Poirot Investigates: 40 words to know before you read it
The 40 words Agatha Christie uses again and again in Poirot Investigates that are outside the 4,000 most common in English. Learn them first and the opening chapters read much more easily. Each comes with its pronunciation and a sentence from the book.
diamond/ˈdaɪmənd/33× in the book
… above all one jewel, the great diamond which had been nicknamed, to match its owner …
jewel/ˈdʒuəɫ/32× in the book
… her furs, her jewels, above all one jewel …
murmur/ˈmɝmɝ/24× in the book
he murmured.
grey/ˈɡɹeɪ/23× in the book
You use your grey cells at last.
chambermaid23× in the book
An hotel chambermaid, looking frightened to death …
necklace/ˈnɛkɫəs/18× in the book
She stood there with one hand just touching the necklace.
monsieur/məsˈjɝ/17× in the book
“Then perhaps I might have a few words alone with you, monsieur?”
housekeeper/ˈhaʊˌskipɝ/17× in the book
Hunter’s Lodge is looked after by a housekeeper who is quite capable of doing all we need when we run down for an occasional week-end.
revolver/ɹɪˈvɑɫvɝ/17× in the book
By the way, Hastings, have you a revolver?”
drawer/ˈdɹɔɹ/16× in the book
I went to the drawer here,”—she indicated the bottom right-hand drawer of the knee-hole dressing-table—“took out my jewel-case and unlocked it.
maid/ˈmeɪd/15× in the book
“I was changing for tea when my maid came up—one of the gardeners had just run to the house.
conceal/kənˈsiɫ/15× in the book
I was secretly rather pleased with myself, though I tried to conceal the fact for fear of irritating him.
valet/væˈɫeɪ/14× in the book
… and then walked down to the end of the corridor, stopping outside the small den where the chambermaids and valets of the respective floors congregated.
pearls/ˈpɝɫz/13× in the book
You know, I’ve got some pearls of my own that have a history attached to them.
telegram/ˈtɛɫəˌɡɹæm/13× in the book
At that moment the butler entered with a telegram on a salver which he handed to Lord Yardly.
thoughtfully/ˈθɔtfəɫi/13× in the book
Poirot nodded thoughtfully.
nephew/ˈnɛfju/13× in the book
… Monsieur Poirot, but Lord Cronshaw was telling me last night how wonderfully you cleared up the mystery of his nephew’s death, and I felt that I just must have your advice.
beard/ˈbɪɹd/13× in the book
“He had a black beard, sir, and was about middle-aged, and had on a light overcoat.
clever/ˈkɫɛvɝ/12× in the book
“That ‘full of the moon’ idea was clever.
charm/ˈtʃɑɹm/12× in the book
A very beautiful and charming young creature, but terribly unstrung by this sad catastrophe.
puzzle/ˈpəzəɫ/12× in the book
As we hurried in a taxi to the Magnificent, I puzzled out the true inwardness of the scheme.
morrow/ˈmɑɹoʊ/11× in the book
But to-morrow morning we see this milord!”
placid/ˈpɫæsəd/11× in the book
asked Poirot placidly, from the depths of his comfortable chair.
utter/ˈətɝ/11× in the book
Then I uttered another cry which Lord Yardly echoed.
thief/ˈθif/11× in the book
There, just short of the threshold, lay the glittering necklace, evidently dropped by the thief in the panic of his flight.
bolt/ˈboʊɫt/11× in the book
There was no doubt as to my bolt having shot home.
depart/dɪˈpɑɹt/11× in the book
I had my way with Poirot, however, and we departed immediately, leaving behind us a note of explanation and apology for Lord Yardly.
bow/ˈbaʊ/11× in the book
He bowed them both to the door.
milord10× in the book
“First, milord, I would ask you if these facts are substantially correct?”
impatiently/ˌɪmˈpeɪʃəntɫi/10× in the book
I said impatiently.
fetch/ˈfɛtʃ/10× in the book
We returned reluctantly, and Lord Yardly sent off one of the footmen post-haste to fetch the police.
keen/ˈkin/10× in the book
He took the jewel in his own hand and scrutinized it keenly, then restored it to her with a little bow.
insure/ˌɪnˈʃʊɹ/10× in the book
Much, true and untrue, had been written about this famous stone which was reported to be insured for the enormous sum of fifty thousand pounds.
poison/ˈpɔɪzən/10× in the book
Still, life is full of discrepancies, and assuredly the man cannot have taken his own life—there is no poison that would fill his mouth with blood.
fancy/ˈfænsi/10× in the book
“I presume that it is a true story, not one of your efforts of fancy.”
upstairs/əpˈstɛɹz/10× in the book
She has already wrenched out the diamond with pliers upstairs——”
chauffeur/ˈʃoʊfɝ/9× in the book
The real car was found in a side road, with the chauffeur and the A.D.C.
superstition/ˌsupɝˈstɪʃən/9× in the book
I saw Mrs. Maltravers give a terrified start, and my mind flew to the old superstition that a suicide cannot rest.
briskly/ˈbɹɪskɫi/9× in the book
He remained a moment or so in thought, then rose briskly to his feet.
mistress/ˈmɪstɹəs/9× in the book
She showed us into a small morning-room, and retired to tell her mistress.
Pronunciation: ipa-dict (MIT), from Wiktionary.
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