Оглавление

Предисловие 3

A Guide for complex stylistic analysis 4

Murray Bail "The Silence" 5

Understanding the story 11

Style and language 11

Further discussion 11

Muriel Spark "You Should Have Seen the Mess" 13

Understanding the story 21

Style and language 21

Further discussion 22

Doris Lessing "Through the tunnel" 23

Understanding the story 35

Style and language 36

Further discussion 36

John Wain "Manhood" 37

Understanding the story 49

Style and language 50

Further discussion 50

James Joyce "Counterparts" 51

Understanding the story 65

Style and language 66

Further discussion 66

E. M. Forster "Other Side of the Hedge" 67

Understanding the story 74

Style and language 74

Further discussion 75

James Thurber "Secret Life of Walter Mitty" 76

Understanding the story 83

Style and language 84

Further discussion 84

John Steinbeck "The Murder" 85

Understanding the story 100

Style and language 101

Further discussion 101

Alan Sillitoe " On Saturday Afternoon" 103

Understanding the story 114

Style and language 114

Further discussion 115

Elizabeth Bowen "The Demon Lover" 116

Understanding the story 125

Style and language 126

Further discussion 126

Katherine Mansfield "Feuille d`Album" 127

Understanding the story 135

Style and language 136

Points for discussion 136

Ernest Hemingway "Indian Camp" 137

Understanding the story 142

Style and language 142

Further discussion 143

Michelene Wandor "Sweet Sixteen" 144

Understanding the story 149

Style and language 149

Points for discussion 150

Jonathan Carroll "Waiting to Wave" 151

Understanding the story 157

Style and language 157

Points for discussion 158

Graham Greene "The Case for the Defence" 159

Understanding the story 164

Style and language 164

Points for discussion 165

Virginia Woolf "Uncle Vanya" 166

Understanding the story 168

Discussion and comment 168

Summary and composition 169

Comparing stories 169

Saiki (Hector Hugh Munro) "The Open Window" 170

Understanding the story 174

Discussion and comment 174

Summary and composition 175

Comparing stories 175

Jean Rhys "Mannequin" 176

Understanding the story 183

Discussion and comment 183

Summary and composition 184

Comparing stories 184

Mei Chi Chan " Snowdrop" 185

Understanding the story 189

Style and language 189

Discussion and comment 189

Summary and composition 190

Comparing stories 190

Букина Вера Александровна

Analytical Reading

Учебно-методическое пособие

по аналитическому чтению

на английском языке

Подписано в печать 24.01.2011.

Формат 60х84/16. Усл. печ. л. .

Тираж экз. Заказ № .

Редакционно-издательский отдел

Московского государственного областного гуманитарного института.

1 42611, Московская область, г. Орехово-Зуево, ул. Зеленая, д.22.

1 to squat = to sit on one's heels

2 Aborigine = a native inhabitant of Australia

3 singlet = a sleeveless running vest

4 garbage = rubbish

5 to scatter = to throw in all directions

6 to burrow = to dig a tunnel

1 to labour = to work hard

2 to thud = to make a heavy, low sound

3 to strode – strode- strode = to walk with long, firm steps

4 sweat=perspiration

5 carcass= dead of body of an animal

6 To clunk=to make a dull, heavy noise

7 sport (Australian slang) = mate

8 cuppa = cup of tea

9 to gulp = to swallow quickly

10 to slurp = to drink noisily

11 juice (slang) = petrol

12 grub (slang) = food

1 to throb = to beat dully

2 saltbush = low desert bushes

3 billy (Ausrtalian slang) = can for boiling water

4 to part=to separate

5 to tread-trod-trodden=(here) to walk slowly

6 to poke around=to move around inspecting things

1 rowdy=excessively noisy

2 scrape = (here) the sound made when two hard objects are rubbed together

3 to leap - leapt - leapt = to jump very vigorously

4 intruder a; a person who comes when he is not expected or wanted

1 dingo = wild Australian dog

2 mottle = marks or spots on the skin

3 bow-legged = with legs curved outwards, like bows

4 to crouch = to squat

5 to weave = (here) to travel in a zig-zag around obstacles

6 to rev up = to accelerate a motor or engine

7 bumper-bar = protective bar at the front and back of a vehicle

8 intently = very carefully

9 to clamber = to climb clumsily

1 what's-his-name = a phrase used when you cannot remember a person's name

1 gloss = paint that shines like water

2 to chip = to break a piece of material (paint etc.) off the edge of an object

3 solicitor = lawyer and notary

1 element = (here) the porcelain tubes of a gas fire which glow red-hot and give out the heat

2 box file = a flat cardboard box in which documents are kept.

3 to crumple = to press a piece of paper (cloth, metal etc.) together so that it is no longer smooth and flat

4 enough saucers to go round = enough saucers for everybody

5 to go into = to discuss, to mention

6 the facilities = (here) the toilets

7 to harbour = to offer a place of safety

8 germs = bacteria

1 Telly (slang) = television, TV

2 rickety = unstable, shaky

3 to do (a room) up = to redecorate

4 spick and span = clean and tidy

5 agency = (here) employment agency

6 well spoken = speaking with an educated accent

7 prescription = doctors's written order for medicine which the patient takes to a chemist's

8 maternity dress = loose dress worn by pregnant women for five of six months before their babies are born

1 lino = linoleum, floor covering

2 shabby = old and worn

3 garments = clothes

4 to evict = to throw someone out of his flat or house

5 houseproud = someone who keeps the house very tidy could be called "houseproud"

6 to pee (vulgar) = to urinate, to pass water

7 to make a match for someone = to introduce a girl to a boy with a view to marriage

8 to take someone up = (here) to take an interest in someone

9 orphan = child or young person whose parents have both died

1 down and out = without a home or steady job, (here) shabbily dressed

2 to make a comparison with = Lorna probably means: to make a change from

3 help=home help, a person who comes for a few hours each day to clean the house

4 labour ward = the part of a hospital in which babies are born

5 carry-cot = small, box-like, portable bed for small babies

6 gob (slang) = mouth

1 tumble-down = ready to fall down, likely to collapse

2 to re-house someone = to move someone from an old building to a new (Council) house

3 to keep at someone = to continually put pressure on someone

4 to condemn (a house) = to say that a house is not fit for people to live in

5 Welfare Centre = a room in a block of council flats where the residents can go for group activities or for help from social workers etc.

6 social intercourse = a rather pompous term for "communal activities", "conversation", etc.

1 to make a pass at a girl = to try to kiss, to make (unwelcome) amorous advances at a girl

2 tramp = homeless vagabond, usually dressed in very old clothes

3 primrose = creamy yellow, the colour of the primrose flower

1 equality = the state of being equal to, on the same level with someone

2 greasy = covered in grease or fat

3 to ooze = to pass slowly through a small opening (usually used of thick liquids like mud, artists' paint etc.)

1 frown = opposite of a smile

2 conscientiously = showing a sense of duty

3 to long for something = to want something very much

4 contrition = a sense of guilt

1 chivalry =here) politeness, protectiveness

2 to blurt out = to say something suddenly and without thinking

3 unbearable = too difficult to bear or put up with

4 an only child = a child who has no brothers or sisters

5 a widow = a woman whose husband is dead

6 devotion = deep, strong love

7 to gain = (here) to reach

8 a scoop = (here) a half-moon shape

9 fringed = edged

10 promontory = a thin strip of land which stretches into the sea

11 inlet = an arm of the sea which stretches into the land

12 to stain = to colour (usually wood, glass, textiles etc.)

1 to gleam = to shine brightly

2 limb = arm or leg

3 buoyant = capable of carrying or supporting

4 cape = piece of land that stretches far out into the sea

5 a scatter = (here) a number of objects spread out in no definite order

6 at a stone's throw = not too close

7 a craving = an uncontrollable desire

8 alert = watchful

9 supplication = a humble prayer

10 to stray from = to wander away from

1 to haul oneself up = to pull oneself up with difficulty

2 to poise oneself = to balance oneself (before jumping etc.)

3 sleek = smooth

4 a yell = a loud, frightened shout

5 to splutter = (here) to spit out water

6 a gasp = a sudden, deep breath

7 to chatter = to talk quickly

8 to grope = to feel one's way in the dark

9 a school = (here) a swarm of fish

10 to loom (up) at = to appear in an indistinct and threatening way

11 to bob = to move quickly up and down

12 to sting = to give a short, sharp pain

1 a feat = a difficult and often dangerous action or task

2 gravely = seriously

3 to plead = to beg

4 to waggle = to move quickly from side to side

5 to surge = to push forward suddenly and strongly

6 thigh = upper part of the leg

1 fanged = (here) having sharp teeth (= fangs)

2 to be flushed = (here) (to be red (after exposure to the sun)

3 goggles = protective glasses worn by motor-cyclists, swimmers etc.

4 to pant = to breath rapidly when one is excited or out of breath

5 defiant = showing open resistance or disobedience

6 to beseech = to plead, to ask in a begging way

7 inquisitive = expressing curiosity or suspicion

8 casually = (here) in a slow, unworried way

9 to nag = (here) to repeat a request continuously

10 to pester = to annoy someone (with constantly repeated requests)

11 to grab = to take something roughly and selfishly

12 to waver = to move unsteadily to and fro

13 slate = smooth grey stone that splits easily into thin layers

1 a dart = (here) a quick movement

2 to swerve off = to turn quickly to the side

3 sequin = tiny metal disc usually sewn on ladies' clothing

4 minute = very tiny

5 innumerable = too many to count

6 sheer = vertically upwards

7 tufted = (here) carrying tufts or small bunches

8 a chestful = the amount of air needed to fill one's lungs

9 to hug = to hold very close

10 obstacle = object which prevents one from moving forward

11 to clamber = to climb with difficulty using one's hands and feet

12 to cling to = to hold very tightly to something

13 clung = past tense of "cling"

14 to be jammed = to be pushed into a small opening so tightly that movement is impossible

1 clammy = cold, wet and clinging

2 frond = long, thin leaf of a water plant of fern etc.

3 bled = past tense of "bleed"

4 dizzy = unable to keep one's balance

5 to overdo something = to do a thing for too long, to work too hard

6 a torment = something which causes severe bodily or mental pain

1 persistence = ability to carry on doing something (often a difficult task)

2 jut = a piece of something that sticks out

3 incredulous = full of disbelief

4 strain = (here) showing signs of discomfort

5 authorized = (here) made official

6 limp = not stiff or firm but loose

7 to throb = to pulsate, usually used of repeated spasms of dull pain

1 to tremble = to shake or shiver

2 to wriggle = to move one's body like a worm

3 rock-bound = surrounded by rock

4 to inflate = to fill with air

5 to pulse = to throb, to beat with a regular, dull movement

6 slimy = wet and slippery

7 to tangle = (here) to wrap itself around

8 panicky = caused by panic or fear

9 convulsive = accompanied by a sudden contraction and expansion

1 to pale = to grow lighter in colour

2 to swell = to grow larger

3 to pound = to beat very hard

4 feeble = without strength

5 a lapse = (here) a fall

6 to clutch = to (reach out and) hold very tightly

7 to clot = when blood thickens it forms clots

8 a gout = a large splash of thick, spilled liquid

9 to scoop up = to lift up in the hollowed hand

2 to fling - flung - flung = to throw violently

3 glazed-looking = looking as if they were covered with thin glass

4 to fuss = to show unnecessary nervous excitement

1 swiftly = rapidly

2 to free-wheel = to cycle downhill without moving the pedals

3 haunch = the upper part of the leg where it joins the body

4 a rise = (here) a gently sloping hill

5 the fatigue barrier = like the sound barrier - a borderline which one has to cross in order to defeat tiredness and exhaustion

1 to wear off = to become less painful, attractive, distinct etc.

2 sullen = silently and quietly bad-tempered

3 to slide - slid - slid = to move smoothly along a surface

4 full-length = the whole length of one's body

5 to row = to move a boat through the water using long sticks, flat at the ends, called oars

6 aware = realizing

7 to nag = to constantly criticize or keep repeating a request

1 a corpse = a dead human being

2 awkward = difficult, causing trouble

1 a punch-ball = an oval ball usually fixed to the floor on an elastic stand and used by boxers to practise their hits or "punches"

2 to drag = to pull a heavy object along the ground: (here) to force someone to do something he doesn't really want to do

3 Insecurity = lack of stability - either physical, mental, social etc.

4 a heritage = what has been passed on to one generation by a preceding one; (here) the results of what one has - or has not - done earlier in one's life

1 common sense = practical knowledge of what is right or wrong gained from direct experience in life, not from book-learning

2 to beam = to smile very happily

3 to deal - dealt - dealt = to distribute; (here) to deal a blow = to hit

4 to peel something off = to pull off something that fits tightly

5 to pad- to fill something with a soft material for added comfort or to prevent injury

6 to slip something on = to put on a piece of clothing without fastening it conscientious

⁷ conscientious = guided by a sense of duty

⁸ to aim at something = to point a hand, gun, spear etc. at something with the idea of hitting it

1 a landmark = an easily recognizable geographical feature; (here) an important happening in a person's life

2 attentively = giving close attention

3 weave = the way the yam (or threads) of a piece of cloth are linked together to form the cloth

4 a trial game = a game in which a sportsman's suitability to become a member of a team is tested

1 biceps = the large muscle at the top of the arm

2 weight = boxers are classified by weight: flyweight, heavyweight etc.

3 tournament = sports or games competition where Individuals or members of a team play against each other in pairs (chess, boxing, show-jumping etc.)

4 to compress = to press together very firmly

5 brain = the grey material inside the head with which we think

6 skull = the case of bones which surrounds the brain

2 to be in charge of something = to be responsible for something

3 to stuff = to push a large item into a small hole or space

4 a satchel = a bag made of leather, plastic or canvas in which British schoolchildren carry their school books

5 hot-eyed = with eyes full of anger

1 school badge = most British schools have not only an official uniform but an official emblem often heraldic – which identifies them as members of a particular school

2 to sew - sewed - sewed/sewn = to fix one piece of cloth to another using a needle and thread or sewing machine

3 to sob = to make sharp, breathing noises when one is crying

⁴ to quack = to make the kind of noise that ducks make

4⁵ a tout = a brutal, bad-mannered person

5⁶ to take a grip on oneself = to pull oneself together, to control one's emotions

6⁷ a (boxing) ring = the square platform on which boxing matches take place

1 to make a fuss = (here) to show one's worries or emotions openly

2 appendicitis = disease of the small, worm-like extension of the intestine which often requires an operation to cure

3 deceitful = a person who tells a lie or pretends that something is true when it is not is deceitful

1 my pet = (here) my darling

2 to jabber = to talk quickly and in a high voice, so that understanding is difficult

3 a flannel = a piece of cloth used for washing one's face or body

4 M.A. = Master of Arts - normally the second academic degree (after B.A. - Bachelor of Arts) awarded by a British university to students of non-scientific subjects. The next-higher degree is that of Doctor of Philosophy.

5 lead = a soft, heavy metal, chemical symbol

1 hearty = excessively cheerful, often used, as here, in a slightly negative sense

2 to go in for something = to organize something or participate in it

3 curriculum = list of subjects and activities taught at a school or university

4 to hesitate = to wait for a moment before doing something, as if in doubt as to the correctness of the action

1 tube = (here) speaking tube, primitive type of telephone used 80 years ago

2 to pierce = to cut a hole with a sharp point

3 Blast him! = Damn him! Curse him!

4 to buldge = to swell outwards

1 vexation = anger at something unimportant

2 gold-rimmed = with gold edges

3 to shirk = to avoid (responsibility, work etc.)

4 a course = a full meal consists of several courses: soup, main course, dessert etc.

5 to mind = (here) to remember

6 to gauge = to measure or estimate

7 a sensation = (here) a feeling

1 an order on the cashier = a note ordering the cashier to pay part of his wages in advance

2 Upon my word! = (exclamation) My goodness!

3 to slake a thirst = to get rid of a thirst

4 plaid = cloth with a chequered or tartan pattern

5 rickety = likely to break or collapse

6 furtively = secretly, like a thief

7 a snug = a private room in a pub where a person can drink alone

1 inflamed = swollen and red

2 g. p. = "glass of porter" (dark beer)

3 curate = (Irish) bar assistant

4 at a gulp = swallowing it in one mouthful

5 a caraway seed = a spicy seed that would hide the smell of the beer

6 dusk = time between sunset and complete darkness

7 pungent = sharp and stinging

8 to cram = to push something into a small space

9 to intimate = to indicate indirectly

10 Look sharp! = Be quick!

1 to be sweet on someone = to have an amorous liking for someone

2 to swivel = to turn an object which can rotate on a fixed base

3 jauntily = in a carefree demonstration of self-confidence

4 intently = very carefully, with great attention

5 hot punch = drink made of wine or spirits and hot water

6 to execrate = to curse

7 to revel = to have a happy, lively time

1 a spell of riot = a period of violent behaviour

2 to abstract = (here) to confuse

3 a tirade of abuse = a long, angry speech containing insults

4 manikin = small man

5 utter = complete

6 felicitous = fortunate, lucky

7 stout = rather fat

8 to flush = (here) to turn red

9 a hue = a colour or shade

10 to twitch = to move in quick, uncontrollable movements

11 a dwarf = a small, undersized person

1 impertinent = cheeky

2 ruffian = rough person

3 instanter = (Latin) instantly

4 abject = degrading

5 a hornet's nest = a place full of enemies (hornet = large wasp)

6 to hound someone out = to chase someone away

7 to pull together = to work in harmony

8 two establishments to keep up = two homes to look after

9 to touch someone = (here) to ask someone for money

10 a bob (slang) = a shilling (5p)

1 a pawn office = a place where money is lent

2 the dart (slang) = the solution

3 a crown = a five-shilling piece

4 consignor = person who leaves an article at a pawn-office

5 urchin = small, cheeky child

6 evening edition s= evening newspapers

7 to swish = to make a sound like running water

8 trolley = the small contact wheel between a tram and the electric power wire

9 to preconsider = to think about

10 to stand someone a drink = to buy someone a drink

11 a half-one = half a pint of beer

12 tailors of malt = glasses of Irish whiskey

13 all round = for everybody

14 a retort=a witty reply

1 eclogues = short poems about shepherds and country life

2 to polish off = to finish off

3 to name your poison = to say what you want to drink

4 vivacity = liveliness

5 exhilarating = making lively or happy

6 my nabs = (here) myself (humorous)

7 to bevel off = to turn away

8 to drizzle = to rain in small tine drops

9 a knock-about artiste = a comedian or actor who plays in slapstick comedies

1 to leer = to smile in a way that suggests evil desire

2 to chaff someone = to make fun of someone

3 a tincture (humorous) = a drink

4 a parlour = a private room in a pub

5 mellow = happy and slightly drunk

6 muslin = very thin, tine cotton cloth

7 oblique = diagonal, sideways

1 a sponge = (here) a person who drinks at others' expense

3 biceps= the large muscle at the top of the arm

24 to clasp = to hold firmly, to grasp

35 humiliation = loss of self-respect or dignity

4⁶ a stripling = a half-grown man, a youth

5⁷ peony = garden plant with large red flowers

6

7 the knack = the correct way to do something

1 to put in one's gab (slang) = to speak without permission

2 Pony up! (slang) = Drink up! (and get ready to leave)

3 a smahan = (Irish) a little drop

4 sullen-faced = with a face showing silent bad-temper

5 to smoulder = to burn slowly, without flames

6 to reek = to smell strongly

7 fury = intense anger

8 to choke = to prevent from breathing

9 a barracks = a building where soldiers live

10 to loathe = to hate

11 to bawl = to shout

12 to bully = to use strength or power to hurt another, weaker person

13 to peer = to look closely at something, usually in conditions where it is difficult to see

1 a chapel = a small church

2 to whimper = to make weak, frightened sounds, like a small dog

3 a whelp = a young dog

4 to utter = to let out a sound

5 thigh = the top part of the leg

6 a Hail Mary = a Catholic prayer to the Virgin Mary asking for God to forgive a sinner

1 pedometer = instrument that measures distances walked

2 to outstrip someone = to overtake someone, to go faster than someone

3 to jeer = to laugh rudely or without respect

4 resentful = full of bitterness

5 to exhort = to encourage

6 to persevere = to keep on making an effort

7 to oppress = (here) to cause a feeling of discomfort

8 to be strewn = to be covered

1 weary = extremely tired, exhausted

2 prostrate = lying flat on one's face

3 parched = very dry through lack of water

4 a puff = a light breath

5 glint = a reflection of sun on water

6 morbid = diseased, unhealthy

7 to yield = to give in

8 to scrape = to remove by friction

9 to be wedged = to be stuck tightly in a narrow opening or passage

10 to wriggle = to move from side to side like a worm

11 undergrowth = bushes, tall grass or small trees that form a barrier

12 dazed = in a confused condition, shocked

1 beech = forest tree with shiny dark-green leaves and small triangular nuts

2 a fold = (here) a gentle valley

3 meadow = a grass-covered field

4 occupation = (here) being lived in

5 a moat = a circle of water often used to protect a castle

6 to out-distance = to walk faster than

7 to keep step with someone = to move at the same speed as someone

1 to injure = to hurt, to damage

2 to be engaged in = to be busy with

3 startled = surprised and frightened

4 to tear = (here) to run very fast

5 bewildered = very confused

6 to murmur = to speak very quietly

7 an achievement = a success

8 a link = one ring of a chain

9 to span = to bridge a stream or river

10 ivory = the material of which elephants' long teeth are made

1 amazement = great surprise

2 humanity = the human race, mankind

3 to seize = to take hold of something firmly

4 to deny something = to say that something is not true

5 obstinacy = stubbornness, the quality of not giving way

6 to double = to turn around and go in the opposite direction

7 a boundary = a border

8 mankind = the human

1 to be determined = to have made a firm decision

2 cattle = collective and generic term for all cows, bulls and calves

3 to be troubled by = to be very worried at

4 a scythe = a farm implement with a long, curved blade used for cutting grass or corn

5 destiny = goal towards which an individual or group is led by the external forces of fate

6 to wrench = to pull vigorously with a twisting action

7 to overcome = to be too strong for

1 braid = gold or silver thread wound into thick strands and used for decorating uniforms or officers' caps

2 rakishly = at an angle

3 it's spoiling for a hurricane = a hurricane is starting

4 Rev her up! = Increase the engine speed!

5 auxiliary = extra motor which gives more power

6 turret = small tower, steel structure to protect gunners

7 to hurtle = to move forward at great speed

8 hydroplane = a fast motor-boat with a flat bottom

1 grossly = extremely

2 to yell = to shout or scream

3 to be tensed up = to be the opposite of relaxed

4 overshoes = winter shoes worn over normal shoes

5 to race an engine = to speed up a car engine when the car is not moving

6 Pick it up! = Move on!

7 a cop (slang) = a policeman

8 to lurch = to move forward suddenly or drunkenly

9 a parking lot (American) = a car park

1 distraught = upset, extremely worried

2 haggard = looking tired as a result of worry or lack of sleep

3 obstreosis = invented medical term suggesting an obstruction

4 ductal tract = invented medical term: all "tracts" are "ducts"!

5 to take coals to Newcastle (proverb) = to waste time and effort: Newcastle was the town from which coal was sent to other towns

6 an intern(e) = a young doctor who is completing his training at a hospital

7 a fountain pen = a pen with an internal supply of ink

8 coreopsis = invented medical term suggesting a serious complication

9 craven = cowardly

10 grave = serious

1 Mac (American) = form of address to a person whose name you don't know

2 lane = (here) part of the road reserved for one line of traffic

3 to vault = to jump (usually over a gate or fence)

4 insolent = cheeky

5 cocky = Insolent, cheeky

6 chains = snow chains fixed to a car's driving wheels in winter

7 a wrecking car (American) = a breakdown van

8 a sling = a bandage fastened round a person's neck to support a broken arm

9 bicarbonate = (NaHCOs), used as a medicine to cure acidity in the stomach

10 carborundum = hard material made of carbon and silicon and used for polishing metal

11 referendum = a word used out of context simply because it rhymes with " carborundum"

1 the what's-its-name = a word used for a thing you can't remember

2 a buzz = a noise like that made by a bee or other insect

3 to rap = to hit (here: with a hammer)

4 a crack shot = a person who shoots very accurately

5 insinuatingly = suggestively

6 to bicker = to argue about something unimportant

7 pandemonium = complete confusion

8 bedlam = pandemonium, noisy confusion

9 to let someone have it = to hit someone

10 a cur = a dog

1 to be through = to be finished

2 a lobby = an entrance hall

3 cannonading = constant firing of heavy guns

4 to get the wind up in someone = to frighten someone

5 tousled = uncombed

6 the Archies = Walter Mitty's invented nickname for the Germans

7 an ammunition dump = a place where ammunition is stored

8 Spot of brandy? = Would you like a drop of brandy (cognac)?

9 a dugout = a shelter for soldiers made by digging a hole in the ground

10 a rending = a sound of wood breaking

11 a box barrage = another invented word for gunfire coming from all directions towards a target in the centre

12 faint = hardly noticeable

13 fleeting = passing quickly

1 Cheerio! = Good-bye! (typically British)

2 derisive = laughing, expressing contempt

3 a firing squad = a group of soldiers selected to execute a criminal

4 erect = upright

5 disdainful = proud

6 inscrutable = mysterious, difficult to understand

1 range = line of mountains

2 spurs and ridges = a ridge is the top edge of a long mountain and a spur is a ridge stretching out sideways into a valley

3 arroyo = (Spanish) narrow valley cut by a stream

4 sage = (here) silver-grey plant that grows on mountains or dry areas of the USA

5 buttressed = supported by stone columns built against the walls

6 Crusader = soldiers who tried to capture Jerusalem from the Turks in the Middle Ages

7 stratified = in layers

8 battlements = flat roof of a tower or castle from which soldiers can shoot arrows through holes in the wall

9 arrow slit = narrow vertical hole through which soldiers can shoot arrows

1 warped = twisted, bent

2 to defy = to resist openly

3 to trespass = to enter a house or piece of land without the owner's permission

4 morbid = concerned with unhealthy or horrible things

5 plump = rather fat

6 awe = great respect

7 grained = showing the natural lines of the wood

8 manger-rack = rack or holder in which animals' food (usually hay) is placed

9 majority = (here) the age of 21, when a person is no longer a "minor"

10 stock = (here) all the animals on a farm

1 a doe = a female deer

2 bleary = dim, tired-looking

3 bloated = swollen

4 Jelka's father's English is not very good. He means: "She's"

5 He's not like a man = She doesn't like a man

6 to giggle = to laugh in a silly or nervous way

7 to nudge = to push gently (often with the elbow, to attract attention)

8 Scripture = the Bible

9 interminable = endless

1 a range = an open piece of prairie where cattle can feed

2 a stallion = a male horse

3 hostile = unfriendly, like an enemy

4 to whimper = to make a whining noise like a small dog

5 to lapse into = to become once again

6 to crave = to have a great wish for something

7 vulgarity = rudeness or roughness

1 a scabbard = a long leather or metal case to hold a sword or rifle

2 a buckboard = a light cart for passengers and goods

3 to gabble = to talk quickly and incomprehensibly

4 to kneel – knelt – knelt = to rest on one's knees

5 tacked = attached with small nails (= tacks)

6 oats = type of grain used for making porridge or feeding to horses

7 flat = (here) flat field

8 band = line or row

⁹ to clank = to make a rattling noise of metal on metal

1 to hitch up a rig = to harness a cart

² to hatch = chickens hatch out of eggs

³ dusk = the time between sunset and total darkness

⁴ serge = hard-wearing woollen cloth

1 a halter = a leather strap put around a horse's head to lead it

² a bay gelding = a reddish-brown horse that has been castrated

³ halter-strap = strap on a halter which holds the horse's head

⁴ buckle = metal fastening device as on a belt

⁵ to cinch = (here) to fasten a saddle

⁶ bridle = part of the horse's harness which goes over its head and nose

⁷ throat latch = buckle for the strap under the horse's throat

⁸ to slip = to remove

⁹ radiant = shining

¹⁰ a carbine = a rifle

¹¹ a cartridge = a cardboard cylinder containing gunpowder and the bullet

1 velvet = cloth with a thick, soft layer of fine hairs on one side

2 rooster = male chicken

3 to canter = to ride a horse at slightly faster than a trot

⁴ a springboard = a high place where a stream begins

⁵ a calf = a young cow or bull

⁶ a brand = a mark burned on the skin of a calf to indicate its owner

1 to cut up through = to take a short cut through

2 stilted = stiff and unnatural

3 a grove = a small wood

4 a hogback = a smooth, round hill

5 a hide = an animal skin

1 a pasture = a piece of land on which cattle graze

2 a corral = an enclosure where horses are kept

3 to creep – crept – crept = to walk very quietly and slowly

4 the bit = the part of a horse's harness which is held in its mouth

5 the finish = the polish or paint on a metal or wooden surface

6 to peer = to look at something under difficult conditions, when it is dark or when one is short-sighted

1 to twitch = to move suddenly in a convulsive movement

2 barley = type of grain used for making beer and whiskey

3 mosquito wrigglers = mosquito larvae (they wriggle like snakes in the water)

4 a newt = a small salamander-like creature that lives in water

5 a sob = a sharp breathing sound made by someone who is crying

6 to whisk along = to move along quickly

7 to stir = to move in a circular motion, like a cup of tea

8 to cock a rifle = to prepare it for firing

9 to stir = (here) to move

1 to quiver = to shake slightly

2 the sights = the points at the front and back of a rifle barrel along which one takes aim

3 to jolt = to make a sudden jumping .movement

4 a hollow-point = a bullet with a hollow point which becomes flat on hitting the target

5 to gurgle = to make a sound like a drowning man

6 to shudder = to shake

7 to whine = to make a high-pitched noise like a dog

8 uneasy = restless, worried

9 a pair (of horses)

1 a coroner = an official who decides the causes of sudden deaths

2 to be wrought up = (American) to be nervous and upset

3 to tend to things = to look after things

4 to saunter away = to walk off in a relaxed, unhurried way

5 a comfortoer = (American) a bed cover

6 to dismiss a case = to reject or throw a case out of court

7 Go kind of light (slang) = Don't be too hard

8 to jolt away = to move off in an unsteady way

9 reluctantly = unwillingly

10 viciously = with great force

1 a loaded bull whip = a heavy whip with extra weight (= loaded)

2 a hay-loft = the top part of a barn where the hay is stored

3 a bandana = a neck-scarf

4 gravely = seriously

5 a blowfly = a large fly which feeds on meat or dead animals

6 to struggle = (here) to move with difficulty

7 to limp = to walk stiffly, especially when one leg is injured

1 lumber = wood for building

1 bloke (slang) = man

2 fed-up = unhappy with life, bored

3 'course (coll.) = of course

4 to string oneself up = to hang oneself

1 he ain't (slang) = he hasn't, he isn't

2 fags (slang) = cigarettes

3 to come for someone = to attack someone

4 Sunday-Joint = as big as a large piece of meat eaten on Sundays

5 maulers (slang) = hands

6 to scrunch = (here) to bend

7 to clear out (slang) = to get out

8 bleddy (dialect) = bloody

9 to hunch = to pull one's back into a round shape

10 broody = thinking sad thoughts

11 to go crackers = to go mad

12 to mash tea (dialect) = to make tea

13 clink (slang) = prison

1 plugged = (here) without the energy to leave, stuck

2 summat (dialect) = something

3 a bookie (slang) = a bookmaker, a man who takes bets on horses, dogs etc.

4 a bookie (slang) = a bookmaker, a man who takes bets on horses, dogs etc.

5 a parson = a vicar in the Church of England

6 to droop = to hang down

7 a square meal = a proper meal

1 to gossip = to talk about other people

2 to trudge = to walk in a tired way

3 a pawnshop = a shop where money is lent in return for a valuable object left as security

4 to 'ang messen wi' (dialect) = to hang myself with

5 to cackle = to laugh loudly, like a hen

6 a good 'un (dialect) = a good one (= joke)

7 a coil = a circle of rope etc.

8 a bogger (dialect, usually «bugger» = silly or nasty person (a taboo word!)

9 it did him for what he wanted =it suited his purpose

10 It wain't (dialect) = It won't

1 to get nettled = to get angry

2 to scram (slang) = to run away, to disappear

3 a fancy knot = a complicated (and nice-looking) knot

4 Shut yer gob (slang) = Shut your mouth

5 pally = friendly

6 bits and bobs (coll.) = bits and pieces, odds and ends

7 a pawn ticket = a receipt from a pawnshop for goods left there

8 coppers (slang) = bronze coins, pennies and halfpennies

9 ter (dialect) = to

1 gi' (dialect) = give

2 like it was (dialect) = as if it was

3 missus (coll.) = wife

4 worse luck (coll.) = what a pity

5 clock (slang) = face

6 mam (dialect) = mum, mother

7 to lead someone a dog's life = to make life very unpleasant for someone

8 to pop = (here) to get larger

9 a goz (dialect) = a look

10 the scouts = the Boy Scouts

1 to have one's cake and eat it = to have a double (advantage)

2 tit for tat = to have something in return for something else

3 a butt-end = the end of a cigarette

4 to sling – slung – slung (coll.) = to throw

5 firegrate = the part of a fireplace where the coal burns

6 to wriggle = to twist from side to side

7 a runner (coll.) = a run

8 Notts Forest = famous football team (Nottingham Forest)

9 muffler = scarf

10 to chafe = to rub together

11 a scarecrow = a large doll used by farmers to frighten birds

12 to flap = to move quickly up and down

13 a dose of salts = an amount of Epsom Salts, magnesium sulphate

14 dizzy = feeling as if things are turning around

15 a thump = a loud blow

16 colic = severe stomach pains

1 to tut-tut = to express disapproval

2 a balls-up (slang) = a mess

3 to slam = to shut violently

4 so's (coll.) = so that (so as)

5 a copper (slang) = a policeman

6 to stride = to walk with long steps

7 to nark (slang) = to inform the police

8 to tip off = to give information to

9 happen (dialect) = perhaps

10 to catch on (coll.) = to understand

11 peepers (slang) = eyes

12 an approved school = a school for young criminals

13 to pinch (slang) = to steal

14 lead = a soft metal, chemical symbol Pb

1 to croak = to make a sound like a frog

2 Nay (dialect) = No

3 to let on to someone = to tell a secret to someone

4 tek (dialect) = to take

5 to be in for it = to be in trouble

6 six-months cold (slang) = six months in prison

7 the Post = a newspaper, the Nottingham Post

1 of an evening (coll.) = in the evenings

2 dishing grub (slang) = serving food

3 to spill (slang) = to tell

4 daft = stupid

5 to cease = to end

6 to chuck (coll.) = to throw

7 issen (dialect) = himself

8 to go for a pee (coll.) = to go to the toilet

9 Not much 'e aint (dialect) = he certainly is (understatement!)

10 bastard = (here) fool

11 a ward = a hospital room with several beds

12 a double-decker = a large bus

13 that= (here) so

1 barmy (coll.) = crazy, mad

2 to go out = (here) to die

3 to scream blue murder = to scream very loud

1 humid = damp or moist

2 a batch = a group

3 a parapet = a wall raised higher than the roof of a house or building

4 to silt up = to become filled with mud, like a river that flows too slowly

5 a latchkey = a key to open the lock on a front door

6 to warp = to become twisted out of shape

1 ajar = slightly open (of doors and windows)

2 to unshutter = to remove the shutters or boards in front of a window

3 prosaic = normal, dull, uninteresting

4 escritoire = writing desk (French word)

5 a bruise = a blue mark left on the skin after a hard knock or blow

6 to seep in = to come in through a small opening or crack ?

7 hearth = fireplace

8 a caretaker = a man who looks after a building

9 a shaft = a long thin ray

10 refracted = bent aside

11 a circular = a printed letter sent to many people

1 negligence = lack of responsibility, carelessness

2 rank = luxuriant, with too many leaves, too tall (grass)

3 to feel intruded upon = to feel that one is being watched

4 contemptuous of = with no respect for

5 stealthily = secretly and quietly

1 assent = approval, giving permission

2 intermittent = coming and going

3 a flicker = (here) a sudden movement

4 precipitately = suddenly

5 a chest = a large wooden box for storing clothes etc.

6 apprehension = fear or unhappy feeling about the future

7 a leave = a short holiday for soldiers, airmen etc.

8 to intimidate = to frighten, to fill with fear

9 spectral = ghostly

10 a drawing-room = a room in a large house where guests go after meals (= withdrawing room – to withdraw = to leave)

1 to catch one's breath = to take a sudden, inward breath of excitement, fear etc.

2 a fiance = a man whom a woman has promised to marry

3 to perceive = to notice

4 to drive down between = to separate

5 all human kind = the whole human race

6 to be foresworn = to be rejected

7 to plight a troth (old-fashioned) = to give a promise (especially of marriage)

8 without stint = without limit, without sparing oneself

9 to console = to comfort

10 dislocation = (here) separation, estrangement

1on this score = in this matter

2 to court a girl = to try to win a girl's love

3 arboreal = with many trees

4 to circumscribe = to limit

5 desuetude = unusualness

6 to rally oneself = to regain one's strength, confidence etc.

7 to dwell == (here) to remain thinking about

1 to fly = (here) to run away

2 a keystone = a stone that holds the other stones of an arch together

3 cut off = (here) disconnected

4 to tug = to pull hard

5 flight = escape (from: to fly)

6 to be set on someone = to be determined to marry someone

7 acuteness = clarity, sharpness

8 weal = mark left on the skin by a sharp object, scar

1 to slip = to walk unobserved and quietly

2 passe air = air that has not been renewed, used air

3 to emanate = to come

4 a thoroughfare = a main road

5 a creek = a small river; (here) a little-used road

6 a tread = a footstep

7 to debouch = to open out onto like a river into the sea)

8 a perambulator (old-fashioned) = a pram

9 a barrow = a handcart with one wheel at the front

10 a taxi rank = a section of the street where taxis wait for customers

1 to pant = (here) to come running up out of breath (= panting)

2 to recollect = to remember

3 a jolt = a sudden bump

4 to fling - flung - flung = to threw

5 an aperture = an opening

6 to issue = to give, to make a sound

7 to make off with someone = to run away with a person

1 feuille d'album = poem or contribution written in an album

2 tortoise stove = slow-burning, iron stove (brand name of a stove with the trade mark of a tortoise and the slogan: Stow but sure)

3 to drift = to move slowly and without a goal, like something floating on water

4 to pout = to push one's lips forward

1 wrung = twisted (to wring - wrung - wrung) like one twists a wet cloth to press out the water

2 crimson = bright red

3 tender = gentle

4 to rouse = to awaken or excite s.o.

5 gloom = darkness

6 to turn a hair = to show any signs of emotion

7 to blossom forth = to open up like a flower (= blossom)

8 rag-time = jazz

1 show = art exhibition

2 fishy = suspicious

3 daisy = simple wild flower with white petals and a yellow centre which grows in most gardens and meadows

4 mournful = sad, dreary

5 to gteam = to shine

6 forlorn = very sad

7 concierge = (French) = caretaker

8 to ladle out = to take out of a saucepan with a large spoon (= ladle)

9 tit-bit = especially delicious item of food, news etc.

10 to loll = to lie around lazily

11 bead cushion = cushion ornamented with small glass pearls

12 to perch = to sit like a bird on a branch or (in a cage) a wooden rod (= perch)

13 fringe=edge

14 shabby = worn and threadbare (of clothes), not in good condition (of houses etc.)

15 frill = ornamentation around the edge of a hat, skirt, dress etc. (often unnecessary)

1 booth = small, box-like hut or market stand

2 awning = sunshade

3 clump = group of trees or bushes

4 terracotta = "baked earth" - mixture of clay and sand used to make statues, ornaments etc. and then baked hard

5 to scuttle = to run quickly but with short steps

6 sill = windowsill

7 neat = tidy

8 crinkly = wrinkled, having an edge with many small waves

9 prune = dried plum

10 spangle = thin, shiny piece of metal sewn onto clothing, (/?ere:) brightness

1 bud = stage of development which a flower reaches before it comes out

2 languid = weak, slow

3 dusky = warm and dark; dusk = sunset

4 daffodil = large, bright yellow flower that comes out at Easter

5 Pinafore = loose piece of clothing worn by women to protect their clothes while they do the housework

6 slender = attractively thin

7 wisp = thin strip

8 to unbraid = to unfasten hair which has been twisted into braids (plaits)

1 invalid = sick person or s.o. who is unable to get out of bed much

² to take in sewing = to earn a living by sewing clothes

2³ kitten = baby cat

3⁴ cape = loose outdoor coat with no sleeves

4⁵ to snatch = to grab, to pick s.th. up quickly

5

1 draper = shopkeeper who sells cloth and cloth goods

2 composure = calmness, setf-possession

3 inevitable = unavoidable, predictable

4 dairy = shop that sells milk, butter, eggs etc.

5 to dodge = to avoid with a quick sideways movement of the body

6 to creep – crept – crept = to move slowly and quietly

7 severe = (here:) very strict

1 rowboat = (American) rowing boat

2 stern = rear part of a boat or ship

3 oarlock = metal fitting for the oars on each side of a rowboat

4 beached = pulled up on the side of the river or lake

1 dew = wetness on the ground, usually found in misty weather and before dawn

2 logging road = road along which trees which have been cut down are transported

3 timber = wood; (here:) trees

4 shanty = small, primitive house

5 bark-peeler = person who cuts off (peels) the outer skin (bark) off trees

6 bunk = narrow bed, usually above or below another bunk

7 quilt = bed cover made of two layers of material which are sewn to and filled with padding

8 being in labour = the condition of a mother trying to have her baby

1 to motion = to give a sign of the hand

2 squaw bitch - squaw = Indian woman; bitch = female dog

3 interne = (American) medical student who helps a doctor in a hospital

1 incision = (medical term) cut

2 exalted = uplifted

3 Caesarian = operation to remove a baby by cutting the mother open

4 jack knife = large folding knife

5 nine-foot (long), tapered gut leaders = long, thin strips of animal intestine

6 to sag = to hang down under a heavy weight; (here:) to pull s.th. down

1 post-operative exhilaration = uplifting feeling of happiness after the operation

2 bass = a type of sea fish

1 sweet sixteen = (normal use) a pretty girl aged

2 to recede = to move backwards, to fade

3 soft-focus = unsharp, deliberate camera technique for making something look soft

4 immaculate = spotless, without flaw

5 cluster = small group

6 to mesmerize = to hypnotize

7 Granada TV Rental = British chain of shops where you can hire TVs and video recorders

8 to swap = to exchange

9 grin = silly smite

10 to span out = to break up and move away from one another

11 perspex = transparent plastic

12 to weep = to cry tears

13 shrubbery = group of bushes (shrubs) growing close together

14 to strain = to pull or push hard

15 to ease = to carefully release s.o. or loosen s.th.

1 aisle = walkway in a church or supermarket, passage between the seats in a bus, plane etc.

2 to deflect = to push to one side

3 maw = mouth of a shark or other large, dangerous fish

4 to gape = to be wide open (often of a large hole or of one's mouth when surprised)

5 coy = modest, shy

6 crumble = dessert made of fruit covered with a "crumbly" mixture of sugar, flour and butter, baked brown and served hot with custard or ice-cream

7 dusty = covered in dust

1 to cradle = to hold, like a baby, in one's arms

2 cereals = breakfast foods eaten with milk and made of corn, wheat (= cereals) etc.

3 to skirt = to move around the side of s.th.

4 toddler = young child who has just begun to walk unsteadily (= toddle)

5 deftness = skill, quickness

6 dodgems = small, electric cars with rubber sides driven on a special track at a fun-fair The drivers try to avoid (dodge) the other drivers: to dodge`em

7 to anticipate = to guess that something will appear or happen before it actually does

8 cash till = machine for calculating the cost of the things bought and for storing the money (cash)

9 to dart = to move quickly

10 prospective = intended, future

11 to whisk = to move quickly

1 to fumble = to move one's hands or handle s.th. clumsily

2 carrier = paper or plastic bag with two holes for handles

3 to flash = to send or reflect light, to move as quickly as a reflection of light

4 plate glass = thick, strong glass used for large shop windows

5 lemon and lime = condensed fruit syrup with lemon and lime flavour which must be thinned with water

6 index finger = the first finger on the hand, the finger you point with

7 to squirt = (of liquids) to flow quickly and with force through a small tube, hole or space

8 self-raising flour = flour which already contains baking powder; the cakes "rise" by themselves

9 to hurl = to throw very violently

10 jellied = covered in jelly

11 cellophane = thin, transparent packaging material

12 crisps = thin slices of roasted potato eaten cold as a TV snack etc. and available in many flavours in Britain (here; salt and vinegar flavour)

13 to crackle = to make a sharp, brittle sound like burning wood or crisps underfoot

1 treacle = thick sweet black liquid from sugar-cane

2 to roost = to sit and sleep like a bird in a tree

3 petit pois (French) = small peas

4 chunky = in big pieces (= chunks) - used as a positive description for meat, pet food etc.

5 Branston Pickle = trade name for a spicy mixture of vinegar and chopped mixed vegetables (= pickle) eaten with cheese or cold meats

6 Malvern = town in the Midlands between Birmingham and Hereford famous for its mineral water

7 spa = place where people go to drink the mineral water

8 to spark = to flash brightly

9 surreptitiously = secretly, without anyone seeing

1 fair = 1 (of people or circumstances) just; 2 (of weather) pleasant

2 back and forth = backwards and forwards

3 to haunt = to remind; memories - and ghosts - that are associated with one place or person are said to haunt that place or person

4 to weep – wept – wept = to cry tears

1 ghastly = terrible

2 to mete out = to measure out (and inflict) a punishment or reward

3 vivid = lively, bright

4 collage = separate photos or parts of pictures which are glued together to form a new picture

5 twilight = the time after sunset and before night

6 to allude to s.th. = to mention s.th., to make a reference to s.th.

7 coy=shy

8 prominent = projecting, noticeable

9 picky = choosy, selective

10 to diminish = to make small or less

1 to sprout wings = to grow wings

2 fazed (American) = upset, confused

3 Burlington Arcade = fashionable covered shopping street off Piccadilly in (London's West End)

4 cable-knit = a pattern knit into a woollen pullover or cardigan that looks like a thick rope (cable)

5 Marks & Spencer = British chain-store famous for good-quality but reasonably-priced goods, particularly clothing

6 closet (American) = cupboard

7 sleek = smooth, glossy and soft

8 gadget = device, often not essential

9 The Terminator = title of a popular US novel about a professional kilter

1 lingerie = (linen) underwear

2 tangible = real, able to be felt

3 to cajole = to persuade by constantly a request

4 French fries (American) = chips

5 a paper cut = a cut in the finger or hand made by a sharp piece of paper

6 droopy = loose and hanging down

7 notch = (here:) hole in a belt: usually a notch is a groove cut in a piece of wood

8 perk (abbreviation for "perquisite") = an extra benefit, an addition to one's wages

1 blithe = happy

2 to hop out = to jump out

3 to gust = to blow in short, sharp bursts {= gusts)

4 inlet = small arm of water which takes its water from a river or the sea

5 lone = solitary (not necessarily lonely)

6 to brave s.th. = to show courage in standing up to s.th.

7 to tend = to look after

1 to lower = to scowl, to look angry or threatening

2 tackle = equipment, especially things required for fishing or sailing

3 armpit = underside of that part of the body where the arm leaves the shoulder

1 case for the defense = argumants presented by a lawyer defending an accused person

2 Peckham = London SE15 - an unfashionable Victorian suburb

3 case for the defence = arguments presented by a lawyer defending an accused person

4 circumstantial evidence = conclusions drawn from other real evidence

5 to mute = to make silent

6 counsel = an advocate or barrister (lawyer who may appear in a higher court

7 to bulge = to swell outwards

8 bloodshot = condition where blood vessels are visible in the whites of the eyes

9 thighs = top parts of the legs

1 the Crown = the prosecution; in a British criminal court the prisoner is accused in the name of the king or queen (e.g. Rex/Regina v. Adams)

2 villa = (here:) small Victorian house, often one of a row of identical terraced houses

3 laurel = evergreen bush, very popular in Victorian suburban gardens

4 suffused = covered, often by a liquid

5 Benfleet = village in Kent

6 dazed = confused

7 to plead = to put forward an argument in a court of law

1 hanging = execution (until the 1960s, convicted murderers were hanged in Britain)

2 malice = ill-will, intention to harm another person

3 scarlet = the bright red colour of a British judge's robe

1 brute = powerful, dangerous animal

2 to acquit = to free, to declare s.o. innocent in a court of law

3 to get wedged = to become stuck

1 divine vengeance = a punishment from God

1 to see through s.o. or s.th. = to discover the hidden truth about s.o. or s.th

2 a mercy (here) = a relief; a blessing

3 villain = evil person

4 ulster = old-fashioned long, loose overcoat with a belt

5 to reel = to walk unsteadily, swaying the body

6 to lodge (here) = to penetrate and become fixed in s.th.

7 to tinkle = to make a light, high-pitched sound

1 omnibus (old-fashioned) = bus

2 Sloane Street = main road in Belgravia, a fashionable part of London's West End

3 Cadogan Square = fashionable residential square just west of Sloane Street

4 to clasp = to hold tightly

5 "God Save the King" = the British National Anthem. It used to be played at the end of every theatre performance.

6 morbid = (here: of the mind) thinking unhealthy, melancholy thoughts; (of the body) diseased

1 self-possessed = confident; sure of oneself

2 to endeavour = to try hard

3 duly (adv. from due) = appropriately; to the right extent

4 to mope = to pity oneself

5 silent communion (here: humorous) = quiet meditation within a group; exchange of thoughts without speaking

6 rectory = house where a rector (= country vicar) lives

1 French window = glass window which leads onto a balcony or (here) into the garden

² snipe = small bird with a long beak that lives on marshland

³ to engulf = to cover with water etc.

⁴ to falter (of voice etc.) = to hesitate

⁵ dusk = time of day between sunset and night

⁶ to bound = to jump up and down; this is a line from a popular song of the time

⁷ creepy = ghostly; causing an unpleasant creeping sensation on parts of the body

1 to bustle = to hary energetically

2 a whirl = a rapid circular movement

³ men-folk = collective word for all males

⁴ scarcity = lack; smallness of supply

⁵ ghastly = horrible

⁶ to labour under a delusion = to have a mistaken opinion

⁷ ailments and infirmities = illnesses and weaknesses

3

4

5

6

7

1 dazed = confused; bewildered

2 twilight = dim light at dusk, just before night falls

3 hoarse = rough or harsh-sounding (voice)

4 gravel = very small stones used to make a garden path etc.

5 to bolt = to run away quickly when frightened

6 to dash = to hurry; to run away very quickly

7 pariah = Indian belonging to low - or no - caste; (here) ownerless dogs of mixed breed

8 to snarl = to make an angry growling sound

1 mannequin = female fashion model

2 garment = piece of clothing

3 kohl = dark Oriental eye-shadow

4 jeune fille (French) = girt; very young woman

5 underling = person of low status

6 aspirant = person trying to achieve s.th. (here: to get a job)

7 to temper (here) = to soften

1 forlorn = desperate; hopeless

2 sombreness = darkness

3 dingy = dirty-looking

4 warren = underground tunnels where rabbits live

5 raucous = rough; harsh

6 lingerie = women's underwear

7 to bestow = to give

8 to hover (here) = to stand in the same place, waiting until one is needed

9 la nouvelle (French) = the new gin

10 in buttons (here) = wearing a short jacket with a long row of buttons down the front, as worn by a hotel page-boy

11 vendeuse (French) = a saleswoman

12 garb (literary) = collective word for clothes

13 to hustle = to push roughly

1 cuff = part of the sleeve which covers the wrist, often turned up to form a thicker layer of cloth

2 moroseness = bad-temperedness

3 to shrug one's shoulders = to move one's shoulders up and down slightly to show doubt or indifference

4 puce = colour between purple and dark red

5 to volunteer = to give (information etc.) without being asked

6 rudement jolie (French) = pretty in an unsophisticated way

7 utility (collective noun) = characteristic feature of objects that are strictly useful and in no way ornamental

8 high-noted = with a high sound

9 sibilant = like a whisper

1 hideous = very ugly

2 tumbler = drinking glass

3 austere = plain and simple; without ornament

4 gamine (French) = little girl (of the streets)

5 enfant (French) = child

6 femme fatale (French) = woman who breaks men's hearts

7 garconne (French) = mannish girl; tomboy

8 to purr = to make a noise like a happy cat

9 long-lashed = with long eyelashes

10 Lilith = female demon of Jewish folklore - the name means "night monster". She is said to have been Adam's second wife after his separation from Eve

1 gay (original meaning) = happy. This adjective can now only be used in the new sense of "homosexual"

2 blatant = noisy and rough

3 covertly = secretly

4 oath (here) = swear-word

5 villainous = evil; wicked

6 proprietor = owner

7 tristeness (French) = sadness

8 monsieur (French) = gentleman

1 liqueur = strong and usually sweet alcoholic drink usually drunk with coffee after a meal

2 haughty = proud and distant

3 disdainful = showing pride and contempt

4 a passage of arms (literary) = a fight

5 discomfited = confused; embarrassed

6 genre (French) = type

7 devil-may-care = not worried about the consequences of one's actions

8 to wheeze = to breathe with difficulty, making a whistling sound in the throat (as of a heavy smoker)

9 caprice = sudden desire which has no apparent reason

10 camel (French: chameau) = person with no principles

11 to drape = to hang (a curtain, piece of cloth) loosely over s.o. or s.th.

1 stout = well-built; almost fat

2 a lady of title = an aristocrat

3 to rake (here) = to look at s.o. very closely

4 hein? (French) = eh?

5 idiot (here: French) = stupid

6 fatigue = intense tiredness

7 tailor-made = suit or dress made to fit the wearer

8 beret = small round cap as worn by soldiers etc.

1 snowdrop = small, white, bell-like flower which pushes its way up through the snow in late winter

2 bleach = strong chemical substance used in the household for cleaning and sterilizing

3 hum = soft, low noise made by the motor of a refrigerator etc.

4 fluorescent strips = long glass electric-light tubes filled with gas which glows when the lights are switched on

5 forge = place where metal is heated and shaped

6 armoury = place where weapons are made

7 treacle = thick dark syrup produced while sugar is being refined

8 range = large stove, often heated by coal or wood

9 wok = pan for preparing Chinese food

10 to huddle = to sit close together in a small space, often for warmth or protection

11 thud = deep sound made when a heavy object falls

12 to cleave = to cut into two with a heavy blow

1 to clash = to make a loud metallic noise

2 to reek = to smell strongly and unpleasantly

3 to slash = to cut with a quick, sweeping movement

4 to pare = to cut away the outer part or skin of fruit, vegetables etc.

5 warrior = soldier

6 invincible = not able to be beaten

7 ounce = old unit of weight in Britain: about 30g.

8 alchemist = person who tries to make gold from less precious materials

9 to subdue = to quieten

10 to sate = to satisfy, especially hunger

11 to bay = to howl like a hunting dog chasing its food

12 to savour = to enjoy, especially food

13 clunk = deep, heavy sound of metal striking metal

1 to stride = to walk with long steps

2 to shuffle = to walk with short steps without lifting one's feet

3 guts (fam.) = courage

4 slender = thin

5 virginal = fresh and untouched

6 to dangle = to hang down limply

7 to thaw = snow thaws and melts in the spring sunshine

8 to hunch = to pull one's head down into one's clothing in order to keep warm; to bend the top part of one's body over a table or desk etc.

9 sallow = having an unhealthy yellow colour

10 to fade = to become less intense; the colours of flowers fade before they die

11 parchment = skin of sheep or goats used in the Middle Ages for writing on

12 to bow (here) = to make s.o. or s.th. bend

13 to gleam = to shine brightly, especially of metal

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