Chapter XXVI · Who’s Letter?

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading “I wonder what he meant when he said he could have done McClintick a favor by answering the ’phone?”

(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something

From this reading “I guess he felt he had the power to act as medium and relay the ghost’s message to Mr. McClintick, had he been able to answer the phone!”

perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

From this reading “I guess he felt he had the power to act as medium and relay the ghost’s message to Mr. McClintick, had he been able to answer the phone!”

later than; following

From this reading Tom asked Brent, after Peters had left us.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading “I guess he felt he had the power to act as medium and relay the ghost’s message to Mr. McClintick, had he been able to answer the phone!”

react verbally

From this reading “I guess he felt he had the power to act as medium and relay the ghost’s message to Mr. McClintick, had he been able to answer the phone!”

replying

From this reading “I wonder what he meant when he said he could have done McClintick a favor by answering the ’phone?”

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading “I guess he felt he had the power to act as medium and relay the ghost’s message to Mr. McClintick, had he been able to answer the phone!”

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading Tom asked Brent, after Peters had left us.

to a severe or serious degree

From this reading “Seriously though,” I said, “leaving the ghost entirely out of this, someone did want to speak to McClintick badly.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “I guess he felt he had the power to act as medium and relay the ghost’s message to Mr. McClintick, had he been able to answer the phone!”

small dark geese that breed in the north and migrate southward

From this reading Tom asked Brent, after Peters had left us.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading “I wonder what he meant when he said he could have done McClintick a favor by answering the ’phone?”

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading “I wonder what he meant when he said he could have done McClintick a favor by answering the ’phone?”

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading “Seriously though,” I said, “leaving the ghost entirely out of this, someone did want to speak to McClintick badly.

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading “I wonder what he meant when he said he could have done McClintick a favor by answering the ’phone?”

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading “Seriously though,” I said, “leaving the ghost entirely out of this, someone did want to speak to McClintick badly.

promote over another

From this reading “I wonder what he meant when he said he could have done McClintick a favor by answering the ’phone?”

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading “I guess he felt he had the power to act as medium and relay the ghost’s message to Mr. McClintick, had he been able to answer the phone!”

a mental representation of some haunting experience

From this reading “Seriously though,” I said, “leaving the ghost entirely out of this, someone did want to speak to McClintick badly.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “I guess he felt he had the power to act as medium and relay the ghost’s message to Mr. McClintick, had he been able to answer the phone!”

expect, believe, or suppose

From this reading “I guess he felt he had the power to act as medium and relay the ghost’s message to Mr. McClintick, had he been able to answer the phone!”

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Tom asked Brent, after Peters had left us.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “I wonder what he meant when he said he could have done McClintick a favor by answering the ’phone?”

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading “I wonder what he meant when he said he could have done McClintick a favor by answering the ’phone?”

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading “I wonder what he meant when he said he could have done McClintick a favor by answering the ’phone?”

the act of departing

From this reading “Seriously though,” I said, “leaving the ghost entirely out of this, someone did want to speak to McClintick badly.

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading Tom asked Brent, after Peters had left us.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “I wonder what he meant when he said he could have done McClintick a favor by answering the ’phone?”

inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading “I wonder what he meant when he said he could have done McClintick a favor by answering the ’phone?”

a means or instrumentality for storing or communicating information

From this reading “I guess he felt he had the power to act as medium and relay the ghost’s message to Mr. McClintick, had he been able to answer the phone!”

a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled

From this reading “I guess he felt he had the power to act as medium and relay the ghost’s message to Mr. McClintick, had he been able to answer the phone!”

a form of address for a man

From this reading “I guess he felt he had the power to act as medium and relay the ghost’s message to Mr. McClintick, had he been able to answer the phone!”

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “Seriously though,” I said, “leaving the ghost entirely out of this, someone did want to speak to McClintick badly.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading “Seriously though,” I said, “leaving the ghost entirely out of this, someone did want to speak to McClintick badly.

plural of “peter” — disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope

From this reading Tom asked Brent, after Peters had left us.

electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds

From this reading “I wonder what he meant when he said he could have done McClintick a favor by answering the ’phone?”

possession of controlling influence

From this reading “I guess he felt he had the power to act as medium and relay the ghost’s message to Mr. McClintick, had he been able to answer the phone!”

the act of passing something along from one person or group to another

From this reading “I guess he felt he had the power to act as medium and relay the ghost’s message to Mr. McClintick, had he been able to answer the phone!”

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “I wonder what he meant when he said he could have done McClintick a favor by answering the ’phone?”

in a serious manner

From this reading “Seriously though,” I said, “leaving the ghost entirely out of this, someone did want to speak to McClintick badly.

a person, without saying who

From this reading “Seriously though,” I said, “leaving the ghost entirely out of this, someone did want to speak to McClintick badly.

express in speech

From this reading “Seriously though,” I said, “leaving the ghost entirely out of this, someone did want to speak to McClintick badly.

feeling mild pleasurable excitement

From this reading Brent teased.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading “I wonder what he meant when he said he could have done McClintick a favor by answering the ’phone?”

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading “Seriously though,” I said, “leaving the ghost entirely out of this, someone did want to speak to McClintick badly.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading “Seriously though,” I said, “leaving the ghost entirely out of this, someone did want to speak to McClintick badly.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading “I guess he felt he had the power to act as medium and relay the ghost’s message to Mr. McClintick, had he been able to answer the phone!”

male cat

From this reading Tom asked Brent, after Peters had left us.

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Tom asked Brent, after Peters had left us.

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading “Seriously though,” I said, “leaving the ghost entirely out of this, someone did want to speak to McClintick badly.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading “I wonder what he meant when he said he could have done McClintick a favor by answering the ’phone?”

at the time that

From this reading “I wonder what he meant when he said he could have done McClintick a favor by answering the ’phone?”

the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising

From this reading “I wonder what he meant when he said he could have done McClintick a favor by answering the ’phone?”