Holly finds herself in trouble because of her connections with Sally, but Paul and oj work to rescue her from jail.

I’m fat as a pig, and haven’t had my hair

done in months, but I’m happy, really happy.

“To have one’s hair done” is a common way of

saying to have it cut or styled in a certain way.

The New Yorker.

A popular magazine that is known for being very well written.

I’ve taken up knitting. :: So I see.

“To take up” a hobby is to start doing it. “Knitting” is a type of sewing done with yarn and a large needle (people love to knit sweaters).

Jose brought up the blueprints for a new ranch house he’s building.

The “blueprints” of a building are the architectural

plans or design that are put on paper, often in blue ink.

His family is very important down there,

so he has to worry about things like that.

This is Holly’s way of explaining that why she will fly down to Brazil on a separate plane from Jose’s, in order to avoid a scandal since they’re not yet married.

I thought I’d show off and cook dinner for us.

“To show off” something is to try and impress people with it.

Did I tell you how divinely and utterly happy I am?

An interesting adverb which means completely.

He hasn’t really asked me. Not in so many words.

Holly’s way of nervously admitting that Jose has not yet asked her to marry him (In this context, “not in so many words” means not really).

I’m not much for chicken with sauce, anyway.

A gentle way of saying “I don’t really like…”

Let me buy you a farewell dinner.

Another word for goodbye.

Me and my nine Brazilian brats.

A good word to know for a disagreeable or misbehaved child.

Why are you leaving? What’s in it for you, anyway?

“What do you hope to get?….”

I’ve always thrown out such a jazzy line, but except

for Doc and You, Jose is my first non-rat romance.

Holly’s way of saying that despite all of her talking about nice men,

all have them have been terrible (rats), except for Paul and Doc.

He’s too prim and cautious to be my absolute ideal.

If a person is “prim,” they are socially very conservative and thus easily shocked. An “ideal” is a perfect example, in this case of a person.

Albert Schweitzer, Leonard Bernstein.

Schweitzer was a well known humanitarian and Bernstein was a famous conductor and composer who was rich and handsome.

I am mad about Jose; I honestly think I’d give up smoking if he asked.

To be “mad about” a person is to love them wildly, or at least be infatuated with them. “To give up” doing something is to stop doing it.

A farewell gesture.

A small act to show one’s feeling, such as buying a small gift.

Somebody must have tripped the lock.

“To trip a lock” is to secretly manipulate it in order to get it unlocked.

Ah, crafty devil, that Yunioshi.

A slangy way of referring to a person who is dangerous,

manipulative and smart (Crafty means cleverly dishonest).

Narcotics squad.

A division within the police department that deals with illegal drugs.

Get lost, will ya?

A very direct and assertive way of telling a person to leave.

Note that “you”------> “ya” in rapid speech.

Knock it off!

A wonderful expression that simply means “Stop it!”

Is it true that you carry messages from Tomato in code?

If a message is “in code,” it’s hidden in a series of secret letters, words or numbers that only people who know what they mean can understand.

You must have known that Tomato was part of the narcotics syndicate.

Organized crime families that sell illegal drugs, such as heroin.

He never mentioned narcotics. These wretched people keep persecuting him.

“Wretched” is a powerful adjective that means extremely poor, pitiful and often just useless. “To persecute” a person is to treat them very cruelly, often because of their religious or political beliefs.

“Tomato’s Tomato pinched by Cops” [Headline]

In this case, a “tomato” is a woman (Holly), and to be pinched by the cops means to be caught by the police (To pinch a person is to hold their skin tightly between your thumb and finger, and cops is a very common slang term for the police). A ridiculous headline!

I spoke to my lawyer in New York. I told him to take

care of everything, bill me and keep my name “anominous.”

OJ meant to say “anonymous,” which is an important word

which means that the identity of a person is unknown.

They only got her on $10,000 bail. My lawyer

can get her out at 10 in the morning.

“Bail” is the money required to get a person out of jail after they

have been charged with a crime, but before the actual trial.

You bust into that dump she lives in, collect all the junk, go down

to jail, get her out and take her to a hotel under a phony name.

“To bust into” an apartment is to break into it, often in a manner that is very quick in order to steal something. A “phony name” is a fake or false name that is used to hide one’s true identity.

Not that I owe her anything, if you want to get right down to it.

“To get right down to it” is a common way of saying

“when you really look closely at the situation.”

Jose decides he can’t be married to Holly, but Paul and the cat soon teach her that there are more important things in life than just a rich husband.

I did a little housebreaking why you were away.

A rarely used word meaning to enter

a house in order to steal something.

Did you find that plane ticket? :: We can cash it in.

“To cash in” a ticket is to sell it in order to get the cash value.

Cash it in, are you kidding?

If a person is “kidding,” they are joking around or not being serious.

You don’t understand. You’re under indictment!

If a person is “under indictment” they have been officially

charged with a crime, and will have to face a trial.

If you jump bail, they’ll throw away the key.

“To jump bail” means to flee or escape, often to another state or country, after having paid the bail money. If a person jumps bail and

is later caught, they can be sentenced to prison for that alone, even if they’re found innocent of the originally charged crime.

The day after tomorrow, I’ll be married to the future President of Brazil and that will give me diplomatic immunity, or something. :: I wouldn’t bet on it.

“Diplomatic immunity” is a legal term that prevents diplomats and other state officials from being charged with a crime in a foreign country. “I wouldn’t bet on it” means “I wouldn’t count on it.”

Did he bring it in person, or was it just there, shoved under the door?

If something is “shoved” under a door, it is forcefully pushed underneath, even when there is little space for it to fit in.

“Conceive of my despair upon discovering in a such

a brutal and public style how different you are…..

“To conceive” is to understand or imagine, “despair” is great sadness, and “brutal” is violent, severe or harsh.

……from the woman a man of my position could hope to make his wife.”

This is Jose referring to the fact that he is from a rich family and may one day be the President of his country (Brazil). In this case, a person’s

“position” in society is simply his social class and family background.

I grieve for the disgrace of your present circumstances

and I do not find it in my heart to add my condemn.

“To grieve” is to suffer from great sadness, “disgrace” is great public shame or embarrassment, and “circumstances” are the general facts or conditions of a situation. Note that Jose means to say “condemnation,” which is criticism (“condemn” is a verb, but not a noun).

I have my family to protect and name, and

I am a coward when these institutions enter.

A “coward” is a person with little courage or bravery. An “institution” is any well-established organization, from the family to government.

Touching? That square-ball jazz!

If something is “touching,” it is sweet, and generally causes a tender or emotional reaction. The second sentence is Holly’s way of saying Jose has said conservative nonsense, but such words are never used.

So much for South America; I didn’t really think

you were cut out to be queen of the Pampas, anyway.

“So much for” is a way of saying “That’s too bad about…” If a person is “cut out to be” something, they are considered very well qualified to fill that role. The “Pampas” are a rural part of Argentina (and not Brazil!).

I’m not hot-footing it out to Jose; Why should

I waste a perfectly good plane ticket?

Holly’s way of saying to travel quickly and directly, but this isn’t used.

All they want from me is my services as a state’s witness

against Sally; Nobody has any intention of prosecuting me.

A “state’s witness” is a person who testifies against an accused criminal in a trial. “To prosecute” a person to try them in court for a crime.

This town’s finished for me; There are certain shades

of limelight that can wreck a girl’s complexion.

A “shade” of a color is different degrees of lightness or darkness.

The be “in the limelight” is to be heavily covered by the press, or in the news. “To wreck” something is to destroy it, and a person’s “complexion” is the color and quality of the skin on their face.

They’ll have a rope up in every saloon in town.

A “saloon” is an old word for a bar. This is Holly’s way of saying

people won’t want to see her anywhere in New York.

We’re a couple of no-name slobs. We don’t belong to nobody

and nobody belongs to us. We don’t even belong to each other.

A great word for a very messy or dirty person. Sally’s way of describing herself and her cat, since she thinks neither can be truly loved.

This ought to be the right place for a tough guy like you.

Garbage cans, rats galore! Scram! I said take off! Beat it!

A “tough” person (or cat) is strong or not easily scared or intimidated.

“Rats galore” means lots of rats! “Scram, take off” and “beat it” are all slangy and useful ways to tell a person that you want them to leave.

You’re chicken! You got no guts.

If a person has “no guts,” they are scared and have

no courage (Guts are literally stomach intestines).

You call yourself a free spirit! A wild thing.

“A free spirit” is a person who travels or wanders from place to place, independent and not in need of any one person to make them happy.

You’re already in that cage, and in it’s not bounded

in the West by Tulip, Texas, or in the East by Somaliland.

“Bounded” is another word for bordered, or touched. This is Paul’s way of saying that Holly’s real problems are in her own head, and not related to where she happens to be on earth.