Descriptionary

latitude n. (LAT uh tood) unrestricted freedom to act as one wishes. The voters gave the mayor the lati­tude to rein in city polluters with stiff fines.

laud vb. (LAWD) to acclaim or praise. The teacher loved to laud the accomplishments of her star pupil.

lavish adj. (LAV ish) generous, bountiful; rich. The Thanksgiving table was covered with a lavish array of dishes.

left-handed compliment n. a compliment that is intended or can be perceived as an insult. My instruc­tor told me I could write for preschoolers, which I took as a left-handed compliment.

left-wing adj. (LEFT WING) liberal; leftist; radical. "We don't need any left-wing factions telling us what we can and cannot cut down in the forest," a spokes­man for the paper company was quoted as saying.

legacy n. (LEG uh see) something passed down to following generations. Michael Jordan's legacy of championship basketball will be difficult to match.

lethargic adj. (leth ARJ ik) listless, sluggish. The

children were as lethargic as sloths until I promised to take them out for ice cream.

levity n. (LEV i tee) light or humorous behavior, particularly at an inappropriate time. If I may inject some levity into this funeral, I will now tap-dance with the deceased.

libel n. (LI bul) published statements that are both untrue and malicious or damaging. To prevent being sued for libel, newspapers must check and double- check facts and sources.

liberal adj. (LIB ur ul) tolerant and open-minded. His philosophy was liberal; he believed nobody should have the right to discriminate against a person for their race, gender, or sexual orientation.

Lilliputian adj. (lil uh PYOO shun) tiny; minia­ture, as the people of Lilliput in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels. I watched my children as they gleefully built a Lilliputian village out of Popsicle sticks.

lip service n. talk of doing something but failing to follow through and actually do it. Our local politi­cians paid lip service to the environmental movement; their words were empty promises, however, as noth­ing was ever done.

literati n. (lit uh RAH tee) literary intellectuals as a group. The local literati were lambasting the famous author's new book.

litigate vb. (LIT uh gayt) to sue in court. If your children continue to break our windows, we'll be forced to litigate.

litigious adj. (li TIJ us) highly contentious and prone to threatening with and filing lawsuits. In our litigious society, you can climb a ladder when you're drunk, fall off and break a leg, and then sue the lad­der company for damages.