The Promised One (26 page)

Anther
Chapter 1
Miss Anther is Lucy’s biology teacher. An
anther
is part of the stamen of a flower.

Appleton
Chapter 21
Magnus Appleton is a reporter in New York – a city known as ‘the big apple.’
Magnus
is the Latin word for big and
Appleton
means appletown.

Arrumadeira
Chapter 8
. This is the Portuguese word for maid. Maria
Arrumadeira
is one of Chopper’s maids.

Babybel
Chapter 1
This is the name of a mouse who likes cheese!

Barker
Chapter 9
Barker is a lumberjack and cuts
bark
every day.

Bonaventure
Chapter 1
Bonaventure is Lucy’s surname. Saint Bonaventure (1221–74) was a mystic and philosopher who was the author of
The Life of St. Francis
.

Brown
Chapter 1
The Browns live next door to Lucy and have a dog called Jumble. William Brown, in the famous stories by Richmal Crompton, has a dog called Jumble.

Chopper
Chapter 2
Chopper runs a logging company which
chops
down trees.

Cockayne
Chapter 19
Inspector Cockayne is from the drug squad at Scotland Yard to help catch people smuggling
cocaine
.

Colarinho
Chapter 19
Captain Colarinho is one of the Brazilian policemen.
Colarinho
is a Portuguese word for a person who catches someone.

Don-Juan
Chapter 7
Don-Juan Enganador is very friendly and charming to Miss Fairfax. The original
Don Juan
was a legendary Spanish nobleman who was a famous flirt and philanderer.

Ecocidal
Chapter 2
The Ecocidal Timber Company is owned by Chopper who thought up the name. The suffix –
cide
means killing or death (eg homi
cide
, sui
cide
), so ecocidal means causing death or destruction of the environment. This is, of course, the exact opposite of the meaning the ignorant Chopper intended for the name, but happens to be a very accurate description of the activities of the company.

Enganador
Chapter 7
Don-Juan Enganador is Chopper’s ‘inside man’ who tricked Lucy into a trip to the Brazilian embassy and arranged her kidnap.
Enganador
is a Portuguese word for deceiver.

Fairfax
Chapter 7
Miss Fairfax works in an office and undoubtedly sends extremely good
faxes
.

Fetterson
Chapter 11
Inspector Fetterson is a policeman who might have to restrain criminals.
Fetters
are chains or ankle shackles similar to handcuffs.

Finnegan
Chapter 3
Mr.
Fin
negan is the director of the dolphinarium.

Fossfinder
Chapter 22
Helen and Julian Fossfinder are palaeontologists who look for
fossils
.

Furrowhead
Chapter 1
Professor Furrowhead is a brain surgeon who makes
furrows
in
heads
.

Goodward
Chapter 1
Dr. Christine Goodward works in the hospital and presumably runs a very
good ward
.

Hermes
Chapter 9
This was the name of Lucy’s pilot on her trip from Rio to Macapá.
Hermes
was the flying messenger of the gods in ancient Greece. He wore winged sandals and was the divinity who protected travellers.

Icares
Chapter 6
Domingos Icares was the pilot who crashed to his death while flying Richard across the jungle.
Icarus
was someone in Greek mythology who had wings made of wax. He flew too near to the sun, the wax melted, and he fell to his death.

Insider
Chapter 21
The Insider Dealers’ Arms is a pub
near the stock exchange. An
insider dealer
is someone who cheats on the stock market.

Jumble
Chapter 1 Jumble
is the name of William Brown’s dog in the famous stories by Richmal Crompton.

Lestrade
Chapter 11
Inspector
Lestrade
is the name of the Scotland Yard detective who appears in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Littleporkton
Chapter 1
A seaside town which must be somewhere similar to Little
ham
pton.

Melanie
Chapter 13
This is the name of Lucy’s panther. It comes from
melas
– the Greek word for dark or black.

Midasman
Chapter 21
Graeme Midasman is the director of the stock exchange, a place where everyone is trying to make more money. The Greek god Dionysius gave
Midas
, a legendary king of Phrygia, the power to turn anything he touched into gold.

Minnie
Chapter 1
The mouse whose tail was cut off by the cat-flap. In Walt Disney’s cartoons
Minnie
mouse was Mickey Mouse’s companion.

Nebuchadrezzar
Chapter 5
The correct spelling of a name usually referred to as Nebuchadnezzar.

Noholmes
Chapter 11
Detective Constable
Noholmes
is not a very good policeman. Certainly not as good as Sherlock (see under Lestrade).

O’Grady
Chapter 1
Mrs. O’Grady is Lucy’s new form teacher and should give her a good
grade
.

Paterpromise
Chapter 9
The Paterpromise is Richard,
the Promised One’s father.
Pater
is the latin word for father.

Pegasus
Chapter 1
In Greek mythology
Pegasus
is an immortal winged horse.

Pixel
Chapter 1
Dr. Andy Pixel is the radiologist who looks at Lucy’s X-ray images on a display screen. A
pixel
is one of the tiny dots that make up the picture on a visual display unit or TV monitor.

Pollard
Chapter 9
The name of the lumberjack who hurts Lucy. A lumberjack cuts down trees and to
pollard
a tree means to cut its branches in such a way as to stimulate bushy growth.

Reedwright
Chapter 4
Miss Reedwright is, of course, Lucy’s English teacher.

Sapienta
Chapter 1
St. Sapientia’s is Lucy’s new school.
Sapientia
is the Latin word for wisdom.

Sawyer
Chapter 2
Alf Sawyer is Chopper’s real name. Chopper runs a timber company and
sawyer
means one who saws timber for a living.

Shortshanks
Chapter 18
Bert Shortshanks is Chopper’s diminutive cabinmate. The shank is another word for the shin, so
shortshanks
means short legs.

Song
Chapter 2
Mr. Song has a musical voice, which is why the twins call him
Sing
Song.

Stiltskin
Chapter 21
Ronald Stiltskin works at the stock exchange where everyone is trying to make a fortune.
Rumpelstiltskin
was a fairytale dwarf who could spin straw into gold.

Stockwell
Chapter 19
Jane and James Stockwell are vets.
Stock
is the name given to animals on a farm and vets keep them
well
.

Tawkin-Tosh
Chapter 7
Teddy Tawkin-Tosh is a fool who seems to be
talking tosh
most of the time.

Verdade
Chapter 6 José Verdade is one of the few honest men in Chopper’s company.
Verdade
is the Portuguese word for truth.

Whitehead
Chapter 4
Mr Whitehead is Grandpa’s unpleasant neighbour. Lucy makes sure he lives up to his name!

Wildersage
Chapter 21
Professor Wildersage is an expert on abnormal animal behaviour. Abnormal animals may exhibit
wilder
behaviour than usual and a
sage
is a wise person 

abbreviation
n
. a shortened word or phrase

abduction
n
. the removal of someone by force; kidnap

abruptly
adv
. suddenly; unexpectedly

abyss
n
. a very deep cleft in the ground; a gorge; a chasm

adamant
adj
. determined; having an unshakeable opinion about something; impervious to pleas

adjacent
adj
. next to; near; adjoining

adversary
n
. an opponent or enemy

aeon
n
. an unimaginably long period of time

affront
v
. to insult; to offend; to upset the dignity of

afoot
adj
. in operation; happening at that time

aggressive
adj
. hostile; quarrelsome; belligerent

agility
n
. speed and skill in movement; nimbleness

agitated
adj
. excited; disturbed

agog
adj
. very curious; intensely attentive

allocate
v
. to give to; to assign; to allot

all-pervasive
adj
. spreading everywhere

ambitious
adj
. Chapter 12: requiring extraordinary effort. Chapter 21: having a strong desire for success or power

ambush
n
. a trap, usually involving people waiting in hiding to catch or attack others

amnesty
n
. general pardon

anaesthesia
n
. the state of unconsciousness produced by medical drugs during a surgical operation

anarchy
n
. a state of lawlessness; disorder; chaos

anguish
n
. severe pain; misery; intense grief

anonymous
adj
. from or by an unknown person

anticipate
v
. to expect or foresee

apprehensive
adj
. anxious; fearful

arboreal
adj
. to do with trees

archaic
adj
. out of date; old-fashioned; ancient; antiquated

askance
adv
. (to look) with disapproval, doubt or mistrust

askew
adj
. tilted to one side; awry

assemble
v
. to gather together

astute
adj
. clever; shrewd; perceptive

asunder
adv
. apart; in pieces. In Chapter 13
rend asunder
means tear apart

attain
v
. to achieve; to reach; to accomplish

automatically
adv
. without conscious effort

awesome
adj
. very impressive; amazing; outstanding

axis
n
. a reference line used to describe the location of a point or object

babble
n
. chatter; incoherent or meaningless speech

backfire
v
. to emit a loud noise from the exhaust system (usually of a car) as a result of the sudden explosion of unburnt gases from the engine

bank
v
. (of an aircraft) to tilt to one side while making a turn in the air

barrel
n
. the metal tube in a firearm from which the bullet or projectile emerges

beacon
n
. Chapters 1, 9: a signal; a shining light.

Chapters 6, 12, 14: a large fire built to act as a signal or attract attention

bear market
n
. a stock exchange term for a financial market in which prices are falling (see
bull
market)

berserk
adj
. in a violent rage or frenzy

bewildered
adj
. confused; puzzled

bid
v
. to order; to decree; to command

bile
n
. a bitter, yellow-green digestive juice produced by the liver

bitch
n
. a female dog or other canine animal. The word is also used (as in Chapter 10) as a slang term of abuse for a female person meaning she is spiteful or malicious

bizarre
adj
. very unusual; odd; extraordinary

blab
v
. to give away a secret (in speech)

blabbermouth
n
. one who talks too much, especially indiscreetly

bleary
adj
. blurred; dim; unclear

bleeding-heart
adj
. or n
. (slang) an excessively sentimental or soft-hearted person

blighter
n
. an old-fashioned slang word meaning an annoying or irritating person or thing

bloody
adj
. (slang; swearword) a strong imprecation used to lend particular emphasis to a phrase or statement

blubber
n
. a thick layer of insulating fat under the skin of whales and similar aquatic creatures

blunder
v
. to stumble in a clumsy fashion

BMW
n
.
Bayerische Motoren Werke
. Bavarian Motor Works – a famous German car company

bole
n
. the trunk of a tree

boss
n
. (informal) the person in charge; the employer; the manager or the supervisor

bozo
n
. a stupid man

brainwave
n
. a sudden good idea; an inspiration

breach
v
. to make an opening in; to break through

brolly
n
. an umbrella

Bua noite
Portuguese
Good night

buck
v
. to move with jerks and jolts

budge
v
. to move; to shift

buffet
v
. to knock about; to batter

bulk
n
. size or volume (especially when large or massive)

bull market
n
. a stock exchange term for a financial market in which prices are rising (see
bear
market)

buttock
n
. one of the two fleshy masses that form the rump or bottom

cache
n
. a hidden store

cacophony
n
. an unpleasant mixture of different sounds or notes

calamitous
adj
. disastrous

canopy
n
. Chapters 6, 15, 17, 19: the highest general level of foliage in a forest, formed by the crowns of trees and penetrated by only the tallest trees

Chapters 6, 13: an awning or roof-like covering

capacity
n
. ability; power

captor
n
. one who captures and holds another captive

caravan
n
. a group travelling together

carcass
n
. a dead body

carnage
n
. slaughter; massacre

cataclysm
n
. a violent geological upheaval

catapult
v
. to shoot out of something

catastrophic
adj
. disastrous; calamitous

cautiously
adv
. with great care; warily

cavort
v
. to jump around; to caper; to prance

chamberpot
n
. a pot used as a toilet, usually in a bedroom

chasm
n
. a very deep split or cleft in the ground

cherish
v
. to love tenderly; to hold dear

cicada
n
. an insect famous in hot countries for its ‘song’ which is really a loud, continuous clicking noise produced by a pair of drum-like organs in the abdomen

circumvent
v
. to go around; to bypass

civil servant
n
. one who works in a government office; a state administrator

clever-clogs
n
. a know-all; someone who thinks they are very clever and knowing

clobber
v
. (slang) to beat; to batter; to destroy or eradicate

cluster
v
. to gather round in a close group

coarse
adj
. Chapter 9: vulgar; indelicate; ribald; Chapter 18: rough; unrefined

cock-and-bull story
n
. a made-up story; an untrue tale

cockpit
n
. the pilot’s compartment in an aircraft

coincidence
n
. the simultaneous chance occurrence of events that are apparently connected

combination
n
. a grouping or alliance. In Chapter 15 it means the union or integration of different bodily movements

commissionaire
n
. a uniformed doorman

committal
n
. usually, the act of burying or cremating a body. In Chapter 6, Richard can only leave the body in the plane

commune
v
. to communicate closely

composure
n
. a calm state; tranquillity; serenity

comprehension
n
. understanding

confide
v
. to share a secret with

confidential
adj
. secret; private

confirmation
n
. proof; verification

confluence
n
. a point where rivers meet and merge

congregate
v
. to come together as a crowd or group; to assemble

conscientious
adj
. taking great care; painstaking; diligent

consignment
n
. a package of goods

console
v
. to comfort

conspirator
n
. one who plots in secret with another or others

consternation
n
. worry; concern; anxiety

consummate
adj
. supremely skilled; outstandingly accomplished

contemplate
v
. to think about intently; to consider

contribution
n
. something given to a cause

convalescence
n
. a period of recovery from illness

convert
v
. to change the appearance or function of something; to transform

co-ordinate
n
. Chapter 12: one of a set of numbers or values that define an exact location

v
. Chapters 7, 20: to organize; to integrate different elements; to harmonize

copse
n
. a small wood or thicket

coral
n
. a rocklike substance formed from the skeletons of certain sea animals, often beautifully shaped

corrupt
v
. to have a bad influence on; to make rotten; to deprave

courteously
adv
. politely

cower
v
. to crouch in fear; to shrink away from

cram
in
v
. to squash in

crank
n
. an odd person; one with eccentric or idiosyncratic views

credential
n
. something giving a person status or authority; an entitlement

Cretaceous period
n
. the last period of the Mesozoic era, between the Jurassic and Tertiary periods, 144–65 million years ago

crevice
n
. a crack; a fissure; a cleft

croak
v
. (slang) to die

crustacean
n
. one of a class of animals having a carapace or shell

culprit
n
. one who is guilty; the perpetrator of a (specific) crime

cumulate
v
. to heap up; to add together

cumulated
adj
. built up over time; added up

dappled
adj
. marked with spots or patches

daunting
adj
. frightening; disheartening; intimidating

declining
adj
. getting smaller; reducing; diminishing

degradation
n
. being reduced to a bad state

deity
n
. a god or goddess; a god-like being

delirious
adj
. in a state of mental confusion, which can be caused by a high fever

demolish
v
. to destroy completely

denizen
n
. a person or animal living in a place; an inhabitant; a resident

desolate
adj
. deserted; uninhabited

destiny
n
. the fate determined for a person or thing; their future or fortune

detachment
n
. a separate party; a group or unit

detonator
n
. a device for setting off an explosive charge

devastate
v
. to destroy utterly; to lay waste

dextrous
adj
. physically skilful, especially with the hands

dialect
n
. a form of speech used in a particular geographical area, or by a particular group or social class

diminutive
adj
. small; tiny

discern
v
. to see; to perceive

discreet
adj
. tactful; behaving so as to avoid embarrassment

disfigurement
n
. something that spoils or defaces

disillusion
v
. to change someone’s falsely hopeful ideas; to reveal the truth to someone

disintegrate
v
. to fall apart; to break up; to shatter

dismantle
v
. to take apart

dismissive
adj
. uninterested; not bothered with

displace
v
. to move out of position; to replace; to supplant

disrupt
v
. to break apart; to split; to shatter

distracted
adj
. confused; attention taken away by something

diversity
n
. the quality or state of being varied or different

divert
v
. to change the direction of someone or something; to turn aside. In Chapter 1 Clare
diverts
her mother so as to distract her attention from Lucy