Abstract: Cyanoacrylate adhesive compositions which employ calixarene compounds as additives give substantially reduced fixture and cure times on de-activating substrates such as wood. The calixarene compounds are preferable employed at levels of about 0.1-2% by weight of the composition.The calixarene compounds particularly useful in this invention may be represented by the formula: ##STR1## where R.sup.3 is H, --CH.sub.2 C(.dbd.O)OH, CH.sub.2 C(.dbd.O)OR.sup.6, --C(.dbd.O)R.sup.8, hydrocarbyl, or trihydrocarbylsilyl or the two R.sup.3 groups together form a divalent hydrocarbyl or oxygen interrupted hydrocarbyl group; R.sup.4 is H or hydrocarbyl; R.sup.5 is hydrocarbyl, hydrocarbyl interrupted by one or more oxygen atoms, or hydrocarbyl substituted with halo, nitro, or oxo groups; R.sup.6 is as defined for R.sup.5 but different therefrom; and R.sup.8 is as defined for R.sup.5 but the same or different therefrom.