Vocabulary in Dubliners

While this word can mean "recently," in this context it also refers to the later stages in Father Flynn's life. How recently Eliza noticed this "something queer" coming over Father Flynn, then, is difficult to pinpoint exactly. Context suggests that it is a recent occurrence, but the mystery surrounding Father Flynn's life suggests that his odd behavior may have been happening for a while.

This is type of beef broth. Beef-tea is a juice made from beef that has been boiled in water, and it has fairly strong associations with the ill and the feeble.

Joyce's choice of "truculent" here to describe the dead priest's face has interesting connotations. The word itself means "aggressively defiant," which gives the impression that the corpse has a rather mean-spirited or combative look on its face. Usually the dead are described as lying peacefully. Perhaps Joyce is signaling that Father Flynn died with some unresolved issue or problem.

A chalice is a vessel similar to a large cup that is used in Mass for holding wine. The wine is then consecrated before being used for communion. The chalice must be made of gold or silver, or the lip of the cup should be silver or gold-lined. For the vessel to become a sacred chalice, a bishop must consecrate it.

The former name of today's Iran, Persia and other parts of the Middle East (called the Orient in the 19th century) were associated with romance and mystery, as well as sensuality and exoticism.

Part of Mass, the responses are the phrases, verses, or words that the congregation or choir says in reply to the priest leading the service. The inclusion of responses allows the faithful to more actively participate in the service rather than simply sit and listen to their priest.

Similar to phone books and other directories, this Post Office Directory is an annual Dublin publication giving city addresses and the names of residents. The priest used this example as a comparison for the amount of text the fathers of the Church wrote because it was likely the most accessible comparison for the young boy to comprehend.

The Roman Catholic Church recognizes certain Christian writers from the first seven centuries with this designation because their works helped form the modern church. In this sense then, "fathers" means something similar to "founders," much in the same way that the United States refers to its "founding fathers."

In contrast to a mortal sin, a venial sin is an offense against God that is considered a lighter matter or one performed without the full consent of the sinner. Venial sins do not destroy the faithful's right to eternal happiness, and so the difference between the two is obviously very important.

In the Roman Catholic doctrine, a sin that is considered mortal is one that represents a morally bad human act. If such acts are taken willfully with full consent on the part of the individual performing the act, then the sinner is deserving of eternal punishment. For devoted Catholics, dying in mortal sin without absolution from a priest is a fate feared above all others.

"Inefficacious" means something that does not produce a desired effect. So, the priest's handkerchief is not only so blackened with snuff-stains that it failed to help keep his garments clean, but it also possibly contributed to his dirty garments.

This initialism stands for the Latin term Requiescat In Pacem, which translates to Rest In Peace—a common and brief prayer for the dead.

"Crape" or "crepe" is a thin silk or cotton cloth with small wrinkles all over its surface. A crape bouquet could either be flowers wrapped in this material or the entire bouquet, flowers and all, could be made from this material.

Notice here the importance of the hyphen. While "re-covered" means to put a new cover or covering on something, "recover" can mean to get something back again.

The word "drapery" means cloth coverings that hang in loose folds, long curtains, and even artistic arrangements of clothing. The name of the store then suggests the kinds of goods it deals in, which are dry goods and clothes.

An alternative spelling of "booties," a "bootee" typically means a soft, small shoe made for babies or very small children. However, any soft, sock-like shoe can also be considered a bootee.

A "nipper" is an informal, or slang, word for a young child—boys in particular. The word has many other meanings, and surrounding context is vital to understanding the intended meaning.

This line contains two meanings. First, it could mean that Father Flynn had hopes that the young boy would follow him into the priesthood one day. Second, it is also an idiomatic phrase derived from Irish that means had great esteem or respect for the boy.

This phrase refers to the process of distilling whiskey. "Faints" is the term for impure and/or weak spirits that occur towards the end of the distilling process. "Worms" is the term for the spiral condensing tubes used in the process of distilling liquor.