It shows no loyalty to its writers, yet expects full fealty in return.

fealty (n) : 1. Fidelity to one’s lord; the feudal obligation by which the tenant or vassal was bound to be faithful to his lord; the special oath by which this obligation was assumed; fidelity to a superior power, or to a government; loyality. 2. Fidelity; constancy; faithfulness, as of a friend to a friend, or of a wife to her husband – source: My Short Career at The New Yorker

My deracination was kindly abetted by various friends at college.

deracination (n) 1: to move something from its natural environment [syn: displacement] 2: the act of pulling up or out; uprooting; cutting off from existence [syn: extirpation, excision] – source: Alison Bechdel: Fun Home – A Family Tragicomic (p. 145)

Yet my father did possess a certain radiance –– perhaps due to his habit of excessive, even idolatrous, sunbathing –– and so his death had and inevitably dimming, crepuscular effect.

crepuscular (adj) : like twilight; dim – source: Alison Bechdel: Fun Home – A Family Tragicomic (p. 124)

But the pose he strikes is not mincing or silly at all. He’s lissome, elegant.

lissome (adj) : gracefully slender; moving and bending with ease [syn: lissom, lithe, lithesome, slender, supple, svelte, sylphlike] – source: Alison Bechdel: Fun Home – A Family Tragicomic (p. 120)

Next time I see you without it, I’ll wale you.

wale (n) 1: a raised mark on the skin (as produced by the blow of a whip); characteristic of many allergic reactions [syn: welt, weal, wheal] – wale (v) To strike the skin in such a way as to produce a wale. – source: Alison Bechdel: Fun Home – A Family Tragicomic (p. 97)