The Prisoner of Zenda (57 page)

shoe-roses
NOUN
shoe-roses were roses made from ribbons which were stuck on to shoes as decoration
the very shoe-roses for Netherfield were got by proxy
(
Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen)

singular
ADJ
singular means very great and remarkable or strange
“Singular dream,” he says
(
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain)

sire
NOUN
sire is an old word which means lord or master or elder
She also defied her sire
(
Little Women
by Louisa May Alcott)

sixpence
NOUN
a sixpence was half of a shilling
if she had only a shilling in the world, she would be very lilkely to give away sixpence of it
(
Emma
by Jane Austen)

slavey
NOUN
the word slavey was used when there was only one servant in a house or boarding-house–so she had to perform all the duties of a larger staff
Two distinct knocks, sir, will produce the slavey at any time
(
The Old Curiosity Shop
by Charles Dickens)

slender
ADJ
weak
In slender accents of sweet verse
(
The Prelude
by William Wordsworth)

slop-shops
NOUN
slop-shops were shops where cheap ready-made clothes were sold. They mainly sold clothes to sailors
Accordingly, I took the jacket off, that I might learn to do without it; and carrying it under my arm, began a tour of inspection of the various slop-shops.
(
David Copperfield
by Charles Dickens)

sluggard
NOUN
a lazy person
“Stand up and repeat ‘Tis the voice of the sluggard,'” said the Gryphon.
(
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
by Lewis Carroll)

smallpox
NOUN
smallpox is a serious infectious disease
by telling the men we had smallpox aboard
(
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain)

smalls
NOUN
smalls are short trousers
It is difficult for a large-headed, small-eyed youth, of lumbering make and heavy countenance, to look dignified under any
circumstances; but it is more
especially so, when superadded to these personal attractions are a red nose and yellow smalls
(
Oliver Twist
by Charles Dickens)

sneeze-box
NOUN
a box for snuff was called a sneeze-box because sniffing snuff makes the user sneeze
To think of Jack Dawkins — lummy Jack — the Dodger — the Artful Dodger — going abroad for a common twopenny-halfpenny sneeze-box!
(
Oliver Twist
by Charles Dickens)

snorted
VERB
slept
Or snorted we in the Seven Sleepers' den?
(
The Good-Morrow
by John Donne)