SPEECH AND DEBATE II

Ailurophile (n): a cat-lover

Who was your hero when you were a child?

Assemblage (n):

A gathering

Defend a side:Females make better

bosses.

Beleaguer (v): To exhaust with

attacks

Which historical figure do you find the most

interesting?

Brood (v): To think alone

Defend a side:Money can buy anything and everything.

Bucolic(adj): In a lovely rural

setting

Who was your hero when you were a child?

Why?

Bungalow (n): A small, cozy

cottage

Defend a side:Prisons are the answer

for reducing crime.

Chatoyant (adj):

Like a cat’s eye

You should always tell the truth because…

Comely (adj): Attractive

Defend a side:Marriage is an outdated

institution.

Conflate (v): To blend together

What can we do to improve the education

system?

Cynosure (n): A focal point of

admiration

Defend a side:Politics and honesty are

incompatible.

Dalliance (n): A brief love affair

Is TV worth watching?

Demesne (n): Dominion, territory

Defend a side:All nuclear weapons

should be eliminated.

Demure (adj): Shy and reserved

Is it okay for men to cry?

Denouement (n):

The resolution of a mystery

Defend a side:It is important to know

a second language.

Desultory (adj): Slow, sluggish

What is the best meal you ever ate?

Diaphanous (adj): Filmy

Defend a side:The budget for the

space program should be increased.

Dissemble (v): deceive

What is the best movie you have ever seen?

Dulcet (adj): Sweet, sugary

Defend a side:Professional athletes

are overpaid.

Ebullience (n): Bubbling

enthusiasm

If the world were going to end next week, what would be the last three things you would do?

Elixir (n): A good potion

Defend a side: Demonstrations/Protests

are a waste of time.

Eloquence (n): Beauty and

persuasion in speech

What is the best or worst present you ever

received?

Embrocation (v):

Rubbing on a lotion

Defend a side: The U.S. government

should control the internet.

Emollient (n): A softener

If you could witness one event in history, which

would it be?

Ephemeral (adj):

Short-lived

Defend a side: Schools should provide tablets for every student

instead of textbooks.

Epiphany (n): A sudden realization

You live next to a nuclear power plant.

Defend the place as a nice place to live.

Erstwhile (adj): At one time, for

a time

Defend a side: Felons in prison should be

allowed to vote.

Ethereal (adj): Gaseous,

invisible but detectable

If you were selected to go to the moon with a

companion of your choice, who would you

choose?

Evocative (adj): suggestive

Defend a side: Teachers should be

allowed to have tenure.

Fetching (adj): pretty

You’re 15 years old. Convince your parents to let you get a tattoo.

Felicity (adj): pleastantness

Defend a side: Pornography should be

censored on the internet.

Forbearance (n):

Withholding response to provocation

If I could be president for a day, I’d…

Fugacious (adj): fleeting

Defend a side: Downloading music without permission is

unethical.

Furtive (adj): sneaky

If you could do something dangerous just once, without any risk, what would you

do?

Gambol (v): To skip or leap about joyfully

Defend a side: Students in high school should be able to choose

their teachers.

Glamour (n): beauty

If you had to choose between being smarter or better-looking, which

would you choose? Why?

Gossamer (n): The finest piece

of thread, a spider’s silk

Defend a side: Textbooks should be

abolished and teachers should make their own

curriculum.

Halcyon (adj): Happy, sunny,

care-free

Suppose you could go back in time and talk to yourself at the age of

ten. What advice would you give yourself?

Harbinger (n): Messenger with

news of the future

Defend a side: Reading a book is always better than watching the

movie for it.

Imbrication (n): Overlapping and forming a regular

pattern

If a penguin entered the room, what would you

say?

Imbroglio (n): An altercation or

complicated situation

Defend a side: Condoms should be distributed for free in

public middle and high schools.

Inbue (v): To infuse; instill

If you didn’t need to sleep, how would your

life be different?

Incipient (adj): Beginning; in an

early stage

Defend a side: Angels and demons exist.

Ineffable (adj): Unutterable; inexpressible

Is it more fun to be a parent or a child?

Ingénue (n): A naïve young

woman

Defend a side: Polygamy should be legalized in all states.

Inglenook (n): A cozy nook by

the hearth

Where would you choose to live if you

had to leave this country?

Insouciance (n):

A relaxed and calm state; not worried

about anything

Defend a side: Rowdy fans should be

barred from stadiums for life.

Inure (v): to cause someone to be less affected by

something unpleasant

If you had to be a zookeeper for a week, which animals would

you prefer to look after?

Labyrinthine (adj):

Twisting and turning

Defend a side: Reality TV is excessive and harmful in America.

Lagniappe (n): A special kind of

gift

If you had six months with no obligations or financial constraints,

what would you do with the time?

Lagoon(n): A small gulf or

inlet

Defend a side: Parents should not purchase war and

destruction toys for their children.

Lassitude (n): Weariness; listlessness

What is your most prized possession?

Leisure (n): Free time

Defend a side: School attendance should

be made voluntary.

Lilt (v): To move

musically or lively

Imagine the world as a single country. Would it

be good for humankind?

Lissome (adj): Slender and

flexible

Defend a side: Age gaps are an important

factor in relationships.

Love (n): Deep affection

If you could meet any celebrity, who would it

be?

Mellifluous (adj):

Sweet sounding

Defend a side: Curfews are effective in

keeping teens out of trouble.

Moiety (n): One of two equal

parts

If I were the opposing gender, I’d…

Mondegreen (n):

A word or phrase that results from

mishearing something

Defend a side: Men should get paternity

leave from work.

Murmurous (n): murmering

If I were an author, I would write about…

Nemesis (n): An

unconquerable archenemy

Defend a side: Recycling should be

compulsory.

Opulent (adj): Lush, luxuriant

If you were given one million dollars and had to spend it in a month,

what would you do?

Palimpsest (n): A manuscript written over earlier ones

Defend a side: Ghosts exist.

Panacea (n): A solution for all

problems

What is the ideal age to start dating?

Panoply (n): A complete set

Defend a side: North Carolina should

keep the Common Core standards in education.

Pastiche (n): An artwork

combining materials from various sources

If you could change one thing about the world,

what would it be?

Penumbra (n): A shadow

Defend a side: Parents should be allowed

to select their child’s gender.

Petrichor (n): Smell of earth

after rain

What was your most frightening experience?

Plethora (n): A large quantity

Defend a side: Illegal immigrants should be able to get a driver’s

license.

Propinquity (n): Nearness in

place or time

If you could turn back time, what age would you want to be and

why?

Pyrrhic (n): Successful with

heavy losses

Defend a side: The government should implement a “fat” tax on foods high in sugar, salt,

and saturated fats.

Quintessential (adj):

The essence of a thing in its purest

form

My most memorable holiday is…

Ratatouille (n): A spicy French

stew

Defend a side: Sufferers of Anorexia

Nervosa should be force fed.

Ravel (v): To knit or unknit

If you had to choose one word to describe yourself, which would you choose and why?

Redolent (adj): fragrant

Defend a side: Religious symbols should

be banned in public buildings and on public

property.

Riparion (n): By the bank of a

stream

What did you want to be when you were a

child?

Scintilla (n): A spark or a very

small thing

Defend a side: Spanking children should

be banned.

Sempiternal (adj): eternal

If I could only accomplish one thing in my life, I would like to…

Seraglio (n): Rich, luxurious oriental palace

or harem

Defend a side: Child performers should

be banned.

Serendipity (n): Finding something

nice while looking for something else

My three biggest fears are…

Sumptuous (adj):

Lush, luxurious

Defend a side: Housewives should be

paid for the work they do.

Surreptitious (adj):

Secretive, sneaky

You are on a speed date and have thirty seconds

to talk. What do you say?

Susurrous (adj): Whispering,

hissing

Defend a side: Students who finish high school early should get a

year of free college education.

Talisman (n): A good luck

charm

My favorite sound in the world is…

Tintinnabulation (v):

tinkling

Defend a side: Online dating sites should ban pictures and only allow

written profiles.

Untoward (adj): Unseemly,

inappropriate

If you were an alien, who would you abduct

to learn about American culture?

Vestigial (n): In trace amounts

Defend a side: Cheating penalties in high

school are too strict.

Wafture (n): Wavelike motion

How would presidential campaigns change if the voting age were lowered to thirteen?

Wherewithal (n): The money or skill

that is needed to get or do something

Defend a side: Students should be able to

grade their teachers.

Woebegone (adj):

Sorrowful, downcast

With your home in danger, what

possessions would you try to save?