War and Peace

False friends9 entries

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

reception

gathering of guests

the whole company

everyone there

polished

smooth and well trained

particular reasons

special reasons

rose

stood up

my work

my sewing

very pretty

charming, neatly told

her work

the sewing in her hands

pet

favourite

Idioms42 entries

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

was in full swing

was busy and lively, at its liveliest moment

With the exception of

Apart from

rather out of place

not really belonging

had formed round

had gathered around

was grouped round

had gathered around

was gathered round

had formed around

out of politeness

to be polite

would have cared to eat

would have wanted to eat

Ah, yes!

a cry of pleased interest

arranged a group round him

gathered a group around him

some way off

a little distance away

made way for her

stepped aside to let her pass

on the contrary×2

the opposite was true

appeared shy of

seemed shy about

to diminish its effect

to make her beauty have less effect on people

How lovely!

How beautiful she is!

lifted his shoulders and dropped his eyes

shrugged and looked down

took her seat opposite

sat down facing him

beamed upon him

smiled brightly at him

From time to time

Sometimes

the folds of her dress

the loose cloth of her dress

produced an effect

made the listeners feel something

at once×2

immediately

relapsed into her radiant smile

went back to her bright, shining smile

Now then

a sharp way of getting someone’s attention

what are you thinking of?

not a real question: what are you doing, sitting there?

gaily arranged herself in her seat

settled herself happily in her seat

Now I am all right

Now I am comfortable

in spite of

even though

Why no

No, of course not; ‘Why’ here only shows mild surprise, not a question

shrugging his shoulders

raising his shoulders, puzzled by the question

told his tale very neatly

told his story very well

to the effect that

which said that

came upon

unexpectedly met

happened to fall into

happened to have

was thus at the duc’s mercy

was so completely in the duke’s power

prepared to continue

got ready to continue

kept a watchful eye on

had been watching closely

hurried to the rescue

rushed over to stop it

looking severely at

with a hard look at

how he stood Russian climate

how he was coping with the Russian weather

brought them into the larger circle

brought them over to the bigger group

Phrasal verbs4 entries

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

settled into

divided into

she went on

she continued

took up her work

picked up her sewing

came up

walked across to them

Noun phrases1 entry

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

my dear fellow

a friendly way of speaking to a man

Words from other languages8 entries

maître d’hôtel

French: head waiter

the vicomte

the French nobleman

à la Louis XV

French: in the style of Louis XV, the French king of the 1700s, whose palace was famous for its fine manners

Contez nous çela, Vicomte

French: Tell us that, Vicomte

the duc

the Duc d’Enghien; duc means duke, the title just below a prince

raconteur

French: a skilled teller of stories

Madame

French: Madam, the polite word for speaking to a lady

of the color of cuisse de nymphe effrayée, as he called it

French: ‘thigh of a frightened nymph’; a nymph is a beautiful young female spirit of old tales; a silly fashionable name for a pale pink, and the writer is laughing at it

Old word forms3 entries

Old forms of words you know. Learn them once.

smiling on all

smiling at everyone

glancing now at

looking first at

said he

he said

Words65 entries

In the order you will meet them.

careworn

tired and marked by long worry

brilliant society

this room full of rich, important, finely dressed people

chiefly masculine

mostly men

rosy

with pink cheeks

plump

fat, in a soft way

soft features

a gentle, delicate face

evidently×2

clearly

bowed

bent forward politely

courteously

politely

inviting

asking

his tale

his story

whispered×2

said very quietly

wished to begin

wanted to begin

a subtle smile

a slight smile, hardly there

unchanging×2

always the same

rustle

soft sound of moving cloth

trimmed with moss and ivy

decorated at the edges with green leaves, some flat and soft, some from a plant that climbs up wallsan object or practice the period took for granted

gleam

shine

glossy

shining

sparkling

shining with light

shapely

well-formed

bosom

breast

coquetry

playful flirting to attract men

rested

laid flat on

smilingly

with a smile

sat upright

sat straight

altered

changed

readjusted

moved back into place

necklace

a chain of diamonds worn round the neck

smoothed

flattened with her hand

glanced

looked quickly

maid of honor

Anna Pávlovna’s court position: a lady in the Empress’s servicerank

Fetch

Bring

workbag×2

sewing bag

merrily

happily

joined the circle

joined the group

extraordinary resemblance

he looked very much like his sister

exceedingly

extremely

His features

The parts of his face

dulled

made lifeless

imbecility

stupidity

sullen self-confidence

bad-tempered, unfriendly self-confidence

hastily

quickly

adjusting

setting straight

lorgnette

glasses on a handle, raised to the eyesan object or practice the period took for granted

the astonished narrator

the vicomte, who was telling the story, surprised

his hearers

the people listening

witty

clever and funny

dress coat

a formal coat with tails at the backan object or practice the period took for granted

knee breeches

trousers ending at the kneean object or practice the period took for granted

silk stockings

long silk socksan object or practice the period took for granted

who also enjoyed the famous actress’ favors

who was also the famous actress’s lover, said politelydeliberate indirection the period required

fainting fits

attacks of suddenly losing consciousness

the rivals

the two men who wanted the same woman

agitated

excited and a little upset

Charming×2

how lovely

an inquiring glance

a questioning look

testify

show

gratefully

with thanks

too loudly

louder than she thought right

vehemently

with strong feeling

too eagerly

with more interest than was thought proper here

disapproved

did not like it

disinterestedly

without seeking any gain for herself

instantly

in that same moment

Words inside the phrases62 entries

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

abbé

the French word for a priest

admiring

looking at something with pleasure and respect

advantageous

giving a person a better chance

anecdote

a short story about something that happened

astonished

very surprised

ballroom

a large room used for dancing

barbaric

wild and rough, with no manners or learning

brilliancy

great cleverness that shines out

ceaselessly

without ever stopping

charmant

French for lovely

conversing

talking with someone

cuisse

French for thigh

delicacy

a rare food that people treat as a treat

diminish

make smaller or weaker

effrayée

French for frightened

enchanted

delighted, as if under a spell

fainting

falling down without knowing anything, for a short time

fascination

the power of something to hold your interest

feminine

of women, or belonging to women

garnished

made to look better with small things laid around it

glamour

the bright, exciting charm of a place or a person

glancing

looking quickly

graciously

in a kind, easy way, as a great person is kind to a lesser one

habitual

done so often that it has become a habit

hearers

the people listening

hummed

made a low steady sound

hurried

moved quickly

hôtel

French for a great private house

inclining

bending forward a little

inquiring

asking a question without words

joyous

full of joy

magnanimity

being kind and generous to someone weaker, even an enemy

maid

a young woman who is not married

masculine

of men, or belonging to men

maître

French for master

morsels

small pieces of food

narrator

the person telling the story

neatly

in a clean, well-ordered way

nous

French for us

nymphe

French for a young woman spirit in old stories

peculiarly

in a way that is special to this one thing

perished

died

puckered

pulled into small folds

radiant

shining, and full of happiness

relapsed

fell back into what she was doing before

repaid

paid back

resemblance

the way one person looks like another

shrugging

lifting the shoulders to show you do not care or do not know

spindles

the turning rods that wind thread in a factory

startled

given a sudden shock

stockings

thin coverings worn on the legs

sugary

sweet in a false, unpleasant way

sullen

silent and in a bad mood

token

a small sign that shows what a person means

trimmed

finished at the edges with something pretty

unquestionable

so clear that nobody could argue with it

upright

straight up, not leaning

uttered

said aloud

vacant

empty, with nothing behind it

victorious

having won

watchful

looking carefully all the time

çela

French for that