Skink—No Surrender: Chapters 12–16

by Carl Hiaasen
Middle schooler Richard Sloan teams up with an ex-governor-turned-environmentalist-hermit he meets on a Florida beach to find his runaway cousin Malley.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–11, Chapters 12–16, Chapters 17–20, Chapters 21–24
40 words 10 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. cardinal
    crested North American songbird having bright red plumage
    I closed the book and took note of what was visible in the woods—warblers, sparrows, mockingbirds, a lone crow, redwing blackbirds, a pair of cardinals.
  2. deluge
    a heavy rain
    Unfortunately, the water had risen so high that in some places I had to hike inland to stay on dry land.
    Which wasn’t that dry, thanks to the overnight deluge.
  3. wisp
    a thin tuft, piece, or amount of something
    There wasn’t a wisp of a breeze.
  4. barge
    a flatbottom boat for carrying heavy loads
    His boat was slow and low-riding, about twenty feet long with a squared-off bow. A small barge, really.
  5. flushed
    reddened as if with blood from emotion or exertion
    His balding scalp looked sunburned, his chubby face flushed from heat and hard labor.
  6. throttle
    a valve that regulates the supply of fuel to the engine
    “Hold on tight,” he said, and banged the throttle forward with a bare knuckle.
  7. slog
    walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
    Being heavy, the barge couldn’t go very fast, but I didn’t mind. It beat slogging on foot through the marsh and the vines.
  8. decal
    a design that can be transferred from paper to some surface
    Part of the Evinrude decal had peeled off so that only the “rude” was left.
  9. gunwale
    a plank or ridge at the top of the side of a boat
    Balancing on the gunwale, he jabbed the barrel of his .22 through one of the houseboat’s windows and pulled down the sheet.
  10. acrid
    strong and sharp, as a taste or smell
    The air was an acrid mix of mold and gas fumes.
  11. poised
    marked by balance or equilibrium and readiness for action
    He was poised to strike, holding the hatchet high.
  12. skulk
    move stealthily
    He skulked over to the steering console and unlocked her.
  13. dorsal
    on or near the back of an animal or organ
    The dorsal spine of the catfish had gored the palm of Tommy’s right hand and was poking through the other side like a knitting needle.
  14. writhing
    moving in a twisting or snake-like or wormlike fashion
    Dark red streams ran down Tommy’s right arm while the catfish dangled there writhing.
  15. bail
    secure the release of (someone) by providing security
    “My folks bailed me out, right? But I didn’t want to stick around for a trial. The judge knew me from other times. He was not a fan.”
  16. fiasco
    a complete failure or collapse
    After the catfish fiasco he wasn’t keen on trying again.
  17. reel
    wind onto or off a revolving spool
    I began casting and reeling in, making a clockwise sweep of the open water behind the houseboat.
  18. venture
    proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers
    We were outside on the rear deck of the houseboat, Tommy scanning the river in case another boat ventured too close.
  19. freelance
    working for yourself
    “Ain’t no freelance DJs on the country scene. The music’s all right, but, like, there’s no party work.”
  20. mange
    a skin disease causing inflammation, itching, and hair loss
    Tommy said, “What about mange? Like when a dog gets scabby all over.”
  21. botch
    make a mess of, destroy, or ruin
    With no strain Tommy shook free of my grasp, and at that point I assumed I had only seconds to live—not enough time to tell my cousin how sorry I was for botching the rescue.
  22. welt
    a raised mark on the skin
    He was shoeless, shirtless and bareheaded, so the damage was on full display—seeping tooth wounds in his neck, a partial bite imprint on one shoulder, a grid of vivid welts on his chest that matched the armored ridges of the reptile’s tail.
  23. demented
    affected with madness or insanity
    He had emerged from the river sopping and crowned with slimy hydrilla weeds that made him look like some sort of demented sea monarch.
  24. sprig
    ornament made of or resembling a spray of leaves or flowers
    Among the sprigs of his beard dangled moist purplish leeches, several of which had attached to his hide-like cheeks.
  25. afflicted
    grievously affected especially by disease
    “The only acceptable excuse would be a brain injury. Are you afflicted in such a way?”
  26. turmoil
    a violent disturbance
    With all the turmoil aboard, none of us had noticed the wall of weather rolling in.
  27. scrutinize
    look at critically or searchingly, or in minute detail
    Malley sat cross-legged on the floor, scrutinizing the old man with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.
  28. prompt
    performed with little or no delay
    “In any case, I’d appreciate the prompt return of my vessel. Please.”
  29. mutiny
    open rebellion against constituted authority
    After our tussle on the deck, I’m sure he believed that his revolver was the only thing between him and a mutiny.
  30. gripe
    complain
    She opened the lid and started kicking stuff around, griping the whole time.
  31. sullenly
    in a manner showing a brooding ill humor
    “I’m good,” he said sullenly.
    “Are not. Let me feel your forehead.”
  32. tang
    a pungent and distinctive odor
    My ears rang, and I smelled the tang of gunpowder.
  33. frazzle
    exhaust physically or emotionally
    Tommy was completely frazzled. He was trying his hardest to scare a man who couldn’t be scared.
  34. devise
    come up with after a mental effort
    The lawyer for the shooter said he had severe emotional problems (which was, like, no kidding), but in my mind that didn’t account for how and why he devised a plan so awful and coldblooded.
  35. mull
    reflect deeply on a subject
    And I remember Dad mulling my question for a few moments before saying that true evil was rare, but, yes, it was real.
  36. insinuation
    an indirect (and usually malicious) implication
    Tommy didn’t care for the insinuation that he was some kind of stalker.
  37. quail
    a small game bird
    “Old enough to know a blue heron isn’t a game bird, right? Meaning it’s against the law to kill one. A duck or a bobwhite quail—that’s different. But there’s no hunting season on herons.”
  38. sleazy
    morally degraded
    The governor was hung up on the bird that Tommy almost shot. I sensed that he put Tommy in the same sleazy category as Dodge Olney, the turtle-egg poacher.
  39. snipe
    attack in speech or writing
    “The only DJs I ever heard were on the radio,” he said.
    “You mean, like, when, back in the Stone Age?” Tommy sniped.
  40. croon
    sing softly
    Skink began to croon the heart-of-gold song.
Created on Fri Sep 30 13:40:22 EDT 2022 (updated Wed Aug 30 09:32:47 EDT 2023)

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