parody lash pertinent straddle swerve

par·o·dy

par‧o‧dy1 /ˈpærədi/ ●○○ noun (plural parodies)

1. [countable, uncountable] a piece of writing, music etc or an action that copies someone or something in an amusing way
   • parody of
     • a brilliant parody of classical dance
   • in a parody of something
     • He swung the door wide open in a parody of welcome.
     • Her performance contains a strong element of self-parody (=when someone makes fun of their own style).
2. [countable] something that is not a correct or acceptable example of something
   • parody of
     • Although his comment was a parody of the truth, Diana was upset by it.
     • The trial was a parody of justice (=very unfair).

lash

lash1 /læʃ/ verb

1. tie [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to tie something tightly to something else with a rope SYN bind
   • lash something to something
     • The oars were lashed to the sides of the boat.
2. wind/rain/sea [intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive] if the wind, sea etc lashes something, it hits it with violent force
   • Giant waves lashed the sea wall.
   • lash against/down/across
     • The wind lashed violently against the door.
3. hit [transitive] to hit a person or animal very hard with a whip, stick etc
   • Oliver lashed the horses to go faster.
4. tail [intransitive, transitive] if an animal lashes its tail, or if its tail lashes, it moves it from side to side quickly and strongly, especially because it is angry
5. criticize [intransitive, transitive] to criticize someone angrily – used especially in newspapers
   • Democrats lashed Republican plans, calling them extreme.
   • lash back
     • Gallins lashed back at those who accused him of corruption.

per·ti·nent

per‧ti‧nent /ˈpɜːtɪnənt $ ˈpɜːr-/ adjective formal

• directly relating to something that is being considered SYN relevant

  • He asked me a lot of very pertinent questions.
  • pertinent to
    • The last point is particularly pertinent to today’s discussion.
• pertinently adverb
• pertinence noun [uncountable]

strad·dle

strad‧dle /ˈstrædl/ verb [transitive]

1. to sit or stand with your legs on either side of someone or something
   • The photo shows him dressed in leather, straddling a motorbike.
2. if something straddles a line, road, or river, part of it is on one side and part on the other side
   • straddle something between something
     • Mount Elgon straddles the border between Kenya and Uganda.
3. to include different areas of activity, groups, time etc
   • Her research straddles mathematics and social sciences.
   • immigrants straddling two cultures

swerve

swerve /swɜːv $ swɜːrv/ verb [intransitive]

1. to make a sudden sideways movement while moving forwards, usually in order to avoid hitting something
   • swerve violently/sharply
     • The car swerved sharply to avoid the dog.
   • swerve across/off/into etc
     • The bus swerved off the road.
2. [usually in negatives] formal to change from an idea, course of action, purpose etc
   • swerve from
     • He would never swerve from the truth.

• swerve noun [countable]