Crime and Punishment

False friends26 entries

You know these words. In this book they mean something else.

attendance

cleaning and service

his fellows

other people

that quarter

that district

For this business

For this job

impotence

lack of power

project

plan

violent

stronger and stronger in feeling

engaged in

busy

the note of that bell

the sound of that bell

peculiar

odd

He started

He gave a jump

for

because

yellow paper

yellow wallpaper

made up

formed

flat

thin, not thick

checked himself

stopped himself

another object

another purpose

he reflected

he thought to himself

abusing

shouting bad words at

mounted

climbed

the want of food

the lack of food

the will is firm

the power to decide and act is strong

reflection

thought

he began as though in his sleep

his body jerked suddenly, still asleep

positive

plain and open

the company

the people in the room

Idioms80 entries

Fixed expressions with a settled meaning of their own. Worth learning once.

in which he lodged

where he rented a room

was obliged to

had to

hopelessly in debt to

owing far more than he could ever pay to

for some time past

for a while now

ceased to weigh upon him

no longer troubled him

had a real terror for him

really frightened him

to rack his brains for excuses

to search his mind hard for reasons to give

rather than that

instead of that

for days together

for days on end

Am I capable of _that_?

Could I really do it?

worked painfully upon

hurt and pressed on

by the way

I should mention

more accurately speaking

to be more exact

not caring to observe it

not wanting to notice it

From time to time

Sometimes

become conscious that

realise that

in a tangle

confused

Owing to the proximity of

Because it was so near

in the heart of Petersburg

in the centre of the city

in spite of×4

even with

It was a different matter when

It was another thing when

at the top of his voice

as loudly as he could

akin to

close to

That’s the worst of all

That is the worst part

a mile off

from far away

He had not far to go

He did not have far to walk

lost in dreams

deep in his own dreams

put no faith in

did not believe in

look upon them differently

see them in a new way

a sinking heart

a heart full of fear

of sorts

of one kind or another

employed on the building

kept to guard the building

at once×2

immediately

could not help asking himself

could not stop himself asking

his progress was barred

his way was blocked

That’s a good thing anyway

That at least is lucky

rang the bell

pulled the bell to be let in

bring it clearly before him

make it clear to him

In a little while

After a moment

at every instant

all the time

made haste to mutter

hurried to say it quietly, so it was hard to hear

stepped on one side

moved aside

Step in

Come in

as it were

in a way

as far as possible

as much as he could

that was all

there was nothing else

stole a curious glance

looked secretly and curiously

look him straight in the face

look directly into his face

drew out of

took out of

the time is up

the month is over

was up

ended

Please yourself

Do as you like

was on the point of going away

was about to leave

in one bunch

all together

that’s worth knowing

that is useful to know

as we say

as people say

Just so

Exactly

was in no hurry to get away

was in no hurry to leave

Well

All right then

What business is she of yours

Why do you want to know about her?

nothing particular

nothing special

You are too quick

you take offence too fast

stopped short

stopped suddenly

can I, can I possibly

could I really

come into my head

enter my mind

above all

most of all

regardless of

paying no attention to

came to his senses

became clear-headed again

At that instant

At that moment

supporting one another

holding each other up

Till that moment

Until then

drank off

drank it all down

felt easier

felt better

at the time

just then

dropped asleep

fallen asleep

every now and then

sometimes

cracking his fingers

making a sharp click with his fingers

looked somewhat like

looked rather like

sitting apart

sitting by himself

now and then

sometimes

Phrasal verbs6 entries

A verb and a small word that together mean something the two words do not.

worn out

used until it was falling apart

went up to

walked over to

looked on to the canal

faced the canal

let out

rented out

Hand it over

Give it to me

broke off

stopped speaking

Noun phrases7 entries

A group of words naming a person or a thing, explained together.

quite the contrary

the opposite was true

quite another feeling

a very different feeling

a tiny crack

just a narrow gap

the other time

last time

such a pitch

such a level

Phew

a sound of disgust, as if throwing it all away

frame of mind

mood

Words from other languages1 entry

verging on hypochondria

close to a settled black gloom; the Russian word behind it means a low, heavy mood, not fear of illness

Old word forms3 entries

Old forms of words you know. Learn them once.

of late

lately

damsels

young ladies, an old word

Good-day

Goodbye

Words258 entries

In the order you will meet them.

exceptionally×2

more than usually

garret×2

tiny room right under the roof

landlady×2

the woman he rents his room from

staircase×3

the set of steps between floors

five-storied

five floors high

cupboard

small storage space with a door

dinners

main meals

invariably

always

frightened×2

scared

scowl

pull an angry face

cowardly

lacking courage

abject

crushed and without spirit

overstrained×2

stretched past his limit

irritable

easily angered

absorbed

thinking about nothing but himself

dreaded

feared

anxieties

worries

trivial×2

of no importance

irrelevant

not to the point

gossip

empty talk about other people

pestering

asking again and again

demands for payment

her asking him to pay her

to prevaricate

to dodge the truth

creep

move quietly

unseen

without being seen

acutely

sharply

trifles×2

small things

odd

strange

Hm

a thinking sound

axiom

a truth that needs no proof

amuse myself

give myself something to enjoy

plaything

toy

the airlessness

the lack of fresh air

bustle

busy noise and movement

plaster

the smooth covering on walls

scaffolding

the poles and planks builders work from

bricks

building blocks of baked clay

stench

stink

overwrought

worn out by strain

nerves×2

his power to stay calm and steady

insufferable

unbearable

pot-houses

cheap drinking placesan object or practice the period took for granted

drunken×4

drunk

continually

again and again

profoundest

deepest

disgust

strong dislike

gleamed

shone

refined

fine and delicate

sank

fell

blankness

empty state

observing

noticing

mutter

say something quietly to himself

scarcely×3

hardly

tasted

eaten

accustomed

used

shabbiness

worn, poor clothes

rags×2

torn old clothes

shortcoming

fault

establishments of bad character

brothels and drinking houses, said politelydeliberate indirection the period required

preponderance

larger share

crowded in

packed tightly into

alleys

narrow back streets

accumulated

built up

bitterness

an angry, hurt feeling

contempt

the feeling that other people are worth nothing

fastidiousness

care about looking proper

acquaintances

people he knew

disliked

did not like

waggon

cart

dray horse

big cart horsean object or practice the period took for granted

shouted

called out loudly

bawling

shouting

clutched

grabbed

tremulously

with shaking hands

torn

ripped

bespattered

splashed with dirt

brimless

missing its flat edge

bent×2

not straight

unseemly

improper, not fit to be seen

overtaken

gripped him

muttered

said quietly to himself

spoil

wreck

noticeable

easy to notice

absurd

silly

grotesque

absurd-looking

conspicuous

easily noticed

lodging house

the house where he rented a room

tantalising himself

teasing himself with something he could not have

hideous

horrible

daring

brave

recklessness

wild daring

monologues

talks with himself

jeered at

mocked

indecision

not being able to decide

involuntarily

without meaning to

positively

really

rehearsal

practice run

tremor

shaking

tenements

cheap rented flatsan object or practice the period took for granted

inhabited

lived in

tailors

makers of clothes

locksmiths

makers of locks

cooks

people who cook

picking up a living as best they could

earning what they could, as prostitutes, said politelydeliberate indirection the period required

petty×2

low-grade

clerks

office workers

continual

never-ending

courtyards

open spaces inside the building

door-keepers

men who watch the gatesan object or practice the period took for granted

slipped

went quietly

unnoticed

without being seen

surroundings

the place around him

inquisitive

curious

storey

floor

porters

men hired to carry things

flat×3

a set of rooms where one family lives

civil service

government office workthe working vocabulary of a trade or field

untenanted

with nobody living in it

faint

weak

tinkle

thin ringing sound

flats

sets of rooms

bells

door bells a visitor pulls to be let in

terribly

very badly

eyed

looked at

evident

clear

distrust

lack of trust

glittering

shining

landing

the flat space at the top of the stairs

bolder

less afraid

entry

the small space just inside the front door

partitioned off

divided off by a thin wall

inquiringly

as if asking a question

diminutive

tiny

withered up

dried up and small

sixty

60 years old

malignant

looking as if she wished you harm

colourless

without colour

somewhat

a little

grizzled

going grey

thickly

in a thick layer

smeared

spread

kerchief

head scarfan object or practice the period took for granted

hen

female chicken

knotted

tied

flannel

soft wool cloth

rag

torn piece of cloth

hung

was hanging

flapping

moving loosely

mangy

worn bald in patches

coughed

made a rough noise from her chest

groaned

made a low sound of pain

gleam

flash

mistrust×3

lack of trust

remembering×2

thinking of it just then

polite

showing respect in his words

my good sir×5

a very polite way of saying ‘sir’, said half as a jokerank

distinctly

clearly

inquiring

asking

errand

the thing I came here to do

disconcerted

made a little uncertain and uncomfortable

uneasy

worried

paused

stopped

hesitating

unsure

geraniums

red flowering pot plants

muslin

thin cotton cloth

curtains

cloth hung over the windows

brightly×2

with a strong light

lighted up

filled with light

flashed

came quickly

glance

a fast turn of the eyes

scanned

looked carefully at every part of

arrangement

how everything was placed

consisted of

was nothing more than

sofa

long soft seat

oval

egg-shaped

looking-glass

mirror

half-penny prints

cheap printed picturesan object or practice the period took for granted

ikon

a holy picture, with a lamp burning before it as in every Russian homean object or practice the period took for granted

polished

made shiny

shone

was bright and polished

speck

tiny spot

spiteful

mean, ill-natured

widows

women whose husbands have died

cleanliness

being so clean

curtain×2

hanging cloth

chest×3

a big heavy box for keeping things in

drawers×3

sliding boxes in a piece of furniture

severely

in a hard voice

to pawn

to leave a thing with her in exchange for money, and pay the money back later to get the thing backthe working vocabulary of a trade or field

old-fashioned

of an old style

engraved

cut into the metal

pledge×2

the thing you left here in exchange for money, to be given back when you paythe working vocabulary of a trade or field

the interest

the charge on the loanthe working vocabulary of a trade or field

two roubles

two of the Russian coins; one fed a poor man for daysmoney

jeweler

seller of rings and watches

a rouble and a half×2

one and a half, which is what it would cost newmoney

four roubles

four of the coinsmoney

redeem

buy it backthe working vocabulary of a trade or field

interest in advance

the loan charge paid now, before you get the moneythe working vocabulary of a trade or field

A rouble and a half!

one and a half of the coinsmoney

roughly

in a rough voice

fumbled

felt about with awkward hands

inquisitively

curiously

unlocking

opening with a key

drawer

sliding box

notches

cuts in the edge

strong-box

a locked iron money boxan object or practice the period took for granted

degrading

shaming

ten copecks the rouble a month

ten out of every hundred, each month: ten per cent a month, a crushing ratemoney

the two roubles I lent you

the two Russian coins I let you have last timemoney

reckoning

way of counting

a rouble and fifteen copecks

the one and a half he was promised, minus her interestmoney

dispute

argue

passage

the narrow hallway outside the flat

loathsome

disgusting

rubbish

nonsense

resolutely

firmly

atrocious

horrible

exclamations

cries

agitation×2

how upset and shaken he was

repulsion

disgust

oppress

weigh down

torture

hurt deeply

definite

clear

pavement

path beside the road

passers-by

people walking past

jostling

bumping and pushing

a tavern

a cheap drinking housean object or practice the period took for granted

giddy

dizzy

tormented

made to suffer

thirst

need to drink

longed for

very much wanted

attributed

believed the cause was

sticky

that things stick to

eagerly

with a strong wish

glassful

full glass

utterly

completely

scornful

treating it as worthless

cheerful

happy

gazed

looked

friendly

warm and open

dim

weak

foreboding

a feeling that something bad is coming

tavern

cheap drinking house

concertina

a small squeeze-box, like a little accordionan object or practice the period took for granted

artisan

skilled worker

a pot of beer

a large mug of beeran object or practice the period took for granted

stout

fat

full-skirted coat

a coat that spreads out wide below the waist, worn by men in tradean object or practice the period took for granted

bounding

jumping

hummed

sang with closed lips

meaningless

without meaning

refrain

repeated line of a song

waking up

coming out of sleep

enjoyment

pleasure

hostility

anger and dislike

manifestations

all this noise and waving about

sipping

drinking a little at a time

Words inside the phrases32 entries

These were explained above as part of a longer phrase. Here is what each one means on its own.

airlessness

having no fresh air

akin

close in kind

amuse

to give someone something to enjoy

confessed

admitted something he was ashamed of

consisted

was made of these things and nothing else

cowardice

being too afraid to act

derangement

something out of order in the body

dray

a low cart for heavy loads

exploit

a bold act worth telling of

fondly

with warm love

haste

hurry

hesitation

a pause because you cannot decide

hopelessly

so badly that nothing can put it right

hypochondria

a low, heavy state of mind

jeered

laughed at someone in a cruel way

lent

gave for a time, to be given back

obliged

forced by need or duty

partitioned

divided by a thin wall

pawn

to leave a thing with a lender as safety for money, and buy it back later

prevaricate

to avoid giving a straight answer

proximity

being near

queer

strange

rack

to strain hard

rang

made a bell sound

revolting

so ugly it turns your stomach

rusty

gone brown, like old iron left in the rain

skirted

with a wide lower part that hangs down

tangle

a confused, knotted mess

tantalising

teasing yourself with something you cannot have

verging

coming very close to

withered

dried up and shrunk

wretchedness

deep misery