closehanded - with close approach of hands, at close quarters
calflove - romantic attachment or affection between a boy and a girl
selfseeker - one that seeks only his own adventage or pleasure
inch - to advance by inches or small degrees
disarrange - to undo the arrangement of, to put into a state of disorder
modesty - womanly propriety of behaviour; scrupulous chastity of thought, speech, and conduct.
fumble - to use one's hands or fingers awkwardly or ineffectually; to grope about.
forte - a musical direction indicating a strong, loud tone in performance fore
bodice - an inner garment for the upper part of the body, quilted and strengthened with whalebone; a corset, stays.
billy - comrade, companion, brother
stray - to wander from the path of rectitude, to err
split - to turn evidence or informer, to peach, to give information detrimental to others, to betray confidence (Const. on or upon (a person)).
thick - excessive in some disagreeable quality; spec. Too gross, indecent, or indelicate; close in confidence and association; intimate, familiar.
Piggly Wiglly - a type of self-service store (...For the Piggly Wiggly was nothing more than a clerkless grocery store in which a customer helped himself to goods off the shelves and paid at the door as he went out.)
to make much of - to treat with marked courtesy and show of affection
bilge - nonsense, 'rubbish', 'rot' (slang.)
dither - to vacillate, to act indecisively, to waver between different opinions or courses of action.
glad - bright, shining, beautiful (obs.)
globe - a body having (accurately or approximately) the form of a sphere
raspberry - the fruit of several plants of the genus Rubus, esp. R. idæus, consisting of many small juicy grains or drupes of a subacid flavour arranged on a conical receptacle, from which the ripe fruit is easily detached unbroken.
horriferous* - bringing or inducing horror
pry - to look, esp. to look closely or curiously; to inquire into or investigate closely.
pregnant - Of words, symbolic acts, etc.: Full of meaning, highly significant; containing a hidden sense, implying more than is obvious, suggestive.
fling - a hasty, reckless, or wanton movement, a rush thing
squit - to squirt sitting
tabernacle* - a temporary place of worship
pitcher - a large vessel usually of earthenware, with a handle (or two ears) and usually a lip, for holding and pouring out liquids, a jug; the pitcher goes often to the well, but is broken at last (etc.): said of a long-continued course of success (or impunity), ending at length in failure (or punishment).
Black Watch - the 42nd Highland regiment of the British army
busybody - an officious or meddlesome person; one who is improperly busy in other people's affairs.
to jump out of the fryingpan into the fire* - to escape from one evil only to fall into a greater one; friar - In the Roman Cath. Ch.: A brother or member of one of certain religious orders founded in the 13th c. and afterwards, of which the chief were the four mendicant orders.
columnist - one who writes a 'column' in the newspaper press
epic - a story, or series of events, worthy to form the subject of an epic.
to catch, lay, take, etc., ahold of - to lay hold of, to take hold of, seize, apprehend. Also fig.
balloon - the balloon-shaped outline containing words represented in comic engravings as issuing from the mouth of a person; fig. Anything inflated, empty, and hollow.
slump - a sudden or heavy decline or falling off; a collapse
oil age - an age in which oil is used extensively, esp. as a source of power.
six and seven, sixes and sevens, etc. - originally denoting the hazard of one's whole fortune, or carelessness as to the consequences of one's actions, and in later use the creation or existence of, or neglect to remove, confusion, disorder, or disagreement.
calamity - a grievous disaster, an event or circumstance causing loss or misery; a distressing misfortune.
below par* - at a discount, at a price below the face value
newlaid - Of eggs: Newly or freshly laid
mar - something that mars or impairs, a drawback to
slack - Of pace: Slow, not smart or hurried
intoxication - the 'poisoning' of the moral or mental faculties
pig - to huddle together in a disorderly, dirty, or irregular manner
qua - in the character or role as
intervener - one who intervenes or exercises intervention; spec. in Law, one who intervenes in a suit to which he was not originally a party.
squad - a particular set or circle of people
thereinunder - after, before, below in that document, statute, etc.
subpoena* - a writ issued by chancery commanding the presence of a defendant to answer the matter alleged against him.
flummox - to bring to confusion
testificate - a writing wherein a fact is attested, a certificate; fig. Evidence, indication.
companykeeper - one who keeps company, a follower
demimonde* - the class of women of doubtful reputation and social standing, upon the outskirts of 'society' (sometimes, though improperly, extended to include courtesans in general.)
swanky, swankie - a smart, active, strapping young fellow
overture - the opening up or revelation of a matter (obs.)
collion = cullion - As a term of contempt: A base, despicable, or vile fellow; a rascal.
...Boucicault and his actress wife joined Laura Keene's theatre in 1860 and began a series of his popular Irish plays--The Colleen Bawn (1860), Arrah-na-Pogue (1864), The O'Dowd (1873), and The Shaughraun (1874).
fancier - one who has a liking for, and a critical judgement in, some class of curiosities, plants, animals, etc. Chiefly with prefixed n., as in dog-, flower-, pigeon-fancier.
lucky dog* - someone considered by others to be lucky; duff - something worthless or spurious.
dose - to add or apply a dose of something to, to administer doses to.
doctor - to take medicine, undergo medical treatment; to confer the degree or title of Doctor upon.