Horatio Bottomley (p. 11)
an English newspaper man and member of the Parliament; he was revealed as a swindler in 1922.
Lloyd George (p. 11)
a British Liberal politician who was a key figure in founding the welfare state in Britain.
pit-bank (p. 13)
a pile of excess earth leftover from an excavation process.
collier (p. 14)
a coal miner.
rector (p. 14)
member of a clergy, in charge of a parish.
minutiae (p. 18)
small details of something.
Bond Street (p. 21)
a street in London known for its shopping.
unscrupulousness (p. 27)
having no regard for what is right.
chuffed (p. 41)
very pleased.
denuded (p. 42)
to strip something of its covering; to make bare.
niggardliness (p. 69)
stinginess; hating to spend money.
equanimity (p. 207)
mental calmness and composure; poise.
pontoon
card game popular among soldiers; today known as "Twenty-One."
turgidity (p. 120)
swollenness
cinquecento (p. 147)
style of art during the Renaissance in Italy around the 16th century; short for '1500'.
baronet
inheritor of a baronetcy; an aristocratic title bestowed by the Crown of England.
Doncaster races, and the Derby (p. 104)
English horse-races - The Derby at Epsom, and St. Leger at Doncaster.
Persepolis and Timbuctoo (p. 200)
Persepolis was the ancient capital of Persia and was destroyed by Alexander the Great; Timbuktu was an ancient African city located at the edge of the Sahara.
flaneur (p. 255)
a person who strolls around leisurely.
kittiwake (p. 266)
a bird that goes underwater to catch its prey.
'lost a shilling and found sixpence' (p. 9)
a popular saying that indicates disappointment.
arriviste
a go-getter; someone determined to succeed.
