OE


The use of the word seemingly suggests that the details that make all the difference do not seem particularly important, so you should look for a word that means something like insignificant. It would no doubt be helpful to have an eye for disparate details - that is, details that appear distinct or dissimilar - in case they end up being related after all, but that is not what this sentence is about - eliminate it. Spurious means not genuine, authentic, or true. It does not make sense in this context, particularly given the later discussion of color; color can't be inauthentic. Trifling is the best answer; it means trivial or insignificant.

To fill in the second blank, we need a word that in some way contrasts with powerful, and that describes the effects of color on a person's mood. Nugatory means of no real value. It does somewhat contrast with powerful, but it also makes no sense in this sentence; if color can be an effective tool in marketing, clearly it does have value. Salutary is too specific; it means healthful or wholesome, and one can easily imagine a situation in which color could have a negative effect on one's mood. This leaves you with inadvertent, which works well with the notion that color could be written off as a trifling detail; it means unintentional.

Finally, the last blank requires a word that describes the kind of businessman who uses color effectively - savvy or something similar, perhaps. You may know that impecunious has something to do with money and be tempted to pick it for this reason - don't. It means penniless, which is more or less irrelevant to this sentence, unless the businessman is so poor that he can't afford a bucket of paint. Officious (meddlesome or aggressive in offering one's services) does not make sense either; the businessman in question is presumably looking out for himself rather than offering to help others. The