Breakfast at Tiffany's

Vocabulary list

* This guide is in progress. Please point out any suggestions or corrections to me at kcleary@gol.com.

* You should save this to your computer, and then use it as needed while reading the book.

* Everyone has their own way of reading, but here is what I suggest you do for this book:

In class we will discuss many things related to the book or movie. A good understanding of the book (from 2 or 3 readings) will be a great way to be ready for our discussions.

Using the Guide
The page number corresponds to the Modern Library edition. I will do a concordance with the Vintage paperback edition when possible.

The term column is a term that I felt was interesting or important.

The definition column has an explanatory note or a synonym. Sometimes the term is one I think many students do not already know, so I explain it or its context. Other times, the term is commonly known, but I submit a synonym that I think you should also know.

Sometimes there is more information about the term or definition that would be good to know. In such a case I put a note in the extra info column. Other times the term, or its position or use in the text suggests a question for you to think about. Those are included as well. There are many other questions. Be sure to ask any question in class - one from the suggested list, one that you have come up with yourself, or one that you feel would be good for class discussion.

Hope this guide helps you enjoy the book!

page term definition extra info / question to consider
3 I the narrator Try to think about what kind of person the narrator is as you read the book.
3 brownstone apartment building made of large brown stones See if you can find a picture of a brownstone on the Internet.
3 East Seventies 70th - 79th street in NYC (Manhattan); Central Park is west of the brownstone In NY the streets are numerous and run east-west; avenues are few and run north-south.
3 early years of the war WWII This sets the time as 1941-1943
3 attic furniture old-fashioned furniture that people would normally store in an attic  
3 stucco a rough type of wall covering What are the advantages of stucco for an apartment wall covering?
3 heightened rose  
3 gloom dark atmosphere  
3 Golightly   Think of what this name means to you
3 now   The story is being told long after it happened. Think of what that means to the details in the story.
4 tenant one who rents a dwelling from a landlord  
4 Lexington Avenue Lexington is on the far eastern side of the island. What other avenues do you know from NY?
4 not always   Notice how the sentence works - we'll talk about it in class.
4 no small favor a big favor Notice the indirect nature of the statement
4 fixations obsessions "fix" is used often in bars: "Fix me a drink."
4 Gilbert and Sullivan composers who teamed up to produce many popular musicals  
4 rattle come alliteration with "right"; this word shows his personality. As with the other characters, note how the speech helps define the personality.
5 croak…froggy both are frog sounds How does this description of his voice help you imagine the person?
5 October rain cold, unpleasant rain  
5 proprietor owner and operator Joe is the King of his bar
5 neon bright advertising sign  
5 television   TV sets did not become common in homes until the 1950s
5 matronly in the fashion of an older woman  
5 wouldn't…wasn't (a double negative) A NYC style of speaking
5 build you a drink make you a drink Think about why this expression is humorous
5 Tums a medicine to help calm an upset stomach Why does Capote use a real brand name?
6 picture magazines LIFE etc. These magazines were very popular before TV brought moving pictures to homes. (Life just ceased publication in March 2000.)
6 studio apartment one room apartment  
6 mixing me up confusing me "mix" is a very common word in bars.
6 waltzing in entering cheerfully or dramatically  
6 selfsame this word is used for emphasis  
6 Winchell Walter Winchell had a nationwide gossip column and radio show  
6 see did you New York-ese for "did you" Why is there no question mark at the end of the sentence?
6 Negro black the term "Negro" is out of fashion now. Most people prefer to say "black".
6 calico colorfully patterned  
6 spit-image also "spitting image", a vulgar way to say "identical" Generally this was used to describe a picture that looks just like a person, but people use it loosely now "He is the spitting image of his father."
7 satisfied…   Why is Joe satisfied with the narrator's puzzlement?
7 fit to wear… able to wear  
7 little Jap   1) the story is set in WWII
2) What we now take top be racist speech was once generally accepted
7 1956   The present time
7 …the story was this: (reported speech) The narrator is translating Joe Bell's New York-ese into journalistic prose
7 falling in a dream (this is a phrase) What does this phrase mean to you?
7 pound of salt… items offered in barter colonists and travelers often traded ordinary items for treasures in Africa
8 pig-English pidgin English Pidgin languages were used to communicate basic ideas between sailors and native people.
8 But it would seem   Why does this phrase introduce the sentence?
8 taken a fancy taken a liking to  
8 credit that part believe that part  
8 squeamishly uncomfortably Even now interracial dating is hard for some people to accept (Bob Jones University is notorious for having had a ban on interracial dating until the national press reported it during the 2000 Presidential election.)
8 By and by sometime later  
8 blinked   Why does Joe blink? What is he thinking, or what emotion does he feel?
8 he wanted no part of it   How does Joe avoid sharing the disappointment the narrator was showing?
8 mucking around wandering aimlessly  
8 I could see her there I could imagine her there What does this tell you about Holly? (or the speaker's image of Holly?)
9 crazy house insane asylum What does this tell you about Holly? (or the speaker's image of Holly?)
9 nobody's ever her he never sees her  
9 round the bend not of sound mind (not thinking straight)
9 disconcerted made him uncomfortable  
9 scooped up compare to "picked up"  
9 that side of things the romantic side  
9 it's every minute it is on my mind every minute  
10 disgracing himself getting caught with a prostitute, or in a sex scandal  
10 jigger shot glass full  
10 neat 1) without water
2) with one gulp		  
10 sleeked up renovated  
10 smart stylish  
11 coloratura a soprano opera singer who
specializes in flowery scale runs.		  
11 (dingbat) the mark separates one section of the book from another  
11 Cartier-formal elegantly (a cursive script)
11 nagged irritated  
11 like a tune like a song (that one cannot get out of one's head)  
11 exasperated with no patience left  
11 fell through vs. welling up   Compare how their voices are described
11 silly-young…self-amused   How does the description match the reported speech?
12 don't…dear (italicized words) How does the italicization change how you read or hear those words? How does it help you understand Holly's way of speaking?
12 slurring pronouncing unclearly When do people slur their speech?
12 chic fashionable Note the contrast between "chic" and "breakfast-cereal air of health".
12 breakfast-cereal air of health suggesting youth, freshness, innocence  
12 not alone indirect way of saying "with someone" How does this new knowledge change your perception of her conversation with Mr. Yunioshi?
12 pomaded wearing gel in his hair (in a fancy way)
13 buttressed padded Who else uses clothes to mask defects in the appearance?
13 Sid Arbuck   How does his name sound?
13 You like me.   How would his behavior be characterized today?
13 oiling   What impression does this word give to you?
14 powder room Ladies Room  
14 change money What does he think he is giving her money for the powder room for? Why is she asking for it?
14 no qualms was not shy about  
14 she seemed not quite to see me she was not approachable  
14 21 the most famous of New York restaurants  
14 superior table prominent table  
15 unrealized yawn she looks bored  
15 dampener a depressive effect  
15 swanky fancy  
15 $350 a huge sum in those days  
15 P.J. Clark's one of the most famous of NY nightspots  
15 the El the elevated train tracks (now subways) Chicago still has El trains around the downtown area.
15 tabloids gossip newspapers  
15 esoteric unusual  
15 V-letters Victory letters (mail posted by soldiers)  
15 bale a large amount a bale of hay is a large amount of hay that is bundled, left in the field and made ready for storage / transport
16 pluck take (in a cheerful way)  
16 tom male cat  
16 Oklahoma! a musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein This musical set the record for longest running show on Broadway
16 Harsh-tender   What does this phrase mean to you?
16 smacked reminded one of This is a very physical word.
16 pineywoods pine forest (a rural way of expressing "pine forest")
16 prairie flatland These are hints about Holly's background
16 headway progress  
16 ripple-chills intermittent cold spells This phrase, like harsh-tender, is a good example of Capote's inventive writing.
16 nightcap last drink of the day, just before going to bed  
16 newest Simenon most recent book by the Belgian detective story writer http://www.trussel.com/f_maig.htm
16 multiplied rapidly got stronger  
17 abrupt sudden  
17 lapping up drinking like an animal How is Holly's monologue different from her earlier quoted speech?
17 quel beast "What an animal!" "Beast" is a generally negative word for "animal".
17 gall nerve, chutzpah  
18 brazen aggressive, in an unladylike manner  
18 tres fou very rude  
18 a chamber of horrors like a dungeon or torture chamber Keep this remark in mind for when you are introduced to her room.
18 dispraising cf. Appraising  
18 Saroyan William Saroyan popular writer
18 Hemingway Ernest Hemingway He was born in 1899.
18 this idiot girl   Do you think this is the first mention of Mag Wildwood?
19 father complex fixation on her father Keep this in mind for the later part of the story.
19 W. Somerset Maugham   For what reason is she interested in these writers?
19 No, wait She indirectly admits going to bed with someone - a rather risque remark.  
19 Benny Shacklett   She equates a radio writer with the greats of modern fiction.
19 runts the small puppies in a litter  
19 dotty crazy  
19 gorged overate  
19 slow not quick (mentally)  
19 blankly with no expression  
20 rubbed her nose   What animal does this gesture remind you of?
20 pinning down asking for details (for information previously communicated)  
20 on guard in a defensive position  
20 dirty obscene At the time Capote wrote the novella many books were banned in the US.
20 inevitable inescapable  
20 the butts the cigarette butts  
20 mooned over paid elaborate attention to  
20 file fingernail file  
20 telltale disclosing the truth  
21 waking up coming out of her trance  
21 floundered was at a loss This word makes her sound clumsy. Think of what it says about the effect the story had on her.
21 dykes lesbians (vulgar term)  
21 bejesus vulgarism  
21 I was clearly puzzled   Why is the narrator puzzled?
21 bull-dykes large, mannish lesbians  
21 Lone Ranger she was different (not part of the crowd) a reference to the popular masked man, the Lone Ranger
21 better than a man around the house   What does this statement tell you about Holly?
21 Everyone is: a bit.   Holly is referring to the idea that sexuality is a continuum, not an all-or-nothing affair.
21 goad them on encourage them  
22 it was irresistible   This paragraph is a good example of how Capote changes gears, leading the reader to believe one thing, then contradicting it (and then sometimes changing direction again, confirming the original understanding).
22 visiting hours it could be a hospital or prison  
22 the poor men it is a prison  
22 the roses   What are the roses?
22 consumptive as if sick (with tuberculosis)  
22 Sing Sing the nickname for the prison north of NYC on the Hudson River Here is lots of information on the background of why going to prison became known as "being sent up the river" http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/3548/facility/singsing.html
22 sag droop  
22 tenement large, poor apartment building  
23 Please. I'm interested.   Why do you think he is interested?
23 cricket British expression for "OK" In America people usually say "It's not kosher."
23 with a mouthful of apple   What is the purpose of this description?
24 Sally nickname for Salvatore  
24 pious religious Mafia gangsters are notoriously religious.
24 pay me   Why would he pay her to visit him in prison?
24 But they gave him five years.   What does the "but" convey to you?
24 Bergdorf Bergdorf - Goodman's premier department store of that era
24 a hundred a week $100 in those days would be about $1000 today  
25 tricks transactions (between a prostitute and a customer)  
25 O'Shaughnessy a very Irish name New York, like San Francisco and Chicago, is a city of immigrants.
25 seriously   What does this signal about her relationship with the narrator?
26 Cuba a center of drug trade at that time  
26 Palermo a city in Italy  
26 let's don't a New Yorkerism Holly's speech is a complete mixture of country, French, trendy language, and New Yorkerese.
26 bells rang   Be sure to understand why he hears the bells at the half-hour and hour.
26 sprang back in a cat-like manner  
26 snoops sneaky people What right does Holly have for calling him a snoop?
26 awkward clumsy Note the contrast between the printed card and the handwriting.
27 days merged days ran into each other  
27 disquieting elegant word for upsetting  
27 induced formal word Not the change in tone from Holly-centered parts of the text to narrator-centered parts.
27 (description of Berman)   How well can you picture him? Is it a flattering picture?
28 hissing   This word has onomatopoeia - its sound is close to its meaning.
28 Libertyphone ??  
28 fly-by-night ready to leave at a moment's notice This is foreshadowing.
28 "You expected?" "Is Holly expecting you?" Berman has staccato speech - show business style.
28 neat, exploratory incisions   Say these words out loud - their sound supports the meaning.
28 the dough a lot of money  
29 head-shrinkers psychiatrists  
29 only speak German   Freud was studied most extensively in Austria and Germany
29 throw in the towel give up The expression is from boxing.
29 made a fist   a gesture reminiscent of boxing
29 streak of the poet to have a smattering of the poet in your personality  
29 beat your brains out try your best more boxing language
29 hand you horseshit on a platter gladly take favors, and not return in kind  
29 Seconals sleeping tablets What does this reference mean?
30 rolled gone places (like a train)  
30 the still department making photographs for publicity purposes  
30 Santa Anita race track near LA  
30 professionally not romantically  
30 shrimp small man  
30 Drop It   Why are the words capitalized?
30 vice boys vice squad detectives (they investigate sex crimes)  
30 fifteen below the age of consent Thus, her boyfriend could be charged with statutory rape.
30 hillbilly person from the Appalachian area (poor, backward connotation)  
30 Okie farming country person who moved to California in the Dust Bowl era  
30 imitate French   Note: he did not say "learned French"
30 imitate English   Note the humor.
30 Margaret Sullivan type since Ms. Sullivan was popular, people would be likely to like Holly as an actress.  
30 pitch some curves do something out of the ordinary She has her own unique appeal.
31 to top it all the most (amazing) thing  
31 Cecile DeMille maker of epic films  
31 kill myself work extremely hard  
31 one of his nurses anyway   What does this tell you of the importance of the film role?
31 what's your angle where are you coming from? another way of saying "What do you want?"
31 living off tips   Do you think many people do this these days? Is Holly an American geisha?
31 bums no good men  
31 pin a medal on her make her a hero  
31 glaring staring in an angry way  
32 Bad deal "that's no good"  
32 level with the kid get her thinking straight usually this expression means "disclose one's true thoughts, to speak frankly" while, say, negotiating
32 nigger-lip hold the cigarette with the inside of the lips needless to say, this term is not acceptable these days
32 gluey-blind opaque another example of Capote's inventive prose
32 slob messy person  
32 phone numbers   What kind of phone numbers?
32 Lay off Quit it!  
33 barrels of lots of  
33 settle that decide that  
33 holler call for you  
33 zipper me up help me put on my dress  
33 stag party party for men stags are male deer
33 zigzagging going back and forth  
33 avidly eagerly  
33 sizing measuring the typical expression today is "sizing up"
33 its babies are normally referred to as "it" in indirect contexts  
34 squalls (lit) storms This word comes up several times.
34 anarchist person advocating "no government" anarchists sometimes planted bombs to destroy factories or kill business leaders
34 hurricane very fast and strong note the extension of the squall metaphor
34 godfather person appointed by the parents to take care of the child in case of their death  
35 sodomy illegal sex in some US states homosexual conduct is still illegal by sodomy laws
35 Father Divine founder of an International Peace Movement http://www.libertynet.org/fdipmm/
35 satchel bag  
35 entails that which unpleasantly connects a person to a situation  
35 himself   This highlights the contrast to the earlier divorces; also, most of those suing for divorce were the wives
35 complaint (legal sense) official accusation  
35 mutiny uprising, rebellion by the crew of a ship  
35 deposited left  
35 Unity Mitford British aristocrat, mistress of Hitler and enthusiastic supporter of the Nazis and their agenda. <paraphrase>Hitler's entourage included two English women, Lord Redesdale's daughters. One, the Honorable Mrs. Bryan Giunness, had converted to Sir Oswald Mosley's Black Shirt Fascism in London. She and her younger sister, the Honorable Unity Mitford were blonde, handsome, spoke excellent German, and used the Nazi salute. The younger is Hitler's favorite, because she was more devoted to the Nazi cause. She and Hitler frequently lunched together at the Osteria restaurant whenever he was in Munich. </paraphrase>(paraphrased from Nazi intelligence service document).
35 Nazi Nationalist Party of Germany As the above demonstrates, there were many non-German Nazi sympathizers.
35 two-on-the-aisle attending together  
35 24-karat wealthy  
35 humorless   How does this help you understand Holly?
36 all for completely in favor of  
36 don't like doesn't like the ungrammatical form can be used for humor or emphasis
36 making out doing  
36 separated… (ironic) How does this phrase fit with Rusty's history?
36 an opportunity   What does this tell you about Holly?
36 harping complaining  
36 vamping playing along (in this context) (normally vamp is used for a woman with a bad reputation)
36 if you're intelligent   Do you think Holly considers herself to be intelligent?
36 inferior ref: inferiority complex Those with inferiority complexes often overcompensate by trying hard to prove they are better than others
37 my friend   Does she mean this seriously?
37 Ouspenskaya Russian opera singer  
37 mad about crazy about  
37 the blues depression  
38 angst German for "feeling of emptiness, having no meaning or purpose in life"  
38 marijuana pot before the '60s marijuana was the province of the rich, the famous, and musicians
38 I went to Mexico   Is she changing the subject?
38 retarded un-adultlike normally retarded means "of a slow mind"
39 chores tasks  
39 waddle walking with a side-to-side motion, as fat people tend do  
40 play house live with  
40 squall   This is the second time to see this word.
40 H-H-Holly   Mag stutters
41 hoarder person who keeps things  
41 hogging selfishly keeping things  
41 riveting attention-getting  
41 swaying   Why is she swaying?
41 Bazaar elite fashion magazine What does this tell you about Mag and Yunioshi?
41 vexed angry  
41 tittered giggled  
41 quadrille foursome  
41 gobbled eagerly took  
42 comprehensible able to be understood comprehensive is the word normally used in this context
42 beguiling bewitching  
42 bathing trunks a men's bathing suit  
42 laid on exaggerated  
42 contrived made  
42 banalities unexceptional sayings  
42 had to be pounded   Why did O. J. have to be pounded on the back?
42 clean free of disease (STD - sexually transmitted disease)
43 these Southern girls   on second reading this will be ironic
43 for more ice   Why did Capote have her emptying ashtrays, and then going to get ice?
43 decamped left (military vocabulary)  
43 the straw too much ref: the straw that broke the camel's back  
43 blind blind with rage  
43 gin to artifice…   What is the relationship?
43 tears to mascara   What is the suggestion about her appearance?
43 took it out   What is she doing?
43 Hitler was right   What does she mean by that?
44 budge move  
44 Regent 4-5700 the telephone number is 734-5700 When there were few phones, each area of a city had its own exchange. The area around Regent's Park used the numbers corresponding to R (7) and E (3) on the dial.
44 Ask for…   Why does Mag say "Ask for Mag Wildwood"?
44 steering directing  
44 Amazon large woman  
44 obliterated completely destroyed  
44 resentment feeling of being put-upon Why would "Fred" feel put upon?
44 steam power  
44 Stork the Stork nightclub  
44 out to here   What gesture do you think is Holly making?
45 Indian summer a nice day in autumn  
45 bully for him good for him  
45 boy (emphasis)  
46 yearning wanting to do something or be with someone  
46 bond rally event where one hears patriotic speeches and is invited to buy war bonds (lending money to the government for the war effort)  
46 canyon to cross this is a mixed metaphor  
47 censoriously confidentially (in this context)  
47 the humor the silliness of sex  
47 withdrew her complaint (legal term for giving up a case one brought)  
47 purl the motion of pulling the thread as one knits  
47 balls (vulgar term for a man's private parts) It is not conventional for a woman to use that term (then or now).
48 squawks complaints (reminiscent of "squalls")
48 argyle socks   What is different between Holly and Mag's idea of how to tell if you are in love with someone?
48 Heat. Jungles.   What connection does this have to the beginning of the book?
48 not sleepy   What is meant by a sleepiness that is not sleepy?
49 morning mail perhaps there is an afternoon mail delivery as well  
49 university review journal published by a university These publications typically have a small circulation but high prestige.
49 misconstrued understood the situation wrongly  
49 strewn clothes were scattered everywhere  
51 October 1943   This is one of the few times that are fairly clearly identified in the story.
51 Manhattans very strong drinks  
51 thump loud, heavy sounds  
51 the park Central Park  
51 the zoo   Central Park has a big zoo
51 the future   What do you think he is thinking may happen in the future?
51 recital   Compare this page to Doc's later recounting of her childhood.
52 delicatessen   Deli's are traditionally Jewish.
52 chicken afraid Note the connection of "chicken" and "deli".
52 nuns   Why did Capote choose to have the other customers be nuns?
52 a few blocks   This is quite a long way in NYC
53 hither and yonning hither and thither and yon (here there and everywhere)
53 horseback riding   Along with their visit to Central Park, this is foreshadowing.
53 unmusical unharmonious  
54 tolerable endurable  
54 between the lions   two lion statutes guard the NY Public Library
55 picket lines marching, striking workers Why would she carry coffee to strikers?
55 splurged used her (money) loosely  
55 lopsided unbalanced  
55 profound deep  
55 the Colony a NY nightclub  
56 Mind of Latin America   Why is Holly doing research on Latin America?
56 Gimme give me a childish manner of speaking
56 St. Christopher's medal St. Christopher is the patron saint of travelers The medal is to keep you safe while traveling.
57 suitcase   Why does Capote use "suitcase" and "hotel drawer" as the examples of places she would lose the medal?
57 lugged it carried it with difficulty  
57 falling-out argument  
57 altercation fight  
57 citronella medicinal liquid with vitamin C  
57 don't go much…   Compare to what Joe Bell said on p. 8
57 kneesie he touched her knees with his to gauge her interest in him  
57 blue movie pornographic movie  
58 dugs breasts  
58 top banana the head person Why did Capote use "top banana" instead of, say, "boss"?
59 temper mood  
59 ..the privilege   Compare the tone of this statement to her normal speech.
59 bird cages   How does the movie adapt this line?
60 You will be   What do you think Holly would do if he had hit her?
60 earning it   What does he suggest?
60 perched   Why did Capote choose that word?
60 sheepishly abashedly Why did Capote choose that word?
60 capitulation acknowledgment of defeat  
60 "an utter fake"   Compare to O. J. Berman's judgment of Holly. Also, why are the phrases in quotation marks?
61 evicted kicked out  
61 lurid obscene  
61 martini laughter   Can you hear this laughter as you read?
61 lanky tall, thin Where else did you see the word "lank" in the novella?
62 plaintive lonely  
62 Pomeranian small dog favored by older ladies This is foreshadowing for Doc's profession.
62 speaking to him via the mirror   Have you ever spoken to someone via a mirror?
62 stark wooden house   Why is it stark?
63 tow-headed blond  
63 beanpole tall, thin man  
64 deranged insane  
64 woman   Does it seem strange to describe a thirteen or fourteen year old as a woman?
64 implausible hard to believe  
64 dovetailed matched perfectly  
65 yunguns young ones (children)  
65 TB tuberculosis  
65 jaybird loud bird  
65 doted on her paid her a lot of attention  
65 crow   Compare the crow with her cat.
66 walking down the road   Compare his story to how she later explains what she told Doc.
66 Fine with horses.   How does this compare to what Holly said about Fred?
66 he's sorry   Should this be "she's sorry"?
67 satisfying aspects   Why would it be satisfying?
67 smoke the pipe smoke the peace pipe Was Holly always ready to make up with him?
67 Fred!   On your second reading, how does this scene strike you?
68 disappointment   Is she closer to her brother than to her husband?
69 rockin' the boat getting excited, acting recklessly normally, to "rock the boat" means to rebel against authority
69 tacky unfashionable  
69 smirking smiling sarcastically saying prayers, or being religious, usually means to be sexually conservative
69 wan not having fresh color  
69 tousled messy  
69 fierce like a lion A hint of her being in Africa.
70 Never love…   Does this seem like ironic advice to you?
70 Blue Mountains Appalachia, hill country  
71 misdemeanor minor offense cf. Felony
71 draft board government agency that chooses who gets called up to duty  
71 regimentation strict structure (a regiment is a unit of an army)
71 defunct out of business  
71 positive strong (in this context)  
72 "that absurd foetus" silly child Why is the term in quotes?
72 That category of love…   What does this tell you of the narrator?
72 culminated resulted  
73 Goldman he is probably Jewish  
73 icebox appliance that keeps food cold now we use refrigerators
74 quite short impatient  
74 surmised concluded  
74 …my work   Who is Jose most concerned about?
75 yellow paper   telegrams are traditionally yellow
75 love Doc   telegrams are in upper case.
What tone would a literal representation of the message give?
76 Ossining city on Long Island near Sing Sing prison. But it is a very pleasant place to live as a resident.

For more info: http://www.ossining.org/

About the prison: http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/NYOSSsing.html
76 Parke-Benet an auction house, now part of Sotheby's  
76 Hearst estate   Hearst, a newspaper tycoon, amassed a huge collection of art and objects
76 Waring   A good brand name in kitchen appliances.
77 Nero-ish overly luxurious  
77 preggers pregnant  
77 coony black (vulgarism)  
77 warmed bedded  
77 jazzy racy "jazz" was originally a euphemism for sex
78 clap-yo'-hands the clap: gonorrhea  
78 Nehru leader of India during its fight for independence  
78 Wendell Wilkie 1944 Republican candidate for President  
78 Garbo star who famously valued her privacy  
78 Man o'War Race horse that won the Triple Crown  
79 rob a grave steal jewelry from a casket  
79 two-bits 25-cent coin (quarter) Coins are often put on a dead person's eyes to provide fare to the next world.)
79 unto-thyself from Hamlet: To thineself, be true.  
79 pretender one putting a false front  
79 emotional crook   What do you understand this to mean?
79 a whore   Is this proof that Holly is not a prostitute?
79 fada traditional, sad, Portuguese folk song  
79 chow-mein Chinese-American dish  
80 joss sticks incense sticks  
80 moseyed walked slowly this is a rural expression
80 burning skyline   Why is the skyline burning?
80 tugboat the boat that pushes big ships in and out of dock  
80 drydock on land for repairs  
80 confetti when a liner departs, the passengers throw confetti to celebrate  
80 walk a couple of horses   Compare this to what happens
81 trance not conscious  
81 across Central Park there are roadways that traverse the park  
82 dress you for a hog to dress a hog is to butcher it  
82 cradle baby bed  
82 equestrian horseriding  
82 dappled dotted This word is most often used to describe spotted horses
82 denuding   What do the breezes denude?
83 jigger small amount (like a shot glass)  
83 farce unreal event  
83 grim disguise serious (most farces are exaggerated humor)  
83 hooting shouting disrespectfully  
83 cursing   What does the fact that they are cursing mean to you?
83 switches sticks  
83 blue-streaked went very fast  
83 Duke mansion where the family of the Duke Tobacco Company lived  
83 Frick Museum http://www.frick.org/html/collmnf.htm This is one of the many small museums that were set up to display a collection that once belonged to a family.
83 Pierre famous hotel  
83 Plaza another famous hotel  
84 pincer movement military term  
85 Members…   Note the journalistic tone
86 defrocked priest he was forced to leave the church  
86 burly large, strong looking  
87 attired clothed  
87 tomboy active girl  
87 Epsom salts bath salts for healthy skin: http://www.epsomsaltcouncil.org/
87 Sloan's liniment   http://www.panama.c-com.net/~fmitchel/notable.html
87 Here she is!   Why does Madame Spanella go to "Fred's" apartment?
88 tensed made tense A good example of "verbing a noun".
88 plumped dropped heavily  
88 cotton-pickin' lower class  
88 dreary, driveling   alliteration (setting up "dyke")
88 slapped Holly   Was Holly trying to get the police officer to hit her?
88 enrich ironic use  
88 fray fight  
88 all but nearly  
88 propelled pushed  
88 dire very serious  
89 whatnot "other things"  
89 shysters lawyers  
89 incensed very angry  
90 starkers stark, raving mad  
90 My husband   Why does she say "my husband", not "Rusty"?
90 hophead drug user  
90 kill me good   he is using rural speech
90 circuits   The phone network's capacity was not large in those days.
90 shingle lawyers Lawyers traditionally advertised by putting their name on a shingle outside their office door.
90 spring her free her  
91 just-penetrable thick  
91 a powder leaving without saying good-bye  
91 chum friend A chum is a man's male friend, like a pal.
91 scribbled   What significance is it that Jose scribbled her name?
91 Courtesy Bearer   The person giving the note (the bearer) is doing it as a favor for the author.
91 hugged Holly's cat   Is it surprising that Holly's cat lets "Former Fred" hug him?
91 iota little bit  
92 courage to destroy the letter   Should he have destroyed it? Would you have done so, or read it?
92 the heir the child  
92 nearly cooled almost died  
92 razz insults Is Holly religious?
93 Italian   Why does Capote put Holly in a room without English speakers?
93 my downfall the man who got her pregnant  
93 what done me (rural speech)  
93 4711 perfume  
93 armored protected  
93 ripped open   Compare the action to the preparation.
93 stony smile   Why did she have a stony smile as she prepared to read the letter?
94 declared   Why did Capote choose this word?
94 conceive   How is this word ironic?
94 faith   How does her alleged action affect his religiousness?
94 square-ball fake Square also means "uptight", "uncool".
94 jazz stuff  
95 Buster   Holly uses a new name for him.
95 Calamity Jane cowgirl in the movies http://www.cowgirls.com/dream/cowgals/calamity.htm
95 skirted avoided  
95 tribulations troubles  
96 Mainbocher fashionable jewelry http://costumejewels.miningco.com/hobbies/costumejewels/library/bl008-38.htm
96 Idlewild the former New York International airport They ran out of money to complete it, and made JFK airport instead
96 Et pourquoi pas? And why is that?  
96 Limboville neither here nor there  
96 tough titty that's too bad  
96 home is where you feel at home   What do you think of Holly's philosophy?
96 rah, team, rah (as if she is cheering a sports team on to victory)  
96 bouche fermez mouth shut  
97 grabs they want to grope (molest) her  
97 state's witness witness for the prosecution  
97 Sister Kenny famous do-gooder She served as a nurse in World War 1. After the war, Sister Kenny became famous for finding an effective treatment for polio. See http://www.netsrq.com/~dbois/kenny.html and http://www.mbbnet.umn.edu/company_folder/ski.html
97 yardstick way of measuring  
97 crooked   Why did Capote choose this word?
97 limelight…complexion   Do you think this is a mixed metaphor?
97 Purple Heart medal for being injured in battle  
97 every rope the barrier to keep the unwanted out of a restaurant or bar  
97 Mrs. Frank E. Campbell unfashionable person, matronly  
97 Cookie   Why does Holly keep calling him these nicknames?
97 belly-bumping prostituting herself  
97 pack   Why did Capote choose this word?
97 West Side the unfashionable side of NYC (Hell's Kitchen, West Side Story)  
98 sashays walks in a swaggering fashion  
98 twat vulgarism for vagina  
98 curtailed stopped  
98 swum   Note the careful use of language (most people would use "swam".)
99 inclement bad (only used for weather)  
99 poignant touching  
100 "You're late"   Does this strike you as funny?
100 cajoled tried to persuade  
101 Carey limo service http://www.careyint.com/history.html
101 wordly sophisticated  
101 Madonnas Mary and her son, Jesus  
102 invalid like a sick person  
103 He was mine.   What happens here?
104 recover her extradite her  
104 whenever he had a black eye   Why do you think he often had black eyes?
104 haunted had a ghost  
105 sun-shiny   Is it important that the winter day was sunny?

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