All-of-a-Kind Family: List 2

by Sydney Taylor
This first book of the series based on the author's childhood in early 1900s New York introduces five sisters in a Jewish American family.

This list covers "Who Cares If It's Bedtime?"–"Sarah In Trouble."

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1, List 2, List 3
35 words 6 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. tantalizing
    very pleasantly inviting
    The open cracker barrel held a most amazing jumble of broken crackers. No need to worry here about making a choice. A scoop from the barrel and into a paper bag went a tantalizing assortment.
  2. lox
    brine-cured salmon that is lightly smoked
    He walked over to the back of the store where he kept slabs of smoked salmon (he called it lox) and cut off two pieces of moist, salty skin.
  3. fanciful
    indulging in or influenced by the imagination
    Bedtime was when Charlotte made up fanciful stories to tell or thought up games to play with her bedfellow, Gertie.
  4. affair
    a vaguely specified social event
    The children would soon be home from school so Mama decided that it would be nice if for once shopping for the Sabbath could be a family affair.
  5. indignant
    angered at something unjust or wrong
    “Baby carriage!” Gertie was indignant. “I’m too big for a baby carriage!”
  6. sedate
    characterized by dignity and propriety
    Once inside the library, the children scrambled eagerly up the stairs while Mama followed at a more sedate pace.
  7. wistful
    showing pensive sadness
    She turned to Ella and added, “She smiles at you, but somehow the face is wistful, don’t you think?”
  8. crockery
    ceramic dishes used for serving food
    All promised bargains—bargains in everything—in fruits and vegetables, crockery, shoelaces, buttons, and other notions, in aprons and housedresses, in soap and soap powders, and hundreds of other things.
  9. carp
    any of various freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae
    The counters overflowed with heaps of smoked whitefish and carp, and large slabs of smoked red salmon.
  10. herring
    a commercially important fish that is often eaten as food
    If one wished, firm plump salt herrings were fished out of barrels for inspection before buying.
  11. haggle
    wrangle, as over a price or terms of an agreement
    How the buyers haggled over the price of everything.
  12. converse
    carry on a discussion
    Only one tongue was spoken here—Yiddish. It was like a foreign land right in the midst of America. In this foreign land, it was Mama’s children who were the foreigners since they alone conversed in an alien tongue—English.
  13. gusto
    vigorous and enthusiastic enjoyment
    She ate it greedily, with noise and gusto, while her sisters watched, their mouths watering.
  14. pike
    highly valued northern freshwater fish with lean flesh
    But Mama was not getting any live fish this time, only pieces of several different kinds of fish, whitefish, yellow pike and winter carp—that meant gefüllte fish (stuffed fish) for the Sabbath, yum, yum!
  15. fowl
    a domesticated bird
    The chicken market was the next stopping place. It was smelly and noisy with the squawking of fowl.
  16. don
    put on clothes
    Mama donned an apron she had brought with her and began to pluck the fowl she selected.
  17. reprovingly
    in a disapproving, disappointing, or critical manner
    They made so much noise that the other librarian stared at them reprovingly.
  18. airily
    in a manner that is overly casual or lacking seriousness
    “I guess he likes it this way,” Henny remarked airily.
  19. primer
    an introductory textbook
    It was quiet except for the whispered sounds of Charlotte’s voice as she read aloud from her primer to wide-eyed Gertie.
  20. practical
    concerned with actual use
    “Yes—but where would we get the money?” Sarah was always the practical one.
  21. lustrous
    made smooth and bright by or as if by rubbing
    It was made of lustrous pink and white china and on its front, raised gold lettering marched proudly uphill to spell out the name “FATHER.”
  22. gaiety
    a festive merry feeling
    And ever since, this day of Purim has been celebrated with gaiety and laughter, feasting and singing, with masquerade and play.
  23. reverent
    feeling or showing profound respect or veneration
    Always they would gaze with reverent awe at the red velvet curtains richly embroidered in gold, which hung before the place where the five books of the Torah were kept.
  24. intone
    recite musically; recite as a chant or a psalm
    On the important holidays when women came too, they would sit at the back, separated from the menfolks by a drawn curtain. On such occasions, higher pitched intonings mingled with the male chantings, so that the room was filled with a constant hum of sound.
  25. din
    a loud, harsh, or strident noise
    Every time this name was mentioned, the din was terrific. The rattle-wheels were rattled, the horns were tooted, the children stamped with their feet.
  26. gentile
    a Christian as contrasted with a Jew
    “Mama! She’s probably never tasted Haman taschen in her whole life. She wouldn’t even know what they are.”
    Mama smiled. “Oh, I keep forgetting she’s a gentile.”
  27. breadth
    the extent of something from side to side
    As for the jacket’s length and breadth, nothing could be done about that.
  28. ragamuffin
    a dirty shabbily clothed urchin
    She paraded up and down the kitchen, the very picture of a ragamuffin.
  29. masquerade
    pretend to be someone or something that you are not
    Four-year-old Gertie wearing the outfit of a sister of ten looked comical enough to wish for no other costume. And Charlotte was equally satisfied to masquerade as big sister Ella.
  30. troupe
    an organization of performers and associated personnel
    The little troupe sailed out of the house and into the streets so full now with other masqueraders carrying just such Purim baskets.
  31. relish
    vigorous and enthusiastic enjoyment
    Today Mama had made rice soup. It gave forth a rich, savory smell of meat and vegetables. Everyone began this first course with relish.
  32. idly
    in a lazy, casual, or aimless way
    She idly stirred the spoon in her plate of soup and made no attempt to begin eating.
  33. relent
    give in, as to influence or pressure
    Mama wanted to relent but she knew if she did there would always be trouble with the children in the matter of food and food was too costly to be wasted.
  34. resolve
    the trait of being firm in purpose or belief
    She had to keep steeling herself to her firm resolve. Don’t be too sorry for her, she told herself. You mustn’t. She must learn her lesson. If only she’d take just one spoonful, it would be enough. I’d be able to give in then.
  35. omit
    leave undone or leave out
    She had deliberately omitted the vegetables tonight so that there need be no further cause for a “must” in eating.
Created on Thu Mar 23 09:59:14 EDT 2023 (updated Thu Mar 23 16:49:50 EDT 2023)

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