Charles Dickens

Ait

Among green aits and meadows.

Apology

He goes to work devising apologies for window curtains.

Avail

I have availed myself of the very first opportunity.

Ballot

The insufficiency of the ballot.

Beat

Quite beat, and very much vexed and disappointed.

Bigwig

In our youth we have heard him spoken of by the bigwigs with extreme condescension.

Bill

She put up the bill in her parlor window.

Bite

The last screw of the rack having been turned so often that its purchase crumbled, . . . it turned and turned with nothing to bite.

Bloodshot

His eyes were bloodshot, . . . and his hair disheveled.

Breathe

Mr. Tulkinghorn arrives in his turret room, a little breathed by the journey up.

Button

He was a tall, fat, long-bodied man, buttoned up to the throat in a tight green coat.

Can

Tom felt that this was a rebuff for him, and could not but understand it as a left-handed hit at his employer.

Caul

I was born with a caul, which was advertised for sale, in the newspapers, at the low price of fifteen guineas.

Chaunter

He was a horse chaunter; he's a leg now.

Cleanly

He was very cleanly dressed.

Cliental

I sat down in the cliental chair.

Cockshy

“Making a cockshy of him,” replied the hideous small boy.

Connubiality

Some connubialities which had begun to pass between Mr. and Mrs. B.

Cool

Leaving a cool thousand to Mr. Matthew Pocket.

Crack

One of our crack speakers in the Commons.

Crib

Child, being fond of toys, cribbed the necklace.

Crisp

The snug, small room, and the crisp fire.

Croon

Here an old grandmother was crooning over a sick child, and rocking it to and fro.

The fragment of the childish hymn with which he sung and crooned himself asleep.

Cushiony

A flat and cushiony nose.

Daze

He comes out of the room in a dazed state, that is an odd though a sufficient substitute for interest.

Dead

I was tired of reading, and dead sleepy.

Dilation

A gigantic dilation of the hateful figure.

Directly

Directly he stopped, the coffin was removed.

Ditto

A spacious table in the center, and a variety of smaller dittos in the corners.

Draught

He preferred to go and sit upon the stairs, in . . . a strong draught of air, until he was again sent for.

Fadedly

A dull room fadedly furnished.

Fellow

She seemed to be a good sort of fellow.

Fetch

The very fetch and ghost of Mrs. Gamp.

Fillip

I take a glass of grog for a filip.

Find

Nothing a day and find yourself.

First

It is the intention of the person to reveal it at first hand, by way of mouth, to yourself.

Fluffy

The present Barnacle . . . had a youthful aspect, and the fluffiest little whisker, perhaps, that ever was seen.

Give

The gloomy staircase on which the grating gave.

Go

He was as ready to go in for statistics as for anything else.

This is a pretty go.

Incoming

The incomings and outgoings of the trains.

Intended

If it were not that I might appear to disparage his intended, . . . I would add that to me she seems to be throwing herself away.

Irate

Mr. Jaggers suddenly became most irate.

Kit

Prince Turveydrop then tinkled the strings of his kit with his fingers, and the young ladies stood up to dance.

Know

In other hands I have known money do good.

Lead

You remember . . . the life he used to lead his wife and daughter.

Lie

Mr. Quinion lay at our house that night.

Line

He had a healthy color in his cheeks, and his face, though lined, bore few traces of anxiety.

Luke

Nine penn'orth o'brandy and water luke.

Mews

Mr. Turveydrop's great room . . . was built out into a mews at the back.

Misfit

I saw an uneasy change in Mr. Micawber, which sat tightly on him, as if his new duties were a misfit.

Mort

There was a mort of merrymaking.

Muddle

We both grub on in a muddle.

Mumbo Jumbo

The miserable Mumbo Jumbo they paraded.

Negative

Something between an affirmative bow and a negative shake.

Objurgation

While the good lady was bestowing this objurgation on Mr. Ben Allen.

overnight

I had been telling her all that happened overnight.

Pat

It looked like a tessellated work of pats of butter.

Plant

It was n't a bad plant, that of mine, on Fikey.

Point

He points it, however, by no deviation from his straightforward manner of speech.

Pottle

He had a . . . pottle of strawberries in one hand.

Regard

In regard of its security, it had a great advantage over the bandboxes.

Rehearse

He has been rehearsed by Madame Defarge as to his having seen her.

Rumble

Kit, well wrapped, . . . was in the rumble behind.

Run

Having run his fingers through his hair.

I think of giving her a run in London.

Second

On second thoughts, gentlemen, I don't wish you had known him.

Shaver

As I have mentioned at the door to this young shaver, I am on a chase in the name of the king.

Shippon

Bessy would either do fieldwork, or attend to the cows, the shippon, or churn, or make cheese.

Shoot

There shot up against the dark sky, tall, gaunt, straggling houses.

Slam

The slam and the scowl were lost upon Sam.

Slue

They laughed, and slued themselves round.

Somnambulistic

Whether this was an intentional and waking departure, or a somnambulistic leave-taking and walking in her sleep, may remain a subject of contention.

Soppy

It [Yarmouth] looked rather spongy and soppy.

Spar

Made believe to spar at Paul with great science.

Speciality

Think of this, sir, . . . remote from the impulses of passion, and apart from the specialities -- if I may use that strong remark -- of prejudice.

Spit

It had been spitting with rain.

Spooney

There is no doubt, whatever, that I was a lackadaisical young spooney.

Squab

Punching the squab of chairs and sofas.

Squalor

To bring this sort of squalor among the upper classes.

Stertorous

The day has ebbed away, and it is night in his room, before his stertorous breathing lulls.

Stillroom

Floors are rubbed bright, . . . stillroom and kitchen cleared for action.

Sum

A large sheet of paper . . . covered with long sums.

Tedium

The tedium of his office reminded him more strongly of the willing scholar, and his thoughts were rambling.

Teetotum

The staggerings of the gentleman . . . were like those of a teetotum nearly spent.

Tell

He told her not to be frightened.

Thowel

I would sit impatiently thinking with what an unusual amount of noise the oars worked in the thowels.

Tick

When I had got all my responsibilities down upon my list, I compared each with the bill and ticked it off.

Tidy

I have tidied and tidied over and over again.

Toadeater

You had nearly imposed upon me, but you have lost your labor. You're too zealous a toadeater, and betray yourself.

Toady

Before I had been standing at the window five minutes, they somehow conveyed to me that they were all toadies and humbugs.

Touter

The prey of ring droppers, . . . duffers, touters, or any of those bloodless sharpers who are, perhaps, better known to the police.

Trio

The trio were well accustomed to act together, and were linked to each other by ties of mutual interest.

Undistinctive

As undistinctive Death will come here one day.

Veinous

The excellent old gentleman's nails are long and leaden, and his hands lean and veinous.

Weazen

They were weazen and shriveled.

Weedy

She was as weedy as in the early days of her mourning.

Where

Where did the minstrels come from?

Wizen

A little lonely, wizen, strangely clad boy.

Word

There is only one other point on which I offer a word of remark.

Worm

They . . . wormed things out of me that I had no desire to tell.