Honestly Elliott: Part Four

by Gillian McDunn
Faced with uncomfortable changes in his life, sixth grader Elliott Quigley Sawyer knows that the best thing for him to focus on is cooking.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four
30 words 16 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. exhaust
    system through which burned gases or steam are discharged
    The kitchen is enormous—even bigger than Dad and Kate’s. It’s got an island that seats eight, double ovens, and two sinks—but I can’t take my eyes off the gleaming professional range with a giant exhaust hood.
  2. consult
    seek information from
    “I have an idea for the piecrust.”
    This makes her smile. “Is it an idea, or did you actually consult a recipe?”
  3. cope
    come to terms with
    In a million years, no one would suggest breaking a window as a coping strategy. So therapy is probably a good idea.
  4. efficient
    being effective without wasting time, effort, or expense
    Maribel is quick and efficient, loading dishes in a fraction of the time it would take me to do it.
  5. slug
    a land-dwelling mollusk with no external shell
    She’s horrified. She looks exactly like I would look if someone added some fat, juicy slugs on top of my Legendary Snack Bowl.
  6. mulch
    small pieces of organic material spread on soil
    In a way, it reminds me of being a little kid visiting the playground with the rocket slide. Every time it seemed like a piece of mulch would find its way inside my shoe.
  7. tentative
    hesitant or lacking confidence; unsettled in mind or opinion
    Dad’s voice sounded so tentative—probably because we aren’t used to talking about feelings.
  8. sheepish
    showing a sense of shame
    Then Dad looks sheepish. “I didn’t think about it that way before. You’re right, Elliott.”
  9. clarify
    make clear and comprehensible
    “I can’t promise you the game,” Dad clarifies. “But I’m going to consider it. And if this is the one thing that you want, well, your mom and I should take that seriously.”
  10. margin
    the net sales minus the cost of goods and services sold
    Victor and Drew are deep in a conversation about profit margins, which is the difference between how much something costs to make and how much you sell it for.
  11. logistics
    supplying an operation with labor and materials as needed
    We’ve been so excited to find a recipe and make them, we really hadn’t thought about the logistics of people buying them.
  12. grate
    reduce to shreds by rubbing against a perforated surface
    When the pies come out, we grate fresh nutmeg on top.
  13. splurge
    any act of immoderate indulgence
    I found that idea in a recipe online, and it turned out to be the perfect thing—a bit of a splurge, but it adds a just-right amount of sharpness to what might be an almost too-sweet pie.
  14. replenish
    fill something that had previously been emptied
    “We’ll pick you up early, and we’ll have a couple boxes of pies,” she reminds me. “And then later on in the morning, my parents will bring more pies to replenish the ones we will have hopefully sold by then.”
  15. groggy
    stunned or confused and slow to react
    “Elliott?” Kate’s voice sounds groggy.
  16. alternate
    go back and forth
    We sit together, and I alternate between staring out the window and watching the other people in the waiting room.
  17. coordinate
    bring into common action, movement, or condition
    We didn’t even think about coordinating our clothes.
  18. flashy
    tastelessly showy
    It may not be as flashy as Parker’s sign, but it does the job.
  19. trickle
    run or flow slowly, as in drops or in an unsteady stream
    An hour goes by, and people start trickling onto the fields.
  20. mesmerized
    having your attention fixated as though witchcraft
    She tells about going to Avery Market and discovering the community cookbooks and their desperation pies. Her face is animated, and she uses her hands to make big gestures. The crowd is mesmerized.
  21. stock
    the merchandise that a shop has on hand
    “We're running low on stock,” I tell Maribel as we fill an order for four pies.
  22. subtle
    difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
    One booth is selling little
 Clone of the Stars parachute action figures, so I buy an alien one for Dad—a subtle hint that he should respect them a bit more.
  23. remnant
    a small part remaining after the main part no longer exists
    I’m down to the remnants of my kettle corn when my phone buzzes.
  24. transition
    make or undergo a change
    I should have known that transitioning to sixth grade would be a big deal. I wish I’d been able to support you more.
  25. quirk
    twist or curve abruptly
    The corner of his mouth quirks up.
  26. glint
    be shiny, as if wet
    His skin is just like a peach, soft and dusted with a light fuzz that glints golden in the light.
  27. delicate
    easily hurt
    His fingers are impossibly delicate, so tiny and scrunched.
  28. impression
    a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
    I don’t want to give the impression that things are perfect with Dad.
  29. asparagus
    plant with long green stems that is eaten as a vegetable
    The other half of the fridge is filled with stuff we’re having for tonight’s dinner at Mom’s—sesame tofu, salmon, asparagus, and quinoa salad.
  30. respectable
    large in amount or extent or degree
    That little sprout sure has grown. Now it’s a respectable houseplant in a pot with soil—it even has a stem and its very own leaves.
Created on Fri Jun 02 15:24:24 EDT 2023 (updated Sun Jun 04 14:50:20 EDT 2023)

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