Word: mordant
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Dates: during 1930-1939
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...Very few members of the war classes attained distinction, and the number of misfits and downright rascals was considerable. Ephraim Eliot, who in after life became an apothecary, has left us a mordant account of his own class of 1780, thirty strong at graduation. One, a transfer from Yale to the senior class, was 'a good scholar and respectable'; a second, a transfer from Dartmouth, was 'a decent scholar, and rather more than a quack doctor'; and there were also three or four 'respectable characters' who had not been to other colleges. But there was a sad example...
...Pidgeon. Not having seen either of these worthy efforts we hesitate to advance too definite an opinion of their merits. It seems fairly obvious, however, that the Ruggles-Boland affair will prove gently diverting and productive of laughs from those who find the comic strip "Mr. and Mrs." a mordant social commentary. With equal likelihood the Ellis-Pidgeon doings will add up to a well-acted romantic involvement...
This story of a Dutch rubber planter during the pre-War boom and the post-War gloom will not seem to U. S. readers so colorful as Conrad's nor so mordant as Maugham's. But as a straight report of a planter's life from A to Z it is a first-rate job. As a novel it cannot be rated quite so high...
Taking one consideration with another, it would appear that the vagaries of the nations are about to afford commentators some excellent opportunities for mordant solemnities. CONFUCIUS...
...Author Robert Nathan's urbanity there are as yet few signs of foppishness. Like a U. S. Anatole France (without the mordant bite of France's wit) he is both urbane and neat...