Glossary of Terms
amalgamation: The combination of two or more things into one.
angina: chest pains
Asphodel: A flower found in Southern Europe; in Greek mythology this flower was sacred to Persephone.
Balalaikas: A Russian instrument similar to a mandolin.
banality: something ordinary, or that lacks originality.
Bezel: The portion of a gem above the setting with the facets revealed , or the slanting surface on the edge of a cutting surface.
biographies romancées: Made up biographies of dashing and famous historical figures.
Boswell: A Scottish lawyer who lived during the 18th century, Boswell is most famous for his two-volume biography of The Life of Samuel Johnson.
cinema: The British word for a movie or movie-theater.
coeval: Having the same duration, beginning date or age as something else.
droshkies: A kind of carriage formerly used in Russia.
Farce: A style of comedy in which so much goes wrong that it becomes obviously unreal.
farrago: A mixture of different things.
flogging: a beating
foolscap: A large size of paper used for writing and painting.
Futurist: Relating to futurism, an early 20th century artistic movement whose practitioners attempted to express the essence of the modern by focusing their artistic endeavors on ideas about technology.
hansom-cab: A kind of vehicle that used to be used in England. It had two-wheels and was drawn by one horse; two passengers could fit inside while the driver sat outside.
hare-lip: A facial deformity also called a cleft palate, which had the appearance of a large gap between the nose and the mouth revealing the gums and nasal cavity.
Ikons: Religious symbols, especially in eastern Christianity (e.g. Russian Christianity).
iniquities: injustices or immoral acts.
interlocutor: : a member of a conversation or discussion.
inveterate: long-standing, a habit, especially a bad one.
Javanese wrist-play: A difficult technique used in the playing of Javanese musical instruments which involves twisting and moving the wrists to change the sound.
latch-key: A special key for lifting a latch outside a door.
lugubrious: Mournful
Mnemogenic: A word invented by Nabokov to mean "the gift of being remembered".
mnemonic: A word-association technique used to improve memory.
monomaniac: someone who is obsessed with a single idea or thought.
Moujiks: A Russian peasant.
neuralgia: Pain surrounding a nerve when there is no change or damage to the nerve itself.
orderly: A senior soldier's personal assistant.
pelmenies: Meat-filled dumplings.
pneumatic: Relating to air-pressure or compressed-gas pressure.
prismatic: Relating to a prism, describing refracted light, or describing something colored like a rainbow.
Royalties: An author's share in the profits of a book, generally in the form of a small percentage of the sale of each book.
Rugby Blue: A Blue is an award earned at Cambridge or Oxford (and other universities) for competing at the highest level of a sport.
sledge: A sled used for transporting loads, pulled by animals.
soused: Drunk
strapontin: A seat which is folded up but can be pulled down when in use; commonly found in English taxis.
Tellurian: Relating to Earth or life on earth; a term often used in science fiction.
the Lethean Library: The collection of forgotten books; a term invented by Nabokov referencing the river Lethe in Hades, whose water was said to make the drinker forget the past.
town-hat: A hat with a wide brim.
treacle: The British word for molasses, it has come to mean something which is excessively sweet or cloying.
ClassicNote on The Real Life of Sebastian Knight
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