THE
MODERN MILLIONAIRE
GLOSSARY
Charming
fellow: a pleasant and attractive man
Privilege: Special advantage or right
Unemployed: Not having a job
Practical: Focused on real actions, not ideas
Prosaic: Unromantic, ordinary, dull,
unimaginative
Permanent
income: Steady, regular money
Fascinating: Very interesting or attractive
Realised: Understood or accepted
Intellectually:
in terms of intelligence or thinking
Of
much importance: significant
Brilliant:
clever, intelligent
Ill-natured:
rude, bad-tempered
Crisp:
neat and fresh
Clear-cut
profile: well-defined face shape
Accomplishment:
skill or achievement
Bequeathed:
left behind (in a will)
Cavalry
sword: sword used by soldiers on horseback
Peninsular
War: a historical war involving Napoleon, Spain, Portugal, and Britain
Looking-glass:
mirror
Ruff’s
Guide: a directory or almanac
Bailey’s
Magazine: a popular magazine
Allowed:
gave regularly as money support
Stock
Exchange: place for buying and selling shares
Butterfly:
symbol of a light-hearted person
Bulls
and bears: aggressive and cautious investors
Tea-merchant:
tea seller
Pekoe
and souchong: varieties of tea
Sherry:
a type of wine
Did
not answer: did not succeed
Ultimately:
in the end
Delightful:
very pleasant
Ineffectual:
unable to achieve results
Profile:
side view of the face
Profession:
job or career
Retired
Colonel: former army officer
Digestion:
ability to process food
Adored:
loved deeply
Kiss
her shoe-strings: be extremely devoted and humble
Handsomest:
most attractive
Penny-piece:
small amount of money
Fond
of: liked
Engagement:
official promise to marry
We
will see about it: we will decide then.
Glum
– gloomy, dejected
Consolation
– comfort
Dropped
in – visited informally
Rather
– somewhat
Freckled
– having small brownish spots on the skin
Ragged
– scruffy, untidy
Master
– expert
Eagerly
sought after – in high demand
Attracted
– drawn to
Acknowledged
– accepted
Dandies
– men overly concerned with their appearance
Darlings
– charming people
Buoyant
– cheerful
Generous
– giving
Reckless
– careless
Permanent
entree – constant access
Finishing
touches – final details
Life-size
– same size as a real person.
Platform
– raised surface.
Wizened
– shrivelled
Parchment
– old, thin paper
Piteous
– heartbreaking
Coarse
– rough
Tatters
– torn pieces
Patched/cobbled
– repaired
Battered
– worn out
Alms
– charity
Velasquez
– Diego Velázquez: a Spanish painter famous for lifelike portraits
Rembrandt
– Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn: Dutch artist famous for etchings and
expressive portraits
Etching
– art made by engraving on a surface.
My
stars! – an exclamation of surprise
Chap
– man
Fortune
– source of wealth
Sitting
– posing
Divan
– a low sofa
Shilling
– former British coin (worth 1/20 of a pound)
Guinea
– old British coin worth 21 shillings (about £1.05)
Easel
– a stand for holding a canvas
Dignity
– value or worthiness
Manual
labour – physical work
Forlorn
– pitifully sad
Wretched
– very poor or unhappy
Sovereign
– a gold coin worth one pound
Coppers
– small change (coins)
Hansoms
– horse-drawn carriages (taxis of the time)
Fortnight
– two weeks
Withered
– shrunken, aged
Flitted
– passed quickly
Blushing
– turning red with shame or embarrassment
Scolding
– mild rebuke
Extravagance
– spending too much
Strolled
– walked casually
Palette
Club – a club for artists
Hock
– white wine
Seltzer
– carbonated water
By-the-bye
– by the way/ incidentally
Conquest
– someone who is impressed or charmed
Wretch
– miserable person
Heaps
– lots
Rags
– old, torn clothes
Frock-coat
– formal coat
Romance
– artistic or poetic quality
Picturesqueness
– visual charm
Realise
– depict, represent truthfully
Reform
– improve, fix
Relentless
– strict, unforgiving
Beggar:
a person who asks others for money, often poor
Sovereign:
a British gold coin worth one pound
Overdrawing:
taking out more money from a bank account than what is available
Capital:
a city that is the seat of government
Dines
off gold plate: eats meals using gold utensils and plates
Prevent
Russia going to war: he is powerful enough to stop wars
Commission:
a request/order to produce a specific artwork
Rags:
old, torn clothes
Dismay:
sudden disappointment and confusion
Roar
of laughter: loud laughter
Sulkily:
in a moody or annoyed way
Alms:
money or goods given to the poor
By
Jove: an old-fashioned expression of surprise or emphasis
Full
dress: proper, formal clothing
Duffer:
a fool or clumsy person
In
the highest spirits: very happy or cheerful
Unlucky
devil: informal way to describe someone very unfortunate
Row:
short for "Rotten Row," a fashionable riding path in London’s Hyde
Park, symbolic of high society
Philanthropic;
showing a desire to help others, especially by donating money
In
fits of laughter: laughing uncontrollably
Monsieur:
French for "Mr."
On
behalf of : representing someone
Apology:
expression of regret or saying sorry
Commissioned;
assigned or instructed someone to do a task
Sealed
envelope: envelope closed tightly, often containing something private or
important
Cheque:
a written order directing a bank to pay money
Wedding-breakfast;
a meal held after the wedding ceremony (not necessarily breakfast food)
By
Jove: old-fashioned exclamation expressing surprise or emphasis
Model
millionaire: a millionaire who is ideal in character, generous, and kind
Model
(noun): in this context, a person who poses for artists
Rare:
uncommon or unusual
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