Dumplin': Chapters 27-39

by Julie Murphy
In this hilarious and heartwarming novel, small-town girl Willowdean surprises everyone—including herself—when she enters a local pageant.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1-11, Chapters 12-26, Chapters 27-39, Chapters 40-49, Chapters 50-61
40 words 9 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. aback
    by surprise
    I’m taken aback.
  2. vehemently
    in a forceful manner
    I shake my head vehemently.
  3. savior
    a person who rescues you from harm or danger
    I’m doing this because I want to cross the line between me and the rest of the world. Not be someone’s savior.
  4. clique
    an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose
    Cliques of girls sit at round tables with white tablecloths, the same ones my mother ironed in our living room last night.
  5. cardigan
    a knitted sweater that can be fastened up the front
    All of them wear dresses. Like, Easter dresses. Precious little garden dresses with matching cardigans. While we are wearing nothing more than jeans and T-shirts.
  6. ploy
    a maneuver in a game, conversation, or situation
    “Is this some kind of ploy for attention? Are you trying to get back at me for something?”
  7. hiatus
    an interruption in the intensity or amount of something
    She goes on to explain the origins of the pageant and how it went on hiatus during World War II and again when Kennedy was assassinated.
  8. deem
    judge or regard in a particular way
    Now if you haven’t already declared your talent, you have until the first week of November to notify us. Don’t forget: the board must deem your talent appropriate.
  9. cohort
    a company of companions or supporters
    “Wonderful. I’d like to introduce you to my cohorts this year. This is Mrs. Judith Clawson, Miss Teen Blue Bonnet 1979.”
  10. drone
    talk in a monotonous voice
    My mom still droning on, I lean over and say, “That was weird, right?”
  11. blare
    make a loud noise
    Behind me a horn blares, reminding me that I am behind the wheel of a three-thousand-pound hunk of metal.
  12. matted
    tangled in a dense mass
    He pulls his cap off to reveal a matted head of hair and uses his forearm to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
  13. unruly
    unable to be governed or controlled
    I guess most people might call it autumn, but in the South it’s this unruly combination of winter-spring-summer-fall.
  14. delicacy
    something considered choice to eat
    Regardless, iced tea is a year-round delicacy.
  15. orientation
    a course introducing a new situation or environment
    “So, like they said at orientation, it’s the eighty-first anniversary of Miss Teen—”
    “Wait. What’s my strength?”
  16. congest
    become or cause to become obstructed
    The entryway of Mitch’s house is a bottleneck. Small and congested. But his mother doesn’t move.
  17. grimace
    contort the face to indicate a certain mental state
    He laughs a few beats before every joke and grimaces before every scary part and, seeing as I’ve never much liked scary movies, I can appreciate the warning.
  18. tally
    determine the sum of
    I follow Mitch to the kitchen where his mom is tallying up receipts on one of those old calculators with the receipt paper.
  19. flank
    be located at the sides of something or somebody
    Flanking her are Mrs. Clawson, in her turquoise wind suit that swishes every time she breathes, and Mallory Buckley, in her white yoga pants and petal-pink sports bra.
  20. contempt
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    I catch my mom eyeing Mallory several times with the slightest bit of contempt, and it gives me a sick satisfaction.
  21. landmark
    a prominent or well-known object in a particular place
    At the end of rehearsal, you will each be assigned a Texas landmark to plan your opening number outfit around. Everyone is asked to wear a denim skirt, plaid shirt, and cowboy boots.
  22. homage
    respectful deference
    Beyond that, you are welcome to create whatever you like in homage to your landmark. For example, if you were given our state flower, the blue bonnet, you could wear a headpiece made to look like blue bonnets.
  23. muster
    summon up, call forth, or bring together
    Now, not only do you have to muster the courage to ask a guy out in the first place, but you’ve got to do it with style.
  24. telepathic
    communicating without apparent physical signals
    It’s Friday night and I’m spread out on the couch watching a daytime talk show I’d recorded about second cousins claiming to be telepathic.
  25. crepe
    paper with a crinkled texture
    Cardboard stars and crepe streamers hang from the rafters, but they’re not enough to make me ignore the lingering body odor and forget that we’re in the gymnasium.
  26. insecurity
    the anxiety experienced when feeling vulnerable
    Like, somehow, in the midst of all of her anger, El might have revealed every little one of my secrets and insecurities.
  27. brusque
    rudely abrupt or blunt in speech or manner
    She’s brusque and odd and the opposite of everyone else I know.
  28. epitome
    a standard or typical example
    He is the epitome of southern gentleman in his creased khakis, plaid pearl-snap shirt, and brown boots.
  29. infuriate
    make extremely angry
    El’s not the type of person who can read something that’s made her cry and think it was good because it touched her. No, books or movies that make Ellen cry infuriate her.
  30. absolve
    excuse or free from blame
    The whole truth is that I needed a ride. That’s kind of horrible of me, I know. But I paid for Amanda’s gas, and her mom’s van isn’t cheap to fill up. So I’m absolved, kind of.
  31. bicker
    argue over petty things
    As we speed farther and farther away from town, I listen as Millie and Amanda bicker back and forth over some series of books they’re reading while I sit in the back with Hannah and a crumpled paper in my hand.
  32. burly
    muscular and heavily built
    The man standing at the door is a big, burly guy with a belly, but all he’s wearing is a pair of jeans and a leather vest.
  33. sultry
    attractive and suggesting hidden passion
    Over the speakers comes a low, sultry voice.
  34. vagabond
    a wanderer with no established residence or means of support
    “Tramps, vagabonds, ladies, and lords, welcome to Dolly Parton Night at the Hideaway!”
  35. iconic
    relating to a symbolic figure
    “Let’s hear it for the iconic Britney Swears!”
  36. cliche
    a trite or obvious remark
    It’s cliche, I know, but if I had to listen to one song for the rest of my life, it would be “Jolene.”
  37. formative
    capable of molding or fashioning
    “I think it’s safe to say that this has been a formative experience in my life.”
  38. saunter
    walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
    Lee Wei, the queen who sang “Jolene,” saunters out the back door.
  39. pretense
    an artful or simulated semblance
    But now that anger I’ve trained myself to feel seems false. Like a pretense of what I thought it should be.
  40. prodigal
    recklessly wasteful
    The prodigal cashier has returned.
Created on Thu Nov 09 17:08:21 EST 2017 (updated Tue Nov 14 16:38:35 EST 2017)

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