The Wild Duck

The Wild Duck Glossary

Baize

A green, wooly material resembling felt, mostly used to cover card and billiard tables

Nip

A small quantity of alcohol or liquor

Maraschino

A liqueur obtained from distilling a specific type of cherry

Compunction

A feeling of guilt or moral tumult that follows an act of wrongdoing

Tokay

A sweet white wine from Hungary

Derision

Contempt for or ridicule of someone or something

Filial Piety

Respect for one's parents and ancestors

Crown

Also "Krone"; the unit of Norwegian currency

Chamberlain

An officer who manages the home or affairs of a noble person

Dainties

Delicacies; small things to eat

Capital

Here, suggestive of quality or excellence

Garret

A top floor or attic, especially a small one

Pariah

A social outcast

Contrivance

The use of skill to create or produce something; a scheme

Car-de-visits

Here, a mispronunciation of carte de visite, small photographic business cards exchanged between friends in the 19th century

Dæmonic

Fiendish or relating to demons; subversive in a broader sense

Constitution

A person's composition or physical state; vitality

Groveling

Lying before another abjectly or subserviently

Portmanteau

A large trunk or suitcase that opens into two equal parts

Hurly-burly

Commotion or disarray