Seabiscuit Vocabulary Chapters 16 - 19
Chapter 16
Seabiscuit’s stock was falling through the floor - He was becoming less popular fast. p. 231
doubtful starter - this horse probably won’t race p. 233
seething (adj) - very angry p. 234
mercenaries (n) - soldiers for hire (body guards) p. 234
“He just done that for bein’ onery.” (uneducated speaker) He did that just to be difficult. p. 234
ovation (n) - a round of applause; a show of appreciation by an audience p. 234
drew a bead on (idiom) - aimed for; aligned his sights toward (like aiming a rifle) p. 236
bang out (v) (praises) - type (On the older typewriters, it was necessary to press hard: bang.) p. 237
Chapter 17
dingbustingest (adj) (old-fashioned non-standard English) - most astonishing p. 240
conception (n) - conceived (adj) - idea, thought of p. 242
skepticism (n) - doubt, distrust p. 242
sweltering (adj) - hot p. 242
throw the book at (idiom) - punish in every way possible or allowed p. 245
allegation (n) - accusation; state as fact (accuse someone of doing something wrong) p. 246
Chapter 18
disposition (n) - temperament p. 252
antithesis (n) - opposite p. 252
mull (something) over (idiom) - consider; think about for a while p. 255
ecstatic (adj) ecstasy (n) - thrilled; very excited or happy p. 256
loaf (around) (v) - act lazy p. 257
Chapter 19
demise (n) - death p. 267
snag (n) (idiom) - problem; obstacle p. 267
unravel (v) (metaphor) - come apart, fall apart, lose control p. 269
ballast (n) - counterweight (to help balance: sailing term) p. 270
contingent (n) - large group; representatives p. 270
a pointillism of colors - refers to a school of painting that uses dots of paint p. 272
he was game (idiom) p. 274 - full of fighting spirit p. 274
beam (v) - smile radiantly, proudly p. 275
rear admiral (n) - the lowest level of admiral (also: rear = behind) p. 277
Chapter 20
bucolic (adj) - pastoral, peaceful, quiet (often used to describe the countryside) p. 283
squeeze play (poker idiom) Also: bluff Howard pretended that he might “pass up the hundred-grander for the Widener” in order to get the track secretary to lower Seabiscuit’s impost (See p. 282 bottom), but Howard’s squeeze play (playing 2 opponents against each other) didn’t work.p. 284
hitch (n) ( very common idiom, also: snag) - problem p. 285
with guns blazing (Wild West expression) - ready to fight p. 286
armed to the teeth (idiom) - completely prepared (with lots of weapons)
Chapter 22
tacked him up - put tack on him (horse equipment such as a bridle, halter, saddle) p. 304
etching (n) - engraving; acid is used to create a picture on metal plate (It looks like the metal is ‘scratched’. p. 305 (The reporter is making a joke.)
in a funk (idiom) - low spirits, depressed p. 305
trounce (v) - beat by a large margin (used in sports reporting) p. 305
hit the sack (also: hit the hay) (very common idiom) - go to bed p. 306
binge (v) (n) - eat or drink a lot at one time p. 307
temperance (n) - not drinking alcohol (Prohibition was a temperance movement.) p. 307
delirium tremens - shaking uncontrollably and hallucinating from alcohol poisoning or
alcohol withdrawal (if the person is an alcoholic) p. 307
go on a bender (slang) - drink to excess for several hours or days p. 307
overimbibe (v) - drink too much alcohol p. 307
dry (adj) - sober; without alcohol p. 308
washed up (idiom) - finished; career is over p. 311
rabbit’s foot (n) - a bit of fur usually on a chain meant to bring good luck
working overtime in his pocket: Howard kept holding on to it or rubbing it. p. 313