Road Home: List 4

by Rex Ogle
In this final chapter of his memoir trilogy, Rex is forced out of his family home by his father and travels to New Orleans, trying to find somewhere he belongs.

This list covers vocabulary from "dancing"–"no."

Here are links to our lists for the book: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5, List 6, List 7, List 8
25 words 21 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. undulate
    move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion
    Across the dance floor, a sea of shirtless men undulate and rock side to side like trees swept up in a storm.
  2. infectious
    easily spread
    But his laughter is infectious.
  3. in tandem
    with cooperation and interchange
    I let the questions slide away, as our bodies press together and move in tandem with the sounds and vibrations of our gay congregation.
  4. lunge
    make a thrusting forward movement
    Russell lunges at me and tries to wrestle the keys out of my hand.
  5. fume
    be mad, angry, or furious
    I’m fuming.
  6. crick
    a painful muscle spasm, especially in the neck or back
    The next morning, I wake with a crick in my neck.
  7. rehash
    discuss again; go back over
    I don’t want to rehash it.
  8. inquire
    ask about
    At each admissions office, I inquire about enrollment, scholarships, and tuition.
  9. fortitude
    strength of mind that enables one to endure adversity
    “Keep up your fortitude. With your attitude and conviction, you’ll make a fine student anywhere. Please. Take these forms home, fill them out, and I’ll help you make it in for the spring semester.”
  10. swath
    a path or strip (also figurative)
    We pass an old movie theater, a church, a post office, a library, another church, long swaths of land between each one.
  11. cacophony
    loud confusing disagreeable sounds
    Once we’re out of the Jeep, I can already hear a cacophony of voices from the backyard.
  12. gruff
    blunt and unfriendly or stern
    For some reason, I expected a gruff old man.
  13. reel
    be dizzy, disoriented, or bewildered
    He says it so casually, it makes me reel.
  14. recoil
    draw back, as with fear or pain
    There’s a tray of crawfish, and another of light gray sausage that makes me recoil.
  15. gristle
    tough elastic tissue found in meat
    As I chew, chunks of gristle and fat roll around in my mouth, making me want to gag.
  16. hefty
    large in amount, extent, or degree
    She brings the dessert to the table and carves out a hefty slice, plopping it down in front of me.
  17. nestle
    position comfortably
    He nestles his head on my shoulder, but I notice his foot rubbing up against Reynolds’s leg.
  18. noggin
    an informal term for a human head
    “Wine is heart-healthy. And good for the ole noggin.”
  19. leer
    look suggestively or obliquely
    And the way he’s leering at me .
  20. gist
    the choicest or most vital part of some idea or experience
    Except that I get the gist.
  21. skitter
    move about or proceed hurriedly
    I think of the little pink crustaceans that skitter across the beach on eight legs, raising their little claws.
  22. sneer
    smile contemptuously
    Russell stands over me, sneering, “Got nothing to say now?”
  23. infestation
    the state of being invaded or overrun by parasites
    I shiver all over, almost gagging at the thought of an infestation.
  24. croon
    sing softly
    I try not to laugh at Russell’s crooning when it’s so heartfelt.
  25. wail
    emit long loud cries
    I wail, struggling beneath him.
Created on Thu May 22 08:18:15 EDT 2025 (updated Tue Jun 10 15:12:46 EDT 2025)

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