#219 catch-22

catch-22- a situation in which a person is frustrated by a parasoxical rule or set of circumstances that preclude any attempt to escape from them; a situation in which an move that a person can make will lead to trouble

- from the title of the J. Heller novel, 1961

Unfortunately the catch -22 of Western democracy attached to civil liberty and decency is a reluctance to face up to unpalatable confrontation which would lead to the temporary chaos and inhumanity of war.

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#218 casus belli

casus belli- an event or act used to justify a war; the immediate cause of a quarrel

Latin

They threw in troops held nearby, against creation of a casus belli with which to justify a major invasion.

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#217 carte blanche

carte blanche- complete discretion or authority

C18 from French- blank paper

The government gave their negotiator carte blanche.

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#216 carpe diem

carpe diem- seize the day

-Latin from Horace

'Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.' is from the movie Dead Poets' Society, 1989

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#215 carousel

carousel- a circular magazine for slides; rotating conveyor belt; merry-go-round

C17 French carrousel, Italian carosello

History: a tournament in which horsemen took part in races and various manoeuvres in formation

Is the carousel in danger of going the way of the band: becoming history?

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#214 carnage

carnage- extensive slaughter, especially of human beings in battle

C16 from French, Italian carnaggio, from Medieval Latin carnaticum, from Latin caro- flesh

Modern American media has presented unprecedented levels of fictional and actual violence to the public, leading to a large set of studies that conclude that media carnage is a significant contributor to high levels of actual violence.

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#213 carcinogen

carcinogen- any substance that produces cancer

C20 from Greek karkinos- cancer+gen

carcinogenic- adjective

Radium, a potent carcinogen, is among the most dangerous of these metals because it gives off radon gas, accumulates in plants and vegetables and takes 1,600 years to decay.

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