accent: a distinguishing regional or national manner of pronunciation; here, Piggy’s manner of speech, characterized by his use of double negatives and informal contractions.
acrid: sharp, bitter, stinging, or irritating to the taste or smell.
altos: the boys who sing in the vocal range between tenor and soprano.
antiphonal: sung or chanted in alternation.
barmy: [Brit. Slang] crazy.
batty: [Slang] crazy or eccentric.
bloody: [Vulgar Brit. Slang] cursed; damned.
bogie: an imaginary evil being or spirit; goblin.
bollocks: a vulgar slang exclamation expressing anger, disbelief, etc.
bomb happy: [Slang, Chiefly Brit.] crazy; insane.
bowstave: here, slightly curved arc like that of a bow.
brine: water full of salt.
bum: [Brit. Slang] the buttocks.
caps of maintenance: caps bearing a school insignia.
Coral Island: Robert Ballantyne’s 1857 adventure tale about three boys shipwrecked on a Pacific island and their triumph over their circumstances.
cordon: a line or circle, as of soldiers or ships, stationed around an area to guard it.
coverts: covered or protected places; shelters.
cracked: [Informal] mentally unbalanced; crazy.
crackers: [Slang, Chiefly Brit.] crazy; insane.
crackers: [Slang, Chiefly Brit.] crazy; insane.
creepers: any plants whose stems put out tendrils or rootlets by which the plants can creep along a surface as they grow.
cutter: a boat carried, esp. formerly, aboard large ships to transport personnel or supplies.
