Of Mice and Men - VOCAB - BW - Typepad

Of Mice and Men

Vocabulary ? Chapter 1

acres

bank bindle brusquely

bucking grain bags

carp cat house `coons current debris elaborate flats heron jack

juncture

morosely mottled rabbit hutch recumbent reeds Sacramento Salinas River Soledad stake stilted

An acre is an area of land equal to 4,840 square yards or 43,560 square feet. 1-acre is a little smaller than a football field. The part of land that meets a body of water [SLANG] A bundle, as of bedding, carried by a hobo. Quickly; bluntly; abruptly; almost rudely Throwing heavy burlap bags of grain into a truck or wagon. To buck in this instance is to throw large bags of grain on a truck. Barley is poured into large burlap bags [75 or more pounds] & passed brigade-style [in a line] to the truck. A freshwater fish. [SLANG] A house of prostitution. Short for "raccoons." The strong flow of water in a definite direction Remains. In this case, the "debris of the winter's flooding" would be drops of water falling from the leaves of the tree. Expressed in great detail Level, flat ground Any of various wading birds with a long neck, long legs, & a long, tapered bill, living along marshes & riverbanks. [OLD SLANG] Money. A juncture is where 2 things come together. The juncture of a willow leaf is where the 2 sides of the leaf meet in the center. Sullenly; Gloomily. Having a variety of hues or colors; variegated, like marble A type of cage for keeping rabbits. Still; without movement Tall grass with hollow stems, often found in or near water. Capital of California. A river that flows through Soledad & into Monterey Bay. A coastal California city about 130 miles south of San Francisco. An amount of money In the instance, stilted refers to the legs of the heron which are very long & thin, like stilts.

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Of Mice and Men

Vocabulary ? Chapter 1

sweat-band sycamores thrashin' machines

tramps unslung Weed willows work card

A band, as of leather, inside a hat to protect the hat against damage from sweat. A type of shade tree with leaves resembling the leaves of a maple tree. Thrashing machines, sometimes called threshers or threshing machines, are used on farms to separate the grain or seed from the straw of such plants as barley or wheat. In this case, a tramp is a person who travels about on foot, usually doing odd jobs for a living [To "tramp" means to travel on foot]. Removed; took off A northern California mining town. A type of tree with narrow leaves & strong, flexible twigs & branches. A card with a job assignment usually given to workers by an employment agency. It is then presented to the employer by the worker.

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Of Mice and Men

Vocabulary ? Chapter 2

"he's eatin' raw eggs" "on the wheeler's butt"

"she got the eye"

"writin' to the patent medicine houses" apprehensive archly axles bale

barley

bridled Bristled; bristly brusquely buckers bunk house bunks burlap calculating cesspool cockier complacently cultivator derogatory dinner disengage dousing dragfooted

Refers to the notion that eating raw eggs increases sexual performance. On the rump of the wheel horse, the horse harnessed nearest the front wheels of a vehicle. Said of Curley's wife, meaning that she flirts & is interested in men other than her husband. Here, meaning that Curley is writing to mail-order businesses for medicines that increase sexual performance. Anxious; fearful Playfully Bars connecting 2 opposite wheels A large bundle of something that has been compressed & tied together. Grains such as hay, wheat, & barley are often made into bales after they're harvested. A type of cereal grass. The grain from the barley plant is often used for making malts & for animal feed. To pull one's head back in anger or pride; especially when one feels one has been offended Stiff & prickly Roughly; abruptly People who buck grain bags A building that provides sleeping quarters for workers on a ranch or farm. Beds A coarse, inexpensive, woven fabric; often used for making grain sacks Shrewd; scheming A deep hole in the ground into which sewage from sinks, toilets, etc. Is drained. To be cocky is to be conceited, overbearing, & aggressive. In a pleased, satisfied manner A large farm machine used for cultivation [the preparation of the earth for planting]. Disparaging; Belittling & insulting The major meal of the day. In this case, dinner is served in the middle of the day. Free To douse is to be drenched with liquid. A dousing refers to someone having been covered with a liquid, in this case water, during a washing. Lame; dragging a lame foot

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gingerly

grain teams

graybacks grizzled hatchet face heavy-laden in the ring insteps jerk-line skinner laboring lamely lashed leaves

levelly

lightweight liniment mollified mule; mules

muzzle

ominously

pocket

precede pugnacious rouged sacking

scourges

scowled

skeptically

Of Mice and Men

Vocabulary ? Chapter 2

In a careful, cautious way A team is 2 or more horses harnessed to a wagon or other drawn vehicle. Grain teams would be the teams [horses & wagons] used to haul grain in from the fields. [SLANG] Lice. Gray A lean, sharp face Heavily loaded In the sport or profession of boxing. The parts of the shoes between the toe & the ankle The main driver of a mule team, who handles the reins (jerk-line). Working, particularly work that involves physical labor. To be lame is to be crippled; especially to have an injured leg or foot. Swung around quickly Pages Something that is level is flat & horizontal. To stare at someone levelly is to stare at that person straight on -- not looking up nor down. A boxer who weighs between 127 - 135 pounds A medicated liquid rubbed on the skin to ease sore muscles & sprains Soothed; pacified A lounging slipper that does not cover the heel. The projecting part [the part that sticks out] of a dogs head that includes the mouth, nose, & jaw. In a threatening way In this instance, a pocket would be a hollow or cavity in the land filled with gold ore Go before or ahead of Eager & ready to fight; Quarrelsome; Combative. Colored red, as with lipstick A cheap, coarse cloth woven of flax, hemp, or jute. A scourge is anything that inflicts discomfort or suffering; in this case, any variety of insects & pests A scowl is an angry look achieved by frowning & scrunching the eyebrows together. To be skeptical is doubt or question something. George is doubting that the bunk house, & especially his mattress, is really clean

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skinner slang slough soiled

solitaire lay

spurs

squinted squirmed

stable buck

stake stocky swamper tart temple dancer tick

ticking

time book trace chains tramp vials viciously wheeler whitewashed

Of Mice and Men

Vocabulary ? Chapter 2

[INFORMAL] A (mule) driver. Past tense of "sling," meaning to cast out; In this case, give birth to. Get rid of; In this case, to fire. Dirty; stained Solitaire is a 1-person game of cards. A solitaire lay is the set up of the cards at the beginning of the game. Sharp, pointed metal devices worn on the heels of a boots, used to urge on horses when riding. To squint one's eyes is to look or peer with the eyes partly closed or narrowed. Twisted & turned; wriggled A stable is a building where horses are kept. A buck, in this case, is a derogatory word for a black man. A staple buck, then, would be a black man who works in a stable. Reference to Crooks, who is responsible for taking care of the horses. A share or interest, as in property, a person, or a business venture. Heavily & solidly built Here, a general handyman & person responsible for cleaning out the barn. A woman of loose morals; one who is prone to be sexually unfaithful A dancer known for delicate hand movements. Mattress covering The cloth case for a mattress. In this instance, the cloth case was made from burlap. A book used to record the hours of workers The chains that connect a horse's harness to a vehicle In this case, a tramp is a woman of loose morals who is sexually promiscuous Small bottles Cruelly; in a mean way The horse harnessed nearest to the front wheels of a vehicle Painted with a mixture of lime, whiting, size, water, etc.

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"rabbits in" "to bind her" alfalfa Auburn barrel bemused

bleated

candy wagon chamber 'cots cowering

defensively

derision

does dusk ejector euchre hands hoosegow

jailbait

kick off loaded shell magazine

pulp magazine

raptly

receptive

Of Mice and Men

Vocabulary ? Chapter 3

[SLANG] Jumps in. To make a down payment. A plant widely grown for animal feed. A city about 35 miles NE of Sacramento, California. The long part of a gun through which the bullet travels when it is fired Preoccupied; deep in thought A bleat is the cry usually associated with a goat, sheep, or calf. In this case, Lennie cries out with terror in an animal-like way. A crew bus or truck used for transporting people The part of the gun that holds the next bullet to be shot Apricots. To cower is to shrink & tremble from fear. To be defensive is to be on guard against attack, be it verbal or physical. George is on guard against an attack about his relationship with Lennie. To deride someone is to make fun of that person. The sound of voices of derision would be the sound of people making fun of, or laughing at, another. Female rabbits Shadowy; gloomy [dusk is the period of time that comes just before dark or evening] The mechanism of a gun that throws out the empty cartridge of a fired bullet A card game. Workers [SLANG] Jail. [SLANG] A young woman, considered a potential sexual partner, who has not reached the age of consent. Die. An unfired bullet The part of the gun that holds the bullets A magazine printed on rough, inferior paper stock made from wood pulp, usually containing sensational stories of love, crime. With a completely absorbed or engrossed look. Able & willing to listen to & accept information, new ideas, etc. Slim is willing to listen to what George is about to tell him.

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reprehensible

rheumatism run San Quentin setter dog slug

smoke

smoke house thong welter

Of Mice and Men

Vocabulary ? Chapter 3

To reprehend someone is to reprimand or criticize that person. Something that is reprehensible is something that is deserving of criticism. A painful condition involving the joints & muscles An enclosure for animals in which they can exercise, feed, etc. A state prison, now closed, in the harbor of San Francisco. A setter is any of several breeds of longhaired dogs usually trained to work with hunters. A single drink; especially of alcohol Many meats & fish can be preserved by the means of smoking. To smoke meat is to expose it for a length of time to smoke. A building where meat or fish is cured [prepared] by means of dense smoke. A narrow strip of material; in this case, leather Short for "welterweight," a boxer between a junior welterweight & a junior middleweight.

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"roll your hoop" aloof appraised arouse blackjack game booby hatch California civil code champing contemptuously ego hame intensity keg mauled meager nail keg persuasive

riveter

rummy

scornful

spectacles subsided took a powder twict whinnied

Of Mice and Men

Vocabulary ? Chapter 4

A reference to a child's game. Candy is saying Curley's wife is just a child. Distant in sympathy, interest, etc.; Reserved & cool. Judged To excite; bring about A gambling card game; also known as "Twenty-One" [SLANG] An institution for the mentally ill. A book of civil law for the state of California. Chewing noisily Full of contempt or scorn Sense of self; self-awareness The piece along the side of a horse collar to which the trace chains are attached Great strength & sharpness A small barrel Torn; worn-out. To maul something is to treat it roughly or clumsily. Of poor quality or small amount; Not full or rich. A barrel for holding nails. Convincing A tool used to fasten rivets. Rivets are small metal bolts or pins used to attach fabric & leather pieces together A card game Scorn is a feeling of contempt for someone or something; the belief that a person or thing is worthless. Crooks is scornful of Lennie because he thinks Lennie's plan is nothing more than a dream. Eyeglasses Became less excited; calmed down [SLANG] Ran away; Left. A sharp, sudden punch The low, gently sound [sometimes called a "neigh"] that a horse makes

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