Acrid, catacomb, equitable: Here are some 'Kangaroo' words you must know

Those of you who read last week’s column are already aware that Kangaroo Words are words that contain all the letters of a synonym, called a joey word, within themselves. Now that we have that brief refresher out of the way, I am sure you will have no difficulty reading the text that follows, which contains a long string of kangaroo words I didn’t have room for last week — and what’s more, they’re in alphabetical order!

When you get accustomed to something, you get used to it. If something tastes or smells acrid, it feels like acid. Adroitness is an art; to affect something you need to act on it; and when you allocate something, you allot it. An amicable person is usually amiable, and if he says something apposite, it’s bound to be apt. An arena is a large area, balsam applies balm; a barren landscape is bare, whereas one with blossoms is in bloom. Brackets contain braces. Gulliver’s Travels gave us the concept of Brobdignagian for something truly big. The American brand Budweiser believes it’s a synonym for beer. When something bursts it goes bust, a capsule is a case for medicaments, and a catacomb conceals a tomb. If you are left in charge of a baby, you have to care for her. If you take her to a christening, she undergoes a rite. A closemouthed person is often mute. A person who complemented his partner well has completed her, and their conjunction is a blessed union indeed. One must not contaminate it with the taint of negative thoughts. That would be contradictory — in other words, contrary to the reality.

The deceased, sadly, are dead — and so are the departed: they are dead, too. A deception is a con. If you deliberate on something, you might debate it. A department of your organisation is an arm of it; its destruction would entail your ruin. If it deteriorates, it rots. You can determine to change things if you deem it necessary. When disappointed, you’re sad. A discourteous person is curt, and he shows his displeasure by displaying ire. A disputation with him is a spat you don’t want, so I’d encourage (urge) you to desist. If things are again equitable, they are equal. If not, you’d have to evacuate, i.e. vacate the place.