Tricky words explained:

'pulsated' - produce a regular throbbing sound 'Bumfresh Towers pulsated with music.'

'exhilarating' - strong feeling of happy excitement ' ...her breath so close to him was so exhilarating.'

'Guzzling' - eat or drink 'Guzzling cocktails and gobbling fingers...'

'presumably' - very likely '(presumably her boyfriend.'

'muscle-bound' - having well developed muscles 'muscle-bound version of himself...'

'boogied' - dancing 'The real Mr Spud boogied...'

'tottered' - move in a feeble or unsteady way 'Sapphire tottered over...'

'anticipated' - expect or predict '...harder than he had anticipated...'

'hyperventilating ' - breathe at an abnormally rapid rate 'Joe stood in front of his dad hyperventilating...'

'tarpaulin' - heavy duty waterproof cloth '...a piece of tarpaulin his duvet...'

'tentatively' - in a way that lacks confidence 'Tentatively, Raj reached out...'

'involuntary' - done without will or conscious thought '...involuntary as the waves...'

'ebbed' - move gradually away '...of tears ebbed.'

Please Note - Some words have several different meanings, however to avoid confusion, when I am giving definitions of words, I am generally referring to how the word is used in that particular sentence.

Tricky words explained:

'demolished' - pull or knock down 'demolished by a giant wrecking ball.'

'retreat' - move back or withdraw ' For a moment she seemed to retreat to the back of her eyes.'

'squirmed' - feel embarrassed or shame '"Well, it was only for a bit," squirmed Joe.'

'reinstated' - restore someone back to their former position 'Lauren didn't think the petition to get Miss Spite reinstated was going to be popular.'

'inconceivable' - unbelievable 'It was not inconceivable that she was so big...'

'demonstratively' - open and expressive '...holding the piece of paper in her hand demonstratively.'

'abundant' - available in large quantities 'Mrs Chubb's abundant collection of lucky gonks.'

'bejewelled' - covered in jewels 'She pointed one of her bejewelled sausage...'

'abandoned' - having deserted or left 'Mr Dust abandoned his Zimmer frame...'

'preposterous' - utterly absurd or ridiculous '...cried the Headmaster as he and his preposterous...'

'chided' - scold or rebuke (tell off) ' "This is a very serious matter," chided Raj.'

'quizzical' - mild or amused puzzlement '...said Joe with a quizzical smile.'

Please Note - Some words have several different meanings, however to avoid confusion, when I am giving definitions of words, I am generally referring to how the word is used in that particular sentence.

Tricky words explained:

'shamelessly' - without shame - in a brazen or blatant way '...Sapphire shamelessly used his dad,...'

'reluctantly' - in an unwilling and hesitant way '"Me," said Joe reluctantly.'

'strolled' - walk in a leisurely way 'He could have strolled around the park...'

'faltered' - lose strength or momentum '"It's hard to choose..." faltered Lauren.'

'jabber' - talk in a rapid excited and incomprehensible (not able to understand) way 'Mrs Trafe began to jabber nervously.'

'generosity' - the quality of being kind or generous '...she took your generosity for granted.'

'granted' - to take something or someone for granted is to assume that this will happen or they will do something

'abhorrent' - inspiring disgust or loathing '...the food in the canteen was so abhorrent...'

'ventured' - undertaking a risky journey or course of action '"Have you finished with yours?" he ventured.

'flustered' - to look embarrassed or 'lose your cool' 'Lauren suddenly looked very flustered.'

'dismissive' - feeling or showing that something is not worth your consideration (thoughts) 'Lauren pulled a dismissive face.'

'uproar' - a loud noise of disturbance 'The whole class was in uproar.'

'hollered' - give a loud shout or cry '...hollered another kid.'

'pathetically' - in a way that arouses pity 'said Mr Bread, pathetically.'

'deafening' - extremely loud 'The laughter was deafening now.'

Please Note - Some words have several different meanings, however to avoid confusion, when I am giving definitions of words, I am generally referring to how the word is used in that particular sentence.

Tricky words explained:

'asphalt' - a substance used for pavements/roads/playgrounds (a bit like concrete) '...lying on the asphalt,...'

'Inexorably'- in a way that was impossible to prevent or stop 'Inexorably, the two bullies reached ...'

'unconvincingly' - failing to make someone believe something is true '...replied Joe unconvincingly'

'perplexed' - completely baffled/very confused 'He was utterly perplexed.'

'adorned' - make more beautiful or attractive '...cost millions of pounds adorned the walls.'

'immaculately' - in a perfectly clean or tidy manner 'The immaculately attired butler...'

'attired' - dressed up in specific clothes 'The immaculately attired butler entered...'

'initially' - at first 'Mr Spud initially attempted to eat his crisps with a knife and fork...'

'fumed' - feel, show or express anger '"How dare you!" fumed Mr Spud.'

'suave' - charming and confident '...made him sound suave or like a stalker.'

'overwhelmed' - have a strong emotional effect on you '...he had been too overwhelmed by her beauty...'

'droned' - speak tediously (too long, slow) in a monotonous (the same) tone 'Miss Spite droned on and on...'

'incredulous' - unwilling to admit or accept '"Really?" Joe was incredulous.'

Below are two photos: One is a candelabra - a large candle stick holder and the other is a chandelier - a large decorative hanging light

Please Note - Some words have several different meanings, however to avoid confusion, when I am giving definitions of words, I am generally referring to how the word is used in that particular sentence.

Tricky words explained:

'catchphrases' - a well-known sentence or phrase 'The all-time top ten of teachers' catchphrases goes like this.'

'tolerate'- to put up with or allow '"I will not tolerate litter!"'

'relish' - enjoy greatly '...with an evil relish...'

'grimace' a facial expression usually of disgust, pain or disapproval 'but all his friend could do was grimace sympathetically.'

'sympathetically' - in a way that shows pity 'but all his friend could do was grimace sympathetically.'

'evident' - clearly seen or obvious 'To her evident disappointment.'

'aloft' - up in the air or over head '...held aloft essay after essay.'

'sarcastically' - in a ironic way intended to mock or show contempt '...said Joe sarcastically.'

'dismissed' - allow or order to leave/ send away '"The rest of you are dismissed."'

'antique' - old - usually high value because of age and quality '...studied her little antique watch.'

'contemplated' - thinking about something '...and contemplated Joe's bleak fate'

'bleak' - not hopeful or encouraging '...and contemplated Joe's bleak fate'

'invent' - to create or design something 'He could invent a time machine...'

'Piers Morgan' - English broadcaster and TV personality 'from the future and prevented Piers Morgan's birth.'

'nunnery' - a place where nuns live 'He would have to live in a nunnery...'

'sanctuary' - place of refuge or safety 'On the one hand the nunnery would give him sanctuary...'

'hypnotise' - put someone in a state of hypnosis (to induce someone into a state of consciousness where they (apparently) have no control over their actions '...and very quickly hypnotise.'

Please Note - Some words have several different meanings, however to avoid confusion, when I am giving definitions of words, I am generally referring to how the word is used in that particular sentence.

Tricky words explained:

'dreaded' - regarding with fear or apprehension 'These must be the dreaded Grubbs.'

'luxuriating'- enjoying as luxury 'Joe was beginning to wish he was luxuriating in the safety of the back seat of his chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce'

'trundled' - move slowly or heavily 'An empty can trundled past on the ground.'

'wavered' - in quivering way/flicker 'Both voices wavered high and low.'

'deposited' - place/set down/put '...they deposited him into a wheely bin'

'massacred' - slaughtered/killed '...the boy would get massacred.'

'agile' - to move quickly and easily '...the more agile kids play football.'

'reluctantly' - in an unwilling or hesitant way 'The twins reluctantly retreated.'

'consommé' - a clear soup 'Caterpillar consommé'

'kedgeree' - European dish consisting of fish, rice and hard-boiled eggs 'Parrot Kedgeree'

'scouring' - to search thoroughly '...desperately scouring the trays of food...'

'edible' - you can eat it '...for something edible.'

'looming' - appearing as a vague form - especially one that might be threatening 'Suddenly Joe sensed two figures looming behind him.'

Please Note - Some words have several different meanings, however to avoid confusion, when I am giving definitions of words, I am generally referring to how the word is used in that particular sentence.

Tricky words explained:

'marginally'- slightly 'The marginally fatter....'

'schtum' - to be quiet or non-communicative 'So Joe kept schtum.'

'undeterred' - to keep going at something despite setbacks or it being difficult 'Undeterred, Bob hurled his body across the finish line.'

'twinge' - a sudden sharp feeling or emotion '...Joe felt a sudden twinge of guilt.'

'dispersed' - to thin out and disappear 'As the kids dispersed,..'

'trudged' - walk slowly with heavy steps 'They trudged through the school grounds,'

'singlet' - a vest (single sleeveless garment, worn under clothes) 'Joe in his singlet and shorts...'

'dolefully' - filled with grief or sadness 'replied Bob, dolefully.'

'haphazardly' - without any kind of organisation or structure 'Raj's shop was haphazardly laid out.'

'exquisite' - extremely beautiful and delicate 'I had one earlier and they are exquisite at the moment.'

'peered' - looked closely 'He peered at Joe.'

'baffled' - totally bewildered (very confused) 'Bob stared at him, baffled.'

'incredulity'(but don't ask me to pronounce it!) - unable to believe something 'Joe's face crinkled with incredulity.'

Please Note - Some words have several different meanings, however to avoid confusion, when I am giving definitions of words, I am generally referring to how the word is used in that particular sentence.

Tricky words explained:

'vulgar'- lacking sophistication or good taste 'They said that was "awfully vulgar".'

'beastly' - very unpleasant 'Being beastly to servants class'

'milling' - moving around in a confused mass (crowd) '...seen the kids milling around...'

'incredulously' - in a manner of disbelief '...said Mr Spud incredulously.'

'defiantly' - in a manner that shows bold disobedience or resistance '"Yes" replied Joe, defiantly.'

'relented' - to become less strict or stop resisting '...and then relented.'

'ditto' - the same thing again/to show agreement '"Yes son, ditto, ditto...'

'contraption' - a machine or device that appears strange or unnecessarily complicated '...adjusted the contraption...'

'non-committal' - not committing to something '...chose a non-committal...'

'suppress' - to prevent an action or expression '...couldn't suppress as small smile.'

'eternity' - seemingly endless (forever) '...like an eternity.'

Please Note - Some words have several different meanings, however to avoid confusion, when I am giving definitions of words, I am generally referring to how the word is used in that particular sentence.

Tricky words explained:

'preposterously'- utterly absurd '...but he was ridiculously, preposterously rich.'

'masseuse' - someone who provides you with a massage professionally '24-hour personal masseuse.'

'chicane' - a sharp double bend, created to form an obstacle on a racing track 'As he entered the chicane,...'

'careered' - move swiftly in an out of control way 'One car careered off the track,...'

'tottered' - move in a feeble or unsteady way '...and he tottered back to the house.'

'palatial' - like a palace - spacious and splendid '...as he entered the palatial living room.'

'conveyor' - a person or thing that transports something 'He would stand all day by the conveyor belt.'

'revolutionise' - change something radically or fundamentally 'One day he had a daydream that was to revolutionise bottom wiping forever.'

'phenomenon' - a remarkable person or thing '...it was an instant phenomenon.'

'wonga' - money '...lots of wonga.'

'torrid' - passionate 'Joe's mum Carol was having a torrid affair...'

'forlorn' - sad 'Mr Spud looked forlorn.'

'tentatively' - in a way that lacks confidence '"I really want..." he said, tentatively.'

Please Note - Some words have several different meanings, however to avoid confusion, when I am giving definitions of words, I am generally referring to how the word is used in that particular sentence.

Tricky words explained:

'declared'- openly or formally announced '"No buts, my good man!" declared Churchill.'

'misty-eyed' - having tears in your eyes from emotion '...exclaimed a misty-eyed Sid.'

'pronto' - straight away/quickly '"...for some new legs pronto!"

'Gallantry' - courageous behaviour - especially in battle 'The cross depicted St George and the dragon, and two words, "FOR GALLANTRY".'

'astonishing' - extremely surprising or impressive 'She was making her way through it at an astonishing rate.'

'stammered' - speaking with sudden involuntary pauses '"N-n-no, d-d-darling!" stammered the King,...'

'descended' - move or fall downwards/decline 'Soon the tea party descended into CHAOS!'

'proposed' - to put forward (a cause of action or plan) 'Churchill stood up, filled his glass with brandy and proposed a toast.'

'blancmange'* -weird, opaque (not see through) -usually a disgusting pinkish colour - jelly '...stuck in a blancmange.'

*this is my personal opinion and, in fairness to 'blancmanges' some people do really like them (I have never met one, but I've heard they exist...)

Please Note - Some words have several different meanings, however to avoid confusion, when I am giving definitions of words, I am generally referring to how the word is used in that particular sentence.

Miss Hogben would like to apologise at her mispronunciation of 'Southwark' it is actually pronounced as 'Southuck'...it was too late to go back (and way too exciting to stop reading...)

Tricky words explained:

'propel' - drive or push something forwards 'Could it somehow be used to propel them...'

'astride' - with a leg on each side 'The boy heaved the old man into place astride the air tank.'

'ushered' - show or guide someone (somewhere) 'Churchill was hastily ushered back inside...'

'fibbed' - lied '"Yes!" fibbed the boy.'

'rejoiced' - feel or show great joy '"WOOHOO!" rejoiced the old man.'

'interrogation' - a process of asking someone a lot of questions, over a period of time, to get answers '...a thorough interrogation.'

'convoy' - a group of vehicles travelling together '...being driven through the streets of London in a convoy at dawn.'

'imposing' - grand and impressive in appearance '...with a huge fireplace and an imposing wooden desk.'

'amuse' - to try and make someone laugh or find something funny '...failed to amuse the butler.'

'Majesty' - royal power - usually used when addressing the King or Queen '"Your Majesty!" said Eric, instantly realising he'd got it wrong.'

'standing on ceremony' - to behave very formally '"Please no standing on ceremony thank you," said Churchill.'

'wretched - an unhappy or unfortunate state 'villainy' - wicked or criminal behaviour '"There is no end to their wretched villainy!"'

'morale' - the confidence and enthusiasm of a person or group '"...it would lower morale, and hurt the war effort."'

Please Note - Some words have several different meanings, however to avoid confusion, when I am giving definitions of words, I am generally referring to how the word is used in that particular sentence.

Tricky words explained:

'convulsed' - violent involuntary contraction of the muscles 'The more they tickled, the more she convulsed.'

'throbbed' - beat or sound with a strong rhythm '..the U-boat throbbed with the sound of a bell.'

'meticulous' - showing great attention to detail 'Captain Speer was a meticulous character.'

'scuttle' - to cut a hole/holes through the bottom or side (of ship) with the purpose of sinking or attempting to sink it '"We'll scuttle it!"'

'gangway' - a walkway or passage 'The gorilla charge out of the cabin, away from the flames, down the gangway.'

'NEIN' - German for 'no' '"NEIN! NEIN!" he cried.'

'possession' - having, owning or being in control of something 'If Sid had been in possession of such a guide,...'

'flailing' - wave or swing wildly 'The poor gorilla was now up to her neck in it and flailing around in desperation.'

'hellbent' - strongly and often recklessly determined (to do something) 'The man seemed hellbent on pressing the red self-destruct button...'

'self-destruct' - to destroy yourself '...on pressing the red self-destruct button and causing as much death and devastation as he possibly could.'

'superior' - higher in rank, status or quality 'Using his superior strength, the captain wrestled the air tank from Eric...'

Please Note - Some words have several different meanings, however to avoid confusion, when I am giving definitions of words, I am generally referring to how the word is used in that particular sentence.

Tricky words explained:

'infinitely' - to a great degree/immensely 'The Nazi U-boat was infinitely more cramped on the inside...'

'brutish' - resembling or having characteristics of a brut (bully) '...by the three brutish submariners.'

'stout' - rather plump or heavy build/strong and thick 'The first was short and stout,...'

'peckish' - hungry 'She must have been peckish...'

'hefty' - large and heavy 'But the hefty man roughly...'

'emblazoned' - to display a design on 'There must have been hundreds of them, all emblazoned with...'

'bared' - uncover/expose '...and bared her fangs, ready to do battle.'

'handiwork - something that someone has made or done '...admired their handiwork.'

'blighters' - a person who is regarded with contempt (worthless or beneath you) '"We can't let these blighters win!" agreed Sid.'

'Estuary' - where river passage meets the sea '...making its way up the Thames Estuary...'

'quarters' - a place where you lodge or stationed (in the armed forces) 'It looked as if they were in the captain's private quarters.'

'impersonation' - an act of pretending to be someone else 'Speer's impersonation of a headless chicken...'

'dastardly' - wicked and cruel 'The plan was even more dastardly than they'd thought.'

Please Note - Some words have several different meanings, however to avoid confusion, when I am giving definitions of words, I am generally referring to how the word is used in that particular sentence.

Tricky words explained:

'pondered' - think about carefully 'The pair pondered the list...'

'mused' - absorbed in thought '"Interesting," mused Sid.'

'brandishing' - wave or flourish 'The twins were standing in the doorway, brandishing machine guns.'

'emphasis' - give special importance or value to something 'The boy crossed his arms together for emphasis.'

'mocked' - to tease or laugh at something in a mean way '"Less than nothing!" mocked Helene.'

'bullet-ridden' - to be covered (riddled) with bullet holes '...opened the bullet-ridden bedroom door.'

'spooked' - unnerved (lose confidence) 'But Eric knew they had spooked the two...'

'hail' - a large number of objects falling 'A hail of bullets...'

'foliage' - greenery (leaves, bushes) '...looking back through the foliage...'

'cocky' - conceited (excessively proud of yourself) or overly confident '"Don't get cocky!"'

'crucially' - vital importance '...exactly what you know and crucially who you've told about our little plan.'

'trained on' - to be pointing at something or someone 'With a machine gun trained on them at such close range, escape was impossible.'

'high regard' - to 'hold someone in high regard' is to have a lot of respect for them '...he held them in high regard...'

Please Note - Some words have several different meanings, however to avoid confusion, when I am giving definitions of words, I am generally referring to how the word is used in that particular sentence.

Tricky words explained:

'opulently' - grand and expensive (luxurious) 'It was opulently furnished...'

'a chaise longue' - this is a French word that means 'long chair' - I have included some photos (above) so you can understand better

'antique' - belonging to ancient times '...of dark wood and looked antique.'

'ornate' - elaborately decorated '...of ornate glass bottles.'

'deadliest' - most deadly 'Someone who is the deadliest enemy of Britain and the world.'

'dictator' - a political leader who has all the power 'He was the evil dictator...'

'This drew a blank' - to fail to understand or remember 'This drew a blank...'

'customised' - to be changed or altered in some way to suit a persons needs '...it had been customised in various ways.'

'prim' - proper and formal 'formality' - correct, conventional behaviour 'They entered the room with their usual prim formality.'

'dutifully'- obediently fulfilling a request to do something '...which she dutifully did.'

'famished' - starving/extremely hungry '"Shame! I'm famished!"'

'intervals' - break or space between something '...but there was definitely a light flashing on and off at irregular intervals out at sea.'

'disgruntled' - angry or dissatisfied 'The gorilla looked most disgruntled.'

Please Note - Some words have several different meanings, however to avoid confusion, when I am giving definitions of words, I am generally referring to how the word is used in that particular sentence.

Tricky words explained:

'feminine flourish' - in a feminine way '...with what he thought was a feminine flourish.'

'MONSTROUS TYRANNY' - title of 'part four' in the book

'monstrous' - have the appearance of a monster 'tyranny'- cruel and oppressive government rule (Winston Churchill - who was the prime minister of Britain at the time of World War II - gave a famous speech where he described the Nazi's as 'monstrous tyranny')

'keen' - showing eagerness or enthusiasm '"But I'm not sure Gertrude here is so keen.'

'blustery' - wind blowing in strong gusts 'After a long, blustery walk along the coast ...'

'turrets' - small tower on top of a larger tower (like a castle) 'There were turrets on the roof that looked like ones you might find on a castle.'

'jabbering' - talking in a rapid, excited incomprehensible way "I'd better stop jabbering on!"'

'hobo' - someone who does not have a house or job and moves from one place to another '"I don't know. An old hobo or someone."'

'glisten' - shine with a sparkling light '...for her eyes to glisten with tears.'

'slumber'- sleep or doze '..to wake Gertrude from her slumber.'

'musty' - an unclean, stale and possibly mouldy smell 'There was a strong musty smell of damp.'

'verdict' - an opinion or a judgment about something 'That was her verdict on the place!.'

'peculiar ' - different to what is normal/strange or unusual '"Not just peculiar! Peculiar peculiar!...'

'investigate' - to carry out a formal inquiry or to look further into something '"To investigate, of course!" replied Eric.'

Please Note - Some words have several different meanings, however to avoid confusion, when I am giving definitions of words, I am generally referring to how the word is used in that particular sentence.

Tricky words explained:

'aghast' - filled with horror or shock 'As Sid and Eric looked on aghast,...'

'appalling' -causing shock or dismay/horrific '...making the most appalling noises as she ate.'

'deafening' - very loud '...she let out the most deafening BURP.'

'misfortune' - bad luck 'doughnuttiest burp you could ever have the misfortune to smell.'

'lavatory' - toilet '"I think Gertrude needs to use the lavatory!"'

'sarcastically' - '"YOU DON'T SAY!" exclaimed the boy sarcastically.'

'gaggle' - a disorderly group of people '...he could see a gaggle of policemen waiting there.'

'juddering'- shake and vibrate rapidly with force 'The train came to a juddering halt...'

'constabulary' - a police force covering a particular part of a city '...what looked like the entire Bognor Regis Constabulary.'

'swagger' - walk or behave in a confident way 'With just the right swagger...'

'throng' - a large (densely packed) group of people or animals '...the three waltzed straight past the throng of waiting policemen...'

Please Note - Some words have several different meanings, however to avoid confusion, when I am giving definitions of words, I am generally referring to how the word is used in that particular sentence.

Tricky words explained:

'concourse' - a large open face in or around a public building (like at a train station) '...they trundled on to the station concourse.'

'plying' - to work at something regularly '...they passed some newspaper sellers standing at stalls, plying their trade.'

'suspicious' - being wary or cautious of something or someone (who might be up to something dodgy) '...looking for anything or, rather, anyone suspicious.'

'aroused' - awakened 'So this weird wedding party aroused suspicion.'

'incredulous' - unwilling or unable to believe something '"Why would anyone eat their own IDENTITY PAPERS?" asked the incredulous policeman.'

'crucial' - extremely important '...delaying their pursuit for a few crucial seconds.'

'gait' - a manner of walking '...being a gorilla, she had the strangest gait -...'

'heroically'- in an incredibly brave or determined way '...the old man shouted heroically,...'

'chugged' - moving slowly making regular muffled explosive sounds (as of an engine) 'As the train chugged out of the station...'

'galloped' - to go at great speed '...as the train galloped out of the tunnel.'

'gesturing' -using your limbs (arms in this case) to express a thought 'Eric waved before gesturing to be pulled back up.'

'windswept' - exposed to strong winds 'Breathless, windswept, and covered in soot...'

'puckering' - tightly gathered '...puckering up her lips for a kiss.'

Please Note - Some words have several different meanings, however to avoid confusion, when I am giving definitions of words, I am generally referring to how the word is used in that particular sentence.

Tricky words explained:

'insurance' - something that provides you with protection in case something goes wrong (e.g. car insurance, phone insurance) 'Gorilla's just can't get the insurance.'

'smuggle' - to try to take something or someone somewhere secretly 'But how could they smuggle a gorilla on to a train without everyone noticing?.'

'mused' - to think (thought)/consider '"You're right," mused the boy.

'remembrances' - the action of remembering something '...but he had many remembrances of her all over the house.'

'floozy' - a women who behaves in a provocative way '"Would you care to tell the the name of this floozy?"'

'harrumph' - clearing of the throat noisily "Harrumph!" harrumphed the man. "What about the boy?"

'undergarments' - clothing worn under your clothes '...of what looked like her undergarments.'

'adorned'- to add something decorative to a person or thing 'In moments, she had adorned him in various frilly lace bits and bobs.'

'flanked' - to be on each or one side of... 'This time she was not alone. Nina was flanked by two policemen.'

'burly' - large and strong/ heavily built 'But his boyish frame was no match for Nina and the two burly policemen with her.'

'pungent' - a strong taste or smell '"Or, from the pungent stink coming from the kitchen,..."'

'trundled' - moving slowly or heavily 'They trundled along the empty roads as fast as they could.'