self-effacing
not claiming attention for oneself; retiring and modest
catechism
a summary of the principles of Christian religion in the form of questions and answers, used for the instruction of Christians
pabulum
bland or insipid intellectual fare or entertainment
unmalleable
difficult or impossible to shape or work with
gabble
to talk rapidly and unintelligibly; to utter meaningless sounds
gulled
to fool or deceive someone
amplitude
breadth, range, or magnitude
chaste
not having any sexual nature or intention
subsided
to become less intense, violent, or severe
prosaic
having the style or diction of prose; lacking poetic beauty; to be commonplace
hollyhocks
a tall Eurasian plant of the mallow family, widely cultivated for its large showy flowers
affable
friendly, good-natured, or easy to talk to
taciturn
reserved or uncommunicative in speech; to say very little
perturbation
anxiety; mental uneasiness
squaws
a derogatory term for Native American women
dungarees
pants made of blue demin; blue jeans
censorious
to be severely critical of others
flatlander
a derogatory slang word for a person who lives at low altitude (often used by those living at higher altitudes)
scoria
a dark-colored igneous rock with abundant round bubble-like cavities known as vesicles
disparage
to express the opinion that something is of little worth
ostentation
a pretentious and vulgar display, especially of wealth and luxury, intended to impress or attract notice
whist
a card game, usually for two pairs of players, in which points are scored according to the number of tricks won
jowls
the lower part of a person's or animal's cheek, especially when it is fleshy or drooping
browbeat
to intimidate someone, typically into doing something, with stern or abusive words
bursitis
inflammation of a bursa, typically one in the knee, elbow or shoulder.
castanets
small concave pieces of wood, ivory, or plastic, joined in pairs by a cord and clicked together by the fingers as a rhythmic accompaniment to Spanish dancing
derringer
a small pistol that has a large bore and is very effective at close range
repose
a state of rest, sleep, or tranquility
rimrock
an outcrop of resistant rock forming a margin to a gravel deposit, especially one forming a cliff at the edge of a plateau
butte
an isolated hill with steep sides and a flat top
kleptomaniac
someone who is unable to refrain from the urge for stealing items and who usually does it for reasons other than personal use or financial gain
scalped
the act of cutting or tearing a part of the human scalp, with hair attached, from the head
joists
a length of timber or steel supporting part of the structure of a building, typically arranged in parallel series to support a floor or ceiling
hapless
to be unfortunate or unlucky
