The Thing Around Your Neck

The Thing Around Your Neck Glossary

Parastatal

Having some political authority and serving the state indirectly, especially in some African countries.

Preemie

A baby born prematurely.

Expiation

The act of making amends or reparation for guilt or wrongdoing; atonement.

Maudlin

Self-pityingly or tearfully sentimental, often because of drunkenness.

Flogging

A punishment in which the victim is hit repeatedly with a whip or stick.

Bespeckled

Marked or covered with a large number of small spots or patches of color.

Pleading

The action of making an emotional or earnest appeal to someone.

Denunciation

Public condemnation of someone or something.

Embassy

The official residence or offices of an ambassador.

Yoruba

A member of an African people of southwestern Nigeria and Benin.

Igbo

A member of a people of southeastern Nigeria.

Rickety

Poorly made and likely to collapse.

Flamboyant

Tending to attract attention because of their exuberance, confidence, and stylishness.

Nondescript

Lacking distinctive or interesting features or characteristics.

Messiah

A leader or savior of a particular group or cause.

Rangy

Tall and slim with long, slender limbs.

Grimy

Covered with or characterized by dirt.

Jaundice

A medical condition with yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, arising from excess of the pigment bilirubin and typically caused by obstruction of the bile duct, by liver disease, or by excessive breakdown of red blood cells.

Pugilist

a boxer, especially a professional one.

Colonization

The action or process of settling among and establishing control over the indigenous people of an area.