caste system divisions within a society based on differences in wealth, occupation, or inherited position.
disintegrated broken apart.
conjecture a conclusion arrived at by guesswork.
ipecac a shrub whose roots are used as a medicine that induces vomiting.
“La Bamba” a Mexican song made popular in the U.S. by Ritchie Valens.
beef shingles on toast a dish in which dried beef is cooked in a gravy and then poured over toast.
before you can say Jack Robinson an expression to reflect that an event happened quickly.
wainscoting wooden paneling.
croup a type of laryngitis marked by difficulty in breathing and a hoarse cough.
higgledy-piggledy confused; in disarray.
flotsam and jetsam a phrase used to describe objects either floating or washed ashore; an image of chaotic mess.
hex a jinx or an evil spell.
