Attempts at enlarging my mind

Lately I've been lamenting how much our society has lost the art of language.  Everyone is so casual in conversation, which is fine but unexpressive.  I feel like a moderately educated person from a past century would have a far greater usable language than someone from today.  That trend will only continue thanks to teenagers too busy texting to pay attention in school--SO when I picked up a classic Jane Austen novel recently, I had a dictionary nearby so that when I came across a word I couldn't confidently define even if I understood the general meaning, I looked it up and wrote it down in the book.

Here's my list:

Superciliousness-haughtily contemptuous

Pedantic- a person who makes a display of his learning

Indignation- anger aroused by something unjust, unworthy or mean

Complaisance- self-satisfaction

Insipid- lacking in taste or savor; dull, flat

Strictures- hostile criticism

Intrepidity- characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance

Entail- to limit the inheritance of property to the owner's lineal descendants or to a class thereof; to include or involve as a necessary step or result.

Regimentals- military uniform

Disconcerted- confused, upset

Tete-a-tete- a private conversation between friends

Imputed- to credit a person or a cause (usually unjust)

Ragout- a highly seasoned meat stew with vegetables

Panegyric-a eulogistic oration or writing

Precipitance-extreme or unwise haste; rash

Celerity- speed, rapidity

Expostulation- to reason with another especially in dissuasion

Alacrity- cheerful readiness

Propensity- intense natural inclination

Propitious-favorably disposed

Laconic- sparseness of words; terse; concise

Importune- to urge or beg with troublesome persistence

Veneration- to regard with reverential respect

Mercenary- serving merely for pay or gain

Prudent- cautious, discreet, sensible

Avarice- excessive desire for wealth

Spleen- spite, malice

Pales- stake or picket of a fence

Palliation- to ease without curing

Profligate- completely given up to dissipation and licentiousness; lewd

Invectives- an abusive expression or speech

Dilatory- delaying, tardy, slow

Copse- thicket

Paddock- and enclosed area for pasturing or exercising animals

Cogent- having power to compel or constrain; convincing

Obstinate- fixed and unyielding despite reason or persuasion; stubborn

Simper- smile in a silly manner

Prodigious- exciting wonder; extraordinary in size, enormous, tremendous

Rapacity- excessively greedy or covetous; ravenous

Diffidence- unconfident in one's own abilities

Shift- trick, scheme

Hermitage- a secluded dwelling

Tacit- expressed without words or speech; implied, indicated, but never expressed

Decorum- conformity to accepting standards of conduct; propriety

Brook- tolerate, bear

Shades- woods

Sagacity- of keen mind, shrewd

Missish- of miss; fail to understand

Impertinence- rude, saucy

Assiduous- steadily attentive, diligent

Obsequious- humbly or excessively attentive (to authority); fawning, sycophantic

Vulgar- offensive to good taste or refined feelings

Arrear- a state of being behind in the discharge of obligations

Phew!  So how'd you do?  Remember, I couldn't confidently define ANY of these words, so if you knew 10 I'd say you were quite impressive!  (I lettered in English in high school by the way) 20 or so would be awe inspiring and 50 or more would require a bow, or maybe some obsequious behavior!!