Absolutely Normal Chaos: List 5

by Sharon Creech
In this prequel to Walk Two Moons, thirteen-year-old Mary Lou Finney documents an eventful summer.

This list covers Saturday, July 28–Wednesday, September 5.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5

Here are links to our lists for other books by Sharon Creech: Walk Two Moons, Ruby Holler, The Unfinished Angel
30 words 87 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. swerve
    turn sharply; change direction abruptly
    He speeds along at about ninety miles an hour and swerves around cars to pass them and never uses his turn signals and he hates to stop.
  2. engrossed
    giving or marked by complete attention to
    We didn’t talk hardly at all, thank goodness. I brought along the Odyssey and pretended to be engrossed in that.
  3. reception
    the manner in which something is greeted
    At first I thought it was kind of nice, such a great reception and all, but then when we got out of the car, everyone jumped all over Carl Ray and started hugging him and messing his hair, and I realized they weren’t at all excited to see me.
  4. soberly
    in a serious or subdued manner
    Then Carl Ray said, “Hey,” and Uncle Carl Joe nodded, very soberly, and everybody started crowding around the table.
  5. suburb
    a residential district located on the outskirts of a city
    Easton is just a little suburb; it’s about ten miles from a big city.
  6. flail
    thrash about
    Well, we were having a great time. I thought I was in a magical place. But all of a sudden, Lee Bob yells “Snapper!” and everybody starts flailing around trying to get to shore.
  7. scramble
    climb awkwardly, as if by rushing hastily
    They were all yelling at me to get out and hurry up and, boy oh boy, I scrambled out so fast.
  8. mite
    a slight but appreciable amount
    Aunt Radene said she was feeling “a mite better,” but she didn’t look well at all.
  9. abide
    put up with something or somebody unpleasant
    “Well,” she said, “I’m gonna ask you something strange, and if’n you’d rather not do what I’m gonna ask you, you just tell me straight on out and I’ll abide by that. But if’n you’ll do what I ask, I’d be beholden, Mary Lou Finney.”
  10. beholden
    under a moral obligation to someone
    “Well,” she said, “I’m gonna ask you something strange, and if’n you’d rather not do what I’m gonna ask you, you just tell me straight on out and I’ll abide by that. But if’n you’ll do what I ask, I’d be beholden, Mary Lou Finney.”
  11. gruesome
    shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
    Oh, the noises Arvie Joe can make! He imitates the head calling for the body: “Ohhhhhh, bod-eeeee, where are youuuu?” He makes the head sound real sorrowful and gruesome, just the way a head might sound, I guess, if it was looking for its body.
  12. char
    burn to charcoal
    He pointed to some charred logs on the ground in front of the doorway. “That’s recent,” he whispered.
  13. remedy
    a medicine or therapy that cures disease or relieves pain
    She said she had a remedy. Do you know what she poured in my ear? Olive oil!
  14. gnash
    grind together
    I felt my teeth gnashing together.
  15. expire
    pass from physical life
    I called and called his house all day and was just about to expire from despair because no one was home, no answer, no nothing.
  16. despair
    a state in which all hope is lost or absent
    I called and called his house all day and was just about to expire from despair because no one was home, no answer, no nothing.
  17. premonition
    an early warning about a future event
    Later, Carl Ray said that he only just learned from Mr. Biggers that when Mr. Furtz heard that he had to go into the hospital, he was afraid that he was going to die. He had a premonition.
  18. bawl
    cry loudly
    Well, I started bawling like mad, and Carl Ray had to pat me on the shoulder.
  19. lure
    something used to entice fish or other animals
    Then Alex said, “Want to go see my fishing lures?”
    The funny thing is Alex really does have a collection of fishing lures.
  20. tacky
    tastelessly showy
    She saw him at the A&P. He was with a “tacky” girl in a “tacky” pink sweater and a “tacky” pair of slacks.
  21. dreary
    lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise
    Oh, dreary day. Raining and pouring outside.
  22. revelation
    an enlightening or astonishing disclosure
    I was sort of sorry it was over, to tell you the truth. No more rosy-fingered Dawn and swooping Athene and one-eyed monsters and disguises and revelations.
  23. casual
    without or seeming to be without plan or method; offhand
    At dinner tonight, Carl Ray casually mentioned that Mrs. Furtz had asked him if he would like to live with them.
  24. mannequin
    a life-size dummy used to display clothes
    It’s filled with all kinds of amazing stuff: old wooden skis, pogo sticks, a five-foot-high stuffed bear, a cardboard igloo, two mannequins (man and woman), a box of wigs, a fake palm tree, a parachute, a framed picture of a groundhog, a collection of mounted eels, a tuba, and on and on and on.
  25. mount
    fix onto a backing, setting, or support
    It’s filled with all kinds of amazing stuff: old wooden skis, pogo sticks, a five-foot-high stuffed bear, a cardboard igloo, two mannequins (man and woman), a box of wigs, a fake palm tree, a parachute, a framed picture of a groundhog, a collection of mounted eels, a tuba, and on and on and on.
  26. telegram
    message sent by a device that communicates over a wire
    Dad sent a telegram to Aunt Radene.
  27. mortal
    subject to death
    Once my father told me that bad things happen sometimes to remind us we are mortal and to remind us to appreciate people more.
  28. shrivel
    wither, as with a loss of moisture
    And even though I didn’t know I thought this, I said, “Well, of course not! That’s just the way it is. If you didn’t let yourself like people, you’d shrivel up.”
  29. hobble
    walk unevenly due to pain, injury, or weakness
    Carl Ray is hobbling all around the hospital already.
  30. outgoing
    at ease in talking to others
    I think he’s becoming more outgoing.
Created on Sun Jun 30 09:30:40 EDT 2019 (updated Tue Aug 06 14:02:22 EDT 2019)

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