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- couch - to formulate in a particular style or language
- irascible - easily provoked to outbursts of anger; irritable
- shirking - the evasion of work or duty
- diffident - showing modest reserve
- obsequious - attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner
- humdrum - not challenging; dull and lacking excitement
The Bicentennial Man and Other Stories by Isaac Asimov
Short story: The Bicentennial Man
The following are from my own research, writing, and notes to use more often:
- pert - (of a person) attractive; (comparative perter/superlative pertest)
- pudic - easily shamed; having a strong sense of shame; modest; chaste (anagram cupid)
- pudendum - usually plural - pudenda - human external genital organs collectively especially of a female
- saucy - alt sassy - bold and spirited; somewhat sexy and provocative
- sibilate - to speak with a hissing sound
- scritch - to make a small scratching sound like a small animal boroughing
- cantankerous - given to or marked by an ill-tempered quarrelsome nature
- crotchety - cranky, disagreeable, or stubborn, especially if prone to odd whims or fancies
- temerity - reckless boldness; foolish bravery
- affront - to insult intentionally; to meet defiantly
- effrontery - an act of insolent and shameless audacity
- chutzpah - nearly arrogant courage; exaggerated self-opinion
- captious - tending to find and call attention to faults unreasonably, petty
- cavil - to criticize for petty or frivolous reasons
- pettifogger - one who quibbles over trivia and raises petty annoying objections; unethical lawyer of lesser skill
- shyster - someone disreputable especially a lawyer; to act disreputable; to exploit someone in this way