Finnegans Wake



missus - wife, mistress

arrah - an expletive expressing emotion or excitement

shirk - to evade (a person, his conversation, acquaintance, etc.)                       shake hands

dibble - to make holes in the ground

hayfork - a long-handled fork used for turning over hay to dry, or in pitching and loading it.

lex - law

tib cat* - a female cat

smirk - to smile; in later use, to smile in an affected, self-satisfied, or silly manner, to simper.

pollock* - an highly esteemed marine food fish

woolly - a woollen garment or covering

tabouret - a low seat or stool

stitch - a single movement with the needle; fig. a 'stroke' of work of any kind.

enchantment - alluring or overpowering charm; enraptured condition.

nester - one that nests (as a bird)

flue - chimney, a smoke-duct in a chimney;              up the flue - pawned; dead.

gulden - any of various silver coins

findrinny - white bronze

rein - a long narrow strap or thong of leather, attached to the bridle or bit on each side of the head, by which a horse or other animal is controlled and guided by the rider or driver.

swoop - to move rapidly

fluttersome - given to or characterised by fluttering

second - to give support to, back up, assist, accompany

concertina - a portable musical instrument invented by Sir Charles Wheatstone in 1829, consisting of a pair of bellows, usually polygonal in form, with a set of keys at each end, which on being pressed admit wind to free metallic reeds.

forty winks - a short nap, esp. after dinner

apple

dimpling - making of dimples;       dumpling - a kind of pudding consisting of a mass of paste or dough, more or less globular in form, either plain and boiled, or inclosing fruit and boiled or baked.

Merlin chair - an invalid wheel-chair

assotted - infatuated;             asit - to sit, settle; remain sitting.

smart - stylish in dress, showing careful attention to details of appearence;     short - short clothes.

swagger - fashionable, posh, smart

fellah - a peasant in Arabic-speaking countries; fellow

Fez - town in Morocco

Stormont* - suburb of Belfast (where is Northern Ireland parliament).

going away - designed for wear when leaving on honeymoon

Vanity Fair* - a place or scene where all is frivolity and empty show.

rosy - healthy, blooming, tending to promote optimism

noise - to report, rumour, to spread rumours; to make a noise, to talk loudly.

chuckle - quiet laugh

bluebell - a plant with flowers shaped like bells

salty - containing or impregnated with salt

sepulchre - grave

zee - "z"                                                                                                                 the end

silver ash - sort of tree

switch - a thin flexible shoot cut from a tree

flare - to burn with a spreading, unsteady flame, as when blown by the wind.

anastasis (gr) - resurrection

waist - the portion of the trunk of the human body that is between the ribs and the hip-bones.

noblest - superl. of noble;      noble - illustrious by rank, title, or birth.

be = by

namesake

hooky - covered with hooks;      hook - a fish-hook, an angle                              holy sermon

rody = ruddy - having a fresh red complexion

ram - a male sheep; a sexually aggressive man, a lecher.

at random - without restraint, at great speed, without consideration, care, or control;  at any range other than point-blank (obs.)

premise -  pl. previous circumstances or events; things happening before (obs.); licensed premises.