The Calling of the Estates General. In late 1788 Necker announced that the meeting of the Estates General would be brought forward to January 1st 1789 (in reality, it didn't meet until May 5th of that year). However, this edict neither defined the form the Estates General would take nor set out how it would be chosen.
hellacious (comparative more hellacious, superlative most hellacious) 1  horrible, awful, hellish, agonizing Dan Horgan; Bringing Back Boxing: A Young Journalist's Attempt to Revive the Sweet Science, pg. 2  nasty, repellent. ( 3 slang) Remarkable, unbelievable, unusual.
Dour refers to a stern and forbidding aspect, stony and unresponsive: dour rejection of friendly overtures. Surly implies gruffness of speech and manner, usually accompanied by an air of injury and ill temper: a surly reply.