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Dumplin': Chapters 50-61

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 12 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

  1. fiasco
    a complete failure or collapse
    “Wait till you hear about my pageant-dress fiasco. I hope y’all are having better luck,” I say.
  2. stifle
    smother or suppress
    Amanda covers her mouth, stifling her own laughter.
  3. forge
    make a copy of with the intent to deceive
    “I forged my mother’s signature.”
  4. heckle
    challenge aggressively
    Sure, we’d been heckled a few times, but once that paper goes to print, there’s no turning back.
  5. brood
    be in a huff; be silent or sullen
    “Millie invited you over here to her home and all you’ve done since I walked in is stick your face in your phone and brood.”
  6. mauve
    of a pale to moderate grayish violet color
    Every little mauve detail matches, including the house-shaped shelf that holds spare toilet paper.
  7. stump
    cause to be perplexed or confounded
    “No, and this is where they like to stump you.”
  8. brim
    be completely full
    Her mom, with hair tall enough to hold a few family secrets, stands with eyes brimming like she might cry or something.
  9. silhouette
    an outline of a solid object as cast by its shadow
    She stands in front of the fridge, the white light turning her into a silhouette.
  10. technically
    according to the exact meaning; according to the facts
    I bet Millie’s mom isn’t too thrilled by the idea of beer in the house, so technically we’re doing Mr. and Mrs. Michalchuk a favor.
  11. sabotage
    destroy property or hinder normal operations
    “I wanted to sabotage this pageant from the inside out. That was the only reason I entered. I wouldn’t be the girl with buckteeth. I’d be that girl who ruined the whole pageant.”
  12. honcho
    a manager or person who is in charge
    She’s the head honcho. The lady calling the shots. All she has to say is yes.
  13. authenticity
    undisputed credibility
    The soles are signed in her big loopy signature, proving their authenticity.
  14. rant
    a long tirade or complaint expressed with strong emotion
    The front doorbell rings, interrupting my inner rant.
  15. norm
    a standard or model or pattern regarded as typical
    You don’t deserve to win anything or be in any pageant until you make the effort and do the work. Maybe fat girls or girls with limps or girls with big teeth don’t usually win beauty pageants. Maybe that’s not the norm. But the only way to change that is to be present. We can’t expect the same things these other girls do until we demand it.
  16. nonchalance
    the trait of remaining calm and seeming not to care
    “Her parents found out about the pageant,” she says with nonchalance.
  17. karma
    effects of one's actions that determine his or her destiny
    I don’t know that this would earn me any good karma.
  18. grueling
    characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion
    The extra day is spent in interviews and grueling dress rehearsals.
  19. tourniquet
    a bandage that stops the flow of blood by applying pressure
    His hair is always perfectly coiffed and his jeans are a smidge tighter than a tourniquet.
  20. stereotype
    a conventional or formulaic conception or image
    He is the stereotype Dr. Mendez’s Bostadelphian parents warned him about.
  21. savvy
    the ability to shrewdly understand or judge things
    She begins to scratch something down on her score sheet. “And then, once I had a nice chunk, I’d donate it to charity. Or use it to buy a holiday meal for a family in need.” Creativity? Check. Savvy? Check. Selflessness? Check.
  22. selfless
    showing concern for the welfare of others
    She begins to scratch something down on her score sheet. “And then, once I had a nice chunk, I’d donate it to charity. Or use it to buy a holiday meal for a family in need.” Creativity? Check. Savvy? Check. Selflessness? Check.
  23. shard
    a broken piece of a brittle artifact
    I think that my whole world has cracked into all these little pieces, and the only way I can go about fixing it is one shard at a time.
  24. lapel
    a fold of fabric below the collar of a coat or jacket
    She plops down in the chair next to me, and licks her thumb as she tries to rub off a barbecue stain on the lapel of her blazer.
  25. scrawl
    write carelessly
    I find my name on a piece of paper taped to a small stretch of mirror. Except over my name in black marker in all caps is DUMPLIN’. Scrawled in a hurry like someone had to say my name and couldn’t resist.
  26. smug
    marked by excessive complacency or self-satisfaction
    I’m actively trying not to look smug, but it’s not easy.
  27. foyer
    a large entrance or reception room or area
    “Let’s take this out into the foyer.”
  28. discreet
    marked by prudence or modesty and wise self-restraint
    Her mother flinches at the word, and discreetly wipes away a tear.
  29. vantage
    place or situation affording some benefit
    Standing here from this exact vantage point, my entire house feels new with possibilities.
  30. sheen
    the visual property of something that shines
    I push the plastic cover up and hold the dress out by its hem, studying the sheen of the fabric.
  31. espadrille
    a cloth sandal with a sole made of rope
    But she’s all confidence in her green two-piece and espadrilles.
  32. criterion
    the ideal in terms of which something can be judged
    Really, the criteria is simple.
  33. disqualify
    declare unfit
    “You’re disqualified,” she says.
  34. finality
    the quality of being definitely settled
    The zipper doesn’t strain nearly as much as it did the last time, but it’s just not—“Mom, this is as far as I can get it,” I say with finality.
  35. mosaic
    a pattern resembling small pieces of colored stone or glass
    Sometimes figuring out who you are means understanding that we are a mosaic of experiences.
  36. sashay
    walk with a lofty proud gait, often to impress others
    We sashay down the ramp to the front of the stage.
  37. agape
    with the mouth wide open as in wonder or awe
    My mom’s mouth hangs agape, but then curves into a faint smile.
  38. complement
    make perfect or supply what is wanting
    Her escort, Courtney, who I’m guessing is from out of town because I’ve never seen her before, wears her blond hair slicked back into a neat bun. It complements her fitted tux nicely.
  39. guffaw
    laugh boisterously
    Once Courtney’s out of earshot, Ellen guffaws and slaps Hannah on the back.
  40. profound
    showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth
    I watch the Q&A session as some girls surprise me with almost profound answers, while others stumble over their words.
Created on Mon Nov 13 10:20:39 EST 2017 (updated Tue Nov 14 16:57:48 EST 2017)

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