3

And Then There Were None Combined Glossary: British English, British slang, and common/SAT vocabulary (alphabetical order)

Abate (v.): to lessen in intensity; to cease or stop

Abhorrent: repulsive, disgusting, repugnant

Abstract (v.): to steal or take

Accord: agreement

Acquiesce: to agree to something

Acquit: to declare innocent; to free someone from blame

Acute: sharp, exact; “acute intelligence” means someone is very smart

Adjourn: to end a proceeding, especially a court proceeding, for a certain time

Admonitory: warning

Adroit: skillful

Aeon (p. 229): an incredibly long time; in astronomy, one billion years (American spelling is “eon”)

Affable: friendly

All taped out (p. 180): all figured out

Ally: a friend or supporter

Amiss: wrong or unusual

Amoral: having no morals (this term is different from immoral, which means having evil morals)

Amyl nitrate: a medicine that makes blood vessels larger to help blood flow; used for heart trouble

Anaesthetic (n): medicine used to put someone into a deep sleep before surgery (American spelling is anesthetic)

Apparition: something insubstantial or without physical presence (e.g., a ghost)

Ardent: extremely enthusiastic

Argumentative: combative; having a desire to argue

Arsenal: a collection of guns

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Ascend: move upwards

Ascertain: to discover

Asphyxiation: to suffocate or choke to death

Assent: to agree to something

Assuage: to lessen the pain or intensity of something; to relieve

Astuteness: intelligence

Audible: able to be heard

Babel: loud confusion of voices

Bad hat (p. 243): a dishonest person; a troublemaker; one who should not be trusted

Bald: plain, sometimes rude, speech that lacks detail

Balmy (p. 90): crazy or addled

Barricade (v.): to lock oneself in or put some barrier between oneself and the outside

Basin: sink

Bathing dress (p. 181): one-piece bathing suit

Beating up and down (p. 107): a specific method of searching used by hunters

Beckoning: making a “come here” gesture

Bestial: resembling an animal

Bicarbonate of soda: baking soda

Biscuits (p. 261): a type of flat cookie or cracker

Black cap (p. 111): a piece of rectangular fabric British judges wear when they issue the death penalty

Black perjury (p. 243): extreme or incredibly immoral lying under oath in a court of law

Blare: to shout or speak extremely loudly

Bleary: unfocused eyes or vision, either from exhaustion or drink

Blockhead: idiot; dull-witted

Bluff: (adj.) direct and plain-spoken

Blunder (n.): a mistake

5

Bolt: lock

Bouts: here, periods of pain; literally, a battle

Branch line trains (p. 9): trains that serve areas, often rural, where main lines do not cross; an American equivalent is a state highway (branch) versus an Interstate highway (main) Brand of Cain (p. 263): a Biblical allusion to the brother of Abel, who murdered Abel. The brand of Cain refers to a round mark God set upon Cain’s forehead; murderers are often symbolically marked in books with a birthmark or other stain on the forehead

Brandy: a type of alcoholic drink used medicinally for people who faint

Brazen (v.): to see something through to the bitter end; to go forward in the face of obstacles

Brethren: relatives; often used metaphorically to mean humankind

Briskly: quickly, efficiently

Broadmoor (p. 223): a famous asylum for criminally insane people

Bromide: a type of mild sedative

Brusquely: sharply, suddenly, without manners or elaborate speech

Bug powder (p. 116): insect repellant

Bumps off (p. 105): murders

Bungle: slang for “to complete unsuccessfully” or screw up badly

Bunkum: nonsense, lies, or foolishness

Cairngorm: a smoky quartz mined in Scotland

Callousness: a lack of feeling, usually pity or sympathy

Campaign: attack or battle plan

Capricious: irrational; apt to change one’s mind; on the spur of the moment without reason

Cardiac: dealing with the heart

Carry on (p. 83): to do one’s job

Cascara (p. 81): a type of herb used as a laxative in the early 20th century

Caustic: acidic humor; harsh or abrasive speech

Cavernous: extremely large and empty, like a cave

6

Chancery (p. 196): a type of British court

Chaotic: filled with chaos; disorganized

Chastisement: punishment

Château Neuf du Pape (p. 79): a type of wine made in southeastern France

Cheque (p. 10): The British spelling of “check”

Chloral: a type of medicine that produces a hypnotic effect

Chopper (p. 161): an axe

Chromium: silver in color and highly polished

Churn (v.): to progress by means of disturbing things (as in water)

Cistern: a tank that collects and holds a liquid, usually water

Clamber (v.): to scramble or move quickly up or down something

Clammy: cold and sweaty

Clap (v.): to press a hand against something

Cleave (v.): to stay close to something or someone; here, it means “to cut through at a rapid pace”

Club (p. 254): a private association, usually for men, that provides rooms for use, food, newspapers, and other goods; similar to an American country club without a golf course Colonials (p. 20): People (generally men with military positions) born in England who are current or former residents of current or former British colonies, including Australia, Egypt, India, Palestine, New Zealand, and South Africa. The term was often used in a negative manner by UK residents. Colossal: enormous

Come into everything (p. 76): inherit everything after someone dies

Compass (v.): to perform an action or evaluate a situation

Complicity: being an accomplice or helping commit an unethical act

Conclave: meeting

Concur (v.): to agree

Condone: support or approve of

Conjuring trick (p. 213): magic trick

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Consequent: result of

Constraint: embarrassment that leads to a lack of conversation

Contort: to form an ugly or uncomfortable shape

Convulse: to shake uncontrollably, as during a seizure

Coping stone: the finishing or perfect touch

Cornwall (p. 16): the most southwestern county in England

Cornwall: a geographical region in England where the novel is set

Coronation machine (p. 48): a model of typewriter

Coroner’s Inquest (p. 4): a legal procedure in Britain. A coroner looks at the cause of death in any case where the death is sudden, suspicious, or highly unusual. It is not a criminal trial.

Corroborate: to support, back up, or provide evidence that something is true

Cosh (p. 132) (n.): a blunt instrument

Cove (p. 115): a person (informal, sometimes negative)

Covertly: secretly

Cronies (p. 9): friends or conspirators

Cryptic: difficult to understand, as if written in code

Cumbrous: difficult

Curtly: brusquely

Cutlery: knives, forks, and spoons

Cyanides: a class of poisons

Dank: a sweet, rotten smell

Dartmoor (p. 60): a famously harsh and isolated English prison

Decorous: proper or respectable

Deferential: polite, as if to one’s superiors

Deportment (p. 7): proper behavior, especially behavior related to correct posture.

Desultory: random; without purpose or reason

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Detained: kept behind; late

Deuced (p. 34): slang for “devil”

Devise (v.): to create

Devoid: lacking; having none of

Devon (p. 3): a county in the southwest of England; contains the city of Plymouth and Dartmoor prison

Dictates: rules

Dint (p. 182): British spelling of “dent”

Discomfiture: unease, discomfort, or embarrassment

Discourse: conversation

Disparagingly: acting in a disrespectful or negative manner

Dispassionately (p. 22): without emotion or prejudice; neutral; objectively

Dispense: to prepare something, usually medicine, and give to someone

Disquieting: disturbing or troublesome

Dividends: money made through investment in stocks or bonds

Dock (p. 111): the place in a courtroom where a criminal defendant stands to enter a plea

Doctor (v.): to mix in dangerous substances; to adulterate

Doggerel: unsophisticated, poorly written poetry

Dollop: a small amount

Dope (p. 238): here, heroin or cocaine

Dorset (p. 19): a county in southwest England

Draught (p. 190): British spelling of “draft”; a wind or cold air

Drawing room (p. 172): a formal room in a home where one receives guests

Dregs: leavings at the bottom of an empty container

Dressing-gown (p. 79): bathrobe

Drily: without emotional expression; often conveys disapproval

Dubious: doubtful; unbelieving

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Duly: in proper fashion or order

Ebonite: a type of hard, vulcanized rubber

Echo answers where (p. 159): here, “I have no idea.”

Effects: possessions or belongings

Ejaculations: shouts or expressions of amazement

Elliman’s (p. 81): a brand name of patent (unregulated, over-the counter) medicine. Elliman’s Embrocation was a salve meant to ease pain in aching joints. i

Eloquent: expressive

Employ (v.): to use

Endorsed (pp. 58, 242): suspended

Engine (p. 189): electricity for the house is supplied by a generator that had to be cranked

Ensign paper (p. 48): paper marked with a flag or banner; ensigns could be personal or general

Entice: to lure or enchant

Epistolary: related to letter writing

Esq. (p. 104): abbreviation for “Esquire”; an honorary title that is used sarcastically here

Ether (p. 79): a type of anesthetic used in the early 20th century

Evade: to avoid

Evasive: attempting to avoid someone or something

Eventuality: a possible ending

Excepting: to leave out, as in an exception

Exertion: use of

Exeter (p. 9): a city in Devon, England

Exigencies: requirement; demands of a situation

Exonerate (v.): to free from blame; to find innocent of all charges

Exquisite: beautiful, wondrous, or lovely

Fancy (pp. 6, 90) (v.): to believe or like something

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Fantastic: unable to be believed, as in a fantasy

Farce: a performance that is a mockery of conventional or normal behavior

Feasible: believable or logical; able to be done

Fender (p. 236): a piece of metal positioned in front of a fireplace to guard against burning coal

Ferret: to discover or investigate

Festoon (v.): decorate or cover

Fiend: evil person, demon, or devil

First-class smoking carriage (p. 1): the most expensive type of train compartment; the carriages came in both smoking and non-smoking types.

Fitful: sporadic; not in a pattern; not consistent

Flex (p. 207): electrical cord

Flint: a hard type of stone

Fluent: knowledgeable in a subject

Fly in the ointment (p. 32): (idiom) something is very wrong

Footfall: the sound of footsteps

For two pins (p. 34): for the slightest reason

Forage: hunt (usually for plants)

Foresee (v.): to predict

Forte: specialty or skill

Fraternizing: acting in a friendly manner; hanging out together

Fraught: full of; having many

Frenzied: harried or overwhelmed by emotion; extremely upset

Freshen (v.): to be clear of salt or saltiness

Fruitless: pointless

Furrowed: creased or brought together to make wrinkles

Furtive: sneakily, stealthily, not open or honest

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Futile: pointless, hopeless

Ga ga (p. 104): insane

Gain-say (v.): to oppose; American spelling has no hyphen

Gait: manner of walking

Gall (v.): to frustrate or upset

Gambit: a statement made to start or redirect the conversation

Games mistress (p. 3): a Physical Education (PE) teacher

Gay (p. 113): happy, cheerful, sociable

Giddy: dizzy

Gimlet (n.): a type of tool with a sharp screw-point and perpendicular handle (example: a corkscrew)

Gingerly: with hesitation

Give a certificate (p. 84): to certify that a person died of natural causes

Give the show away (p. 101): reveal something hidden

Given evidence (p. 31): testified before a judge

Glass (p. 13): mirror

Gloomily: with a pessimistic or depressing manner

Glycerine of cucumber (p. 81): a type of hand cream

Going to take a wasps’ nest (p. 101): to kill a nest of wasps with cyanide or other poison

Got me squared (p. 166): bribed me

Got the wind up (p. 101): to be extremely wary or frightened

Governess: a full time nanny and private teacher

Gramophone (p. 7): a type of record player

Gravity (adj): solemnness, seriousness

Guinea (p. 5): £1.05 in the year of the book’s publication; about $68 in U.S. dollars as of 2008ii

Gullible: easily fooled

Gulp (v.): to drink suddenly and deeply

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Habitual: something done of long habit; common

Hamper (v.): to prevent someone from reaching a goal; to place obstacles in someone’s way

Hand in glove (p. 74): to be emotionally close to someone; to have someone’s support

Hanging judge (p. 252): a judge known for giving harsh or severe sentences to criminals

Hard up (p. 124): desperate for money

Harley Street (p. 10): a street in London where many doctor’s offices used to be located

He’s our pigeon (p. 209): he is the murderer

Hearsay: indirect knowledge or knowledge that is not verified/checked for accuracy

Heaving: throwing or moving violently

Hedge (p. 10): refers to most shrubbery, especially ones located next to a road

Heliograph (p. 142): to communicate by using objects to reflect the sun’s rays in a certain pattern

Hitherto: up to this point in time

Hoarsely: in a grating, rough voice

Holiday (p. 3): vacation

Holiday post (p. 3): a combination of temporary job and vacation, usually occurring during the summer

Huddled: grouped tightly together; a posture showing weakness or fear

Hussy: a sexually immoral woman

Hypochondriac: a person who is constantly afraid they are sick or dying

Hypocrisy: the act of behaving in a way that contradicts one’s stated beliefs

Hypocrite: someone who says one thing but does another; inconsistency in beliefs and actions

Hypodermic syringe: a syringe with a hollow needle; used to deliver medicine under the skin

Hysteria: an inability to control one’s emotions; a reaction to shock that includes screaming or babbling.

Idiosyncrasy: something unusual or something that does not fit a set pattern

Illegal operation (p. 242): an abortion

Illuminating: helpful or informative

Impassive: showing no emotion

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Imperceptibly: unable to be noticed

Impious: not religious

Impromptu: unplanned; on the spur of the moment

Impudent: lacking respect for authority; immodest

In a pinch (p. 104): in an emergency

In service (p. 242): works as a maid, cook, or other domestic servant

In the dark (p. 245): lack all knowledge

In trouble (p. 96): pregnant out of wedlock

Incredulous: disbelieving

Inert: not moving

Inexorable: cannot be avoided

Ingenious: clever; original

Iniquitous: evil

Initiative: personal decision to act

Innocuous: harmless

Inquest (p. 203): see “Coroner’s Inquest”

Interposed: to interrupt; to come between two opponents

Ironic: containing irony or sarcasm

Jetty: a structure, usually of wood or stone, that projects off the coast into the sea

Jingle: a catchy song, usually found in advertising

Jubilant: extremely happy or joyous

Juncture: a serious or critical point in time; or, a point in a situation where a choice must be made

Keen (p. 18): enthusiastic, sharp, or watchful

Kitchen dresser (p. 117): cabinet

Laconic: tending to be silent

Lank: thin (bodies) or limp (hair)

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Larder (p. 125): kitchen pantry; place for storing groceries

Lark (p. 202): a fun experience or prank

Lassitude: a lack of energy; extreme laziness or tiredness

Lax (p. 7): lazy; not up to standard

Legacy: money or property left to someone in a will

Life preserver (p. 129): a short, blunt weapon with a heavier end than handle

Light touch (p. 164): sarcasm or dry humor

Like a cat on hot bricks (p. 87): extremely nervous or agitated

Limbs: arms and legs

Line of country (p. 148): preferred way to handle something

Listless: lacking energy

Long in the tooth (p. 135): slang for “old”; usually also means romantically undesirable

Looking-glass (p. 157): mirror

Loony (p. 130): an insane person

Loose girl (p. 96): a woman who has premarital sex

Lure: to lead into a trap

Luxuriate (v.): to relax and enjoy

Mackintosh (p. 160): raincoat

Mad as a hatter (p. 165): milliners (hat makers) used mercury in their craft; as a result, many hatters contracted mercury poisoning, which in turn made them insane

Made a tidy bit (p. 166): earned a sufficient amount of money

Made the boat fast (p. 24): secured the boat to the land with rope, anchors, and/or hooks

Majorca (p. 254): an island in the Mediterranean that belongs to Spain

Malevolence: evil desire or intent

Malicious: with evil motives; intended to cause harm

Mangled: twisted or bent beyond recognition; destroyed

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Manhole: a crawl space or small recess in a house

Mania: a mental disease; used here to mean an obsession or compulsion

Marmalade: a type of sweet fruit preserve similar to jam

Maroon (v.): to desert or strand, as on an island

Masquerade (v.): to pretend or conceal the true nature of

Mauldin: embarrassingly emotional, usually due to drunkenness

Meagre: a small or insufficient amount (American spelling is “meager”)

Mean (p. 167): stingy, not generous

Mellowed: grown less sharp and more friendly

mem-sahib (p. 254): used in India as a term of respect for married foreign women, usually British ones

Menace: danger

Mere (p. 11): a town at the southwestern edge of Salisbury Plain

Merriment: fun and games

Methodically: in a regular pattern or plan

Meticulously: with careful attention to detail

Mirthless: without joy

Miscarry (v.): to not go according to plan

Missus (p. 86): wife or female companion

Monotonous: without change

Moonshine (p. 86): foolishness

Morris (p. 10): a brand of car

Motor launch (p. 6): a small boat used by the British military

Motor (v.): to drive or to be driven

Mountaineering: climbing mountains

Muslin: a type of thin cloth

Naïve: charmingly innocent; ignorant of the ways of the world

16

Natal spot: birthplace

Natal: a province in South Africa

Negation: nothingness

Nice little bit (p. 135): an attractive woman (slang)

No kettle on (p. 159): literally, no water is ready for tea; metaphorically, nothing is ready for a meal

Noncommittal: not outstanding or odd; giving little information

Nursery governess (p. 56): a nanny or full time babysitter

Oath: swear or curse word

Obliged: a way to say “thank you”

Obliquely: indirectly; not straightforward

Oblivion: being unaware of one’s surroundings

Obstinate: stubborn

Oh, good egg (p. 202): something pleasant or fun

Old maid: an unmarried woman, usually over 30 years old

Old salt (p. 127): veteran sailors

One over the eight (p. 13): drunk; the expression originates in the belief that a man could drink eight pints of beer and remain sober.

Out of the world (p. 31): in the middle of nowhere

Outfit (p. 116): here, a group of items (not clothing)

Overscrupulous: extremely concerned with acting in a moral or ethical manner

Overt: open; not concealed; obvious

Paddington (p. 2): a famous train station in London

Pagan: a person who cares only for pleasure; someone not religious

Pall: a metaphorical cover of despair or sadness

Palpable: able to be felt or observed; obvious

Pant (v.): to take several short, shallow breaths in a small period of time

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Paradoxically: contradictory or false

Parquet: a type of wooden floor

Parson: a religious leader in the Church of England

Peal (v.): to ring, as in a bell

Penal servitude (p. 167): a prison sentence

Perforce: necessary or required

Peritonitis (p. 242): inflammation of the abdominal cavity; often fatal at the time the book was written

Perjury: giving false testimony in a court of law; lying under oath

Perpetrators: culprits or people who commit an evil act

Persevere: to continue against all obstacles

Petrol (p. 211): gasoline

Physique: muscle tone and general physical appearance

Pious: religious

Pitiable: worthy of pity or sympathy

Placid: calm, serene

Plaintively: sorrowfully

Plaque (p. 157): a thin ceramic or metal decoration on a piece of furniture

Plaster of red mud (p. 259): red mud applied to cloth and attached to the body

Plate (p. 181): dishes and other tableware covered in silver or gold

Plight: trouble

Plodding: at a steady pace

Pluckily: optimism and courage against unfavorable odds

Plump for (p. 148): place a bet on; believe something to be true

Poise (adj.): positioned or placed in a specific way

Poise (v.): to position or place

Police surgeon (p. 246): a coroner

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Polished off (p. 86): slang for “murdered”

Polishing leather (n.): a cloth used to polish silver or other metal

Port: a type of fortified wine

Porter’s chair (p. 111): an egg-shaped chair with a high back and sides, usually placed next to a door

Pot you (p. 217): to shoot you (slang)

Premise: a hypothesis or assumption

Preposterous: silly, absurd, ridiculous

Pretence: a false show of something; a masking of behavior (American spelling is “pretense”)

Pretty near the wind (p. 6): close to illegal activity or trouble (slang)

Priest’s Hole (p. 226): a secret passage or hiding place; the term comes from the fact that Catholic priests often used such places to avoid capture, torture, and execution in the 16th century, when Elizabeth I waged a campaign against Catholicism

Prim: excessively polite and formal

Primus (p. 116): a camping stove

Prisoners at the bar (p. 40): refers to criminal defendants in British courts

Probationer (p. 79): here, a woman in training to be a nurse

Pronounce sentence (p. 111): part of a court case where a judge reads a prison/death sentence

Protracted: drawn out or occurring over a long period of time

Providence: a manifestation of God (the “P” is always capitalized when this definition is used)

Proxy: done in someone’s absence; done for someone else

Pukka sahib (p. 57): based on Hindi; a slang term that refers to gentlemanly, righteous military leaders

Punch (p. 39): a popular British magazine at the time the book was published

Purport (v.): to pretend

Put away for a stretch (p. 166): imprisoned (slang)

Pyjama jacket (p. 208): pajama top

Quaint: charming but old-fashioned

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Queer (adj.): strange or odd

Queerly (p. 9): oddly or strangely

Quietus: death; an allusion to Hamlet’s “to be or not to be” soliloquy (III.1)

Ragged him (p. 70): to make fun of someone (slang)

Raking out the stove (p. 164): clearing coal or other spent fuel from the bottom of a stove

Rancour: bitterness or resentment (American spelling is “rancor”)

Raucous: harsh or loud, especially in regards to celebrations or parties

Raving: literally, to speak loudly and incoherently; here, the word means “insane”

Recess: a hidden place or one that is set back from the surrounding area

Recoil (v.): to move away, physically or metaphorically, from something

Recrimination: blame

Recumbent: reclining

Red herring: something intended to mislead or confuse; a false clue

Reiterate (v.): to restate or say again

Remorseless: without pity

Rendezvous (n.): a secret meeting

Replete: full; satisfied

Reproach (v.): to find guilty or to feel guilt about something

Reptilian: resembling a reptile

Reserve your defence (p. 61): a legal phrase that indicates the defendant will present his/her case later

Resounding: loud

Restorative: medicine, food, or drink that helps an individual recover from disease or shock

Rheumaticky (p. 80): regional pronunciation of “rheumatic,” which here means painful joints or arthritis

Righteous: morally correct; can also negatively describe someone who cares more about rules than people Rigorous: difficult or challenging; thorough

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Rind (p. 164): circle of fat

Riveted: fixed

Robed in scarlet (p. 195): judges on the British High Court wear scarlet robes

Roped in (p. 105): brought into the group

Rouse: to wake, as from a sleep

Rucked (p. 181): ruched, or gathered into folds of material

Ruddy: red-colored

Rum go (p. 70): bad luck or unlucky outcome (slang)

Ruminate: to think deeply about something

Sadistic: the enjoyment of watching others suffer

Safe as houses (p. 100): extremely safe; without risk (slang)

Sagacity: wisdom

Sailed very near the law (p. 243): almost been arrested or convicted; suspected of performing illegal acts

Salisbury Plain: a stretch of land in central Southern England famous for its chalky soil

Sangfroid: self-control or ability to remain calm

Save for: except for

Savoury (p. 238): upright or morally correct (American spelling is “savory”)

Scalpel: a cutting instrument used in surgery

Score (v.): to mark or cut through something, usually violently

Scornfully: with scorn, derision, or hatred; dismissive or filled with contempt

Scotland Yard (p. 96): the police force of London and sometimes of England

Screamed the house down (p. 259): was extraordinarily loud

Scrupulous: morally correct

Scrutinize: to examine carefully

Sedative: a medicine that helps someone sleep

Serenely: calmly, placidly

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Service (p. 169): here, members of the British military or Foreign Service

Shamefaced: embarrassed

Share-pushing (p. 238): a type of financial fraud where people are pressured to invest in specific stocks which either don’t exist or are deliberately made valueless Sheeted: covered with a sheet or other cloth; shrouded

Shelve (v.): to slope at a gradual angle

Shortcomings: defects or errors

Shrewd: clever, insightful, and observant

Shun: to ignore or refuse to associate with someone

Sideboard (p. 128): a piece of furniture used to serve meals

Sine qua non (p. 6) Latin for “without which none”; essential or required actions or conditions

Singular: unusual; one of a kind

Siphon: a tube used to move liquid from one container to another

Sister: a nun

Skein: a measure of yarn

Skirt (v.): to move along the edge of something

Sleeping draught (p. 81): (pronounced “sleeping draft”) any medicine meant to induce sleep

Sling (v.): to throw

Slow train (p. 12): a train that makes stops at all stations, as opposed to an express train

Smug: self-satisfied or convinced of one’s superiority

Sneer (v.): to show or express scorn or contempt for something

Sober (v.): to recover from drunkenness

Soldered: sealed shut

Solicitude: kindness or concern

Somerset (p. 1): a county in the southwest of England; famous for its city of Bath

Spare: tiny; a small amount

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Spasmodically: without pattern; characterized by sudden bursts of action

Spectacled: wearing glasses

Speculatively: describes the act of guessing or not knowing all the facts

Spinster: an older unmarried woman

Spirit (n.): alcoholic beverages

Spirit (p. 245) (v.): to move without being noticed

Squall: a very intense storm at sea

Squally: adverbial form of “squall”

Stamina: ability to endure or complete a task

Stealthily: sneakily

Steeling of her nerves (p. 233): to prepare oneself mentally against fear

Stiff upper lip (p. 73): to show no emotion/reaction to a situation; to continue on in the face of disaster

Stiff: (1) a highly concentrated alcoholic drink; (2) a dead body (slang)

Stiletto (p. 100): a very sharp, thin-bladed knife used for assassination

Stir (v.): to move from a stationary state

Stocking (p. 207): socks

Stolid: unemotional

Stoop (v.): to squat or bend down

Stopper: a cap or bottle top that acts like a cork

Stores (p. 125): supplies

Stout: a short, square, often overweight person

Straight (p. 34): honest (slang)

Strenuous: physically or mentally difficult

Stupendous: extremely amazing

Subsequent: afterwards

Subsiding: stopping or ceasing to do something

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Succinct: using few words

Suffused: filled with

Suits your book (p. 140): pleases you (slang)

Summing up (p. 144): in British law, the part of a trial where the judge instructs the jury in the facts of the case and points of law; occurs after the prosecution and defense have rested.

Super Sports Dalmain (p. 10): a type of expensive British car

Superlatively: the most, the best, or the peak; cannot be topped

Surreptitious: secretive

Swayed: change of mind

Sweet course (p. 128): dessert

Tabooed: to prohibit something by mutual consent

Tabulate (v.): to add

Tacit: silent

Take my oath (p. 175): swear

Tally: total

Tartar (p. 22): an angry or ill-tempered individual

Teetotal: describes someone who doesn’t drink alcohol and/or wants to ban the sale of alcohol

Tenacious: strong-willed or persistent

Terrace: balcony

Testy: impatient, irritated

That’s the ticket (p. 170): an explanation, reason, or strategy

The devil of it (p. 109): the worst part

The Sister (p. 61): Here, a Catholic nun who is also a nurse

The two women rose (p. 37): women did not stay in a room after dinner; they were expected to leave so the men could drink and converse.

The War (p. 19): World War I

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Third-class carriage (p. 3): the least expensive type of train compartment

Tight places (p. 106): dangerous situations (slang)

Tinge (v.): to have a little of something (as in color)

Tinned (p. 125): canned, as in food

‘Tisn’t (p. 108): contraction for “It is not”

Togged (p. 22): clothed, usually formally

Torch (p. 120): flashlight

Torquay (p. 16): a town in Devon, England

Treacherous: extremely dangerous

Truncheon (p. 132): blunt instrument

Tumult: confusion

Tunic: a piece of clothing, usually hip-length or knee-length, that covers the upper body

Turned a hair (p. 164): responded with fear or anxiety (slang)

Turned out (p. 242): kicked out or forcibly sent away

Twitch: a short, quick movement

Unassuming: modest; not usually noticed

Unblinkingly: without pause or doubt

Unflinchingly: without hesitation or fear

Unheeded: ignored

Unhinged: insane (slang)

Untenanted: empty

Unwavering: without hesitation or doubt

Unwieldy: difficult to move or maneuver

Unyielding: firm in purpose; refusing to do something

Upright: morally correct

Vague: not mentally sharp or aware of one’s surroundings; not specific

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Vamoose (v.): to disappear (slang)

Vast: extremely large

Vehemently: with strong force

Veneer: a surface polish; superficial

Vengeance: revenge

Verisimilitude: likeness or imitation

Veronal: a type of sedative (sleeping medicine) commonly prescribed in the early 20th century

Vigorous: having an excess of energy or healthfulness; quick

Vindictive: vengeful; having a desire to cause pain or punishment

Visitants (p. 224): visitors

Wager: a bet

Waistcoat: a vest

Wait (v.): to serve as a waiter or waitress

Wardrobe (p. 157): a cabinet

Wary: cautious; watching for signs of danger

Wasn’t straight (p. 243): wasn’t honest (slang)

Wax (v.): to increase

Whacking (p. 10): enormous; extremely large (slang)

What price Macarthur? (p. 115): slang expression; it roughly means “what do you think the odds are?”

Whilst (p. 130): While

Whim: a sudden impulse or inspiration that tends to lead to foolish behavior

White horses: whitecaps; small frothy waves

Wig and gown (p. 100): in Britain, judges wear elaborate white wigs and black gowns in court

Will come on to blow (p. 82): a storm, hurricane, or other dangerous weather will happen

Wire (p. 17) (v.): to telegraph

Wrath: anger

26

Wry: bitterly ironic

Yard measure (p. 117): yardstick