prosaic (formal) - lacking interest, imagination and variety; boring

French doors - mainly US for French windows

French windows - a pair of glass doors, usually opening from the back of a house into its
garden

dwelling (formal) - a house or place to live in

smart (UK or US old-fashioned) - having a clean, tidy and stylish appearance

chic - stylish and fashionable

robe (also bathrobe) (mainly US) - a loose-fitting piece of clothing which is worn before or
after a bath or on top of clothing that is worn in bed

applesauce - a puree of stewed apples, typically sweetened

cot - US for camp bed

camp bed - a light bed which can be folded so that it can be easily carried and stored

broad (US offensive) - a woman

jiggle - to move from side to side or up and down with quick short movements, or to make
something do this

glare - a long angry look

haggard - looking ill or tired, often with dark skin under the eyes

the first floor - in British English, the floor of a building that is directly above ground level,
or in American English, the floor at ground level

unravel - begin to fail or collapse

fill sb in - to give someone extra or missing information

make a go of sth - to try to make something succeed, usually by working hard

duplex - a set of rooms for living in that are on two floors of a building

1
pith helmet - a large hard white hat worn to give protection from the sun; it was worn in the
past by Europeans who were in hot countries

sublet - to allow someone to rent all or part of a house or other building which you are renting
from someone else

bureau /’bjʊə.rəʊ/ (plural bureaux or US USUALLY bureaus) - (mainly US) a government

organization; US for chest of drawers

shambles (informal) - a state of confusion, bad organization or untidiness, or something

which is in this state

slump - to sit or fall heavily and suddenly

ransack - to search a place or container in a violent and careless way

bewilder /bɪ’wɪl.dər/ - to confuse someone

gnash /næʃ/ - (gnash your teeth) to bring your teeth forcefully together when you are angry

recess /rɪ’ses/ /’ri:-/

wring (also wring out) - to twist a cloth or piece of clothing with your hands to remove
water from it

jemmy /’dʒem.i/ UK (US jimmy) - a short, strong metal bar with a curved end, often used by
thieves to force open windows or doors

slacks (old-fashioned) - a pair of trousers, usually of a type that fit loosely

khaki - dark yellowish-green cloth, often worn by soldiers

tantrum - a sudden period of uncontrolled childish anger

sideboard - a piece of furniture with a flat top and cupboards at the bottom, usually used for
holding glasses, plates, etc.

vitriol - fierce hate and anger expressed through severe criticism

at/in one fell swoop - if you do something at/in one fell swoop, you do it all at the same time

distraught - extremely worried, anxious or upset

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for dear life - if you do something for dear life, you do it with as much effort as possible,
usually to avoid danger

depreciate - to (cause something to) lose value, especially over time

whisky (mainly UK), whiskey (mainly US and Irish English)

gimmick - something which is not serious or of real value that is used to attract people's
attention or interest temporarily, especially to make them buy something

seethe - to feel very angry but to be unable or unwilling to express it clearly

slacks (old-fashioned) - a pair of trousers, usually of a type that fit loosely

pyjama (mainly UK), (US usually) pajama

grim - worried or worrying, without hope

soufflé /’su:.fleɪ/ - a light food which has a lot of air in it, is made mainly from eggs, and can
be either sweet or savoury

swamp - if something swamps a person, system or place, they receive more of it than they can
easily deal with

listless - lacking energy and enthusiasm and unwilling to do anything needing effort

wound up - very anxious, nervous or angry

frame of mind - the way someone thinks or feels about something at a particular time

gourmet /’gɔ:.meɪ/

cooped up - if you are cooped up somewhere, you are in a small enclosed space from which
you cannot escape, or you feel as if you are

hostess /’həʊ.stes/

the first floor - in British English, the floor of a building that is directly above ground level,
or in American English, the floor at ground level

galoshes /gə’lɒʃ.ɪz/ - US for overshoes (waterproof shoes, usually made of rubber, for
wearing over an ordinary shoe in the rain or snow)

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quart - a unit of measurement for liquids, equal to approximately 1.14 litres in Britain, or
0.95 litres in the US

unwind - to relax and allow your mind to be free from anxiety after a period of work or some
other activity that has made you anxious

inkling - when you think that something is true or likely to happen, although you are not
certain

smirk - a smile that expresses satisfaction or pleasure about having done something or
knowing something which is not known by someone else

exasperated - annoyed

patronize (UK usually patronise) - to speak to or behave towards someone as if they are
stupid or unimportant

irrevocable /ɪ’rev.ə.kə.bl ̩/ - impossible to change

oblivious - not aware of something, especially what is happening around you

garage (UK) /’gær.ɑ:ʒ/ /-ɪdʒ/, (US) /gə’rɑ:ʒ/

needlepoint - the activity of making a picture by sewing onto a piece of cloth

fidget - to make continuous small movements which annoy other people

highly-strung (US high-strung) - very nervous and easily upset

sniffle (also snuffle) - to breathe in quickly and repeatedly through the nose, usually because
you are crying or because you have a cold

squander - to spend or use money or supplies in a wasteful way, or to waste opportunities by

not using them to your advantage

collateral - valuable property owned by someone who wants to borrow money which they
agree will become the property of the company or person who lends the money if the debt is
not paid back

unkempt - untidy; not cared for

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glaze - if your eyes glaze or glaze over, they stay still and stop showing any emotion because
you are bored or tired or have stopped listening

phial (US usually vial) - a small glass bottle, especially one containing liquid medicine

startle - to do something unexpected which surprises and sometimes worries a person or

animal

freighter - a large ship or aircraft for carrying goods

distraught - extremely worried, anxious or upset

quack - a person who dishonestly pretends to have medical skills or knowledge

fob - a piece of leather or other material to which a group of keys is fastened, or a chain or
piece of material used, especially in the past, to fasten a watch to a man's waistcoat

pocketbook (US) - a woman's handbag

attaché case - a hard-sided rectangular case, used especially for carrying business documents;
a type of briefcase

solemn - serious and without any amusement

hoodlum (old-fashioned) - a violent person, especially one who is member of a group of

criminals

seaboard - the long thin area of a country which is next to the sea; coast