Zack Files 07

they're nothing compared to mine

taste-off

The minute I got off the phone, I started

jumping around and screaming like a maniac.

maniac

I couldn't wait to tell him the news.

He was just going to die!

I was still pooped from running.

that lemonade was the pits.

not too tart, not too sweet

get down to business

pessimist

i want to look my best.

our flavor was dynamite

don't overreact

on my hands

they always have a way of working out

gauze

he did a double take when he saw me.

when he's mad, he sits on you.

Vernon was getting to me.

a wild guess

call on you a lot more in science today

demand better treatment

low-budget horror movie

gunk

Vernon was polishing off a whole bowl of ice cream

a tad of 

I'm going to beat the pants off Zack.

stark naked

i was already a madhouse

wacky

his eyes nearly bugged out of  his head

he was sure he had the prize in the bag

I sidestepped his fists

narrow it down to six finalists

sterling silver

they must have thought I was a streaker or something

birthday suit

became a big hit

drop by

認識NOOK HD+ 按鍵的英文名稱

the screen is susceptible to fingerprints

Sitting alone toward the top of the right edge is a power/sleep button and right above it, on the top edge, are a volume rocker, headphone jack, and microphone pinhole. On the bottom edge are a custom 30-pin charging connector and a microSD card slot covered with a door. The tablet comes with a 30-pin-to-USB cable that plugs into the included AC adapter. Dual speakers sit nestled in the lower back, under a single speaker grille

On the front, right above the bottom bezel, is the hardware home button..

Directly above is a space in which to organize content shortcut icons, and near the top of the screen sits your content carousel.

Proprietary power charger. That's the only real downside I can see with this so far.

proprietary  

/ prəˈpraɪətrɪ; US -terɪ; prəˋpraɪəˏtɛrɪ/ adj
(a) (of goods) manufactured and sold by a particular firm, usu under patent 

Zack Files Book 3

look-see   n [singular]

informal a quick look at something

  "First, can I ask you a personal question, Mrs. Coleman-Levin?"

  "Depends what it is," she said.

  "Do you believe in ESP?"

extra-sensory perception the ability to know what will happen in the future, or to know what another person is thinking

"Dad, you've met Mrs. Coleman-Levin.

Did she strike you as the murdering type?"

P.U.!

Outside my classroom, rain was flinging itself

against the windows. Lightning flashed.

Thunder crashed. Mrs. Coleman-Levin was

taking attendance. 

Zack Files 11

The night we went, they were holding a

seance as a publicity stunt. A seance is when

a bunch of people get together in a dark room

and try to get a ghost to talk to them.

seance    /ˈseɪɑːns, -ɔns US -ɑːns/ n [C]

a meeting where people try to talk to or receive messages from the spirits of dead people

poltergeist / ˈpɔltəgaɪst; ˋpoltɚˏɡaɪst/ 

A poltergeist is a ghost or supernatural force which is believed to move furniture or throw objects around.

Zack Files 19

the extension cords

I handed the other hair dryer to Dad and

pantomimed firing it at the spores.

I hit the monster

with the sweet spot of my bat and blasted a line

drive out into the hallway.

Zack Files Book 20

As I cut through the park, I saw a girl who was about my age. She looked so amazing, I almost blew my cool.

blow (one's) cool Slang
          To lose one's composure.

"I don't see why we have to ask girls to

this stupid dance anyway," said this big kid,

George Van Zandt. "Girls are boring." George

is a jock. He only cares about sports.

AmE someone, especially a student, who plays a lot of sport and is often considered to be stupid

I scratched my back. I had started itching

while I was talking to Prudence. I wondered

if there was any connection. Maybe Prudence

had cooties. Not that there was anything wrong

with cooties.

coo·tie (ktē) n. Slang
A body louse.

They had fits. They shouted gibberish.

fit - a short period of time when someone loses consciousness and cannot control their body because their brain is not working properly

　She used to have fits as a baby.

gibberish--something you write or say that has no meaning, or is very difficult to understand

Twenty innocent people died.

If someone is innocent, they did not commit a crime which they have been accused of.

"Ssshhh!" she said. She looked nervous enough 

to jump right out of her skin

Fig. to react strongly to shock or surprise.

"Why, how short your skirt is!" said

Prudence. "Will they not take you to the

ducking stool and hold your head underwater

until you gasp for breath?"

    The waitress got very huffy.

Someone who is huffy is obviously annoyed or offended about something. (INFORMAL)

I really didn't want to sound like a wuss.

If you call someone a wuss, you are criticizing them for being afraid. (INFORMAL)

Prudence suddenly leaned across the table and kissed me.

That really caught me off-guard.I guess it left both of us pretty flustered.

catch/throw sb off guard
to surprise someone by doing something that they are not ready to deal with

flustered--confused and nervous

Dad managed to tear himself away from his article 

on antique stores long enough to drive me 

to Mrs. Coleman-Levin's to pick up Prudence.

tear away [tear sb away] phr v
to make yourself or someone else leave a place when you or they do not want to leave

Prudence, your escort is here!

to take someone somewhere, especially when you are protecting or guarding them

crepe `paper 

thin paper with a wavy or wrinkled surface 縐紋紙.

punch bowl--

Punch is a drink made from wine or spirits mixed with things such as sugar, lemons, and spices.

Principal Underpence scampered away in embarrassment.

When people or small animals scamper somewhere, they move there quickly with small, light steps.

I had to think about this. I was terribly torn.

I really didn't know what to do.

If you are torn between two or more things, you cannot decide which to choose, and so you feel anxious or troubled.

I fished in my pockets for something to jimmy the lock.

jimmy--a short strong metal bar used especially by thieves to break open locked doors, windows etc

She closed her eyes, held her breath, and scrunched up her face.

scrunch up your face/eyes
to move the muscles in your face in a way that makes your eyes seem narrow

"Boy, you can say that again.

I agree with you completely 

The court of Jailem Village is now in session, Magistrate John Harthome presiding!

to be in charge of a formal event, organization, ceremony etc

Zack Files Book 18

They took a Polaroid picture of me holding it. 
I took the picture to school and showed the guys in my homeroom. 
Everybody was impressed-everybody but Andrew Clancy.

A Polaroid camera is a small camera that can take, develop, and print a photograph in a few seconds.

Everyone was hoping Andrew Clancy might finally get

caught in one of his whoppers.

informal  a lie

The Space Shuttle was now embedded in the ceiling of the gym.
be embedded in sth --to put something firmly and deeply into something else, or to be put into something in this way

plainclothes policemen

And I have to tell you-I never solved a homicide case for him. 

homicide AmE
the police department that deals with murders

A sergeant is a non-commissioned officer of middle rank in the army, marines, or air force.

"He's shot twelve perps." said Andrew.
perpetrator formal
someone who does something morally wrong or illegal

interrogate   

to ask someone a lot of questions for a long time in order to get information, sometimes using threats

I actually thought we might have a shot at winning that hundred bucks.

have a chance

I dreaded to see what he'd come up with.

dread 

to feel anxious or worried about something that is going to happen or may happen

The components of something are the parts that it is made of.

Vernon was going to egg on Andrew to brag and lie until he couldn't get on the bike at all. 

egg on [egg sb⇔on] phr v
to encourage someone to do something, especially something that they do not want to do or should not do

my bathtub has a Jacuzzi. 按摩浴缸

"Big deal," said Andrew. "My bathroom has a sauna."

三溫暖

he thought he could pry Andrew out with a crowbar. 

If you pry something open or pry it away from a surface, you force it open or away from a surface.

crowbar -- a heavy iron bar used to lift something or force it open

A serum is a liquid that is injected into someone's blood to protect them against a poison or disease.

"I think Andrew would like to start telling the truth now. But he needs a head start.

head start n [C]
an advantage that helps you to be successful

"My butt," Andrew said. "It's shrinking! It's shrinking

 big-time!"

big-time   Informal

adj. Significant or important; major: a bigtime comedian.
adv. To an extreme degree; very much: Sales are expanding, big-time.

stationary bike -- A stationary bicycle (also known as exercise bicycle, exercise bike)

labonza  -- the buttocks. Good grief, what a gross labonza!

And I know I'm a pain in the butt. 

pain in the ass and a pain in the butt

Fig. a very annoying thing or person.