Paul and Holly grow closer as she searches for a rich husband, and soon both are on their way to Tiffany’s, Holly’s favorite store on earth.

The terrible thing is I am still Lula Mae. 14 years old,

stealing turkey eggs and running through a brier patch.

An area of wild bushes, often found on farms.

Will you buy me a drink? But don’t take me home

until I’m very drunk, very drunk indeed.

Note that a classic line for a man to ask a woman in a bar is “Can

I buy you a drink?” In this case, “indeed” is used for emphasis.

Do you think she’s deeply and importantly talented?

:: No. Amusingly and superficially talented, yes.

If a person is “superficially talented” (as opposed to “deeply talented”),

they probably have a skill that is fun to watch, such as stripping or

playing a sport, but not one that involves great intelligence (If something is superficial, it is on the surface, like physical beauty).

Gracious! Do you think she’s handsomely paid? :: Indeed.

If a person is “handsomely” paid, they’re well

paid, though this adverb is old-fashioned.

Every Tom, Dick and Harry, uh, Sid, thinks he takes a girl to dinner,

she’ll just curl up like a kitten in a little furry ball at his feet, right?

“Every Tom, Dick and Harry” is a way of saying every typical guy.

“To curl up” is to roll oneself up in a ball, like a sleeping cat, and

if something is “furry,” it is covered with fur or animal hair.

I just buzzed Yunioshi.

“To buzz” a person is to call them on a phone or, as here, to press on

a button outside a building to let a person inside know you’re there.

In spite of the fact that most of these rats fork up $50 for the powder room, like little dolls, I have $9 less in the old bank account than six months ago.

“To fork up” is a dated but interesting way of saying to agree to pay.

No longer will I play the field. The field stinks

both economically and socially, and I’m giving it up.

“To play the field” is a colloquial way of saying to date, or go out with lots of different people, often in hopes of finding a romantic partner.

“To give up” doing something is to stop doing it.

This time I’m calling the police department and the New York

State Housing Commission and if necessary, the Board of Health.

Many state governments have both a housing commission and board of health to enforce laws that are related to housing and public health.

Miss Golightly further announces her intention to use her not inconsiderable talents for the immediate capture, for the purpose of matrimony, of Rusty.

If a person has “not inconsiderable talents,” this is a poetic way of saying they are in fact quite talented. “Matrimony” is the official act of getting married.

I detect a look of disapproval in your eyes?

“To detect” something is to notice, or find out after carefully looking.

Tough beans, buddy, cause that’s the way it’s gonna be.

“Tough beans” is a fun expression which means “too bad.”

“Buddy” is another word for friend. Note that “going to”

-----> “gonna” in rapid speech.

My brother gets out of the army in February and then it’s all

up to me. I need money and I’ll do whatever I have to do to get it.

If a problem is “all up to you,” this means that you will

be the person responsible for solving or taking care of it.

I do not accept drinks from disapproving gentlemen, especially

disapproving gentlemen who are kept by other ladies.

A “kept man” is supposed to be loyal to one particular woman, and

not go out with others. An old-fashioned but interesting expression.

If I were you, I’d be more careful with my money;

Rusty Trawler is too hard a way of earning it.

Note the use of the subjunctive “were” (!), which is still widely used.

This is Paul’s way of telling Holly that marrying Rusty is a ridiculous way of trying to get a lot of money.

Earplugs.

A little device you put in your ear to keep out noise.

I can’t go through the whole thing again. It’s sufficient to say that I’ve come to make up, and as an added inducement, I have all kinds of news.

“To go through” a story again is to tell it one more time. “Sufficient” is one way of saying adequate or acceptable. “To make up” with a person is to apologize and try to get along with them better after having had a bad argument. An “inducement” is a small gift which encourages you to do something.

Would you mind turning around for a second?

Oh, never mind, it’s such a corny line anyway.

“Corny” is a great adjective which means overly dramatic, sentimental or just too old-fashioned. A “line,” in this case, is simply a sentence that could be commonly found in any movie or play.

I certainly had him pegged wrong, didn’t I?

“To peg” a person is to think of them as being a certain way, often when in fact they are not (“I had her pegged as socially awkward,

but in fact she is quite charming”).

Not a farthing. His family has money, but he personally is broke. A “farthing” is an old British coin worth almost nothing. “Broke”

is a great slang word to describe a person who has no money.

It turns out he owes $700,000. Anyway, that’s why

he decided to marry the queen of the pig people.

A common phrasal verb which means to happen to be, in the end.

I sold a story. I just got word this morning. :: That’s marvelous.

An alternative to excellent or wonderful, and

a word that is quite popular among the rich.

I’ve had champagne with breakfast, but never before, before.

A cute play on words; Paul had champagne with breakfast before,

but never had he had it before breakfast (so early in the morning).

I’ve walked up 5^th Avenue at 6:00, but as far as I’m concerned, that’s still night.

A complicated but common way of saying “I think…”

Do you think it counts? :: Sure it counts, now we’re even.

If something “counts” in a contest or game, it is accepted as valid or true. “We’re even” means we both have the same amount of points.

It isn’t that I give a hoot about jewelry, except diamonds of course.

If a person doesn’t “give a hoot” about something, they don’t care about it. It’s more common to not give a damn (or crudely, not give a shit).

Personally, I think it would be tacky to wear diamonds before I’m 40.

“Tacky” is a useful adjective which means without style or good taste.

The lady feels diamonds are tacky for her. :: Oh, I think

they’re divine on older women, but they’re not right for me.

“Divine” means magnificent, perfect or heavenly (A “divinity” is

a God). A dated word, but some rich people still like to use it.

In all fairness, I ought to explain that there’s a secondary problem.

“In all fairness” is a stylish way of saying to be fair. “Secondary”

means second in importance, compared to something else.

We can only afford to spend a limited amount.

To be able to “afford” to do something is to have the money to do it.

$10? :: That was the outside figure, yes.

An “outside figure” is the absolute highest number possible.

Frankly, within that price range, the variety of merchandise is rather limited.

A person’s “price range” is the amount between the highest and lowest that they are willing to spend. “Merchandise” is another word for goods or products, from food to furniture.

As a novelty, you understand. For the lady and gentleman

who has everything, a sterling silver telephone dialer.

A “novelty item” is a product that is intentionally seen as joke, or something silly. “Sterling” is a type of silver metal. Note that in the days before push-button phones, you had to “dial” a number.

We could have something engraved, couldn’t we?

“To engrave” a piece of jewelry is to have a special letter

or name cut into it, in order to make it more personal.

This, I take it, was not purchased at Tiffany’s.

In this case, “I take it” is another way of saying “I presume.”

“To purchase” something is to buy it.

Actually, it was purchased concurrent …actually,

it came inside a box of crackerjacks.

An interesting word that means “at the same time of…”

It gives one a feeling of solidarity, of

continuity with the past, that sort of thing.

“Solidarity” refers to an emotional or practical closeness among a group of people. If something shows “continuity with the past,” it acts to show consistency or stability between the past and present.

They wouldn’t feel it’s beneath them, or anything like that?

If a person feels “it’s beneath them” to do something, they feel they have too much dignity to do it (Snobby people won’t wash the dishes or other types of manual labor because they think its beneath them).

I think you’d find Tiffany’s is very understanding.

In this context, another way of saying sensitive or cooperative.

If you tell me what initials you’d like, we could

have something for you ready in the morning.

Your “initials” are the first letters of your first and last name.

Didn’t I tell you this was a lovely place?

A British word for pretty or very pleasant,

and still popular among some Americans.