Bluest Eye

Bluest Eye Glossary

cod-liver oil

a type of fish oil supplement, linked to many health benefits, including reduced inflammation and lower blood pressure

slag

stony waste matter separated from metals during the smelting or refining of ore

phlegm

a liquid secreted by the mucous membranes of mammals, produced by the respiratory system

Alaga syrup

a southern brand of cane syrup, used in cooking

soliloquy

an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play

chagrin

distress or embarrassment at having failed or been humiliated

Pels Naphtha

an old-school bar laundry soap used as a stain remover

foists

to impose an unwelcome or unnecessary person or thing onto someone else

malaise

an overall feeling of discomfort and lack of well-being

stultifying

to cause a loss of enthusiasm and initiative, especially as a result of a tedious or restrictive routine

dirge

a lament for the dead, especially one forming part of a funeral rite

babushkas

a headscarf tied under the chin, typical of those worn by Polish and Russian women

harridan

a strict, bossy, or belligerent old woman

ameliorating

to make something that was bad or unsatisfactory better

jaundiced

having or affected by jaundice, in particular unnaturally yellow in complexion

high-yellow

an offensive slang word denoting a black person with a very light complexion

derange

to cause (someone) to become insane

fastidious

very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail

moult

to shed old feathers, hair, or skin, or an old shell, to make way for a new growth

epithets

an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned

placidly

to be pleasantly calm or peaceful

guileless

devoid of guile; innocent and without deception

surreptitiously

in a way that attempts to avoid notice or attention; secretively

drear

to be dull, bleak, and lifeless; depressing

slovenliness

the quality of being untidy in dress or appearance

asafetida

a spice used as a digestive aid, in food as a condiment or seasoning, and in pickling

infallibility

the quality of being infallible; the inability to be wrong

threnody

a lament

strophe and antistrophe

the first and second section of an ancient Greek choral ode or of one division of it; the two major elements of the ode, a type of lyric poetry

bereaved

deprived of a close relation or friend through their death

bilious

1. affected by or associated with nausea or vomiting

2. spiteful; bad-tempered

misanthrope

a person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society

asceticism

severe self-discipline and avoidance of all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons

indolent

wanting to avoid activity or exertion; lazy

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