Daily Archives: May 20, 2014

Ardent

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having or showing very strong feelings

adjective

“Certainly better than Denzil’s the year he got his own place and phoned us to say he’d killed a partridge in the backyard with a slingshot and just finished eating it like a proper English gentleman (it was a London pigeon, of course). Oh, we Smiths are ardent seekers after the spirit of Christmas, and we do not listen to Iris Murdoch’s sensible analogical advice: ”Good represents the reality of which God is the dream.” We’re chasing the dream, baby.”

They spent their time better than Denzil did.

 

Proliferation

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to increase in number or amount quickly

verb

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proliferation

“Denzil found this out when he attempted, on this most sacred of days, to do the things we could not do because we’d always done them another way, our way — a way we all hated, to be sure, but could not change. Denzil wants to open a present on Christmas Eve — don’t do that, Denzil. Denzil wants to go for a walk — I’m so sorry, Denzil, that’s impossible. We’d like to, but we just can’t swing it. Why not? Because, Denzil. Just because. Because like the two parts of Ireland, because like the Holy Trinity, because like nuclear proliferation, like men not wearing skirts, because like brandy butter.”

She made it clear that the reason they couldn’t go against their traditions or do things differently was because they were so used to it and it’s routine. It doesn’t really need an explanation

 

 

Patois

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a flat area of ground that is covered with a hard material (such as bricks or concrete), is usually behind a house, and is used for sitting and relaxing

noun

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patios

“This Christmas was the only time we ever met each other, Denzil and I. He was the gift that kept on giving, with his strange patois and his huge feet and the piggyback rides he conducted out on the balcony because the ceilings were too low. Outside was where he wanted to be anyway — you can tell that much from the look of infinite weariness he’s giving my dad’s left elbow.”

He wanted to change up Christmas, he was very different and fun loving.

 

 

Predate

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to exist or happen at an earlier time than (something or someone)

verb

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predate

“As for the ”Natural Woman” Christmas or the ”You’ve Got a Friend” Christmas – these predate my consciousness. But they must have existed, what with Ben being a September baby and me October. Those were the sexy Noels, delivering babies like presents nine months later.”

I still don’t really understand what this passage means.

 

Pecuniary

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– adjective

– Consisting of or measured in money

– “To this day articles are written, seriously and humorously, protesting against the increasing luxury and comfort of bachelor apartments for men, as well as against the pecuniary indepedence of women…”

– This passage is all about women and economics and how womens financial status are affected by marriage.

Perennial

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-adjective

– Living for several years or many years

-existing or cotinuing in the same way for a long time

– http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perennial

– ” For it is a perennial puzzle why no woman wrote a word of that extraordinary literlature when every other man, it seemed, was capable of song or sonnet.”

– Virginia Woolf uses the word perennial as it relates to women and how they were treated back then.

Thematic

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of or relating to a theme

adjective

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thematic

“I think it’s Carole King’s ”Tapestry” on the record player. But which song? ”It’s Too Late” would make thematic sense – my dad’s smile has the let’s-just-get-through-this tension of a code-red marriage.”

I understand that they the Smith family was so used to their own traditions and nothing else made sense. They were listening to a song that represented this “theme” or their Christmas.

Perilous

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8)Perilous- full of danger

adjective

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perilous

“Magda was wavering in the perilous sunlight of the arena scribbling on such pitiful little bent shins.” pg2300

I understand that Magda was looking for her shawl even though it was so dangerous out.