Re: Aleister Crowley, despite being given to wildly fantastic
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14 Sep 2025, 07:50
The correct words for the blanks are (i) sycophantic, (ii) animadversions, and (iii) condign.
Breakdown of the Blanks
- Blank (i): A. sycophantic
The sentence describes Aleister Crowley's bizarre claims, such as a divine being in sunglasses dictating a book to him. Despite these claims, he had followers. This suggests his followers were not critical. A sycophantic follower is someone who acts obsequiously to gain an advantage, often being excessively fawning or servile. This word fits the context of followers who would be willing to accept such outlandish stories.
- Blank (ii): F. animadversions
The second blank refers to the reaction of the popular press, which called him "the wickedest man in the world." This is a strong, negative criticism. Animadversions are critical or censorious remarks. The sentence suggests his followers were "spurred on" rather than discouraged by these negative criticisms, which aligns perfectly.
- Blank (iii): I. condign
The final blank completes the thought that the press's label of "the wickedest man in the world" was, "to be fair, hardly $\qquad$ given the relative harmlessness of his eccentricities." The phrase "hardly condign" means "hardly deserved" or "hardly appropriate." This word conveys that the press's severe criticism was an overreaction to his behavior.