Wringer: Chapters 23–31

by Jerry Spinelli
In Waymer, boys are trained to become "wringers" (killers of pigeons) on their tenth birthdays. When Palmer adopts a stray pigeon as a pet, he must decide whether to fulfill his duty as a wringer or to challenge his town's traditions.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–12, Chapters 13–22, Chapters 23–31, Chapters 32–40

Here are links to our lists for other works by Jerry Spinelli: Maniac Magee, Milkweed, Stargirl
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. raucous
    unpleasantly loud and harsh
    Waving her arms like a conductor, she led them in a raucous “Happy Birthday” and dished out generous gobs of ice cream.
  2. spare
    save or relieve from an experience or action
    Beans, instead of being relieved that his arm was spared, said, “Let’s find him,” and trotted off after his own Treatment.
  3. prod
    urge on; cause to act
    Henry always had to be prodded to face Farquar.
  4. dilemma
    state of uncertainty in a choice between unfavorable options
    It was a dilemma: you wanted to be a year older, you did not want The Treatment, and you couldn’t have one without the other.
  5. frantic
    excessively agitated; distraught with violent emotion
    Beans seemed anxious at first, then frantic, as if not finding Farquar would condemn him to being nine forever.
  6. condemn
    compel or force into a particular state or activity
    Beans seemed anxious at first, then frantic, as if not finding Farquar would condemn him to being nine forever.
  7. tuft
    a bunch or cluster of strands, as of grass, hair, etc.
    Tufts of onion grass sprouted across the soccer field, releasing their sweet scent.
  8. register
    show in one's face
    Beans’s eyes were shining, his face excited as he accepted The Treatment. When Farquar finished, he noted Beans’s face registered no pain.
  9. reel
    walk as if unable to control one's movements
    They reeled about the room, she screaming, he laughing, and it wasn’t until they quieted down that they heard the tapping.
  10. agitated
    troubled emotionally and usually deeply
    The more agitated he became, the faster he paced.
  11. fowl
    a domesticated bird
    “Teach him to shoot fowl shots; Get it? F-O-W-L?”
  12. titter
    laugh nervously
    Dorothy tittered at her own joke.
  13. customary
    commonly used or practiced
    Palmer’s nervousness lasted until he went to sleep that night, and resumed when his alarm clock woke him up next morning with the customary nip on the earlobe.
  14. conscience
    a feeling of shame when you do something immoral
    “You want to clear your conscience.”
    “Yes.”
  15. swoon
    pass out from weakness or physical or emotional distress
    The guys were swooning. They were really impressed.
  16. resentful
    full of or marked by indignant ill will
    “My mom made me,” he told them, trying to sound resentful.
  17. sidle
    move sideways
    Beans sidled alongside, draped his arm around Palmer’s shoulders.
  18. detain
    cause to be slowed down or delayed
    As he had discovered the first day, getting into trouble could both detain him after school and boost his popularity with the guys.
  19. morsel
    a small amount of solid food; a mouthful
    They offered him morsels from their lunches.
  20. apparent
    clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
    Dorothy, for no apparent reason, started to giggle.
  21. sensation
    a state of widespread public excitement and interest
    On the last day of school, wearing his elephant mask on the walk home, the trunk hanging down to his waist, Palmer was a sensation.
  22. wallop
    hit hard
    Palmer felt walloped. He jerked to a halt. Suddenly his throat would not work. He could not speak.
  23. rasp
    speak in a harsh, grating voice
    Beans said, “What’s the matter?”
    Palmer rasped, “Nothing.”
  24. leer
    look suggestively or obliquely
    “Ain’t you coming to wringer school, Snots?” said Mutto. He was leering.
  25. stern
    serious and harsh in manner or behavior
    The man stared sternly. “Get your giggles over with now. There’ll be no giggles on the seven of August. No horsing around. Anybody that’s not all business”—he wagged his thumb—“you’re outta here. Understand?”
  26. stifled
    held in check or kept back with difficulty
    Palmer heard one stifled squeak; all else was silence.
  27. humane
    marked by concern with the alleviation of suffering
    One hand here, one hand here, and twist in opposite directions. You do it hard, you do it quick. We’re not here to torture these animals. We’re here to kill them humanely.
  28. notion
    an odd or fanciful or capricious idea
    Palmer had notions of drifting away, but Beans and Mutto were herding him their way.
  29. intently
    with strained or eager attention
    He noticed how intently the man stared into the face of each kid who stepped up and took the sock.
  30. jeer
    a mocking or contemptuous remark
    And if the man detected a wimp, what would he do? Would he cry out, “Ah-hah!” and send the kid away to the jeers of the crowd?
  31. impish
    naughtily or annoyingly playful
    When he turned back to Dorothy, he found her wearing an impish grin.
  32. devastate
    cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly
    When Palmer recalled last year’s Treatment, he could hardly believe his own memory: pride, honor, little kids lining up to touch his devastated arm.
  33. twinge
    a sudden sharp feeling
    Dusk was falling outside when a twinge of hunger sent him to the kitchen.
  34. foil
    hinder or prevent, as an effort, plan, or desire
    Foiled at Palmer’s window, they might get in other ways, other windows.
  35. trance
    a state resembling deep sleep
    When he settled down to roost, he went into a dopey trance that firecrackers could not disturb.
Created on Fri Dec 07 12:44:51 EST 2018 (updated Tue Dec 11 09:52:04 EST 2018)

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