He makes his attack with a massive display of scholarship but no great _______; all to often the_______ rather than the rapier is his chosen weapon.
A) pedantry...bomb
B) elaboration...axe
C) emphasis...pen
D) Discrimination., dart
E) subtlety...bludgeon

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

rapier is a very sharp instrument. The phrase 'rather than the rapier' implies that the second missing word must mean something which is not sharp, but blunt. Among the choices for this word, 'bludgeon' is the only one having this meaning. Its pair word 'subtlety' helps to complete a logical and meaningful sentence. So, E is the answer.

He Makes His Attack with a Massive Display of Scholarship