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An idiom is "an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements." 1

A slang term is "very informal usage in vocabulary."

These two words and groups of words are used a lot by Bud. But since this story is about a time in history that occurred nearly 100 years in the past, it's sometimes hard to understand their meanings. In this section, we'll learn the meanings of these words and phrases.

Lavatory: This word isn't an idiom, but it is a word that is not used very often in conversation today. Today we would use the word "bathroom."

Street urchins: Read the origins of this term below.

Urchin

But no porcupine ever called me Guv'nor. Dear Word Detective: I'm wondering about the word "urchin." What exactly is the relationship between kids on the streets and spiny sea-bottom creatures that allows them to share the same name? -- Alyson. That's a good question.

Did you find any other unusual words in these chapters?

1. idiom. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved April 22, 2018 from Dictionary.com website http://www.dictionary.com/browse/idiom