Gloser
til Paul Auster, The Locked Room
15/12/01
p. 199
preamble introduction
that comes before sth spoken or written
p. 200
figment thing
that is not real but only imagined
tenement large
building with apartments, esp in a poor area of a city
stairwell part
of a building containing a staircase
squabble noisy
quarrel, esp about sth unimportant
p. 201
vigilance looking
out for sth dangerous
shabby in
poor condition
tattered torn,
old and in generally poor condition
p. 202
overly particularly
doggedly with
determination
beg off say
that one is unable to do sth one has agreed to do
amnesia partial
or total loss of memory
p. 203
unsparingly giving
freely and generously
piety strong
belief in a religion
prior to before
sth
deferment postponement
p. 204
stint a
person’s fixed amount or period of work
ghost writing writing
material for sb else under whose name it is then published
haul pull
or drag sth with effort or force
p. 206
turmoil state
of great disturbance and confusion
jinx bad
luck
proposition suggestion
thrust make
a forward stroke at sb with a weapon
p. 207
hack work hard
and boring work done by a person who is paid to do it
dismal miserable
p. 208
murky unpleasant,
gloomy
redeem do
sth that compensates for sth bad
p. 209
innate natural,
possessed from birth
prank playful,
foolish trick
p. 210
arbitrate settle
an argument between two parties when asked to
in the throes of sth in the middle of sth, esp difficult or painful
flounder move
in a helpless way
upheaval great
change involving confusion, trouble, disturbance
p. 211
resent feel
bitter or angry about sth
offhandedness being
very casual
pull sth off succeed
in doing sth very difficult
p. 212
impertinence lack
of respect
budge change
an attitude or opinion
barrage continuous
stream of criticisms
unswerving not
changing or becoming weaker
p. 213
varsity team
representing a university, college or school
stake money
risked on the unknown result of a future event
ramble walk
for pleasure
vet veterinary
surgeon
p. 214
claptrap worthless
talk, nonsense
p. 215
hover remain
near in an uncertain state
sordid unpleasant
befuddled made
stupid, confused
flimsy light
and thin
p.217
squat short
and thick
pudgy short
and fat
fluke lucky
thing that happens by accident
divulge make
sth known, esp a secret
p. 218
binge a
time of wild and excessive drinking
crackpot a
person with strange or crazy ideas
p. 221
jostle push
roughly against sb, esp in a crowd
p. 223
momentum force
that increases the rate of development of a process
semblance state
of resembling sth
executor person
appointed to carry out instructions
p. 224
hinge depend
entirely
blunder make
a stupid mistake
complicitous implying
that they are in this plot together
outlandish looking
or feeling strange
whimsically in
an unusual and rather playful way
wariness state
of being cautious
p. 226
onslaught fierce
attack
exquisite strongly
felt
tinged colored
banter playful
friendly exchange of remarks
charade situation
that is clearly false and absurd
increment increase,
esp in money paid as a salary
p. 228
conk out fall
asleep
prod push
with a finger
prissy too
careful and correct and appearing to be easily shocked
bow tie ”butterfly”:
tie tied in a knot with a double loop
susceptible easily
influenced
p. 229
coerce make
sb do sth by using force or threats
prudence good
judgement
p. 230
concede admit
that one has lost a game
posturing behavior
that is not natural but intended to attract attention
p. 231
valve mechanical
device for controlling the oneway flow of air/liquid/gas
circuit box box
that holds electrical circuits and their components
contraption machine/device,
esp an unusual and complicated one
p. 232
pounce on take
advantage of
joust fight
each other with lanses while riding horses
p. 233
usher lead
sb to a place
second-guess guess
in advance what is going to happen
p. 234
boost increase,
help, encouragement
long shot attempt
unlikely to succeed but worth a try
p. 235
hodge-podge number
of things mixed together in no particular order
p. 236
perpetrate commit
a crime
hoax lie
or act of deception, usually intended as a joke
squander waste
time carelessly
p. 238
inkling slight
knowledge, notion
prank playful
or foolish trick
opaque not
transparent
thwart oppose
successfully
p. 240
out of character not typical of a person’s character
ardent very
enthusiastic or passionate
p. 242
pose create,
present
slack loose,
not carefully planned
p. 243
nether lower
paltry unimportant,
worthless
embed fix
deeply and firmly
corpuscle any
of the red or white cells in the blood
grope for try
to find
p. 244
litany long
boring account
windfall unexpected
money
p. 245
arch playful
and deliberately provoking
gush talk
with excessive enthusiasm
p. 246
make no bones about sth be frank about sth
p. 247
loft upper
room
census taker one
who officially counts sth, esp a country’s population
sliver narrow
piece of sth
p. 248
cackle make
a loud noise
blunder move
about in an akward way, as if blind
batch number
of things delt with as a group
p. 249
concoct invent
flag become
tired
dredge up mention
sth that has been forgotten
anagram word
made by arranging in a different order the letters of another word
qualm feeling
of doubt about whether what one is doing is right
snoop look
secretly round a place in order to find sth hidden
p. 250
scam dishonest
scheme
officiate perform
the duties of a public office
p. 251
league former
measure of distance equal to about 3 miles or 4,800 metres
makeshift used
temporarily to serve a function because the real thing is not
available
jerkin short
jacket
avidity eagerness
repast meal
bland uninteresting
veer change
direction, esp suddenly
stall stop
suddenly
p. 252
incompatible not
in agreement
affront remark
that openly offends sth, esp in public
p. 253
dapper neat
and elegant in appearance
unctuous trying
to please in a way that is insincere
distraught very
sad or upset
harp on talk
repeatedly about sth in a boring way
arbiter person
who has power or influence over sth
p. 254
elude escape
from
parable story
told to illustrate a moral truth
prowl move
quietly, esp when hunting for sth
p. 255
predicament difficult
situation
p. 256
fidget make
constant small movements, esp in a way that annoys other people
brittle (of
a sound) unpleasantly hard and sharp
halfway
house place where
mentally ill patients can stay on their way back to ”normal” life
roster list
of who is going to do what
flux continuous
change
spree short
period of enjoyable activity
p. 257
cub scout boy
scout between 7 and 10
mug fight
p. 259
entice tempt
or persuade
p. 260
heart-throb very
attractive male with whom a lot of people fall in love
dote on show
too much affection for sb
dunce person
who is stupid and slow to learn
concede admit
that sth is true
solicitude anxious
concern
the works everything
p. 262
cringe move
back or lower one’s body in fear
figurehead person
in a high position but without real authority
rant speak
loudly or angrily, esp for a long time
exhortation piece
of strong and urgent advice
p. 263
pore over sth study
sth by looking at it very carefully
lug carry
sth with great effort
restrain calm
down
schizoid suffering
from schizophrenia
penance ritual
act to gain forgiveness
p. 264
blankety (used
in spoken English in place of a rude word the speaker doesn’t want to say)
buoyed up kept
floating
p. 265
saunter walk
slowly and without hurrying
fraught filled
ploy action
carefully planned to win an advantage over sb else
p. 268
squabble quarrel
noisily, esp over unimportant affairs
p. 269
crux the
most important or difficult part of a problem
p. 270
plodding working
slowly, determined and without imagination
pertain be
connected with
p. 271
haughtiness disdain
ferocious fierce,
violent, savage
p. 272
havoc widespread
damage, destruction or disorder
helmsman person
who steers a ship
liability person
or thing that causes one problems
stint period
of work
p. 273
hash out mix
p. 274
daunted not
at all discouraged
p. 275
contrite showing
deep regret for having done wrong
coil covered
wire wound in continuous circles through which an
electric
current can pass
scramble struggle
with others, esp in order to get sth or a share of sth
destitute without
money, food, and the other things necessary for life
p. 276
decrepit made
weak by hard use
ensconced settled
in a safe, comfortable, pleasant place
p. 280
wallow taking
pleasure in a feeling
p. 281
interstate between
states, esp in the US
cocky too
proud of oneself, esp in a bold and cheerful way that
annoy
other people
p. 287
whim caprice,
sudden change
refract bend
a ray of light where it enters eg water or glass
amorphous not
organized, without shape or form
subliminal not
explicitly stated
p.289
charade game,
absurd and obvious pretence
discard throw
away
derby bowler
hat
p. 290
viscerally instinctively
enhanced make
better
p. 291
trek long,
hard journey, esp on foot
buffoon ridiculous
and amusing person
dank unpleasantly
damp and cold
truffle dog brown
colored dog (?)
harangue long,
loud, serious and usu angry speech
p. 292
galling annoying,
humiliating
contrive plan,
design
ruse deceitful
way, trick
p.293
impoverished poor,
bad in quality
prowl walk
restlessly
jumble confusing
mixture
p. 294
binge time
of excessive drinking
clip joint night-club
that overcharges its customers
p. 295
sputtering making
a series of spitting or popping sounds
unperturbed not
worried
nuzzle press
or rub gently
scald injury
to the skin from boiling liquid or steam
shunt move,
change direction of
spool reel
or amount of thread held on a reel
muddled confused
p. 296
raucousness making
loud and hoarse sounds
saunter stroll
p. 298
belligerent aggressive
goad continually
provoke, urge, encourage
rabid violent,
extreme, fanatical
vertigo dizziness
taunt provoking
remark
p. 299
grapple seize firmly and try to
fight
pummel strike
repeatedly
slat long,
thin, narrow thing made to overlap with others,
esp
in a Venetian blind
gashed badly
wounded
p. 300
vantage position
that gives sb advantage
couch express
p. 301
trope figurative
use of a word
p. 302
balk be
reluctant to because it is difficult or unpleasant
concoct invent
impervious not
affected by anything
p. 303
mutt akward
person
p. 304
dilapidated falling
to pieces
clapper tongue
inside a bell
retch vomit
without bringing anything up from the stomach
p. 305
slither slide
p. 313
janitor caretaker
p.
314
subvert destroy
Merete
Wendler