The Thirty-Nine Steps (26 page)

complaisant
ADJ
complaisant means polite
extremely cheerful and complaisant to their guest
(
Gulliver’s Travels
by Jonathan Swift)

conning
VERB
conning means learning by heart
Or conning more
(
The Prelude
by William Wordsworth)

consequent
NOUN
consequence
as avarice is the necessary consequent of old age
(
Gulliver’s Travels
by Jonathan Swift)

consorts
NOUN
concerts
The King, who delighted in music, had frequent consorts at Court
(
Gulliver’s Travels
by Jonathan Swift)

conversible
ADJ
conversible meant easy to talk to, companionable
He can be a conversible companion
(
Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen)

copper
NOUN
a copper is a large pot that can be heated directly over a fire
He gazed in stupefied astonishment on the small rebel for some seconds, and then clung
for support to the copper
(
Oliver Twist
by Charles Dickens)

copper-stick
NOUN
a copper-stick is the long piece of wood used to stir washing in the copper (or boiler)
which was usually the biggest cooking pot in the house
It was Christmas Eve, and I had to stir the pudding for next day, with a copper-stick,
from seven to eight by the Dutch clock
(
Great Expectations
by Charles Dickens)

counting-house
NOUN
a counting house is a place where accountants work
Once upon a time – of all the good days in the year, on Christmas Eve – old Scrooge
sat busy in his counting house
(
A Christmas Carol
by Charles Dickens)

courtier
NOUN
a courtier is someone who attends the king or queen – a member of the court
next the ten courtiers;
(
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
by Lewis Carroll)

covies
NOUN
covies were flocks of partridges
and will save all of the best covies for you
(
Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen)

cowed
VERB
cowed means frightened or intimidated
it cowed me more than the pain
(
Treasure Island
by Robert Louis Stevenson)

cozened
VERB
cozened means tricked or deceived
Do you remember, sir, how you cozened me
(
Doctor Faustus 4.7
by Christopher Marlowe)