Smithers & Boyle vocabulary notes

1. It’s raining heavily = A lot of rain is falling

2. particular = individual

3. persistent = determined / stubborn

4. drenching = covering with water / soaking

5. whoever = whichever person / anybody

6. Inspector = a high ranking police officer

 

7. desk = work table

8. take away food = food bought from a restaurant but eaten outside the restaurant

9. agitated = distracted / uncomfortable / irritated

10. mood = humour (state of mind. e.g. happy, unhappy)

11. looking like a drowned rat (idiom) = looking very, very wet 

12. soaked = very wet / full of water

13. running down = (phrasal verb) = flowing in a downward direction

14. to dampen P C Smithers’ spirit (idiom: to dampen someone’s spirit = to spoil their enthusiasm / to make them feel depressed) = to make PCSmithers feel unhappy or depressed

15. He hangs up (phrasal verb) his wet raincoat = He puts his wet raincoat on a coat hanger or a hook

16. customary = usual

17. optimistic = positive

18. greets the inspector good day = says hello to the inspector

19. A body = A corpse / the remains of a dead person or animal

20. A body has been found (passive form) = somebody has found a body (active form)

21. for heaven’s sake= for God’s sake / for pity’s sake (this is a way of expressing exasperation)

22. squad car = police car

23. Now have my squad car brought round (phrasal verb) = Tell somebody to bring my squad car here

24. let’s get down to (phrasal verb) = let’s go to

25. the scene of the crime = the place where the crime occurred

26. what the hell’s going on (phrasal verb: to go on = to happen) (informal and quite aggressive) = what is happening

27. Right away = immediately