How to Steal a Dog: Chapters 8–21

by Barbara O'Connor
Georgina thinks she has the solution to her family's money troubles — stealing a pet dog and then collecting the reward money for its return.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–21
20 words 160 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. rickety
    inclined to shake as from weakness or defect
    Then she sat down on the rickety steps and hollered out a bunch of cuss words that echoed through the woods.
  2. blubber
    cry or whine with snuffling
    Toby got all blubbery, but I just stood there looking at that boarded-up door.
  3. whimper
    cry weakly or softly
    Toby was whimpering and pulling the blankets up out of the bushes.
  4. swig
    a large and hurried swallow
    She took a swig out of a soda can.
  5. conscience
    motivation deriving from ethical or moral principles
    And when my guilty conscience started hollering at me, telling me I was doing the wrong thing, I pushed that down, too.
  6. bicker
    argue over petty things
    “Well, don’t y’all start that bickering back there,” she said. “Let’s go find us someplace to park.”
  7. fidget
    move restlessly
    I could feel Toby fidgeting beside me.
  8. tussle
    disorderly fighting
    He must have seen me staring at his hand, ’cause he said, “Got in a tussle with a tractor engine one time.”
  9. pry
    be nosey
    “I don’t mean to go prying into your business, Miss Georgina,” Mookie said.
  10. stifle
    conceal or hide
    Toby clamped his hand over his mouth like he was trying to stifle a laugh, but I didn’t see what was so funny.
  11. ottoman
    a low seat or a stool to rest the feet of a seated person
    I sat on the ottoman across from her.
  12. pathetic
    inspiring scornful pity
    “She says she hasn’t got the money, but I know good and well she does.” Carmella wiped her nose with her hand and stared at the TV. “She says I’m pathetic for getting all worked up over a dog.”
  13. motto
    a favorite saying of a sect or political group
    “Besides,” he said, “I got a motto. You wanna hear it?”
  14. gripe
    complain
    It took forever and Toby kept griping and hollering, “Wait up, Georgina.”
  15. nestle
    lie in a sheltered position
    I looked down at a shiny quarter nestled in the sandy roadside next to our car.
  16. jabber
    talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner
    The whole way there, Toby kept jabbering on and on about stupid stuff.
  17. lag
    hang or fall in movement, progress, development, etc.
    As usual, he was lagging behind, but I hurried on ahead.
  18. bawl
    cry loudly
    Then he started bawling about Willy being gone, and I hollered at him to shut up.
  19. gumbo
    a soup or stew thickened with okra pods
    “Well, if that don’t put pepper in the gumbo,” he said.
  20. matted
    tangled in a dense mass
    His hair was all matted with mud, and he smelled awful.
Created on Wed Oct 27 20:05:12 EDT 2021 (updated Mon Nov 01 11:13:49 EDT 2021)

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