A | B |
gunnysack | a sack made of a coarse heavy fabric (as burlap) |
douse | to throw a liquid on; extinguish |
shimmied | to shake, quiver, or tremble |
stifled | to withhold from circulation or expression; repress |
contraption | device; gadget |
ramshackle | appearing ready to collapse; rickety; carelessly or loosely constructed |
hightailed | to move at full speed or rapidly in making a retreat-used with <iiti> |
plug nickel | worthless |
flue | an enclosed passageway for directing a current; a channel in a chimney for conveying flame and smoke to the outer air |
bawled | to cry loudly; wail |
posse | a large group often with a common interest; a body of persons summoned by a sheriff to assist in preserving the public peace |
keeled | to fall in or as if in a faint-usually used with <ioveri> |
forecloses | to deprive (a mortgagor) of the right to redeem mortgaged property, as when payments have not been made |
galleon | a heavy square-rigged sailing ship of the 15th to early 18th centuries |
loafer | one that loafs; an idler |
revel | to take intense pleasure or satisfaction |
gratis | without charge; free |
aerial | of, relating to, or occurring in the air |
chaw | a chew especially of tobacco |
hoist | to lift; raise |
Prohibition | forbidding the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages |
apt | exactly suitable; appropriate |
reprobate | a morally unprincipled person |
philanthropist | lover of humankind, charitable |
sawhorse | a frame with legs, used to support pieces of wood |
codger | a somewhat eccentric man, old man |
loll | to move, stand, or recline in a relaxed manner |
riveted | to engross or hold (attention) |
smithereens | fragments or splintered pieces |
waft | to cause to go gently through the air or water |
galoot | a person, clumsy or uncouth |
eaves | the projecting overhand at the lower edge of a roof |
woozy | dazed and confused |
settee | a long wood bench or sofa |
maw | slang for mother |
depot | a railroad or bus station |
pilfer | to steal |
ransack | to search or examine thoroughly |
strop | a strap, or rope, used for sharpening a razor |
lamented | to express grief for or about; mourn |
vat | a large vessel, such as a tub, to hold liquid |
poise | a state of balance or equilibrium; stability; composure |
grubby | dirty; grimy |
scuttle | a metal pail for carrying coal |
lye | a strong alkaline liquid rich in potassium carbonate leached from wood ashed; to make soap |
unfurl | unroll, unfold, or spread out to be unrolled |
jimmy | to move or force in an effort to get something open |
abdicated | to relinquish (power of responsibility) formally (in the book, the character meant to use the word that means "kidnapped") |
shriek | a shrill, often frantic cry |
shrouded | wrapped (a corpse) in burial clothing; shut off from sight or screened |
valise | a small piece of hand luggage |
anvil | a heavy block of iron or steel with a smooth, flat top |
gander | a look or glance |
frazzle | condition of exhaustion |
belfry | a bell tower |
crackbrained | insanely irresponsible |
estate | one's possessions, property, and debts left at death |
cockeyed | foolish, ridiculous, absurd |
bogus | counterfeit or fake; not genuine |
cootie | a parasitic louse that infests the body of human beings (in the book the character meant to use the word that means "an eccentric or crotchety person") |
centennial | a 100th anniversary or its celebration |
patooties | a rear end |
derby | a man's tiff felt hat with a domed shaped crown and narrow brim |
bustle | a pad or framework expanding and supporting the fullness and drapery of the back of a woman's dress or skirt |
scrapple | a seasoned mixture of ground meat and cornmeal set in a mold and served sliced and fried |
gallivanting | to travel, roam, or move about for pleasure |
mixers | a dance used as a get-together to give members of a group an opportunity to meet one another in a friendly informal atmosphere |
nigh | near |
vermin | small common harmful animals such as fleas, lice, and mice that are hard to control |
Victrola | a phonograph/record player |
curtsey | a slight lowering of the body with the bending of the knees done by women to show respect |
garbed | to cover with clothing, dress |
mocker | an object of scorn or derision |
clodhopper | a clumsy and uncouth person |
brawling | to quarrel or fight noisily |
basic training | fundamental instruction, discipline, and drill that a person learns when they join the military |
siding | a short railroad track connected with the main track |
crap game | a gambling game played with two dice |