, as its (cringe, onset) can sometimes be several days after the encounter with the vine.
onset: the beginning, start of something violent/destructive, an attack, assault
We learned in our history class that the ancient Romans were very fine soldiers and excelled in all the (martial, perishable) arts.
Martial: warlike, fond of fighting, relating to war, the army or military life
To keep a (nimble, sinister) mind, doctors advise working on crossword puzzles or learning a foreign language.
nimble: quick and skillful in movement, agile, and clever
Her mind is so (impassable, nimble) that she always seems to be one step ahead of us in any matter under discussion.
In the 18th century, Russia, Prussia, and Austria made a series of deals to (partition, cringe) and annex Poland right out of existence.
partition: something that divides, the act of dividing something into parts or sections, to divide or subdivide into parts or shares
Although we all recognize that there must be changes, it is a mistake to think that every (arrears, innovation) is necessarily an improvement.
innovation: something new, a change, the act of introducing a new method, idea, device, etc.
Everyone in the auditorium (retrieved, cringed) when the singer hit a sour note while performing his most famous song.
cringed: to shrink back or hide in fear or submissiveness
In the moment of danger, my nerves were so (taut, sinister) that I would have screamed if someone had touched me.
taut: tightly drawn, tense, neat, in good order
The self-styled "tough guy" (cringed, manacled) in terror and begged the police not to shoot.
cringed: to shrink back or hide in fear or submissiveness
The speed with which the boxer darted about the ring made his lumbering opponent seem utterly (nimble, immobile) by comparison.
immobile: not movable, not moving
Instead of acting as though you were permanently (manacled, retrieved) to your small circle of friends, you should try to meet new people.
Manacled: a handcuff, anything that chains or confines, to chain or restrain
I felt that there was something thoroughly (sinister, immobile) about the way he kept trying to duck questions on that subject.
sinister: appearing evil or dangerous, threatening evil or harm
Although we are proud of our high standard of living, we should not forget that there are those who do not share in this (affluence, minimum).
affluence: wealth, riches, prosperity, great abundance, or plenty
The first thing the bankrupt firm must do with its funds is pay the (arrears, templates) due on the employees' wages.
arrears: unpaid or overdue debts, an unfinished duty
Did you know that most computer software provides several different (templates, onsets) for letter writing?
templates: a pattern, typically in the form of metal, wood, or plastic; something that is used as a model to imitate
More than once, our skillful running backs managed to find a way through our opponent's supposedly (impassable, affluent) line.
impassable: blocked so that nothing can go through
With the (affluence,onset) of the heat wave, vast numbers of city dwellers began to stream toward the beaches and mountains.
onset: the beginning, start of something violent and destructive, an attack, an assault
Her blond hair fell upon her shoulders like a shimmering (onset, cascade) of gold.
cascade: a steep and narrow waterfall, something falling or rushing forth in quantity, to flow downward (like a waterfall!)
A high school student looking for a vacation job usually can't expect to earn more than the (perishable, minimum) wage.
minimum: the smallest possible amount or the lowest permissable/possible
This facial cream claims that it will help keep your skin (taut, jovial) and youthful.
taut: tightly drawn, tense, neat, in good order