Walk through wals Flashcards
drabness
// Perpetual shortages of everything, drabness everywhere. There is something about Communism and socialism—it’s a kind of aesthetic based on pure ugliness.
: lacking stylishness or elegance
endure
// My family didn't have to endure all this. // it seemed impossible that anyone could endure such pain // these cities have endured through time
: suffer (something painful or difficult) patiently
: remain in existence; last
peasants
// And when he saw how beautiful she was, he carried her to safety in a nearby village, where the peasants nursed her back to health.
: a poor smallholder or agricultural labourer of low social status (chiefly in historical use or with reference to subsistence farming in poorer countries)
: [informal] an ignorant, rude, or unsophisticated person
frankincense
/ˈfraŋkɪnsɛns/
// Her house was always filled with the smell of frankincense and freshly roasted coffee.
: an aromatic gum resin obtained from an African tree and burnt as incense; ладан
seizure
/ˈsiːʒə/
// Worse still, my brother soon developed some form of childhood epilepsy—he would have these seizures, and everyone hovered around him, giving him even more attention.
// the seizure of the Assembly building
: the action of capturing someone or something using force
: a sudden attack of illness, especially a stroke or an epileptic fit
hover (around)
// Worse still, my brother soon developed some form of childhood epilepsy—he would have these seizures, and everyone hovered around him, giving him even more attention.
// Army helicopters hovered overhead // she hovered anxiously in the background
: remain in one place in the air
: linger close at hand, especially in a hesitant or uncertain manner
infraction
// I was punished, of course. I was punished frequently, for the slightest infraction, and the punishments were almost always physical—hitting and slapping.
: a violation of a law or agreement
guerilla
/ɡəˈrɪlə/
// His youngest brother had been captured by the Nazis and tortured to death. And my father’s guerilla squad captured the soldier who had killed his brother and brought him to my father.
// this town fell to the guerrillas // guerrilla gigs
: a member of a small independent group taking part in irregular fighting, typically against larger regular forces
: referring to actions or activities performed in an impromptu way, often without authorization
muss up
/mʌs/
// She would wake me in the middle of the night if she thought I was sleeping messily, mussing up the sheets.
// the wind was mussing up his hair // no fuss, no muss—nothing left behind except a few little specks of dust
: make (someone’s hair or clothes) untidy or messy
: a state of disorder; plural noun: musses
spartan
// And while the rest of the flat was stuffed with stuff, paintings and books and furniture, from a very early age I kept both my rooms spartak—Spartan. As empty as possible. In my bedroom, just the bed, one chair, and a table. In my studio, just the easel and my paints.
: showing or characterized by austerity or a lack of comfort or luxury
easel
/ˈiːz(ə)l/
// And while the rest of the flat was stuffed with stuff, paintings and books and furniture, from a very early age I kept both my rooms spartak—Spartan. As empty as possible. In my bedroom, just the bed, one chair, and a table. In my studio, just the easel and my paints.
: a wooden frame for holding an artist’s work while it is being painted or drawn
overpowering
// Now they were just sitting there, barely able to speak—their writing had taken them so far that when they actually found themselves in each other’s presence, the emotions were overpowering.
// he overpowered the two men and frogmarched them to the police station // they were overpowered by the fumes
overpower
: defeat or overcome with superior strength
: be too intense for; overwhelm
mesmerized
// One morning I was home from school for the day, and I just sat in the bathroom staring at this fascinating new machine doing its job, agitating the clothes with a monotonous sound—DUN-DUN-DUN-DUN. I was mesmerized.
// they were mesmerized by his story
: capture the complete attention of (someone); transfix
wringer
/ˈrɪŋə/
// The machine had an automatic wringer and two rubber rollers that turned slowly in opposite directions while the laundry churned in the washer’s tub.
// he has no papers so they put him through the wringer
: a device such as a mangle for wringing water from wet clothes, mops, or other objects
• put someone through the wringer – subject someone to a very stressful experience
churn
// The machine had an automatic wringer and two rubber rollers that turned slowly in opposite directions while the laundry churned in the washer’s tub.
// the women were churning butter and making cheese // the seas churned // her stomach was churning at the thought of the ordeal
: a machine for making butter by shaking milk or cream
: [British] a large metal container for milk
: shake (milk or cream) in a machine in order to produce butter
: (with reference to liquid) move or cause to move about vigorously
: break up the surface of (an area of ground)
: have an unpleasant disturbed feeling
coiffure
/kwɑːˈfjʊə,kwɒˈfjʊə/
plural noun: coiffures
// I was horrified when I discovered one day that my father, who always had very elaborate hair, was using my Pioneer scarf as a bandanna to train his coiffure.
// Diana’s intricately braided coiffure
: a person’s hairstyle
maid
// It was the maid, Mara, rather than my mother, who explained to me what menstruation was.
: a female domestic servant
: [archaic] an unmarried girl or young woman
bosom
/ˈbʊz(ə)m/
// Mara was a kind, round woman, with a big bosom and full lips.
// her ample bosom // she had plucked the brooch from her bosom // he carried a letter in his bosom // the two girls had become bosom friends
: a woman’s chest or breasts
: a part of a dress covering the chest
: [literary] the space between a person’s clothing and their chest used for carrying things
: used to refer to the chest as the seat of emotions
: adj. (of a friend) very close or intimate
retch
// I would lie in bed in agony, every once in a while running to the bathroom to vomit and shit simultaneously. The retching and shitting only made the pain worse.
// the sour taste in her mouth made her retch // he retched up a thin stream of vomit // with a sudden retch he vomited all over the floor
: make the sound and movement of vomiting
: vomit
: a movement or sound of vomiting
hideous
// My nose was grown-up but my face was not. I felt hideous.
// hideous lizard-like creatures // the whole hideous story
: extremely ugly
: extremely unpleasant
expelled
expel
// My grandmother’s mother came from a very rich family, and she fell in love with a servant. This was forbidden, of course, and she was expelled from the family.
// she was expelled from school // eight diplomats were expelled from Norway for espionage // she expelled a shuddering breath
: officially make (someone) leave a school or other organization
: force (someone) to leave a place
: force out (something), especially from the body
renounce
// Then after the war, when the Communists took over, my mother, to show her commitment to the Party, had to renounce all her worldly goods—and all the worldly goods of her mother.
// Isabella offered to renounce her son's claim to the French Crown // these agreements were renounced after the fall of the Tsarist regime
: formally declare one’s abandonment of (a claim, right, or possession)
: refuse or resign a right or position, especially one as an heir or trustee
: refuse to continue to recognize or abide by
: reject or abandon (a cause, bad habit, or way of life)
worldly
// Then after the war, when the Communists took over, my mother, to show her commitment to the Party, had to renounce all her worldly goods—and all the worldly goods of her mother.
// she was much more worldly than Nora and dismissed the slur // his ambitions for worldly success
: (of a person) experienced and sophisticated
: of or concerned with material values or ordinary life rather than a spiritual existence
• worldly goods – everything that one owns
superstitious
// Like many people in our culture at that time, my grandmother was deeply superstitious.
: забобонний
befall
// Like many people in our culture at that time, my grandmother was deeply superstitious. She believed that if when you left your house you saw a pregnant woman or a widow, you had to immediately pull a button off one of your garments and throw it away, or bad luck would befall you.
// a tragedy befell his daughter
: (especially of something bad) happen to (someone)
itch
plural noun: itches
// Many years later, when I went to Brazil to study shamanism, the shamans looked at the same kinds of signs. If your left shoulder itches, it means something. Every single part of the body is connected with different signs that allow you to understand what’s happening inside you—on a spiritual level, but also on a physical and mental level.
// an itch to write fiction // the bite itched like crazy // I itched all over
: an uncomfortable sensation on the skin that causes a desire to scratch
: be the site of or cause an itch
: (of a person) experience an itch
: [informal] a restless or strong desire to do something
: [informal] feel a restless or strong desire to do something
dawn
// In my teenage years, though, all this was just beginning to dawn on me. And my gawky body was little else to me besides a source of embarrassment.
// the dawn of civilization // Thursday dawned bright and sunny // a new age was dawning in the Tory party // the awful truth was beginning to dawn on him
: he first appearance of light in the sky before sunrise
: the beginning of a phenomenon or period of time, especially one considered favourable
: (of a day) begin
: become evident to the mind; be perceived or understood
gawky
/ˈɡɔːki/
// In my teenage years, though, all this was just beginning to dawn on me. And my gawky body was little else to me besides a source of embarrassment.
// a gawky teenager
: nervously awkward and ungainly
onstage
// I was president of the chess club in my school—I was a good player. And my school won a competition, and I was chosen to receive the award onstage.
// this is the one and only time that they ever performed onstage together // an onstage accident
: adverb
: adjective
char
// This made a big impression on me. I waited until the charred mess had dried, and then very carefully pinned it to the wall.
// a region charred by bush fires // the exposed surfaces of the beams may char in a fire" // she trimmed the char from the wicks of the oil lamps
: partially burn so as to blacken the surface
: (of an object) become blackened as a result of partial burning
: material that has been charred
admission
// I began preparing to go to the Art Academy in Belgrade—you had to go to night school and take drawing classes, to prepare a portfolio to present for admission.
// an admission of guilt // the evening before her admission to hospital // admission is £1 for adults and 50p for children // cinema admissions have been rising recently // there was a substantial reduction in hospital admissions
: a statement acknowledging the truth of something
: the process or fact of entering or being allowed to enter a place or organization
: the fee charged for entry to a public place
: the number of people entering a place
: a person admitted to hospital for treatment
splay
// Once, when I was eleven or twelve, I was sitting on the couch reading a book that I really liked and eating chocolate—my rare moment of happiness was complete. I was sitting there reading and eating, thoroughly relaxed, my legs splayed across the couch cushion.
// the girls were sitting splay-legged // her hands were splayed across his broad shoulders // his legs splayed out in front of him // the river splayed out
: thrust or spread (things, especially limbs or fingers) out and apart
: (especially of limbs or fingers) be thrust or spread out and apart
: become wider or more separated
matinee
/ˈmatɪneɪ/
// I would look for some guy who was having a lot of sex—who was kind of known for that—and I’d just use him to lose my virginity. Then I would be normal like everybody else. But it had to be on a Sunday, and it had to be ten A.M., so that I could tell my mother I was going to a movie matinee, since she wouldn’t let me go to the cinema in the evening.
: an afternoon performance in a theatre or cinema.
offshore
// I was just too scared of the water, especially being in water over my head. He finally lost patience. One summer day when we were at the seaside, he took me out in a little rowboat, far offshore, and threw me into the water like a dog. I was six.
// we dropped anchor offshore // offshore winds // deposits in offshore accounts // offshore politics
adj, adv
: situated at sea some distance from the shore
: (of a wind) blowing towards the sea from the land
: relating to the business of extracting oil or gas from the seabed
: made, situated, or registered abroad, especially in order to take advantage of lower taxes or costs or less stringent regulation
: relocate (a business or department) to a foreign country to take advantage of lower taxes or costs
: of or derived from a foreign country
flail
// Then I was underwater and sinking—down, down, down, my arms flailing, salt water pouring into my mouth.
// I was flailing about in the water // his arms flailed as he sought to maintain his balance
\: wave or swing wildly \: struggle uselessly \: [British] cut (vegetation) with a flail \: beat, strike \: ціп
immediacy
/ɪˈmiːdɪəsi/
// Then I would go to the scene and take photographs or make sketches. But I found it difficult to translate the violence and immediacy of these disasters into paint on canvas.
: the quality of bringing one into direct and instant involvement with something, giving rise to a sense of urgency or excitement
breakthrough
// In 1965, though, when I was nineteen, I did a kind of breakthrough painting.
// a major breakthrough in DNA research // his big breakthrough came in 1988 when he had two paintings accepted by the RSA
: a sudden, dramatic, and important discovery or development
: an instance of achieving success in a particular sphere or activity
unaligned
align
// After World War II, Tito’s Yugoslavia had split with the Soviet Union and declared itself an independent Communist state, unaligned with either the East or the West.
// the desks are aligned in straight rows facing forwards // the pattern of the border at the joint should align perfectly // newspapers usually align themselves with certain political parties // all of them must now align against the foe
align:
: place or arrange (things) in a straight line
: put (things) into correct or appropriate relative positions
: give support to (a person, organization, or cause)
: come together in agreement or alliance
riddle
// Yet Tito had built a cult of personality in Yugoslavia, and his single-party government had become riddled with corruption…
// his car was riddled by sniper fire // the existing law is riddled with loopholes // for final potting, the soil mixture is not riddled
2
: make many holes in (someone or something), especially with gunshot
: fill or permeate (someone or something), especially with something undesirable
: pass (a substance) through a large coarse sieve
: remove ashes or other unwanted material from (something, especially a fire or stove) with a sieve
: a large coarse sieve
1
: a question or statement intentionally phrased so as to require ingenuity in ascertaining its answer or meaning
: a person or thing that is difficult to understand or explain
: speak in or pose riddles
• speak in riddles – express oneself in an ambiguous or puzzling manner
upheavals
// In America, France, the Czech Republic, and Yugoslavia, students seeking freedom were at the forefront of the political upheavals.
// major upheavals in the financial markets // the first upheaval produced a hill which was called Roof Mountain
: a violent or sudden change or disruption to something
: an upward displacement of part of the earth’s crust
appoint
// At that time, I was still very close to my father, and I learned something surprising: though Tito had appointed Vojo to his elite guard after the war, he had demoted him to a lesser military unit in 1948.
// she has been appointed to the board // they appointed a day in May for the meeting
: assign a job or role to (someone)
: determine or decide on (a time or a place)
: [archaic] decree
demote
// At that time, I was still very close to my father, and I learned something surprising: though Tito had appointed Vojo to his elite guard after the war, he had demoted him to a lesser military unit in 1948.
: move (someone) to a lower position or rank, usually as a punishment; (ant – promote)
seal (off)
// Riot police filled the streets, then sealed off the campus.
// he folded it, sealed the envelope, and walked to the postbox // ice formation at the surface can seal in water // anti-terrorist squad officers sealed off the area to search for possible bombs // to seal the deal he offered Thornton a place on the board of the company
: печать; пломба
: fasten or close securely
: prevent something from escaping by closing a container or opening
: isolate an area by preventing or monitoring access to and from it
: conclude, establish, or secure (something) definitively
necktie
// My father did something that impressed me profoundly. Handsome in his raincoat and necktie, his hair piled up majestically, he stood in the middle of Marx and Engels Square and gave a passionate speech renouncing his membership in the Communist Party and denouncing Yugoslavia’s Red Bourgeoisie and all it stood for.
: [dated•North American] tie
renounce
// My father did something that impressed me profoundly. Handsome in his raincoat and necktie, his hair piled up majestically, he stood in the middle of Marx and Engels Square and gave a passionate speech renouncing his membership in the Communist Party and denouncing Yugoslavia’s Red Bourgeoisie and all it stood for.
denounce
// My father did something that impressed me profoundly. Handsome in his raincoat and necktie, his hair piled up majestically, he stood in the middle of Marx and Engels Square and gave a passionate speech renouncing his membership in the Communist Party and denouncing Yugoslavia’s Red Bourgeoisie and all it stood for.
// the Assembly denounced the use of violence // priests denounced him to the King for heresy
: publicly declare to be wrong or evil
: inform against
commodity
// In the 1960s, a new avant-garde was starting to reject the old idea of art as commodity, as paintings and sculptures that could be collected, and new ideas of conceptual and performance art were beginning to catch on.
// water is a precious commodity
: a raw material or primary agricultural product that can be bought and sold, such as copper or coffee
: a useful or valuable thing
catch on
// In the 1960s, a new avant-garde was starting to reject the old idea of art as commodity, as paintings and sculptures that could be collected, and new ideas of conceptual and performance art were beginning to catch on.
// the idea of linking pay to performance has caught on // I caught on to what it was the guy was saying
: become popular
: understand what is meant or how to do something
proposal
// “This performance has two possible endings” – my proposal said.
// a set of proposals for a major new high-speed rail link // the proposal of a flexible school-leaving age // surely a woman as beautiful as you has had proposals
: a plan or suggestion, especially a formal or written one, put forward for consideration by others
: the action of proposing a plan or suggestion
: an offer of marriage
flatter
// Don’t flatter yourself that you have any ideas.
// she was flattering him in order to avoid doing what he wanted
: lavish praise and compliments on (someone), often insincerely and with the aim of furthering one’s own interests
: cause (someone) to feel honoured and pleased
: choose to believe something favourable about oneself, typically when this belief is unfounded
: give an unrealistically favourable impression of
: (of a colour or a style of clothing) cause (someone) to appear to the best advantage
do things big
// And that rainy afternoon, she actually did it: she committed suicide. But—when we Slavs do things, we do them big!
aegis
/ˈiːdʒɪs/
// Just before the center opened, Dunja had attended the first documenta, an avant-garde art exhibition in Germany under the aegis of a brilliant Swiss curator.
// the negotiations were conducted under the aegis of the UN
: the protection, backing, or support of a particular person or organization
: (in classical art and mythology) an attribute of Zeus and Athene (or their Roman counterparts Jupiter and Minerva) usually represented as a goatskin shield
clairvoyant
/klɛːˈvɔɪənt/
// While I was in Zagreb, I went to see famous clairvoyant.
// she has had a message from a clairvoyant that her son is alive and well // he didn't tell me about it and I'm not clairvoyant
: a person who claims to have a supernatural ability to perceive events in the future or beyond normal sensory contact
: having or exhibiting clairvoyance
menial
// …I fond myself living in London, working menial jobs and desperate for money.
: (of work) not requiring much skill and lacking prestige
: [dated] (of a servant) domestic
: a person with a menial job
bric-a-brac
/ˈbrɪkəbrak/
// That flat was such a strange place—it was packed with all the fancy bric-a-brac of a very materialistic Communist lady.
// then came donations of bric-a-brac
: miscellaneous objects and ornaments of little value; trinkets
stationery
// Zoran also designed a letterhead for me, and a Center for Amplified Art logo for the stationery.
: writing and other office materials; канцтовари
eerie
/ˈɪəri/
// The effect was eerie, but it expressed my strong wish for freedom from the suffocation.
// an eerie green glow in the sky
: strange and frightening
bleat
// …I put tape machines playing other sounds of nature: wind blowing, surf crashing, sheep bleating.
// the lamb was bleating weakly
: (of a sheep, goat, or calf) make a characteristic weak, wavering cry
: speak or complain in a weak, querulous, or foolish way
onlooker
// Some of the onlookers were fascinated; some, repelled. But nobody was bored.
: a non-participating observer; a spectator.
repel
// Some of the onlookers were fascinated; some, repelled. But nobody was bored.
// electrically charged objects attract or repel one another // she was repelled by the permanent smell of drink on his breath
: drive or force (an attack or attacker) back or away
: (of a magnetic pole or electric field) force (something similarly magnetized or charged) away from itself
: (of a substance) resist mixing with or be impervious to (another substance)
: be repulsive or distasteful to
: [formal] refuse to accept (something, especially an argument or theory)
plywood
/ˈplʌɪwʊd/
// The next year, I did more sound pieces for other shows in Belgrade: in one of them (called War), installed in the entrance of the Museum of Contemporary Art, visitors walked down a narrow corridor formed by two sheets of plywood to the deafening roar of recorded machine-gun fire.
: a type of strong thin wooden board consisting of two or more layers glued and pressed together with the direction of the grain alternating
stipend
/ˈstʌɪpɛnd/
// This regular stipend just allowed him to produce steadily. In Belgrade in the early 1970s we had no such support systems, and so poor Era just fell by the wayside.
: a fixed regular sum paid as a salary or as expenses to a clergyman, teacher, or public official
wayside
// This regular stipend just allowed him to produce steadily. In Belgrade in the early 1970s we had no such support systems, and so poor Era just fell by the wayside.
: the edge of a road
• fall by the wayside — fail to persist in an endeavour or undertaking
feces
/ˈfiːsiːz/
// One of them, Günter Brus, was sentenced to prison after a piece in which he simultaneously masturbated, spread feces over his body, and sang the Austrian national anthem.
: waste matter remaining after food has been digested, discharged from the bowels; excrement
caution
// When there is turbulence on an airplane, I shake with fear. I start composing my last will and testament. But when it comes to my work, I cast caution to the winds.
: care taken to avoid danger or mistakes
• throw caution to the wind – act in a completely reckless manner
• err on the side of caution – ake a comparatively safe course of action when presented with a choice
incapacitating
incapacitate
// I was so nervous that I was scared I’d get one of my incapacitating whole-body migraines.
// he was incapacitated by a heart attack
: prevent from functioning in a normal way
: [law] deprive (someone) of their legal capacity
thud
/θʌd/
// …the first tape machine played back the sounds of the knifepoint thudding rhythmically and my groans of pain…
: a dull, heavy sound, such as that made by an object falling to the ground
: move, fall, or strike something with a dull, heavy sound
nick
/nɪk/
// …quite deliberately to nick myself in precise unison with my previous accidents.
// a small nick on his wrist // he'll end up in the nick for the rest of his life
1
: a small cut or notch
: make a nick or nicks in
: [informal; British] prison; a police station
: [informal; British] steal
: [informal; British] arrest
: [informal; North American] cheat someone of (a sum of money)
// they nicked across the road // I got up and got dressed and nicked off
2 [informal; Australian]
: go quickly or surreptitiously
: depart; go away
• get nicked – go away (used as an expression of anger or impatience)
behold
// behold your lord and prince!
: [archaic; literary] see or observe (someone or something, especially of remarkable or impressive nature)
ream
/riːm/
// There, on a shelf, were reams and reams of preprinted graph paper.
// reams of the paper have been used to debate this question
1
: 500 (formerly 480) sheets of paper
: a large quantity of something, especially paper or writing
2
: widen (a hole) with a special tool.
: [informal; American] rebuke (someone) fiercely
: [vulgar slang; American] have an intercourse with someone
notoriety
/nəʊtəˈrʌɪɪti/
// I began teaching at the Novi Sad Academy, but—thanks to my growing notoriety and no doubt thanks to Danica’s influence as well—my course load was small.
// the song has gained some notoriety in the press
: the state of being famous or well known for some bad quality or deed
heady
/ˈhɛdi/
// It was heady company. But as my horizons broadened and I understood how conceptualism was taking hold, I yearned to make my own art more visceral.
// several bottles of heady local wine // a heady exotic perfume
: (of alcoholic drink) potent; intoxicating
: having a strong or exhilarating effect; exiting, thrilling
take hold
// It was heady company. But as my horizons broadened and I understood how conceptualism was taking hold, I yearned to make my own art more visceral.
// the reforms of the nineteenth century had taken hold
: start to have an effect
visceral
/ˈvɪs(ə)r(ə)l/
// It was heady company. But as my horizons broadened and I understood how conceptualism was taking hold, I yearned to make my own art more visceral.
// the visceral nervous system // the voters' visceral fear of change
: relating to the viscera; вісцеральний, що стосується нутрощів
: relating to deep inward feelings rather than to the intellect; instinctive, deep-down
ablaze
// My mind was ablaze—it felt as though the possibilities for performance art were infinite.
// his clothes were ablaze // New England is ablaze with colour in autumn // his eyes were ablaze with excitement
: burning fiercely
: very brightly coloured or lighted
: filled with anger or another strong emotion
shaving
// In between the two star outlines I would lay wood shavings soaked in 100 liters of gasoline.
// she brushed wood shavings from her knees
: a thin strip cut off a surface
: тирса
wear off
// And this pill took five hours to wear off.
: lose effectiveness or intensity; fade, diminish, lessen, ebb
vicious
viciously
// I had wanted attention for my work, but much of the attention I got in Belgrade was negative. My hometown newspapers ridiculed me viciously.
// a vicious assault // the dog was vicious and likely to bite // a vicious fly bug // every soul on earth, virtuous or vicious, shall perish
\: deliberately cruel or violent \: (of an animal) wild and dangerous to people \: serious or dangerous \: [literary] immoral \: [archaic] imperfect
receptacle
/rɪˈsɛptək(ə)l/
// I would merely be the object, the receptacle.
// fast-food receptacles
: a hollow object used to contain something; container, holder, can, тара
: [American] an electrical socket
bowler hat
// A hammer. A saw. A feather. A fork. A bottle of perfume. A bowler hat. An ax. A rose. A bell. Scissors. Needles. A pen. Honey. A lamb bone. A carving knife. A mirror. A newspaper. A shawl.
: a man’s hard felt hat with a round dome-shaped crown
shawl
// A hammer. A saw. A feather. A fork. A bottle of perfume. A bowler hat. An ax. A rose. A bell. Scissors. Needles. A pen. Honey. A lamb bone. A carving knife. A mirror. A newspaper. A shawl.
: a piece of fabric worn by women over the shoulders or head or wrapped round a baby
ax
// A hammer. A saw. A feather. A fork. A bottle of perfume. A bowler hat. An ax. A rose. A bell. Scissors. Needles. A pen. Honey. A lamb bone. A carving knife. A mirror. A newspaper. A shawl.
// I started swinging the axe at the lumps of driftwood // the company is axing 150 jobs
axe
: a tool used for chopping wood, typically of iron with a steel edge and wooden handle
: cut or strike with an axe, especially violently or destructively
: a measure intended to reduce costs drastically, especially one involving redundancies
: end, cancel, or dismiss suddenly and ruthlessly
scuffle
// There was a murmur in the crowd, and someone grabbed him. A scuffle broke out.
// there were minor scuffles with police // the teacher noticed two pupils scuffling in the corridor // he heard the scuffle of feet // a drenched woman scuffled through the doorway"
: a short, confused fight or struggle at close quarters
: an act or sound of moving in a hurried, confused, or shuffling manner
: move in a hurried, confused, or awkward way, making a rustling or shuffling sound
temper
// This being southern Italy, voices were raised; tempers flared.
: a person’s state of mind seen in terms of their being angry or calm
: a tendency to become angry easily
: an angry state of mind
: the degree of hardness and elasticity in steel or other metal
: improve the hardness and elasticity of (steel or other metal) by reheating and then cooling it
: act as a neutralizing or counterbalancing force to (something)
: tune (a piano or other instrument) so as to adjust the note intervals correctly
pinpricks
// The pain that had been absent when I received the pinpricks and the cut to my neck now throbbed.
prick
: make a small hole in (something) with a sharp point; pierce slightly
: (especially of a horse or dog) make (the ears) stand erect when on the alert
: an act of piercing something with a sharp point
throb
// The pain that had been absent when I received the pinpricks and the cut to my neck now throbbed.
// the war drums throbbed // her foot throbbed with pain // the throb of the ship's engines // the dull ache became a throb
: beat or sound with a strong, regular rhythm; pulsate steadily
: feel pain in a series of regular beats
clump
// In the morning I looked in the mirror, and a whole clump of my hair had turned gray.
// a clump of ferns // they sat on the wall in clumps of two and three // the particles tend to clump together
\: a small group of trees or plants growing closely together \: a small, compact group of people \: form a clump or clumps \: a compacted mass or lump of something \: clomp, trudge, tramp
work up
// This was a brand-new concept to the people who came to Studio Morra that night, and it was perfectly natural that those who attended felt worked up about it.
// he got all worked up and started shouting and swearing // I finally worked up the courage to ask if I had the job // painters were accustomed to working up compositions from drawings // he's doing weight training to strengthen the muscles around his left knee and will work up from there
: gradually bring someone to a state of intense excitement, anger, or anxiety
: bring something gradually to a more complete or satisfactory state
: proceed gradually towards something more advanced or intense
curfew
// After the opening, a group of my friends went out to dinner, but I knew I couldn’t go with them if I was to make it home in time for my ten o’clock curfew.
// a dusk-to-dawn curfew // to be abroad after curfew without permission was to risk punishment // they had to return before the curfew sounded
: a regulation requiring people to remain indoors between specified hours, typically at night
: the hour designated as the beginning of a curfew
: the daily signal indicating the beginning of a curfew
lapel
/ləˈpɛl/
// My mother was sitting at the dining room table in her work uniform: double-breasted suit with a brooch on her lapel.
: the part on each side of a coat or jacket immediately below the collar which is folded back on either side of the front opening
contort
// Her face was contorted with rage.
// a spasm of pain contorted his face
: twist or bend out of the normal shape
wavelengths
// I was young, and I was extremely sexual. Neša and I were on different wavelengths this way.
// when we met we hit it off immediately—we’re on the same wavelength
: a person’s ideas and way of thinking, especially as it affects their ability to communicate with others
burly
/ˈbəːli/
// Nitsch was a burly, bearded Austrian.
// I saw a burly figure approaching
: (of a person) large and strong; heavily built; sturdy
fling
// I was powerfully attracted to him, and we had a brief fling.
fling
// I was powerfully attracted to him, and we had a brief fling.
// he picked up the debris and flung it away // he flung back the bedclothes // he flung himself into his athletics // Lisa had flung out of the house without so much as a glance at him // one final fling before a tranquil retirement // I had a fling with someone when I was at college
: throw or hurl forcefully
: move or push (something) suddenly or violently
: start or engage in (an activity or enterprise) with great energy and enthusiasm
: go quickly and angrily
: a short period of enjoyment or wild behaviour
: a short, spontaneous sexual relationship
liaison
/lɪˈeɪz(ə)n,lɪˈeɪzɒn/
// Travel always had a kind of aphrodisiac effect on me. But this latest liaison, coming on the heels of the dark Nitsch extravaganza, somehow melded with that piece in my mind and got under my skin.
// the head porter works in close liaison with the reception office // he's our liaison with a number of interested parties // I have been involved in an opportunistic sexual liaison with a work colleague
: communication or cooperation which facilitates a close working relationship between people or organizations
: a person who acts as a link to assist communication or cooperation between people
: a sexual relationship, especially one that is secret or illicit
: the binding or thickening agent of a sauce, often based on egg yolks
