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DEFINITION: (verb) To moderate or restrain (words) for the sake of politeness and decorum; euphemize. SYNONYMS: moderate, soften. USAGE: She begged him not to mince words and to tell her exactly what had happened.

Results of a study financed by Johnson & Johnson Inc.'s Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, makers of the migraine medication Topamax, suggest that the drug may also be effective in the treatment of alcohol addiction. The study followed 371 heavy drinkers for 14 weeks. By the end of the study, 15% of the participants taking the drug had quit drinking for at least 7 weeks. Only 3% in the placebo group had done the same. Topamax works by inhibiting dopamine, a neurotransmitter commonly associated with the brain's pleasure system, and appears to curb the craving for alcohol.

Kata, meaning ‘form,' describes the patterned body positioning and movement exercises practiced in a number of traditional Japanese art forms. Kata are often an essential part of martial arts training and involve varying degrees of difficulty. While critics claim that such rote practice does not translate usefully into real-world situations, proponents believe these choreographed forms create a basis for future martial arts learning. What other Japanese arts make use of such forms?