Punching Bag: List 3

by Rex Ogle
In this sequel to Free Lunch, the author recounts how, as a teenager in Texas, he struggled to protect himself and his younger brother from the angry outbursts of their parents.

This list covers "Traitor"–"Afterword."

Here are links to our lists for the book: List 1, List 2, List 3
35 words 17 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. grimy
    thickly covered with ingrained dirt
    She wears the same clothes as the last time I saw her, her face grimy. She smells like she hasn’t showered in days.
  2. appalled
    struck with dread, shock, or dismay
    Her brows arch down. Angry or appalled, I can’t tell.
  3. demolish
    humiliate or depress completely
    Her gaze shifts into a glare, stabbing at me, trying to demolish me the way it used to.
  4. delicate
    marked by great skill especially in meticulous technique
    With delicate care, Mom pulls a clear plastic container from the grocery bag. Inside are four small fist-sized eggs.
  5. slump
    fall or sink heavily
    Mom slumps down to the ground, collapsing onto hands and knees.
  6. devastation
    the feeling of being confounded or overwhelmed
    I hear the wails from the parking lot. The devastation in her cries throw me back to the airport parking lot. The sound of loss.
  7. adorned
    decorated or dressed up to be more beautiful or distinct
    Inside the comic-book store, the walls are adorned with posters of superheroes.
  8. phalanx
    any closely ranked crowd of people
    “X-Men, right?”
    I nod. He points to a spinner rack near the front of the shop. “If you haven’t read it, you’ll love the Phalanx Covenant. Gold foil on the covers and everything.”
  9. remnant
    a small part remaining after the main part no longer exists
    Francesca picks at her finger, at a nail bed. There’s the remnants of red polish.
  10. falter
    move hesitatingly, as if about to give way
    Francesca tries to push the corner of her lips up, but falters.
  11. sustain
    be the physical support of
    Francesca tries to push the corner of her lips up, but falters. Like the weight of a smile is too much to sustain tonight.
  12. muster
    summon up, call forth, or bring together
    But right now, she can’t seem to muster words for me.
  13. gnarled
    old and twisted and covered in lines
    The front fender is gnarled and bent, crushed in places, streaked with black and red.
  14. blare
    make a loud noise
    Horns blare and Ford squeals as the car swings toward oncoming traffic.
  15. barrage
    an overwhelming or vigorous outpouring
    Behind us, a barrage of honking as Mom cuts off an eighteen-wheeler, flying onto the shoulder of the highway.
  16. flurry
    a sudden and overwhelming outpouring or amount
    There’s a flurry of her fists and her palms until her elbow crashes into my nose.
  17. guttural
    relating to or articulated in the throat
    She’s screaming these deep, guttural cries.
  18. anguish
    extreme mental distress
    She’s screaming these deep, guttural cries. Not anguish. Frustration.
  19. oblivious
    failing to keep in mind
    I realize Ford and the other littles are still inside their spaceship, oblivious to the rest of the world.
  20. splint
    support with a device that immobilizes a body part
    You destroy things, Sam. You beat them to a bloody pulp. Do you know how many times I’ve cleaned up Mom’s bleeding noses and lips. How many ice packs I’ve made for her bruises? How many broken fingers I’ve had to splint?
  21. amends
    something done or paid to make up for a wrong
    “He’s trying to get better. He wants to make amends.”
    Still more laughter, coming up from my throat like vomit. “Amends? He wants to fix things? SO FIX ME, SAM! GO ON! YOU THINK YOU CAN PUT ME BACK TOGETHER?!”
  22. pantheon
    all the gods of a religion
    Alison and I discuss re-creating the Greek pantheon for modern times. We agree there should be a Goddess Spudra, queen of potatoes.
  23. supplicate
    ask for humbly or earnestly, as in prayer
    “Goddess Spudra! We supplicate thee for—”
  24. domain
    territory over which rule or control is exercised
    I say, “We should definitely have a Greek god of wicked diets. Soda, coffee, sugary candy, potato chips—or would those fall under Queen Spudra’s domain?”
  25. frantic
    excessively agitated; distraught with violent emotion
    “Shhhh.” Her eyes dart around, frantic.
  26. dispatcher
    an employee who manages the efficient departure of vehicles
    I w-wanted to save up as much cash as I could. Luciana needed to cut back h-her hours as a police dispatcher.
  27. knack
    a special way of doing something
    You kn-know your mom, she knows h-how to get in there, with her words I mean. How to c-cut through to the soul. She’s g-got this knack for figuring out what makes people t-tick, what a person’s weakness is, just how to hit the nail right on the head j-just right.
  28. corral
    collect or gather
    Missy sits with me while Teddy and Sadie corral the other kids in the pool area to play Marco Polo.
  29. dainty
    delicately beautiful
    “Not with your big feet. You could kill a man with those.”
    “Hey! I have dainty lady feet!”
  30. flush
    turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame
    I look at my feet, my face flushing with embarrassment, but this time, it’s mixed with pride.
  31. bile
    a digestive juice secreted by the liver
    Bile and hate burn my stomach, my chest, my throat.
  32. dumbfounded
    as if rendered speechless with astonishment and surprise
    Mom’s fury drains out of her. For a second, she’s dumbfounded. Like I did hit her. She stands there in the apartment, trying to think of an answer.
  33. tender
    hurting
    “Yeah,” I finally say in a raspy voice, my throat tender and scratchy from screaming earlier.
  34. mote
    a tiny piece of anything
    Little motes of dust float through the air like fairies.
  35. defiant
    boldly resisting authority or an opposing force
    Her attitude is strong. Defiant.
Created on Sat Jul 06 17:59:52 EDT 2024 (updated Sun Jul 07 14:32:30 EDT 2024)

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