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cantankerous

Definition
(adj) stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate
Synonyms : bloody-minded
Example Sentence
  • unions...have never been as bloody-minded about demarcation as the shipbuilders
Definition
(adj) having a difficult and contrary disposition
Synonyms : crotchety ornery
Example Sentence
  • a cantankerous and venomous-tongued old lady
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for cantankerous

split it into can+tanker+ous : read this as 'kaan' (ear in hindi)+ taker + us, one who is irritable will always have a one below ear (slap) from us.

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cantankerous (can+tanker) imagine that instead of going by a car, if you have to go by a can tanker, it can make you angry or ill-tempered.

cantankerous sounds like "cann't take it anymore" and when do we say this when we get irritated

cantankerous (cane+tanker+on+us).Though we save oursalves from cane falling on us we become ill-tempered.

Can tanker irritate us (ous)

cantankerous==CANT+ANGER+ous someone whom u dare not anger for he is old and ill tempered

hulk cannot tackle tankers - irritable. ill humoured

hey you morons you are coming here to learn what cantankerous mean, i tell you now it means people who are cantankerous like you when you read this mnemonic.

cat angry us

one sitting in a TANK is BAD TEMPERED to kill the enemy and is UN-COOPERATIVE towards enemy

can+tanker+us pahle itna pareshan kiya ki can bhar gaya, fir tanker aur ab hum(us)

Can and tank is to be used against cantankerous person

oil can of the tank is slip on our body so we become angry

CANTAkerous, here CANTA is comparable to hindi word Kanta(throne) which is irritating when it stings. so cantakerous means irritating

cantata

Definition
(noun) a musical composition for voices and orchestra based on a religious text
Synonyms : oratorio
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for cantata

Can 'Tata Young'(of Dhoom) sing any songs like cantata?

tata in telugu means grand father..he tells stories of ramayana in the form of a song

focus on 'tata' part of it and imagine some advertisment of tata salt (indian brand) running on TV....(which may eb a kind of story set to music)

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cantata- reminds me of Carlos Santana if you know him,Latin musician.

Ratan Tata presented a cantata on the launch of Nano.

can tata(ratan tata) dance to this cantata??obviously no,he has become old..!!

chorus singing a story about can tata

cantata - cant can be pronounced as chant - chantings of tata ( tata - grandpa in kannada ), so its religious chants by old people

capitulate

Definition
(verb) surrender under agreed conditions
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for capitulate

CAPtain it's too late, we will have to surrender..

capital+ate -> if someone ate the capital that means the king of the capital has surrendered.

CAP ITU LATE : Cap(close/cover/stop) it, it is too late. Give in, yield, to stop resisting an enemy

captured by someone ----> surrendered

If u GIVE UP ur spirit , you r a CAPI TULL(kannada)

This word can be related to Capitalism which weakened all the colonies.

Capitulations of the Ottoman Empire made empire slender and end as a result of this.

The CAPtain gave up resistance and surrended under agreed conditions!

caprice

Definition
(noun) a sudden desire
Synonyms : impulse whim
Example Sentence
  • he bought it on an impulse
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for caprice

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ca(kya)+price...u say to shopkeeper "abey yeh kya u go on changing price."

the government put a CAP on the PRICE of RICE..because it keeps changing

cap (~ a hat). Cap price rises so you change your mind to buy one

cap+rice: cooked rice on your new wearing cap? sudden impulse will come to your mind.

My favorite car is a Caprice: So I remember it as: "I HAVE A CAPRICE FOR CAPRICE"

Cal saw the low price of rice and immediately was impulsed to buy some!

capricious

Definition
(adj) changeable
Synonyms : freakish
Example Sentence
  • a capricious summer breeze
  • freakish weather
Definition
(adj) determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason
Synonyms : impulsive whimsical
Example Sentence
  • a capricious refusal
  • authoritarian rulers are frequently capricious
  • the victim of whimsical persecutions
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for capricious

ca(CAR) + PRIC(PRICE)...PRICE OF cars nowadays is becoming unpredictable with the launch of Tata's 1 lakh car.

CAPRICONS(SUN SIGN) ARE GENERALLY IMPULSIVE N UNPREDICTABLE PEOPLE

Capricorn the goat(zodiac symbol) is capricious

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if u wear Capri(a dress, also called 3/4th) in place of formal dress, it will be UNPREDICTABLE, ERRATIC.

Wearing a ricious cap (cap full of cooked rice=capricious)? Angry?

CAPricious- CAP rounds (for entrance of medical or engg. courses) are so impredictable

cap of himesh reshammiya is very PRECIOUS he would be unpredictable when its stolen

A cowboy rides into town. He goes into the general store to buy a new pair of jeans. He impulsively changes mind and buys CAPRI-Pants instead. Now that's capricious!

part of this word is "Capri".. usually capri's are low waist... its very unpredictable when it may fall of ur waist.. its so loose..

CA(calcium)is precious ..it is not predictable when our teeth weakens

It sounds like cap-riches. Imagine a guy at a casino with his cap under where the money comes out of a slot machine. You never know the outcome of the slot machine. He might not get anything or he might get riches.

Being Capricious is not facetious because it happens on a whim.

captious

Definition
(adj) tending to find and call attention to faults
Synonyms : faultfinding
Example Sentence
  • a captious pedant
  • an excessively demanding and faultfinding tutor
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for captious

First word that comes to mind -Captain, who will always find and call attention to Faults which must be altered.

simiar to CAUTIOUS...cautious people FIND FAULTS in things

CAPTION--ppl who supervise and copyright the CAPTIONs of good TV Ads ae particularly perfectionist and fault finding

CAPTIOUS- ALWAYS GIVIN CAPTIONS..ALWAYS LABELING..

CAPTION+ous so caption is one which is catchy. so a captious person always tries to pick faults in others,FAULTFINDING.

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Captured by her attack on my character, I was trapped in an argument with her.

Captions...when you give too many CAPTIONS(comments) on you friend's photos, you try to find faults

we generally give captions or names to people if we find fault with them..like Mr. stupidity etc.,

Imagine a ships CAPTAIN yelling, "Swab the decks ye scurvy scum!"

if ur CAUTIOUS U will not do faults.

CAPPI TEA polirikunnu ennu objection paranju athu ozhivakki CAPTIOUS = tending to find silly faults

its sort of like keere nikaalna. A captious person makes you cautious forcibly.

capture your faults to make you cautious

carafe

Definition
(noun) a bottle with a stopper; for serving wine or water
Synonyms : decanter
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for carafe

try to remember it as coffee + cafe .....

the word resembles cafe which is brewed in a carafe.

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Glass water bottle is in car safe while driving

careen

Definition
(noun) pitching dangerously to one side
Synonyms : rock sway tilt
Definition
(verb) walk as if unable to control one's movements
Synonyms : keel lurch reel stagger swag
Example Sentence
  • The drunken man staggered into the room
Definition
(verb) move sideways or in an unsteady way
Synonyms : shift tilt wobble
Example Sentence
  • The ship careened out of control
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for careen

careen sounds like car in rain...car will MOVE IN AN UNSTEADY manner in the rain.

Careen <==> Karenna Kapoor (Bollywood Actress) swaying(lurching) her body while dancing

Its like career.In every persons life career will have ups and down

careen is derived from the word career- "to rush" so its To lurch or swerve while in rush

remember hindi superstar Kareena and her boyfriends Saif and Shahid Kapoor, so she sways away side to side "kabhi shahid, kabhi saifu"

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Associate with career : our career keeps swinging from one side to the other

car + lean -> car eans frm one side to another like its swaying!

remember bollywood actress kareena, who keeps swaying from one actor to another :-)

The sport car beside us started to CAREEN as soon as the light turned to GREEN, we were worried about the safety of the passengers in that car

to clean the rear part of the cab(tilted ship). We move side by side to tilt it.

carousal

Definition
(noun) revelry in drinking; a merry drinking party
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for carousal

wen u see a car driven unusual than the driver could b drunken -carousal : car unusual

maybe you can see it this way... arous = arousal and al = alcohol....somehow you can try and relate it to drinking

Carnal+Arouse...most of the noisy drinking parties arouse your carnal desires....carnal desire arousal i.e carousal

rous- this word itself brings to the meaning problem,drunken problem.

carnivorous(is wild) + arousal=wild drinking party

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carousal sounds like karachal which in tamil means noise which occurs at drinking party

carousal => cafe + arousal => drinking revel

c+arouse+al where arouse is group of people in excitement here it is like DRUNKEN REVEL.

castigation

Definition
(noun) a severe scolding Definition
(noun) verbal punishment
Synonyms : chastisement
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for castigation

In olden days lower CAST people were severely criticized...

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Castigated sounds similar to castrated, which would be a harsh punishment for any guy.

due to the CASTe system there is so much agitATION....therefore it is under severe criticism

If you have to throw a criminal out of the GATES of society, CAST him out the GATE - CASTiGATion...

u criticize severely and punish those who ask ur CASTE at the GATE

one who follws CASTEism is thrown out of the GATE

castigation sounds like rustication.

In Iran, if you break your chastity you will suffer chastisement. In USA, if you do caste discrimination, you will suffer castigation.

Inter caste Marriage will result in punishment; severe criticism or disapproval. (castigation -> gate for love using caste)

castigation -> gate for love using caste, if broken punishment & disapproval

CASTIGATION we cast gold to get its finest level same way we SCOLD or PUNISH to make them proper.

"Castigation" sounds like "caste at every gate of the nation" which acts as a punishment and severe disapproval due to the use of caste quota..

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