• couch - to formulate in a particular style or language
  • irascible - easily provoked to outbursts of anger; irritable
  • shirking - the evasion of work or duty
  • diffident - showing modest reserve
  • obsequious - attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner
  • humdrum - not challenging; dull and lacking excitement

The Bicentennial Man and Other Stories by Isaac Asimov

Short story: The Bicentennial Man

The following are from my own research, writing, and notes to use more often:

  • pert - (of a person) attractive; (comparative perter/superlative pertest)
  • pudic - easily shamed; having a strong sense of shame; modest; chaste (anagram cupid)
  • pudendum - usually plural - pudenda - human external genital organs collectively especially of a female
  • saucy - alt sassy - bold and spirited; somewhat sexy and provocative
  • sibilate - to speak with a hissing sound
  • scritch - to make a small scratching sound like a small animal boroughing
  • cantankerous - given to or marked by an ill-tempered quarrelsome nature
  • crotchety - cranky, disagreeable, or stubborn, especially if prone to odd whims or fancies
  • temerity - reckless boldness; foolish bravery
  • affront - to insult intentionally; to meet defiantly
  • effrontery - an act of insolent and shameless audacity
  • chutzpah - nearly arrogant courage; exaggerated self-opinion
  • captious - tending to find and call attention to faults unreasonably, petty
  • cavil - to criticize for petty or frivolous reasons
  • pettifogger - one who quibbles over trivia and raises petty annoying objections; unethical lawyer of lesser skill
  • shyster - someone disreputable especially a lawyer; to act disreputable; to exploit someone in this way