Gerald Durrell - The Whispering Land

The author spent the earlier part of his life in Greece, hence his knowledge of the language.

to run to earth – here to find after a long search (a hunting term used jocularly; cf. other instances of its use on pp. 99, 121)

forty-odd cages – more than forty cages; the word odd when mentioned in round numbers, means 'additional to a whole'

to come into one's own – to start performing one's duties

to doll up (colloq.) – to dress carefully and stylishly or showily

Martin Fierro – an epic poem by Jose Fernandez, a well-known poet of Argentina

Bosun ['bousn] = boatswain, the ship's officer who is in charge of the crew, the boats, rigging, etc.

pale into insignificance – become insignificant, seem of no importance

full of beans (sl.) – full of energy, lively, brisk, vivacious

to husband – here to economize, to spend thriftily

the Great Fire of London – the fire that destroyed the most part, of London in 1666

beautifully appointed – very nicely furnished

at the double – at a run, at double speed

a whacking great shot (sl.) – a very big dose

kill or cure – here a remedy that would either cure a patient very quickly or kill him

for all I knew – as far as I knew

allergic to something – having an allergy, not able to stand something (allergy – a hypersensitivity to a specific substance, such as certain foods, dust, etc., or condition, as heat or cold, which in similar amounts is harmless to most people)

she's right out – she has passed out, i.e. lost consciousness

terrific (colloq.) – wonderful, magnificent

"hostesses" – a euphemistic name for the local prostitutes

port of call – a harbour where merchant ships discharge and take in cargo; figuratively, a place regularly visited by someone

to stand someone a drink – to treat to a drink

carnavalitos (Sp.) – gay songs

pobrecita (Sp.) – poor thing

she never looked back – she never returned to her previous bad state

by leaps and bounds – very quickly, with very rapid progress

porcine – pertaining to or characteristic of pigs (cf. equine charges on p. 27, feline tribe on p. 121)

The Pit and the Pendulum – a story by Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), American poet, critic and prose writer. The main personage who tells the story was sentenced to death by the Spanish inquisition and thrown into a dark dungeon, where he lay bound hand and foot, with dozens of rats running all over his body.

to pull somebody round – to cause somebody to recover from an illness, to save

despachante (Sp.) – a Customs official who is in charge of dispatching, i.e. sending off goods

We had twenty minutes to go. – We had twenty minutes at our disposal.

stop press – the latest news inserted in a special-column of a newspaper after printing has begun