Everyday Use

1. homely (adjective):

plain, when referencing a person’s looks

“[Maggie] will stand hopelessly in corners, homely and ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs, eying her sister with a mixture of envy and awe.” (Paragraph 2)

2. tottering (verb):

wobbling or moving unsteadily

“You’ve no doubt seen those TV shows where the child who has ‘made it’ is confronted, as a surprise, by her own mother and father, tottering in weakly from backstage.” (Paragraph 3)

3. enveloped (past tense verb):

entirely wrapped or enclosed

“‘How do I look, Mama?’ Maggie says, showing just enough of her thin body enveloped in pink skirt and red blouse for me to know she’s there, almost hidden by the door.” (Paragraph 7)

4. sidle (verb):

move cautiously or secretively, often by approaching at an angle

“Have you ever seen a lame animals, perhaps a dog run over by some careless person rich enough to own a car, sidle up to someone who is ignorant enough to be kind to him?” (Paragraph 9)

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