Lewis Palmer’s Reviews > The Rachel Papers > Status Update

contrapuntal
adjective MUSIC specialized
UK /ˌkɒn.trəˈpʌn.təl/
Contrapuntal music has two or more separate tunes that are played or sung at the same time.

extricate
verb [ T ] formal
UK /ˈek.strɪ.keɪt/
to remove something or set something free with difficulty:
extricate something from something It took hours to extricate the car from the sand.
extricate yourself from something I tried to extricate myself from the situation.

disconsolate
adjective formal
UK /dɪˈskɒn.səl.ət/
extremely sad and disappointed:
The players were disconsolate after losing what should have been an easy game.
Synonym
inconsolable

mawkishness
noun [ U ] disapproving
UK /ˈmɔː.kɪʃ.nəs/
the quality of showing emotion or love in an awkward or silly way:
For me, the most important quality of the novel is that it escapes mawkishness, sentimentality, and cliches.
He always keeps the story under tight control, never allowing it to descend into melodrama or mawkishness.

garrulous
adjective
UK /ˈɡær.əl.əs/
having the habit of talking a lot, especially about things that are not important

laconic
adjective formal
UK /ləˈkɒn.ɪk/
using very few words to express what you mean:
She had a laconic wit.

atavistic
adjective formal
UK /ˌæt.əˈvɪs.tɪk
happening because of a very old habit from a long time ago in human history, not because of a conscious decision or because it is necessary now:
an atavistic fear of the dark