a rake-off (U.S. slang) - a commission or profit, especially when received in an illegitimate transaction
a whole-time job – a job that takes up all your time
The author means that the sum amounted to a fantastically big figure, reminding one of what a light-year stands for (a distance of approximately 6,000,000,000,000 miles that light travels, in one year). The Astronomer Royal – the Royal Astronomer Society in England.
there was nothing for it – there was nothing to be done
pigeon-toed – with the toes turned inwards
by the hour – for hours on end
scent gland – a special kind of gland of certain animals, as skunks, coatimundis and others, producing a substance with an offensive smell; it serves them for marking their territories and as a means of defence
having… hoisted the coatimundi equivalent of the flag – having marked his territory to show that it was occupied (this is what a hoisted, i.e. raised, flag usually shows)
within range – a military expression, where range means 'firing range', 'range of a shot'
to lord it over somebody – to rule over somebody, to act in an overbearing, dictatorial manner
Durrell invents this name in imitation of other children's games.
let alone – not to mention, to say nothing of
douroucoulis – genus of monkeys, the family of capuchin: a South American monkey with a whitish face and a hoodlike crown of black hair
a stick of rock – i.e. of rock candy, hard sweetmeat made of sugar
nothing loath to leaving – quite willing to leave
aviary ['eivjari] – a large cage for keeping many birds
fly-blown – full of flies' eggs and larvae; hence dirty, contaminated
cabinet – a case with drawers or shelves to hold (or house) small objects of art, jewels, etc.
unicorn – a fabulous animal resembling a horse with a single twisted horn, chiefly known from its heraldic representation (facing the lion) in the British royal arms; Piccadilly – a fashionable street in London, between Haymarket and Hyde Park Corner
are not two a penny – are not too common, are not so easy to find. The expression comes from a street-pedlar cry, preserved in the following old nursery-rhyme:
The words care of (or, in short, c/o) are placed on the envelope before the name of the person who is expected to transmit the letter to the actual addressee (for instance, if the latter is staying in his house).
sleeper – any of the parallel crossbeams to which the rails of a railroad (the track) are fastened
the train crash of the century – the most sensational train crash of our age; of the century has become quite a catch-phrase: in the newspapers one reads of the murder of the century, of the museum-robbery of the century, and even of the winter of the century (said of an unusually cold winter)
a Western film, often called simply a Western (the same as a Wild West film) – in U.S.A. cinematography, a motion picture about the adventures of cowboys or frontier men in the far West of the United States during its so-called "early period of lawlessness", i.e. the beginning of the 19th century
cowcatcher – a metal frame on the front of a locomotive to remove obstructions from the tracks
The author spent the earlier part of his life in Greece, hence his knowledge of the language.
to run to earth – here to find after a long search (a hunting term used jocularly; cf. other instances of its use on pp. 99, 121)
forty-odd cages – more than forty cages; the word odd when mentioned in round numbers, means 'additional to a whole'
to come into one's own – to start performing one's duties
to doll up (colloq.) - to dress carefully and stylishly or showily
Martin Fierro - an epic poem by Jose Fernandez, a well-known poet of Argentina
Bosun ['bousn] = boatswain, the ship's officer who is in charge of the crew, the boats, rigging, etc.
pale into insignificance – become insignificant, seem of no importance
full of beans (sl.) - full of energy, lively, brisk, vivacious
to husband – here to economize, to spend thriftily
the Great Fire of London – the fire that destroyed the most part, of London in 1666
beautifully appointed – very nicely furnished
at the double – at a run, at double speed
a whacking great shot (sl.) - a very big dose
kill or cure – here a remedy that would either cure a patient very quickly or kill him
for all I knew – as far as I knew
allergic to something – having an allergy, not able to stand something (allergy – a hypersensitivity to a specific substance, such as certain foods, dust, etc., or condition, as heat or cold, which in similar amounts is harmless to most people)
she's right out – she has passed out, i.e. lost consciousness
terrific (colloq.) - wonderful, magnificent
"hostesses" – a euphemistic name for the local prostitutes
port of call – a harbour where merchant ships discharge and take in cargo; figuratively, a place regularly visited by someone
to stand someone a drink – to treat to a drink
carnavalitos (Sp.) - gay songs
pobrecita (Sp.) - poor thing
she never looked back – she never returned to her previous bad state
by leaps and bounds – very quickly, with very rapid progress
porcine – pertaining to or characteristic of pigs (cf. equine charges on p. 27, feline tribe on p. 121)
The Pit and the Pendulum - a story by Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), American poet, critic and prose writer. The main personage who tells the story was sentenced to death by the Spanish inquisition and thrown into a dark dungeon, where he lay bound hand and foot, with dozens of rats running all over his body.
to pull somebody round – to cause somebody to recover from an illness, to save
despachante (Sp.) - a Customs official who is in charge of dispatching, i.e. sending off goods
We had twenty minutes to go. – We had twenty minutes at our disposal.
stop press – the latest news inserted in a special-column of a newspaper after printing has begun