(pronounced WIND-fawl)

I remember growing up in the 1980s hearing about “windfall profits” on the news and being so very confused, so I thought I would include the word. In this case, windfall is a noun, and it means an unforeseen, out-of-the-blue gain or advantage that you did nothing to earn. To help you remember what this word means, just imagine money growing on trees like leaves, and the leaves falling to the ground because a sudden gust of wind, with you there to pick them up. Nothing wrong with dreaming…

Example: The windfall that Vivica received from being named in the will of her great aunt, whom she had never even met, allowed her finally to quit her job and fulfill her dream of starting her own fabric line.