Vocabulary ladder

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

I. A SCANDAL IN BOHEMIA

8,580 words. Everyday vocabulary (band A) covers 60% of the text; the hard 6% is 266 entries — all of them below.

A 59.6% (794 types) B 6.3% (334 types) C 3.1% (214 entries) D 1.7% (122 entries) E 0.6% (45 entries) N 3.4% (99 entries)

Band B — common reading vocabulary

A sample of 24 of 334 — you will meet these often; they are explained only at the fullest help level.

Band C — recognition checklist

All 214 upper-intermediate words in this chapter. Tick the ones you know; the rest are explained at the fullest help level.

Band D — advanced (122 entries)

all-important
most important of all
bell-pull ×2
the cord pulled to ring a servant's bell
cigar-shaped
shaped like a cigar
coach-house
a shed for carriages
double-edged
cutting both ways
drawing-room
the sitting room for guests
drug-created
made by a drug
drunken-looking
looking drunk
flame-coloured
bright red-orange
glass-factories
factories making glass
half-and-half
a mix of ale and porter
half-dragged
partly dragged
home-centred
centred on home
jewel-box
a box for jewels
nurse-girl
a young nursemaid
paper-mills
mills making paper
scissors-grinder ×2
a man who grinds scissors sharp
self-lighting
lighting itself
sitting-room ×6
the family sitting room
smoke-rocket ×2
a device that makes a burst of smoke
staff-commander
a naval officer's rank
well-dressed
dressed well
well-remembered
clearly remembered
high-power
high-power: strongly magnifying
slavey
a hard-worked maidservant — slang
cabman ×2
a driver for hire
twenty-five
twenty-five
top-hat
a tall silk hat
twopence
two pennies
well-known
explained by the text itself
imprudently
rashly
simple-minded
simple of mind
notepaper · note-paper ×2
paper for letters
adventuress
a woman who lives by her wits and charms
theorise
to form theories
insensibly
little by little, unnoticed
inviolate
unbroken; untouched
cabby
a cab driver
reasoner ×3
one who works by reasoning
deep-sea
of the deep sea
intrusted
entrusted: given into the care of
sidelights
sidelights: the side lamps of a carriage
invariable
never varying
firelight
the light of a fire
loungers ×2
loungers: idlers
waylaid ×2
waylaid: lay in wait for
condescend
to stoop graciously to lesser people
idler
one who does nothing
dryly
coldly and shortly
forefinger
the first finger
loafer
an idle hanger-on
secreting
hiding
horsey
fond of horses
masterly
with a master's skill
disreputable
of bad reputation
incorrigible
past all mending
desirous
wishing
languid
without energy; limp
sardonic
mocking
stethoscope
the doctor's listening instrument
drowsiness
the heavy wish to sleep
opulence
rich plenty
spinster
an unmarried woman
sneer
a curl of the lip in scorn
fasteners
a thing that fastens
incisive ×2
sharp and cutting
scribbled
to write fast and carelessly
shriek
a piercing scream
chubb
Chubb lock: a well-known make of lock
hurriedly
in a rush
scuffle
a confused small struggle
implicates
implicated: mixed up in
necessitate
necessitated: made necessary
landau ×4
a four-wheeled carriage with a folding top
simplifies
simplifies: makes simpler
quench
to put out; satisfy thirst
confide
to trust with a secret
epistle
a letter
introspective
looking into oneself
succinct
brief and exact
beryl
a pale green or blue gem
heartily ×2
with all one's heart
mumbling
to speak low and unclearly
concealment
hiding
murmured ×3
to speak in a low soft flow
confidant
one trusted with secrets
operatic
of the opera
trifle
a thing of no importance
deuce
the devil — a mild oath
abhorrent
hateful; disgusting
deduce ×3
to reason out from facts
gleam
a soft flash of light
docketing
docketing: labelling and filing
amazement
great wonder
mews
mews: a lane of stables
hindrance
something in the way
shag
coarse cut tobacco
brooch
an ornament pinned to clothes
averse
unwilling
hoofs
a horse's horny foot
incognito
under a hidden name
daintiest
daintiest: most delicate and pretty
yawn
to open the mouth wide with tiredness
hurled
to fling with force
clasped
to hold tight in the arms
whence
from which place
conspiring
to plot together
loathed
unwilling; reluctant
occupant
one who fills a place
resolute ×2
firmly determined
preposterous ×2
absurd beyond belief
treachery
betrayal
vouching
vouching: giving assurance
furnish · furnished ×2
fitted out with furniture
grating
harsh and scraping
exalted
raised high in rank
carte
explained by the text itself
uncontrollable
beyond control
uproar
a loud confused noise
delicacy ×2
a choice fine food; fine sensitivity
entangled
caught in a tangle
agitation
troubled excitement

Band E — rare & archaic (45 entries)

boot-slitting
slitting boots
broad-brimmed
with a wide brim
double-breasted
with overlapping fronts
eglow
explained by the text itself
gasogene
a device for making soda-water
half-buttoned
only partly buttoned
ill-kempt
untidy
over-precipitance
too much haste
pink-tinted
tinged pink
side-whiskered
wearing side-whiskers
tweed-suited
dressed in tweed
uncourteous
rude
flurried
flustered
superscribed
to write on the outside
iodoform
an antiseptic with a strong smell
expostulating
expostulating: protesting earnestly
reproachfully
with blame in the voice
marm
explained by the text itself
kindliness
gentle kindness
aquiline
with a curved eagle's nose
vizard
a mask
pshaw
explained by the text itself
ostlers ×2
ostlers: stablemen at an inn
piteous
calling for pity
surpliced
surpliced: wearing a clergyman's white gown
shabbily
in a shabby way
gibe
a mocking remark
hoarsely
in a rough, husky voice
hansom
a two-wheeled horse cab
inextricable
impossible to escape or unwind
hadn ×2
had — hadn't: had not
hungrily
with hunger
contralto
a low female singing voice
astrakhan
curly black lambskin
compunction
a pang of conscience
informality
a break in proper form
obstinacy
stubbornness
disentangled
to free from a tangle
burgled
burgled: broken into and robbed
brougham ×4
a closed one-horse carriage
effusive
gushing with feeling
chamois
a nimble mountain antelope
née
explained by the text itself
betrothal
engagement to marry
bijou
explained by the text itself

False friends — common words wearing old senses (6)

interest
the spectacle that draws a crowd — the old sense here
passage
a sea-journey — the old sense here
peculiar
its own; particular — the old sense here
state
ceremony; pomp — the old sense here
use
habit; custom — the old sense here
witness
consider as proof — the old sense here

Names (19)

ormstein ×2
the royal house of Bohemia
kramm ×2
Count Von Kramm, the King of Bohemia's disguise
clotilde
Clotilde Lothman von Saxe-Meningen, the King of Bohemia's intended bride
wallenstein
the general of the Thirty Years' War
boswell
Johnson's biographer; Watson's role to Holmes
godfrey ×5
Godfrey Norton, the lawyer
adler ×13
Irene Adler, the adventuress who outwits Holmes; to him always the woman
irene ×14
Irene Adler, the adventuress
sherlock ×11
Mr Sherlock Holmes, the great detective
norton ×7
Godfrey Norton, the lawyer Irene Adler marries
holmes ×48
Mr Sherlock Holmes, the great detective of Baker Street
watson ×6
Dr Watson, Holmes's friend and the teller of the tales
turner
John Turner, the rich landowner of Boscombe Valley; Alice Turner, his daughter
Baker Street
Holmes's London lodgings
Irene Adler
the adventuress who outwits Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
the great detective of Baker Street
Study in Scarlet
Watson's first published account of Holmes
carte blanche
a free hand — French
prima donna
the chief woman singer of an opera — Italian