Томас Майн Рид - Лучшие романы Томаса Майна Рида / The Best of Thomas Mayne Reid

hullabalooing – making a lot of noise about smth; expressing excitement

ambuscade= ambush – an unexpected attack from a hidden place

lorgnette= binoculars, field-glasses ( French )

ghouls – in Arabic folklore, demonic spirits who inhabit cemeteries and deserted places

ogres – in fairy-tales, giants eating human beings

Titans – in Greek mythology, the children of Uranius (Heaven) and Gaea (Earth)

Bacchus – in Greek mythology and religion, the god of vegetation, better known as the god of wine and ecstasy; in Roman mythology this god is known as Dionysus

musketry – from musket – a firearm of the 16 th–18 thcenturies; in the 19 thcentury it was replaced by a rifle

crape – black silk or cotton material

sombrero – a broad-brimmed Spanish or Mexican hat made of straw or felt

Cimmerian – related to the Cimmerians , the ancient people of unknown origin who lived north of the Caucasus till the 8 thcentury BC; later they were driven by the Scythians to Anatolia

Aeolus – in Greek mythology, the god of wind

the Rio Grande – the river in North America; it forms the border between Texas and Mexico. The river starts in the Rocky Mountains and flows to the Gulf of Mexico

mustanger – a man who catches, tames and sells mustangs

Satan – the prince of evil forces, the enemy of God; he is also identified with the devil

Mon Dieu!= My God! ( French )

the Rio de Nueces – the Nueces River in Texas and Mexico

Fouquiera splendens – ocotillo, or wine cactus, a flowering shrub which grows in Texas, California and Mexico

Lipano – the Lipan people – the Indian nomad tribe of western Texas

Comanche – North American Indian tribe of the Great Plains; they were skilled horsemen and led a nomadic life

Rangers – in the USA, soldiers, trained to make rapid attacks on the enemy territory; in Texas, Rangers were formed into regiments and used in federal service as law-enforcement forces

moccasin – a shoe of soft leather worn by North American Indians, hunters and traders; also a common name of Agkistrodon vipers

tarantula – a poisonous spider

centipede – a long, many-segmented insect; each segment has one pair of legs

the Alamo – one of the tributaries of the Nueces River; also the old chapel of the Franciscan mission, founded in 1716–1718, the place of the historic resistance of fighters for the independence of Texas from Mexico

papeterie– a set of writing materials ( French )

portmanteau – a suitcase consisting of two parts that fold together

demijohn – a large glass wine bottle

corduroy – a durable fabric, used for breeches, coats, jackets and trousers

calico – a cotton fabric with simple designs; it first appeared in the 11 thcentury in Calicut, India

brogues – strong leather shoes with stitches

Milesian – related to Milesians , the ancestors of the Celtic population of Ireland

Galway – a county in western Ireland, the largest Gaelic-speaking region of the country; a seaport and the county town of County Galway

Connemara – a region in County Galway, a lowland with bogs, lakes and uplands

manada– herd of horses ( Spanish )

ci-devant– 1. former; 2. before ( French )

Howly Vargin– Holy Virgin, Mother of Jesus

Saint Patrick – bishop and patron saint of Ireland, national apostle who brought Christianity to the country in the 5 thcentury

Yankees – citizens of the USA, or more precisely of the six New England states; the origin of the word is unknown; it came into use during the Civil War in 1861–1865

Galwegian – inhabitant of Galway

grog – an alcoholic drink mixed with water

Nothing in his tout ensemblemeans nothing in his cloths

métier– profession, occupation, business ( French )

Orleens– New Orleans – the largest city and port on the Mississippi River, founded in 1718 by the French settlers; in 1763 New Orleans was given to the Spanish government, but in 1803 it was returned to France. In the same year Napoleon sold it to the United States

Saint Looey– St. Louis – the largest city in Missouri, located on the bank of the Mississippi River; it used to be the Gateway of the West at the time of the first settlers. The Missouri River joins the Mississippi to the north of St. Louis

Loozeyanner– Louisiana

cabriesto – a kind of rope

the garden of Eden – in the Bible, an earthly paradise where the first people, Adam and Eve, lived

fracas – noise; noisy quarrel

Alacran– Alacran tartarus, a kind of poisonous insects

revanche– compensation, satisfaction ( French )

cantata penserosa – a short musical work for a choir and a soloist

hydrophoby – fear of water

cavallada– a mare (female horse) ( Spanish )

mise-en-scène– a scene; view ( French )