Home > Work > The Willoughbys
1 " Once she read a book but found it distasteful because it contained adjectives. "
― Lois Lowry , The Willoughbys
2 " I have learned over the course of my many years that it is a bad idea, usually, to investigate piteous weeping but always a fine thing to look into a giggle. "
3 " NEFARIOUS means utterly, completely wicked. The character in The Wizard of Oz could have been called the Nefarious Witch of the West but authors like to use the same beginning consonant, often. Perhaps L. Frank Baum crossed out nefarious after wicked came to his mind. Thank goodness, because Nefarious would be a terrible name for a musical. "
4 " CONSPIRACY is a plan to do something subversive. Three guys planning a camping trip . . . nah, that’s just three guys planning a camping trip. But three guys planning to take a camping trip and rob a bank along the way . . . that’s a conspiracy. "
5 " The Willoughby parents frequently forgot that they had children and became quite irritable when they were reminded of it. "
6 " Squalor has nothing to do with money. Squalor happens when people are sad. And "
7 " AFFABLE means good-natured and friendly. There are whole groups of people who are known for being affable. Cheerleaders, for example. Or Mormon missionaries. "
8 " It’s Peter the goat-herd,” murmured Tim in astonishment, “right out of Heidi! We can teach him to read and write, and then we’ll all smile and hug and say religious things! "
9 " She married, surprisingly, her stepbrother Tim, who, as predicted, became an attorney. The "
10 " IGNOMINIOUS means shamefully weak and ineffective. Oliver Twist saying, “Please sir, might I have some more?” would be ignominious, except that he isn’t shameful, just sort of pathetic. This book has ignominious illustrations. They are shamefully weak because the person who drew them is not an artist. "
11 " Occasionally "
12 " We are four worthy orphans with a no-nonsense nanny."Like Mary Poppins?" suggested the man, with a pleased look of recognition.Not one bit like that fly-by-night woman," Nanny said with a sniff. "It almost gives me diabetes just to think of her: all those disgusting spoonfuls of sugar! "
13 " ...Father dislikes weaponry of any sort. ""Yes, he's even suspicious of Mother's knitting scissors," Barnaby B pointed out. "He feels all warfare should be conducted with taunts and gibes and vicious rumors. "
14 " And things to wrap around the bottom of an infant. Not dishtowels.” “Pampers?” asked the grocer. “I am an old-fashioned gentleman.” “Diapers, then?” suggested the grocer. “Or, if you are truly old-fashioned, they would be called nappies.” “Yes, those. "
15 " Squalor has nothing to do with money. Squalor happens when people are sad. And Commander Melanoff was very sad. "
16 " The crocodile river was such fun. Two tourists were eaten in huge gulps but it was not sad at all because they were French. "
17 " Once, his sister whispered to him privately, after a dinner they had refused to eat, “I liked it. "
