Ripped Away: Chapters 5–8

by Shirley Reva Vernick
On September 22, middle grader Abe Pearlman is transported from the twenty-first century to 1888, when rumors about the murderous Jack the Ripper are gripping London.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–8, Chapters 9–13, Chapters 14–18
40 words 11 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. poised
    marked by balance or equilibrium and readiness for action
    Mrs. Kraskov presses her lips together, poised for a no.
  2. rail
    complain bitterly
    “No, no, no!” she rails. “What is this? The slum. The time warp. And like that’s not bad enough, Zinnia had to make me blind to boot!”
  3. dung
    fecal matter of animals
    Mitzy’s nostrils quiver as she takes in a breath of the outdoors—the trash, the dung, the sweat.
  4. teem
    be full of or abuzz with
    The street teems with women in long dresses, boys in short pants, a few men in top hats, everything about them looking rumpled and worn.
  5. stint
    an unbroken period of time during which you do something
    “Me? I have a single mom who works at a matchstick factory, and I’m apprenticing with a jewelry merchant. I think I once did a stint as a chimney sweep.”
  6. kosher
    conforming to the dietary laws of Judaism
    “He’s a kosher butcher at some slaughterhouse.”
  7. gawky
    awkward and clumsy in movement or posture
    We have one of those gawky silences until she says, “Tell me what’s out here.”
  8. grim
    harshly uninviting or formidable in manner or appearance
    When I look forward again, I find a grim sight—Duvid Kraskov walking in our direction.
  9. brusque
    rudely abrupt or blunt in speech or manner
    Now Mr. Kraskov’s brusque voice rises over the congestion.
  10. fiend
    a cruel wicked and inhuman person
    Mitzy and I, we’ve been plunked down in the middle of the Jack the Ripper murders. And my boss and I, we must have interrupted the fiend in the act last night!
  11. stoke
    increase or intensify an emotion or response
    But there’s nothing I can do right now, nothing but stoke my hate.
  12. clod
    an awkward, foolish person
    I hate Zinnia for banishing us here. And I hate myself for being the helpless clod that I am.
  13. jockey
    compete or struggle for an advantage or a position
    Everyone jockeys for a view of the yard, straining for a glimpse of the crime scene.
  14. shilling
    a former monetary unit in Great Britain
    Most of ’em don’t have two shillings to rub together.
  15. plight
    a situation from which extrication is difficult
    I spent the rest of the day in the flat, obsessing over our pathetic plight, over my missed opportunities.
  16. ruminate
    reflect deeply on a subject
    Then I started ruminating over what kind of chaos Asher and Maya might be creating for us.
  17. zilch
    a quantity of no importance
    All day long I hoped Mitzy would call down to me through her window, but zilch.
  18. gritty
    composed of or covered with small particles
    Outside, the day matches my mood—overcast sky, gritty chimney smoke, sooty cobblestones.
  19. assume
    take to be the case or to be true
    Why did Zinnia send us back to this particular week? For me, it’s to stop someone from dying, yes, but who? Assuming I haven’t lost my chance already, that is.
  20. inquest
    an investigation into the cause of an unexpected death
    My boss had to be at the murder inquest today, that’s all. He’s the one who found the body.
  21. inkling
    a slight suggestion or vague understanding
    “At sounding like you mean it, like you’re positive, even though you don’t have a clue.”
    “But...” She’s right, of course. I don’t have so much as an inkling.
  22. antic
    a playful, attention-getting act done for fun and amusement
    Mrs. Kraskov reads on about cousin Annie’s job sewing waistcoats, her husband’s work as a bookbinder, and their twin daughters’ antics.
  23. pare
    strip the skin off
    Her mother picks up a knife and starts paring a potato.
  24. coroner
    an official who investigates death not due to natural causes
    Coroner: “Inspector McWilliam, based on your examination of the second victim, do you have any conclusions as to the instrument that was used?”
  25. stubble
    short hairs growing on a man's face when he has not shaved
    “Good evening,” announces the older one, a paunch-bellied man with red stubble on his face.
  26. canvass
    consider in detail in order to discover essential features
    The older officer canvasses the main room, first squatting down to check under my bed, then opening the kitchen cupboard, as if the Ripper might be hiding where a few dishes barely fit.
  27. lodger
    a tenant in someone’s house who typically receives meals
    “Have you had any lodgers in the past month?”
    “No, it’s only the two of us.”
  28. ramshackle
    in poor or broken-down condition
    After a couple of blocks, we turn into a place called George Yard, where the ramshackle wooden horse stables come into view.
  29. dampen
    lessen in force or effect
    “Right, Mitre Square then. Let’s hope the bad news hasn’t dampened business there.”
  30. thrum
    make or cause to make a low, continuous sound
    The square is thrumming with shoppers and hawkers, a congested, noisy horde of people and wares.
  31. wicker
    flexible branches or twigs that can be woven together
    Women carrying wicker baskets edge between carts and wheelbarrows that brim with vegetables, cloths, trinkets, and, in our case, cheap jewelry.
  32. gaggle
    a large, disorganized group of people
    Gaggles of kiddies dart in and out of the fray.
  33. fray
    a noisy fight
    Gaggles of kiddies dart in and out of the fray.
  34. constable
    a law officer with limited authority
    A constable strolls by every so often, and so does an orange alley cat.
  35. toll
    ring slowly
    When the bells toll one, Mr. Diemschutz tucks into the knish he brought along, and I pull out the crust of bread and chunk of cheese I packed.
  36. lull
    a pause during which things are calm
    I spend the lull trying to spot the wall across the street where the chalk graffiti used to be, but I can’t get a clear view.
  37. trinket
    a small cheap ornament, knickknack, or piece of jewelry
    Just waiting around for someone to like one of the trinkets badly enough to part with her pennies.
  38. brooch
    a decorative pin
    “How much is this?” a tired-looking woman asks, holding up an enamel brooch.
  39. spar
    fight verbally
    As soon as I get the words out, I know what an idiot move it was. Verbal sparring with a bunch of roughs?
  40. spree
    a brief indulgence of your impulses
    I never knew the Jew-haters used the Ripper spree as an excuse. Most of what I know is from that one Unsolved Mysteries episode, which isn’t much, just that the murders happened, that the Ripper got away, and that no one ever even figured out who he was.
Created on Wed Jan 10 10:01:09 EST 2024 (updated Wed Jan 10 16:08:53 EST 2024)

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