bloom – the grayish powdery coating on various fruits, as the plum, grape, etc. and on some leaves; this word, applied as it is to sloe-colored human eyes, is highly appropriate here
nave – the part of a church from the inner door to the choir; it rises higher than the aisles flanking it and is often separated from them by an arcade
riot –
gin-and-tonic – the usual mixture of gin (a strong alcoholic drink made from grain) with some tonic, i.e. stimulating beverage (e. g. Coca-Cola)
the usual run – the usual collection
Que lindo… que bicho mas lindo!
humming-birds – a group of very small, brightly colored birds with a long, slender bill and narrow wings that vibrate rapidly and make a humming sound in flight
station-wagon – a motor-car with folding or removable rear seats and a back end that opens for easy loading of the luggage, etc.
exuding good-will and personality – trying his best to look friendly but stern (the noun
a red-fronted Tucuman Amazon – a red-breasted parrot of central and South America
acquisitive – greedy, betraying the wish to acquire the parrot
to play one's trump card – to make use of one's best weapon (or argument) for gaining one's end
Como te va, Blanco?
Madre de Dios
hijo de puta
Como te va, como te va, que tal?
estupido, muy estupido
to run to earth – to hunt down, to find by search
guan [gwa:.n]
onomatopoeic – imitative in sound (in linguistics the term is used to indicate a word formed in approximate imitation of some sound, e. g. tinkle, buzz, etc.)
to go –
Lorito – the common Spanish name for a parrot, the same as Polly in English
gringo
coral snake – a small, poisonous snake with coral-red yellow and black bands around its body, found in the south-eastern United States and in subtropical America
Old School tie – a necktie with a special pattern worn by former pupils of some particular English public school. The habit of wearing this kind of tie is to the author an indication of an excessive respect for one's social position, a sort of snobbery which he finds (together with the tie itself) revolting: see also p. 165.
a dewy-eyed expression – a very innocent and gentle one
Geoffroy's cat – a variety of wild cat discovered by Estienne-Louis Geoffroy (1725-1810), a famous French zoologist
seraphic – angelic
to leave somebody to his own devices – to allow him to do as he likes
tyro ['taierou] – a beginner, an inexperienced person
gato
chico gato montes
conundrum – puzzling question or problem; a mystery
with fourteen Martians in tow – followed by fourteen imaginary inhabitants of the planet Mars
loco
tabby – the common type of domestic cat, grey with dark stripes (the name is usually applied to a female cat)
takes the edge off his potential viciousness – makes him less vicious. Literally, the expression means 'to make blunt': e. g.
Lifemanship – the art of living, of coexistence (a word coined by analogy with
outboard engine
debauched
by virtue of your grasshopper-like activities – owing to the way you keep rushing from one place to another (again Durrell chooses an elaborate, scientific- sounding mode of expression, with
frond – the usual name for a palm leaf (or that of a fern)
