Lupe Wong Won't Dance: Chapters 7–9

by Donna Barba Higuera
In order to get the chance to meet her favorite pitcher, Lupe Wong must get an A in gym class — which means conquering the dreaded square dancing unit.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–6, Chapters 7–9, Chapters 10–17, Chapters 18–27
30 words 9 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. exponentially
    in a manner of rapid growth
    Maybe this is what Coach was talking about: how some things that don’t look like sports actually are. But, it’s still dancing. And it’s become exponentially worse now that I’m supposed to dance with a boy.
  2. digest
    arrange and integrate in the mind
    I’m still digesting everything Coach said.
  3. obliterate
    do away with completely, without leaving a trace
    “Oh, well,” I say. “I liked how when the rotting meatball creatures were about to be obliterated by the Furwimpians, they morphed into one giant meatball.”
  4. expectant
    marked by eager anticipation
    Next door, Delia is filling birdseed into a feeder that’s swaying from a metal garden hook. The Nunez’s cat is sitting directly under the falling seed, looking up expectantly.
  5. compromise
    settle by concession
    There’s no way I can say out loud that I need to meet someone who didn’t compromise on their dream, without sounding like I’m beating up on my dad.
  6. clout
    special advantage or influence
    With her clout as a child psychologist, she single-handedly got the school start time changed from 7:25 to 8:10.
  7. detrimental
    causing harm or injury
    There’s got to be some study out there about boys asking girls to dance, and the damage it causes to the girl having to say yes. And I’m sure it’s detrimental in some way to the boy too, but that’s not my problem right now.
  8. furrow
    make or become wrinkled or creased
    My mom snorts. But when I look back at Delia, she’s furrowing her brow.
  9. mull
    reflect deeply on a subject
    I’ve got her mulling it over.
  10. take the bull by the horns
    face a difficulty and grapple with it without avoiding it
    Mom wipes red stuff from the side of her lip. “Lupe. I still don’t understand why you’re making such a big deal of this. If anything, I’ve taught you to take the bull by the horns. Just ask a boy you don’t mind dancing with so much.”
  11. archaic
    so extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period
    My voice squeaks. “Girls can’t ask boys.”
    Delia’s head wrinkle is back. “What? Well, that’s a bit archaic.”
  12. inquisitor
    a questioner who is excessively harsh
    I can tell a stall when I see one. His was good, though, and I know he’s not coming back to the inquisitors.
  13. torrential
    relating to or resulting from the action of a downpour
    Anyone who sees me sprinting to his house will probably think its from the torrential downpour, instead of the life-or-death matter it is.
  14. smolder
    burn slowly and without a flame
    The air inside the house is stuffy and smells like a campfire from a smoldering log in the fireplace.
  15. roiling
    (of a liquid) agitated vigorously; in a state of turbulence
    Mom’s mystery pea goop is now roiling in my stomach, making awkward gurgles.
  16. relic
    a body part or possession of a deceased holy person
    He holds the book like a holy relic and sets it on his nightstand.
  17. agile
    moving quickly and lightly
    I let out a deep breath, smiling. “Yes. And number two—you are the most agile person on two legs that I know.”
  18. brandish
    move or swing back and forth
    But now, Niles is distracted. Gordon is brandishing something wrapped in foil in front of him.
  19. makeshift
    done or made using whatever is available
    Just like Gordon did, Samantha pulls the bottom of her gym shirt up as we get ready, but instead of pulling it over her head, she tucks it through the neck hole like a makeshift bikini.
  20. minion
    a servile or fawning dependent
    Samantha and her minions laugh. “Oh, good one.”
  21. saunter
    walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
    Samantha and the other bunheads saunter out.
  22. solidarity
    a union of interests or purposes among members of a group
    If we were finalists in a beauty pageant, we might hold hands in solidarity.
  23. coveted
    greatly desired
    “That’s enough.” She faces the free-throw line. “Some of you might have heard the good news. The four best teams from each P.E. section get a coveted spot on the school stage during Issaquah Salmon Days and an automatic A in the class.”
  24. swagger
    a proud stiff pompous gait
    Blake struts forward first. He’s got on his swagger like when he’s coming up to bat. He walks immediately toward Samantha.
  25. recoil
    draw back, as with fear or pain
    The entire class recoils in epic horror as a yellow sludge of emulsified egg and sausage spews through his fingers and onto the floor.
  26. emulsify
    become combined into a liquid with a uniform consistency
    The entire class recoils in epic horror as a yellow sludge of emulsified egg and sausage spews through his fingers and onto the floor.
  27. instinctive
    unthinking
    Instinctively, I stare down at Zola’s hands.
  28. hypocritical
    professing feelings or virtues one does not have
    Zola must have seen my not-so-stealth inspection, because she glares at me and grunts like she’s got a fur ball. I know it’s a little hypocritical after I just rubbed the snot running down my nose.
  29. fiasco
    a complete failure or collapse
    Zola squeezes my hand like I’m responsible for this whole square dancing fiasco.
  30. precipitate
    a substance separated from a solution or suspension
    Mr. Lundgren has on a bright orange T-shirt with a smiling glass beaker. A dialogue bubble is coming from the beaker’s mouth: “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the precipitate.”
Created on Sat Jul 17 20:51:22 EDT 2021 (updated Mon Jul 26 15:14:09 EDT 2021)

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