An Unusual Strike

An Unusual Strike

Words to Learn This Week

You got it! Here are explanations and examples for those words, focusing on their meanings and nuances:

Typical

Typical means usual, common, or representative of a particular type or group. It suggests something that is characteristic or expected.

  • He had a typical day at work, going through his usual routine.
  • The house had a typical suburban design, with a white picket fence and a two-car garage.
  • Typical things are often considered ordinary, standard, or representative.

Minimum

Minimum means the smallest or least amount possible, the lowest limit or requirement.

  • The minimum wage was raised this year.
  • The minimum age requirement for voting is 18.
  • Minimums often set a lower bound or a basic requirement.

Scarce

Scarce means rare, uncommon, or in short supply. It suggests a limited availability or a lack of something.

  • Water was scarce in the desert.
  • The collector’s edition was scarce and highly sought after.
  • Scarcity can create a demand for something or make something valuable.

Annual

Annual means happening once a year, occurring yearly or every year.

  • The annual meeting of the company was held in June.
  • She received an annual salary of $50,000.
  • Annual events or occurrences often mark a cycle or a recurring period.

Persuade

To persuade means to convince someone to do something or to believe something.

  • He tried to persuade his friend to go to the concert.
  • She persuaded the committee to approve her proposal.
  • Persuasion often involves using logic, arguments, or emotional appeals.

Essential

Essential means absolutely necessary, indispensable, or crucial. It suggests something that is vital or cannot be done without.

  • Water is essential for life.
  • Exercise is essential for good health.
  • Essential things are often considered fundamental or critical.

Blend

To blend means to combine or mix together, to fuse things together to create a unified whole.

  • She blended the ingredients for the smoothie.
  • The colors blended together seamlessly in the painting.
  • Blending often creates a harmonious combination or a unified effect.

Visible

Visible means able to be seen, noticeable or apparent. It suggests something that is easy to perceive or observe.

  • The stars were visible in the night sky.
  • His anger was visible on his face.
  • Visibility often depends on factors such as light, distance, or clarity.

Expensive

Expensive means costing a lot of money, costly or pricey. It suggests a high price or a significant cost.

  • The car was expensive, but she decided it was worth the investment.
  • The restaurant had expensive meals, but the food was delicious.
  • Expense often refers to the cost of something, especially in comparison to other options.

Talent

Talent means a natural ability, skill, or aptitude. It suggests a potential for excellence or achievement in a particular area.

  • He had a talent for music.
  • She possessed a talent for drawing.
  • Talents can be developed through practice, experience, and dedication.

Devise

To devise means to plan or invent something, to create or design something.

  • He devised a plan to escape from prison.
  • The scientists devised a new method for testing the vaccine.
  • Devising something often involves creativity, ingenuity, and problem-solving.

Wholesale

Wholesale means the sale of goods in large quantities, typically to retailers or businesses. It suggests a large-scale purchase or a bulk sale.

  • She bought the furniture wholesale, saving money on the purchase.
  • The company sold its products wholesale to stores across the country.
  • Wholesale purchases often involve lower prices due to bulk quantities.

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Words in Use

The baseball strike of 1994-95, which kept the public from seeing the annual World Series, was not a typical labor dispute in which low-paid workers tried to persuade their employers to grant a raise above their minimum wage. On the contrary, players who earned millions of dollars yearly were visible on TV commercials, drove expensive autos, and dined with presidents, withheld their essential skills until our government’s executive, legislative, and judicial branches were forced to devise solutions to the quarrel.

The team owners, a blend of lawyers, manufacturers, corporate executives, etc., felt that something had to be done about the huge salaries that the players were demanding. Since talent beyond the major leagues was scarce, they had to start spring training in 1995 with a wholesale invitation to replacement players. The regular athletes returned in late April, but there was a feeling that the strike could happen again.

  • Typical: Khas, umum, biasa
  • Minimum: Minimum, terendah, paling sedikit
  • Scarce: Langka, jarang, sulit didapat
  • Annual: Tahunan, setiap tahun
  • Persuade: Membujuk, meyakinkan, mengajak
  • Essential: Penting, pokok, utama
  • Blend: Campuran, mencampur
  • Visible: Terlihat, jelas, nyata
  • Expensive: Mahal, berharga
  • Talent: Bakat, keahlian, kemampuan
  • Devise: Merancang, menciptakan, membuat
  • Wholesale: Grosir, besar-besaran

Related Words in Use:

The Alchemist of Annual Leave

Typical Tuesdays were an exercise in organized boredom for Ms. Agatha Plum, accountant extraordinaire. Rows of numbers marched across her screen, all beige and monotonous. But this Tuesday, something shimmered beneath the spreadsheet’s minimum font size. A whisper of gold. Not just the reflection of her expensive watchband – this was pure, molten opportunity.

It was an email from the elusive Professor Quirk, a retired alchemist rumored to possess the secret to eternal youth. He offered a single vial of his elixir, but not for typical currency. The price? One year, one full annual cycle, of your scarce vacation days. Agatha scoffed at first. Persuade her to swap precious beach time for a glorified face cream? Absurd!

But the golden lure persisted. Visions of wrinkle-free days, of chasing sunsets instead of deadlines, flickered in her mind. Agatha craved the essential spark, the escape from the beige purgatory. So, she did the unthinkable. She emailed Quirk, a desperate plea for the elixir, offering her entire year’s leave in a daring, digital blend of negotiation and desperation.

Professor Quirk lived in a ramshackle manor, hidden in the folds of a forgotten forest. Agatha found him surrounded by bubbling beakers and whispering ferns, a twinkle in his ancient eyes. The visible cost of her gamble, 365 blank vacation days, hung heavy in the air. But Quirk simply chuckled, seeing the fire in her tired eyes.

He brewed the elixir in a swirling vortex of light and laughter, a concoction as unpredictable as Agatha herself. And when she drank it, it wasn’t just wrinkles that vanished. The world rekindled around her, colors sharper, laughter easier. Agatha’s world turned from beige to technicolor, every moment a precious gem.

For a year, Agatha lived. She climbed expensive mountains, swam in turquoise oceans, chased fireflies across meadows. It was a whirlwind of experiences, each day a gift from her sacrificed leave. And when the year ended, and the elixir’s magic faded, Agatha was no longer the same Ms. Plum.

She returned to her spreadsheets, yes, but with a glint in her eye, a story etched in every wrinkle that remained. Agatha, the accountant, had become Agatha, the alchemist of her own life, trading minimum for maximum, proving that sometimes, the most scarce treasure is hidden in the brave expenditure of the ordinary.

The tale of Agatha’s gamble became a legend whispered through office cubicles, a cautionary yet enticing fable of trading the essential for the extraordinary. And though her vacation days remained scarce, Agatha’s heart was forever full, a perpetual souvenir of the year she bought back her time, and with it, the magic of living.

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