Stephen King's the Dark Tower: The Complete Concordance Revised and Updated (122 page)

A roont child is a mentally handicapped child. Few of them can speak. Some cannot be toilet-trained. No matter how bright children were before being taken to Thunderclap, they return mentally challenged and with a central part of themselves missing. The roonts grow to prodigious size, but they die young. For roonts, both growing and dying is excruciatingly painful.
For page references
,
see
CALLA BRYN STURGIS CHARACTERS
: ROONTS,
in
CHARACTERS

RUSTIES:
See entry in
MID-WORLD ARGOT

SALIDE:
Although we’re not told exactly what a salide is, it seems likely that it’s either a blanket or cloak. V:234

SAUCY SUSAN:
Saucy Susan is a flower with a lemony, faintly astringent smell. Rosa Munoz keeps a few sprigs of Saucy Susan in her privy. V:475

SAY SORRY:
Sorry. VI:209

SAY THANKYA (SAY THANKEE, SAY THANKYA BIG-BIG):
“Thank you,” “Thanks,” or “Thanks a lot!” V:124, V:130, V:143, V:265

SAY TRUE?:
Do you mean it? Really? V:583, VII:129

SEEN THE BOAT SHE CAME IN:
Although Roland thinks about this phrase in New York, it originates in Calla Bryn Sturgis. It comments on striking family resemblances. VII:493

SEMINON:
This is the name given to the CALLA’s late-autumn windstorms, the ones that come just before true winter. In the Calla they say, “Seminon comin’, warm days go runnin’.” Lord Seminon is also the name of a God whom Lady ORIZA wanted to marry. However, Lord Seminon preferred Oriza’s sister, and Oriza never forgave him.
See
SEMINON, LORD
,
and
ORIZA, LADY
,
both under
ORIZA, LADY,
in
CHARACTERS

’SENERS:
See entry in
MID-WORLD ARGOT

SET US ON WITH A WORD:
Say grace for us.
See also
WILL YOU NOT SET ME ON WITH A WORD
,
in
MID-WORLD ARGOT. V:354

SHARPROOT:
See entry in
MID-WORLD ARGOT

SHOOTING-IRON:
See entry in
MID-WORLD ARGOT

SHOR’BOOTS:
The heavy clodhoppers, or short boots, worn in the CALLA. V:14, V:18, V:21, V:136

SHORT BEER:
In Calla Bryn Sturgis, a short beer is a beer served in a small water glass. V:656

SINCE TIME WAS TOOTHLESS:
A great phrase that basically means “since before anyone can remember” or “forever.” V:360

SINGLETON:
A child born without a twin. In Calla Bryn Sturgis, singletons, and not twins, are the rarities. V:21, V:113, V:344

SINGLETS:
See entry in
MID-WORLD ARGOT

SISTERS OF ORIZA:
The Sisters of Oriza are a female society, or network, found throughout the CALLAS of the BORDERLANDS. Although they function like a ladies’ auxiliary—catering for town events, gossiping, etc.—their true purpose is to practice throwing sharpened, plate-like ORIZAS in honor of Lady Oriza, goddess of the rice. The deadly skills of the Sisters help Roland and his KA-TET defeat the WOLVES in the final showdown on East Road.
For page references, see
ORIZA, SISTERS OF
,
in
CHARACTERS

SLAGGIT!:
A curse. It must be a bad one, since Gran-pere Jaffords’s use of it at the dinner table makes the children giggle. V:355

SMALLHOLDS:
The small family-run farms of the CALLA. Most of them are located on the fertile banks of the River Whye. V:208

SMALL-SMALL (SAY ANY SMALL-SMALL, AN’ SNAY DOWN SMALL-SMALL):
Very small. V:347, V:353, V:361

SMOKEWEED:
Tobacco. V:403

SNEETCHES (BUZZ-BALLS, STEALTHIES):
These flying metal balls are some of the most fearsome weapons used by the invading WOLVES against the people of the CALLAS. The sneetches seek their targets, and once they lock on, they put forth whirling blades that are as sharp as razors and can strip a man of flesh in five seconds. As Jake Chambers and Eddie Dean find out when they take a close look at one of these weapons, they are based upon the snitches found in the
Harry Potter
novels. Although neither Eddie nor Jake know who Harry Potter is (they left our world too early), both would have been interested to find out that the original snitches are little gold balls used in the game of Quidditch and aren’t dangerous at all. (That is, unless you fall out of the sky while chasing one.) V:26, V:151, VI:25

SNUG:
A snug is a small cottage. VI:13

SO I DO:
This is yet another of the rhetorical phrases used in the CALLA. People tack it on the end of sentences. For example, someone might look at a dying fire and maintain, “I see a few sparks yet, so I do.” V:127

SO IT IS:
This is another phrase which the Calla FOLKEN tack on the end of sentences. It emphasizes what a person has just uttered. This phrase can also mean “you’re right.” V:226

SOF’ CALIBERS:
Sof’ calibers are guns which are too old or too rusty to shoot. Given that
sof’ commala
refers to a man who can no longer make iron at the proverbial feminine forge, you’d better be pretty damn sure that a man’s calibers
are
sof’ before you tell him they are. Otherwise, he might be so insulted that he shoots you. V:20

SPEAK A WORD O’BEGGARY:
If you speak a word o’ beggary to someone, you’re crossing them, defying them, or arguing with them. V:359

SPEAK YOU WELL:
This can either mean “you speak well” or be a request that you “speak well.” V:216

SPEAKIES:
A breed of demon found in the caves beneath LOOSE GROUND. V:2

SPELL YE (MAY I SPELL YE ON THAT CHAIR A BIT?):
See
MAY I SPELL YE
,
above

SPRIGGUM:
Rosalita Munoz puts spriggum from the swamp into her CAT-OIL (her arthritis rub). We’re not told what spriggum is, but we know it must be potent. V:243

SQUABBOT:
This is part of a phrase uttered by an angry Neil Faraday during one of the Town Gathering Hall meetings held in Calla Bryn Sturgis. When Roland and his
tet
try to convince the townsfolk to stand up to the WOLVES, a cynical Faraday responds, “‘Ay’ll take ’een babbies anyroa’ and burn ’een squabbot town flat.” Roland and his friends find Faraday’s accent almost incomprehensible, but it’s obvious that he thinks that the Wolves, and not our
tet,
will triumph. Luckily, he’s wrong. V:611

STEALTHIES:
See
SNEETCHES
,
above

STUBBORN AS A STICK:
Incredibly stubborn. V:329

STUFF YOUR PRATTLE:
Shut up. V:572

STUFFY-GUYS:
See entry in
MID-WORLD ARGOT

SURELY YOU’VE GOT A MOIT MORE GUTS THAN THAT:
See entry in
MID-WORLD ARGOT

SWARD (GREENSWARD):
A sward is an expanse of short grass. Hence, a greensward is an expanse of short green grass. V:614

TA’EN:
Taken. V:149

TELL GODS THANKEE (TELL THE GODS THANKEE):
“Thank God” or “praise be to God” or “thankfully.” V:149, V:206

TELL IT ANY OLD WAY IT DOES YA FINE:
This is a soothing and reassuring phrase which is meant to set a person at ease so that he or she can tell the tale that needs telling. V:265

TELL ME, I BEG:
Tell me. V:225

THANKEE-
SAI
:
See entry in
MID-WORLD ARGOT

THANKYA BIG-BIG:
“Thank you very much!” V:312

THAT BEATS THE DRUM! DON’T IT JUST:
This saying is equivalent to a rather strange phrase found in our world—“that just takes the cake.” V:353

THE JIMMY JUICE I DRANK LAST NIGHT:
A song sung in the CALLA. Andy the Messenger Robot likes to sing it. V:141

THOSE WHO HOLD CONVERSATION WITH THEMSELVES KEEP SORRY COMPANY:
In other words, you shouldn’t talk to yourself. V:207

THROAT-TAPPING:
See entry in
MID-WORLD ARGOT

THROG:
See
IT SPLIT THROG
,
above

TIME HAS SOFTENED:
See entry in
MID-WORLD ARGOT

TO LEAD US ALL TO BLUNDER WI’ NO WAY BACK:
To lead us into imminent danger with no way out. V:133

TODASH:
See entry in
HIGH SPEECH

TONGUE-WHIPPING:
A tongue-lashing. V:572

TRIG:
Clever.
Trig
implies an ability to read and understand other people’s thoughts and motivations. It can also imply slyness. V:656

TRUE AS EVER WAS:
Absolutely true. V:367

TRUM:
See entry in
MID-WORLD ARGOT

’TWERE:
“It was.” For example, “’Twere his eyes that frightened me.” V:131

TWIN-TELEPATHY:
Twin-telepathy
describes the telepathy—or thought-sharing—which twins often experience. In the later books of the Dark Tower series, we find out that the WOLVES steal twins so that the servants of the Crimson King can harvest the brain chemical which causes twin-telepathy. They then feed this chemical (in pill form) to the BREAKERS working in the DEVAR-TOI. V:580

UNFOUND DOOR:
An Unfound Door has the symbol for “unfound” written upon it. The magical portal in the CAVE OF VOICES bears this mark.
For page references, see
DOORWAY CAVE
and
DOORWAYS BETWEEN WORLDS
: THE ARTIST’S DOOR,
both in
PORTALS

WEIRDLING WEATHER:
Strange or ominous weather. V:601

WELL-MET:
See entry in
MID-WORLD ARGOT

WHAT IS IT FASHES AND DIDDLES THEE S’SLOW, OAFING:
What is it that upsets you and makes you so slow? V:603

WILL IT DRAW WATER?:
Will it work? V:491

WITTLES AND RATIONS:
Food. V:358

WOLF’S EVE:
The night before the WOLVES attack. V:608

WOLVES:
The green-cloaked predators who come sweeping out of Thunderclap every generation to steal one of each pair of prepubescent twins born into the CALLAS of the GRAND CRESCENT. The Wolves ride gray horses and wear masks which look like the faces of snarling wolves, yet their bodies resemble those of giant men. At the end of
Wolves of the Calla,
we find out that the
Wolves are actually robots, and beneath their clothing they look a lot like Andy, Calla Bryn Sturgis’s treacherous Messenger Robot.
For page references, see
WOLVES
,
in
CHARACTERS

YAR:
Yes. V:131

YE:
You. V:411

YE DARE NOT:
You wouldn’t dare. V:411

YEAR END GATHERING:
See entry in
MID-WORLD ARGOT

YER BUGGER:
The equivalent of “You bet your ass.” V:149, V:151, V:222–23

YON:
“Over yonder.” V:207

YOU SAY TRUE AND I SAY THANKYA (YOU SPEAK TRUE AND I SAY THANKEE):
“You speak truth and I say thank you.” Also, “I agree with you.” V:310

ZN:
See entry in
HIGH SPEECH

ALGUL SIENTO:
See
DEVAR-TOI
,
below

ASIMOV ROBOTS:
Intelligent robots, such as Nigel and Andy, built by North Central Positronics. Logic faults are quite common in these models. VII:156

BASCOMB:
A type of wicker basket that has a lid and handles. It is a TAHEEN word. VII:347

BECOMING:
For Mia, “becoming” was the process of becoming human, or for transforming from a creature of the PRIM into a being of flesh and blood. The bizarre surgery which made this transformation possible took place in the Fedic Dogan.
Becoming
is also the term that the CAN-TOI use for their own process of becoming human. However, despite all their efforts, the only thing that the
can-toi
are becoming is uglier. It is probably almost impossible for the
can-toi
to become human since they can’t comprehend true human emotion. Hence, their humanoid faces—made from a kind of living latex—will never be more than masks to cover their lice-infested rat snouts. VI:251, VII:235, VII:293

BHST:
Blue Heaven Standard Time. This is the way they measure time in the DEVAR-TOI. VII:271

BLUE HEAVEN:
See
DEVAR-TOI
,
below

BREAKERS (BEAM BREAKERS):
The Beam Breakers are a group of psychics who were tricked by servants of the Crimson King into taking the perfect “job of a lifetime.” It certainly turns out to be a lifetime job, since none of them can leave the DEVAR-TOI, or Breaker prison, until the universe collapses. Each day, the Breakers go to the Devar-Toi STUDY, where they focus their special skills on eroding the weakened Beams.
For page references, see
BREAKERS
,
in
CHARACTERS

CHILDREN OF RODERICK:
See entry in
MID-WORLD ARGOT

CLAN-FAM:
Clan-fam
denotes a CAN-TOI clan family. The clan-fam gives a low man or low woman a human name as part of their process of BECOMING. The clan-fam name is a maturity-marker. VII:293, VII:617

CLOSIES:
A term used by a washerboy in the Dixie Pig who warns Jake Chambers about Sayre and his “closies” or henchmen. VII:84