Muck Rake

Before Roosevelt's use of the term, a muck rake was a literal rake that was used to shovel manure. Yum.

Roosevelt thought the dung-shoveling metaphor was apt to describe the journalists who made their career digging up the dirt that corporations were hiding. Journalists took Teddy's call-out and turned it into a badge of pride by going by the term muckraking journalists.

Mendacity

Tossing out lies like they're going out of style. Definitely not a plan for urban repair. (Think about it—the pun'll present itself in time.)

Stump Speech

When TR uses the phrase "on the stump," he's referring to the stump speech: an old 19th-century tradition of politicians delivering speeches standing on a literal stump to emphasize their folksy rural-ness. The stump may have died, but the metaphor lives on.

Celestial

Something related to the stars or sky; although Pilgrim's Progress probably wasn't talking about a crown from outer space. It's often tossed around to describe things having to do with heaven in a Judeo Christian context.

Clamor

A loud noise, typically with some shouting involved. Saturday night in any dorms is probably going to be clamorous.

Zealot

Rhymes with "yell it." Traditionally someone who's fanatical about a religious cause, the phrase is thrown around to refer to anyone who pushes a belief system that has no room for compromise. You probably should run—not walk—away from anyone who describes themselves as a zealot.

Puzzle Headedness

It's a cool word for someone who has confused thoughts. File this one under "million-dollar words for a rainy day."

Whitewashing

Making something seem a lot more positive than it actually is. Actual real-deal whitewash is cheap-o paint that was usually used to cover outdoor areas. (Whitewash also features prominently in the most famous chapter in Tom Sawyer.)

Ardor

Enthusiasm, passion, vigor, vim, and all that good stuff. If you care about something a lot and don't care who knows it, you have ardor for it.