1.) His eyes going adamantine (like a diamond in hardness and brilliance)
2.) I was happy to get out unmaimed
Maim
to injure a person so severely that a part of their body will no longer work as it should:
Many children have been maimed for life by these bombs
3.) The incongruous contrasts
Unusual or different from the surroundings or from what is generally happening:
It seems incongruous to have a woman as the editor of a men’s magazine.
4.) Free poppadum (a very thin flat circular Indian bread that breaks easily into pieces)
5.) Country house heirlooms
A valuable object that has been given by older members of a family to younger members of the same family over many years:
This ring is a family heirloom.
6.) It had grown sinister and comic
Making you feel that something bad or evil might happen:
The ruined house had a sinister appearance.
A sinister-looking man sat in the corner of the room.
7.) He was winding me up
To tell someone something that is not true in order to make a joke:
Are you serious or are you just trying to wind me up?
8.) Our new lives commenced
(Commencement) to begin something:
We will commence building work in August of next year.
Shall we let the meeting commence, gentlemen?
[+ ing form of verb] Unfortunately, he commenced speaking before all the guests had finished eating.
9.) Egging on the fray was moppy
egg sb on
to strongly encourage someone to do something which might not be a very good idea:
Don’t egg him on! He gets himself into enough trouble without your encouragement.
the fray (ACTION)
an energetic and often not well organized effort, activity, fight or disagreement:
With a third country about to enter (= take part in) the fray, the fighting looks set to continue.
A good holiday should leave you feeling refreshed and ready for the fray (= ready to work) again.
moppy adj. moppier, moppiest 1. Bad, ugly. Example: “Eww, you look so moppy wearing that shirt with those pants!”. 2. Very dirty. Example: “The air is so polluted, it’s moppy.”
10.) A sojourner (a temporary resident)
11.) Ubiquitous style
Seeming to be in all places:
Leather is very much in fashion this season, as of course is the ubiquitous denim.
The radio, that most ubiquitous of consumer-electronic appliances, is about to enter a new age.
12.) Peculiar
Unusual and strange, sometimes in an unpleasant way:
She has the most peculiar ideas. What a peculiar smell!
It’s peculiar that they didn’t tell us they were going away.
13.) Cul-de-sac
1 a short road which is blocked off at one end
2 a situation which leads nowhere:
an intellectual cul-de-sac
14.) Sth. is treasured like pearls plucked from an oyster
15.) Jaywalking
To walk across a road at a place where it is not allowed or without taking care to avoid the traffic
