The Underdogs: A Novel of the Mexican Revolution: 40 words to know before you read it
The 40 words Mariano Azuela uses again and again in The Underdogs: A Novel of the Mexican Revolution 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.
damn/ˈdæm/39× in the book
Look here, confound it, we want to eat, and damn quick tool Are you coming out or are we going to make you?"
sierra/siˈɛɹə/28× in the book
The woman stared into the darkness of the sierra.
fool/ˈfuɫ/19× in the book
"You cursed fool, you've maimed me for life."
ranch/ˈɹæntʃ/16× in the book
"Tell me what they call this ranch, woman?"
frighten/ˈfɹaɪtən/14× in the book
As he sought to seize her wrist, she grew frightened, and Picking up the empty pitcher, flew out the door.
tenderfoot13× in the book
"Who's this tenderfoot?"
corral/kɝˈæɫ/13× in the book
The dog, excited to the point of madness, had jumped over the corral fence.
canyon/ˈkænjən/13× in the book
When, after many hours of climbing, he gazed back, huge flames shot up from the depths of the canyon by the river.
bill/ˈbɪɫ/12× in the book
See this wallet full of nice new bills?
trousers/ˈtɹaʊzɝz/12× in the book
He was tall and well built, with a sanguine face and beardless chin; he wore shirt and trousers of white cloth, a broad Mexican hat and leather sandals.
rag/ˈɹæɡ/12× in the book
Ropes hung from the roof, securing an old adobe mold, used as a bed; on it a child slept, covered with gray rags.
saddle/ˈsædəɫ/11× in the book
A few moments later, amid cries of joy and a bustle of arms, they began saddling their horses.
peso/ˈpeɪsoʊ/10× in the book
… your superiors, will go about trying to pile up a few million pesos....'"
bandit/ˈbændət/10× in the book
"I'll wager you know Macias the bandit, lady?
hut/ˈhət/10× in the book
These proved to be a few wretched straw huts, dispersed all over the river slopes, between rows of young sprouting corn and beans.
dawn/ˈdɔn/10× in the book
At dawn, he approached the pit of the canyon.
morrow/ˈmɑɹoʊ/9× in the book
On the morrow, Demetrio complained bitterly of his wound; he could no longer ride on horseback.
insult/ˈɪnˌsəɫt/9× in the book
Now it was Demetrio's men who screamed insults.
spur/ˈspɝ/9× in the book
They spurred their horses to a gallop as if in that mad race they laid claims of possession to the earth.
scratch/ˈskɹætʃ/9× in the book
"Yes, I know what brought you here," Demetrio interrupted dryly, scratching his head.
tequila/təˈkiɫə/8× in the book
"Bring me a bottle of tequila, Sergeant: I've decided to spend the night with this charming lady....
stretcher/ˈstɹɛtʃɝ/8× in the book
They were forced to carry him the rest of the way on a makeshift stretcher of leaves and branches.
hoof/ˈhuf/8× in the book
The beat of horses' hoofs rang in the quarry nearby.
lousy/ˈɫaʊzi/8× in the book
"Show your faces, you lousy cowards!"
crest/ˈkɹɛst/8× in the book
The pitaya trees rose tenuous, tall, like the tapering, gnarled fingers of a giant; other trees of all sorts bowed their crests toward the pit of the abyss.
colonel/ˈkɝnəɫ/8× in the book
The colonel?
murmur/ˈmɝmɝ/8× in the book
The river crept along, murmuring as the waters rose and fell in small cascades.
waiter/ˈweɪtɝ/8× in the book
"I don't want no more to drink," Blondie said to the waiter, "I'm feeling sick.
devil/ˈdɛvəɫ/8× in the book
"What the devil are you waiting for, fool?
brave/ˈbɹeɪv/8× in the book
I'll always stand up for a brave man."
boil/ˈbɔɪɫ/8× in the book
His injured leg trailing behind him, he shuffled from hut to hut in search of a little alcohol, a kettle of boiled water and some rags.
faint/ˈfeɪnt/8× in the book
At last, when the ultimate faint rays of the moon were spent in the rosy dimness of the dawn, the silhouette of a soldier loomed at the end of the trail.
cacique/kəˈsik/7× in the book
That cacique who's chased and run me ragged over these hills, is at Mohayua now …
mil/ˈmɪɫ/7× in the book
In the middle of the night, they pulled me out of my house; three damn policemen; I woke up a soldier twenty-five miles away from my hometown.
melancholy/ˈmɛɫənˌkɑɫi/7× in the book
Among the reeds, the frogs chanted the implacable melancholy of the hour.
brim/ˈbɹɪm/7× in the book
This time she carried a pitcher of milk brimming over with foam.
shrill/ˈʃɹɪɫ/7× in the book
The ragged crew jumped to their feet, uttering shrill cries of joy; then their jubilation turned sinister and they gave vent to threats, oaths and imprecations.
vain/ˈveɪn/7× in the book
In vain an old sergeant harangued the soldiers, insulting them in the hope of rallying them.
barracks/ˈbæɹəks/7× in the book
I wrote a piece in favor of the revolution, you see; as a result, they persecuted me, caught me, and finally landed me in the barracks."
tortilla/tɔɹˈtiə/7× in the book
said a man, who sat Indian-fashion, eating, a coarse earthenware plate in his right hand, three folded tortillas in the other.
Pronunciation: ipa-dict (MIT), from Wiktionary.
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