| A | B |
|---|
| caste system | class distinctions based on birth, wealth, etc. |
| curtness | To be curt is to be brief and short to the point of being rude. |
| devoid | completely without |
| flighty | foolish; irresponsible |
| incestuous | Incest is sexual intercourse between persons too closely related to marry legally. Atticus's comment as to the possibility that the Finches might have an Incestuous streak refers to the fact that so many Finches have married their cousins. |
| irritable | easily annoyed |
| mandrake roots | The roots of the mandrake plant were often thought to have magical powers because it was thought that their shape resembled the human body. The mandrake root appears in many poems, including this "Song" by John Donne |
| myopic | Myopia is an abnormal eye condition, often called nearsightedness. Someone who is myopic cannot see objects clearly. |
| obliquely | indirectly |
| prerogative | exclusive right or privilege |
| shinny | a slang term for liquor; usually whiskey or bourbon. Bourbon is a main ingredient in the recipe for a Lane cake. |
| sluggish | lacking energy; lazy |
| spun | To spin a tale is to tell a story in a creative, fanciful way. |
| tactful | To be tactful is to be able to say the right thing to a person without being offensive. Scout realizes that her question about her aunt and uncle was not tactful and may have been offensive or, at least, embarrassing. |
| tight | drunk |
| antagonize | oppose; make angry |
| bushel | a unit of dry measure equal to 32 quarts |
| erosion | a gradual wearing away |
| infallible | never wrong |
| manacles | handcuffs |
| neat | unmixed with anything, such as water or soda; straight |
| taut | tightly stretched |
