Scene III

inn

• in American English, inn doesn’t have any special meaning apart from hotel or restaurant and is sometimes used instead of them in the names of businesses wanting to appear old-fashioned

canopy

a canopy bed

• a decorative cover usually fixed above the bed

Barbados

• an island in the Caribbean Sea. Capital: Bridgetown

RSVP

• letters written on an invitation to a party, wedding etc., asking you to say whether you will attend or not. They are based on the French words “répondez s’il vous plait” (=please reply)

knick-knack,

nicknack

• infml a small cheap decorative object, especially for the house

Wellesley College

• in Wellesley, Massachusetts, founded in 1875

sister

• a female fellow member of the same profession, organization etc.

alumni

the alumni giving fund

• the alumni of a school, college or university are the people who used to be students there

real estate

the real estate market

• is property in the form of land and buildings, rather than personal possessions

Dewey Stone & Co.

• the company Jack Trainer works for

hard copy

• a hard copy of a document is a printed version of it, rather than a version stored on a computer

receptive

• someone who is receptive to new ideas or suggestions is prepared to consider them or accept them

to pop the question

• if you pop the question, you ask someone to marry you; an expression used by journalists

variable

• a variable is a factor, which can change in quality, quantity, or size, which you have to take into account in a situation

to run by

• if you run an idea by someone, you tell them about it or mention it, to see if they think it’s a good idea, or can understand or recognize it

to be dead set on smth

• if you are dead set on smth, you are strongly determined to do or have it

to plug

keep plugging

• to work or study hard and steadily

to take over

• if you take over a job or role, or you take over, you become responsible for the job after someone else has stopped doing it

bunch

• a bunch of things is a number of things, especially a large number

to brave

• if you brave unpleasant or dangerous condition, you deliberately expose yourself to them, usually in order to achieve smth

to add up to

• if amounts add up to a particular total, they result in that total when they are put together

to run with

• to take the responsibility of handling or developing smth

1

to be dead set on smth

a

to be prepared to consider new ideas or suggestions

2

variable

b

a number of things, especially a large number

3

to brave

c

to take the responsibility of handling or developing smth

4

to pop the question

d

to result in a particular total when put together

5

to run with

e

to deliberately expose yourself to unpleasant or dangerous conditions, usually in order to achieve smth

6

receptive

f

to be strongly determined to do smth or to have smth

7

to take over

g

to work or study hard and steadily

8

bunch

h

a factor which can change in quality, quantity, or size, which you have to take into account in a situation

9

to add up to

i

to ask someone to marry you

10

to plug

j

to become responsible for the job, role after someone else has stopped doing it

11

to run by

k

to tell someone about your idea to see if they think it’s good