Tortilla Curtain

TortillaCurtain Vocabulary Review

Part One Vocabulary

Incongruous • –adjective • 1.out of keeping or place; inappropriate; unbecoming: an incongruous effect; incongruous behavior. • 2.not harmonious in character; inconsonant; lacking harmony of parts • 3.inconsistent • Example: “...The rotten teeth and incongruous shock of gray in the heavy black brush of the mustache...”(3). Emily Cassio Portre Scarborough

Guttural • –adjective • 1.Of or pertaining to the throat. • 2.Harsh; throaty. • 3. Pertaining to or characterized by a sound articulated in the back of the mouth, as the non-English velar fricative sound • Example: “...It was a deep aching guttural moan that made something catch in his throat...”(7). Emily Cassio Portre Scarborough

Inscrutable • –adjective • 1.incapable of being investigated, analyzed, or scrutinized; impenetrable. • 2.not easily understood; mysterious; unfathomable. • 3.incapable of being seen through physically; physically impenetrable • Example: “A forklift had wheeled up beside him and the man driving it, his features inscrutable beneath the brim of his yellow hard hat, was gesturing to him”(12). Emily Cassio Portre Scarborough

Ubiquitous Mallory Britz Lee Ehrmann Definition: having or seem to have to ability to be everywhere at once Part of Speech: Adjective From Book: “He'd been in Los Angeles nearly two years now, and he'd never really thought about it before, but they were everywhere, these men, ubiquitous, silently going about their business, whether it be mopping up floors at McDonald's, inverting trash cans in the alley out back of Emilio's or moving purposively behind the rakes and blowers that combed the pristine lawns of Arroyo Blanco Estates twice a week.” (Boyle 12)

Interim Mallory Britz Lee Ehrmann Definition: an intervening time; interval; meantime Part of Speech: noun From Book: “She checked the address twice, three times, and then she turned round to retrace her steps and found that the streets had shuffled themselves in the interim, and she knew she was lost.” (Boyle 18)

Crucifix Mallory Britz Lee Ehrmann Definition: A cross with the figure of Jesus on it Part of Speech: noun From Book: “She was in her best dress and her crucifix hung limp at her throat.” (21)

Prescribed • To lay down, in writing or otherwise, as a rule or course of action to be followed. • Verb • “The houses were all of the Spanish Mission style, painted in one of three prescribed shades of white, with orange tile roofs”(30). Mallory Ruparel and Erin Ganley

Strident • Making or having a harsh sound; grating; creaking. • Adjective • “…and that was what people wanted-celebration not lectures, not the stridentcall to ecologic arms, not to the death knell and the weeping and gnashing of environmental teeth”(33). Mallory Ruparel and Erin Ganley

Perfidious • Deliberately faithless; treacherous; deceitful • Adjective • “…if the son of a bitch hadn’t got the better of him with a perfidious wrestling move that left him stunned and bleeding in the dirt”(52). Mallory Ruparel and Erin Ganley

Furtively Furtively -Adverb 1. sly; shifty Book Sentence: "The men were staring at her, every one of them, some openly, some furtively, their eyes ducking for cover..." (55). By: Austin Bieber and Erika Remy

Incessant Incessant -Adj. 1. Unceasing 2. Continuing without interuption Book Sentence: "...the gringos with their superior ways and their almighty dollar... the language that was like the incessant braying of a four legged beast..."(55) By: Austin Bieber and Erika Remy

Braying Braying -Verb 1. A loud harsh sound 2. Speaking loudly and harshly Book Sentence: "...the language that was like the incessant braying of a four-legged beast..." (55). By: Austin Bieber and Erika Remy

Assimilate Definition: to take in and incorporate as one's own. (Verb) Example from text: “He wanted to tell Jack that he was wrong, that everyone deserved a chance in life and that the Mexicans would assimilate just like the Poles...”(102). By: Kailyn and Vicki

Mortified Definition: To humiliate or shame, as by injury to one's pride or self- respect (Verb) Example from text: “He found America poised in front of one of the refrigerated displays, her back to him, and he felt shy suddenly, mortified, the unwanted guest sitting down at the starving man's table” (123). By: Kailyn and Vicki

Nonchalant Definition: Coolly unconcerned, indifferent, or unexcited; casual (Adjective) Example from text: “He tired to look nonchalant as he passed by the checkers and entered the vast cornucopia of the place” (123). By: Kailyn and Vicki

Part Two Vocabulary

Definition: To issue or spread out from a source Part of Speech: Verb Book example: "It was then that they heard the dog barking, a...percussive sound that seemed to be emanating from everywhere and nowhere at once" (150). Emily Bowman and Sean Mallory Emanating

Definition: Suggestive of guilty nervousness Part of Speech: adjective Book example: "Now the looks were different-all the men stared at her, some boldly, some furtively" (158). Emily Bowman and Sean Mallory Furtive

Definition: Flashing or sparkling; brilliant or striking in content or style. Part of Speech: Adjective Book example: "The cart seemed new, bright in its coat of coruscating metal, barely used" (162). Emily Bowman and Sean Mallory Coruscating

Querulous To be full of complaints, complainer Adjective “Jim Shirley was a querulous fat man, bringer of bad tidings, a paranoiac, and Delaney didn’t like him.”(188) Brittany and Cori

Vehemence Vigorous impetuosity, or sudden actions, quick thinking Noun “’I’ll say,’ Bill Vogel put in with real vehemence…”(192) Brittany and Cori

Sullied To soil, stain or tarnish Verb “..when he gave her back to them like some precious heirloom he’d borrowed and sullied”(200) Brittany and Cori

Talisman; noun • anything whose presence exercises a remarkable or powerful influence on human feelings or actions. • “Sherman Way. She held the words in her head like a talisman” (206).

Eradicate; verb To remove or destroy completely. “We cannot eradicate the coyote, nor can we fence him out, not even with eight feet of chain link, as this sad but wiser pilgrim can attest” (214).

Candor; noun • The quality of being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech. • “It was a look Delaney knew well, a California look, composed in equal parts of candor, awe and dazzlement, and it usually presaged the asking of a small favor or a tiny little loan” (226).

Earnest; adjective, noun • Serious in intention, purpose, or effort. • Seriously important. • “ He looked both earnest and hip, a jazz musician crossed with Bible salesman” (226).

Covertly Definition: Concealed, secret, disguised Word Type: Adjective "She watched them covertly, women her age and maybe a little older..."(Boyle, 250) Will Banfield & Bryan Molby

Sanctity Definition: The holiness, saintliness, and godliness of something Type of Word: Noun "But Kyra--she'd made the wall her mission, putting all her closer's zeal into to selling the thing, stuffing envelopes, making phone calls, working cheek by jowl with Jack and Erna to ensure that the sanctity of the communtity was preserved..." (Boyle, 242). Will Banfield & Bryan Molby

Formidable Definition: Discouraging or awesome strength, size, difficulty; intimidating Type of Word: Adjective "The list was formidable." (Boyle, 247) Will Banfield & Bryan Molby

Part Three Vocabulary

Midwife • Noun 1.a person trained to assist womenin childbirth.2.a person or thing that produces or aidsin producing something new or differ • “There was no doctor here, no midwife, no apartment, no hospital, electricity, water, no roof even.” (279) • Evan and Tim

Constituted • verb (used with object), -tuted, -tuting.1.to compose; form: mortar constituted of lime and sand.2.to appoint to an office or function; make or create: He was constituted treasurer.3.to establish (laws, an institution, etc.).4.to give legal form to (an assembly, court, etc.).5.to create or be tantamount to: Imports constitute a challenge to local goods.6.Archaic . to set or place. • “Delaney didn’t drink hard liquor, and the two beers he’d had at Dominic’s would have constituted his limit under normal circumstances, but he took the bottle held it to his lips and let the manufactured fire burn its way down to the deepest part of him.” (286) • Evan and Tim

Exultant • Adjective exulting; highly elated; jubilant; triumphant. • “ He felt exultant, infused with the strength and joy that made a mockery of his poverty, his hurts and wants and even the holocaust that had leapt out of his poor cook fire in the depths of the canyon.” ( 297)

Infused • verb (used with object)1.to introduce, as if by pouring; cause to penetrate; instill (usually followed by into ): The energetic new principal infused new life into theschool.2.to imbue or inspire (usually followed by with ): The new coachinfused the team with enthusiasm.3.to steep or soak (leaves, bark, roots, etc.) in a liquid so as to extract the soluble properties or ingredients.4.Obsolete . to pour in. • “ He felt exultant, infused with the strength and joy that made a mockery of his poverty, his hurts and wants and even the holocaust that had leapt out of his poor cook fire in the depths of the canyon.” ( 297) • Evan and Tim

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