first place in elements first place in the various required classes—Latin, mathematics, literature, and so forth.
two prints of butter two pats of butter with patterned marks, or "prints" on top.
the clumsy scullion the clumsy kitchen servant.
sick in your breadbasket sick at the stomach.
knotting his false sleeves Moonan is knotting two cloth streamers that are attached to the shoulders of the prefect's gown, or soutane.
he was in the third of grammar He was an older student.
turned to the flyleaf turned to the blank page in the front of the book.
do something for a cod do something for a joke.
the seawall a strong embankment to prevent the sea from coming up; a breakwater.
the kettle would be on the hob The kettle would be on the shelf around the fireplace where families kept saucepans, teapots, matches, and so forth.
the fire of the smoking turf Turf is the name of blocks of peat which are cut from Irish bogs and burned for fuel.
getting up on the cars Competing with the railroads, these cars were long vehicles used for transport and were pulled by horses.
don't spy on us another way of saying don't "peach" (or inform) on us.
not foxing not pretending.
like the long back of a tramhorse A tram was a horse-drawn passenger vehicle, much like a streetcar.
a dead mass a mass said for someone who has died.
the catafalque a raised structure on which a corpse is laid out for viewing.
a bowl of beeftea a bowl of rich bouillon, or beef broth.
the liberator usually the "l" is capitalized. The term refers to Daniel O'Connell, who was, in 1775, Ireland's leading Catholic politician, advocating the right of Catholics to hold public office.
a green velvet mantle A mantle is a loose, sleeveless cloak.
his feet resting on the toasted boss His feet are resting by the fireplace on a very low, warm stool which has ornamental "ears," or bosses.
looked at himself in the pierglass A pierglass is a tall mirror which fills the space between two windows.
a good breath of ozone round the Head John and Simon have walked to Bray Head, a hill outside Bray, close to the sea.
went over to the sideboard a piece of dining room furniture with shelves, doors, and drawers, used for holding tablecloths, linens, and silverware.
moisty and watery about the dewlaps Dewlaps refer to the loose, wrinkled skin under the throat.
that's the real Ally Daly That's a first-class turkey, the best!
an answer to the canon an answer to the clergy’s condemnation of Parnell.
the pope's nose the triangular-shaped "tail" of a chicken or a turkey, where the tail fathers are attached.
Billy with the lip William J. Walsh, archbishop of Dublin; he worked in league with Parnell for land reform but refused to give Parnell vocal or political support when the O'Shea scandal broke.
the tub of guts up in Armagh Michael Logue, another archbishop who didn't, but probably could have, used his influence to dispel the general condemnation of Parnell. Reference is taken from Hamlet.
Lord Leitrim’s coachman The reference here is to an Irish coachman who was more loyal to his English landlord than he was to his Irish compatriots who attempted to kill Lord Leitrim. A person who is labeled as "Lord Leitrim's coachman" would be a lackey, subservient to England and having no patriotism for Ireland.
renegade catholics those Catholics who desert their faith.
a spoiled nun a woman who, for whatever reason, has turned away from her calling to be a nun.
the trinkets and the chainies geegaws, cheap jewelry, and china dishes.
not long before the chief died not long before Parnell died.
a drunken old harridan a drunken old hag.
Mr. Fox the pseudonym used by Parnell when he wrote letters to Kitty O'Shea.
