telegraph
A means of communication that sent messages great distances by means of coded signals over a wired grid.
dumbfounded
Astounded and amazed; flabbergasted; struck mute in confusion.
solicitude
Attentive and concerned.
simpleton
Slang term for someone not very bright; offensive term for someone suffering intellectual disabilities.
repose
A state of rest; relaxed and peaceful state of tranquility.
gondola
An open railroad car used for conveying large amount of loose bulk materials.
proprietor
The owner and operator of a store.
somnolence
Trancelike state of slumber; stupor.
contraption
A homemade invention; a gadget.
hubris
A state of excessive pride that usually prefigures events which result in a comeuppance.
wop
A derogatory term directed at Italian-Americans.
patronizingly
Treating someone in a way that is condescending; attempting to mask a sense of superiority by treating people as if they are so inferior they must depend on your charity.
vicissitudes
The effect of life’s ever-unpredictable randomness.
toady
Someone who offers flattery and grovels in expectation of reward; a sycophant.
loitering
Illegally hanging around a public space without doing anything after having been told by police to disperse.
allusion
A reference made to the past to lend a deeper significance and expansion of themes surrounding contemporary subjects.
parable
A story taking the form of a folk tale or legend that instructs with a moral lesson.
