English From The Handmaid's Tale

English vocabulary from The Handmaid's Tale of Margaret Atwood.

27 flashcards · English · by lakesare

Name 2 names of these flowers:
Narcissuses Daffodils
Like me, they listen at doors, no doubt, and see things even with their eyes averted.
Turn away (one's eyes or thoughts) Prevent or ward off (an undesirable occurrence) Comes from Latin roots that mean "to turn away from."
The French names on the streets and the quaint old houses invite exploration into the history.
Attractively old-fashioned
Vending machines make it easy to avoid surly service at mom-and-pop convenience stores.
Bad-tempered and unfriendly.
This is a cattle prod.
A pointed implement, typically one discharging an electric current.
As a journalist, when you pull at a dangling thread and see three more threads come free it's hard to resist pulling on those too.
Hanging or swinging loosely.
There was Coach Murray, a short, stubby woman with a blonde pixie cut and a dimpled smile.
Short and thick.
The sentries were on duty but no one came through the gate.
A soldier stationed to keep guard or to control access to a place.
They were kept behind barbed wire fences.
She was a very pious woman who despised anything that was not Christian.
Devoutly religious.
Several hours after the crash, the building still was smouldering, with black smoke hanging in the air.
Burn slowly with smoke but no flame.
The tea scalded his tongue.
Injure with very hot liquid or steam.
Be especially aware of strangers loitering around ATMs this time of year.
Stand or wait around without apparent purpose.
Generally, those of the lower orders abased themselves through prostration in front of those who outranked them.
Behave in a way that belittles or degrades (someone)
Far from being arrogant, today's doctors are diffident and afflicted by insecurity and self-doubt.
Modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence.
Twelve months of fencing with McLaren had taken a toll on his nerves.
Conduct a discussion or argument in an evasive way.
Her smile faltered and then faded.
Lose strength or momentum. Speak hesitantly.
The man caught it with a deft flick of his hand and pocketed it silently.
Neatly skilful and quick in one's movements.
The 27-year-old grew up in bleak times for Scottish sport, when there was neither the political will nor the financial support to nurture precocious talent.
(of a child) having developed certain abilities or inclinations at an earlier age than is usual or expected.
The book is a hefty volume of 549 pages, which is pretty massive, especially for an opening book.
Large and heavy. (of a number or amount) impressively large.
It brings out deeply hidden atavistic instincts buried deep within you and you begin to prowl in search of prey.
Move about restlessly and stealthily, especially in search of prey.
She holds my stare in the glass, level, unwavering. Now it's hard to look away.
Steady or resolute.
Within the Christian tradition it has generally been believed that the Grail was the actual chalice used by Christ at the Last Supper.
A large cup or goblet.
Outside woman, they used to be called, in some countries. It's my job to provide what's otherwise lacking. Even the Scrabble. It's an absurd as well as ignominious position.
Deserving or causing public disgrace or shame.
How ironic that we train our children first to be good, social human beings, only to later demand that they act like acquisitive, productivist, hardhearted machines.
Excessively interested in acquiring money or material things.
This way you're able to survive and get a variety of loot off enemy ships.
Private property taken from an enemy in war.
Where do they get the authority and encouragement to practise their childish insolence and contempt of our leaders?
Rude and disrespectful behaviour.