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koppie KAW-pee noun a small hill 1888Maiwa's RevengeThese are separated one from another by glades of grass land, broken here and there with clumps of timber trees; and in some instances by curious isolated koppies, and even by single crags of granite that start up into the air as though they were monuments carved by man, and not tombstones set by nature over the grave of ages gone.Labels: H. Rider Haggard
objurgate awb-jur-GAYT verb to scold; to chastise; to denounce 1871The Adventures of Harry Richmond'Prayers!' He was about to objurgate, but affirmatived her motion to ring the bell for the servants, and addressed Peterborough: 'You read 'em abroad every morning?'1907Heart of the WestFour of his fellow-passengers followed, inspired by his example, ready to explore, to objurgate, to resist, to submit, to proceed, according as their prime factor might be inclined to sway them.1914The Price of LoveRachel remained alone, to objurgate Rachel. It was indeed only too obvious from Mrs. Tams's constrained and fussy demeanour that the old woman had divined the existence of serious trouble in the Fores household.1926The Treasure of the Lake...at this point a kind of rage possessed me which caused me to berate and objurgate Hans…Labels: Arnold Bennett, George Meredith, H. Rider Haggard, O. Henry
torpid TOR-puhd adjective sluggish and inactive; lethargic 1844The Premature BurialSlowly—with a tortoise gradation—approached the faint gray dawn of the psychal day. A torpid uneasiness. An apathetic endurance of dull pain. No care—no hope—no effort.1926The Treasure of the LakeAfter that I really cannot recall what followed, for between weariness, bewilderment, and exhaustion I grew confused, so that my mind became torpid. 1929Look Homeward, AngelIn Spring like torpid snakes my enemies awaken.1993Just Like Old TimesThe rex was torpid, flopped on its belly, gorged on ceratopsian meat.Labels: Edgar Allan Poe, H. Rider Haggard, Robert J. Sawyer, Thomas Wolfe
faux bonhomme FO baw-nawm phrase false good humor; a person pretending to enjoy something 1874Madame de MauvesWas this candid young barbarian but a faux bonhomme after all?1908The Yellow God'Do what you will, Alan,' said Mr. Haswell harshly, for now all his faux bonhomme manner had gone, leaving him revealed in his true character of an unscrupulous tradesman with dark ends of his own to serve.1934On the RocksSIR ARTHUR. Oh, faux bonhomme, of course, yes. [Looking him up and down].1936The Island of SheepHe was the faux bonhomme, if I knew the breed, always grinning and pawing the man he spoke to, but with cold, cunning grey eyes that never smiled.Labels: George Bernard Shaw, H. Rider Haggard, Henry James, John Buchan
kloof kloof noun a deep ravine 1916GreenmantleSo Peter and I went up on each side of him, taking an arm apiece, as I had once seen done to a man with vertigo in the Kloof Chimney on Table Mountain.1917FinishedIt stood on a green and swelling mound behind which was a wooded kloof where ran a stream that at last precipitated itself in a waterfall over a great cliff.1977A Sparrow Falls...Baines Kloof where the mountain fell away on his left hand sheer into the valley…Labels: H. Rider Haggard, John Buchan, Wilbur Smith
abstemious ab-STEM-ee-uhs adjective consumed sparingly; used conservatively; temperate 1862The Thoughts of the Emperor Marcus AureliusWhen he was eleven years old he assumed the dress of philosophers, something plain and coarse, became a hard student, and lived a most laborious, abstemious life, even so far as to injure his health.1886Long OddsHe had eaten his dinner and drunk two or three glasses of old port, just to help Good and myself to the end of the second bottle. It was an unusual thing for him to do, for he was a most abstemious man, having conceived, as he used to say, a great horror of drink from observing its effects upon the class of colonists—hunters, transport riders and others—amongst whom he had passed so many years of his life.1961ThunderballI recommend that No. 007 should take it easy for two to three weeks on a more abstemious regime, when I believe he would make a complete return to his previous exceptionally high state of physical fitness.Labels: H. Rider Haggard, Ian Fleming, Marcus Aurelius
jobation jawb-AY-shuhn noun a scolding 1884A Perilous SecretWalter Clifford returned home pretty well weaned from trade, and anxious to propitiate his father, but well aware that on his way to reconciliation he must pass through jobation.1884We Two'I was called this morning into Mr. Ashgrove's private room; he informed me that he had just learned with great annoyance that I was the nephew of that (you can supply his string of abusive adjectives) Luke Raeburn. Was it true? I told him I had that honor. Was I, then, an atheist? Certainly. A Raeburnite? Naturally. After which came a long jobation, at the end of which I found myself the wrong side of the office door with orders never to darken it again, and next month's salary in my hand.'1887Allan QuatermainHe listened to this jobation submissively, and then frankly acknowledged that he had spoken hardly. It is one of the best points in Sir Henry's character that he is always ready to admit it when he is in the wrong.1907Father and SonIt is difficult for me to justify to myself the violent jobation which my Father gave me in consequence of my scream, except by attributing to him something of the human weakness of vanity.Labels: Ada Ellen Bayly, Charles Reade, Edmund Gosse, H. Rider Haggard
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