In Cold Blood (39-42)

Pichu Little: "Is this story going to be scary, like the ghost Pokemon above?? The title sure makes it sound like it will!"
Pichu Big: "It shouldn't be very scary. And those may be ghost Pokemon, but they're not scary. They're even smiling!"

39) spirits

• Source 1: "He did not smoke, and ... he had never tasted spirits, and was inclined to avoid people who had--a circumstance that did not shrink his social circle..., for that circle was ... a congregation ... most of whom were as abstemious as Mr. Clutter could desire" (Capote 10).

• Definition: n. "distillate 1: as (1) : the liquid containing ethanol and water that is distilled from an alcoholic liquid or mash —often used in plural (2) : any of various volatile liquids obtained by distillation or cracking (as of petroleum, shale, or wood) —often used in plural" (Merriam-Webster).

• Source 2: "Drugs, pornography, spirits, and the like are often discarded when parents are expected—Dad’s day, for example" (Eighner 30).
• Eighner, Lars. "On Dumpster Diving." The Norton Reader: An Anthology of Nonfiction Prose. By Linda H. Peterson, John C. Brereton, and Joan Hartman. Shorter 11th ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2000. 27-36. Print.

• Commentary: I had never encountered this definition of spirits, but I find this definition very fitting. A spirit can also represent the central joy, motivation, or excitement of an event or object. Similarly, alcohol is often seen as tool that brings out one’s inner emotions and natural impulses that are at the center of one’s being. As exemplified by the second source, students who discard their alcohol and other objects that their parents would disapprove of also discard one side of themselves, showing a façade that satisfies their superiors.

40) varmints

• Source 1: "'I don't know any such thing.'
                  "'Varmints.'" (Capote 69).

• Definition: n. "an animal considered a pest; specifically : one classed as vermin and unprotected by game law" (Merriam-Webster).

• Source 2: "Or the fact that he once unsuccessfully attempted to woo rural voters by recounting his skill as a hunter of 'small varmints.'" 
• Collins, Gail. "The Least Popular Subject." The New York Times. The New York Times, 20 Oct. 2012. Web. 10 Jan. 2013.

• Commentary: In the first source, the word varmints functions similarly to cuss words and other words that represent blasphemous disbelief. The names of detested species often become insults and a new slang connotation evolves from this. Another animal whose name has become a common insult is the bitch, or female dog.

41) mica

• Source 1: "That Monday ... was ... a day gloriously bright-skied, as glittery as mica" (Capote 77).

• Definition: n. "any of various colored or transparent mineral silicates crystallizing in monoclinic forms that readily separate into very thin leaves" (Merriam-Webster).

•  Source 2: "Phosphate minerals and lithian mica are the common accessory minerals. " 
• Business Wiveria. "HLM Identifies High Grade Lithium up to 4.74 Li20 over 15 Meters on the Pakeagama Rare Metals Projec." DailyFinance. AOL Inc, 10 Jan. 2013. Web. 10 Jan. 2013.

• Commentary: Capote describes the sky as shining like mica, which creates a vivid image in the audience’s mind of a complex and shining sky. Mica is a type of crystal that shines brilliantly in the light due to its transparency and layering.

42) kith

• Source 1: "So they break the hearts of kith and kin" (Capote 98).

• Definition: n. "familiar friends, neighbors, or relatives" (Merriam-Webster).

• Source 2: "His kith and kin, not knowing, set upon him."
• Gayley, Charles Mills, and Clement Calhoun Young. The Principles and Progress of English Poetry. New York: Macmillan, 1904. Print.

• Commentary: Kith is often paired with kin due to their similar meanings, both relating to the people close to someone, whether they are family or friends. Kith refers to a broader range of people, including friends, neighbors, and relatives. On the other hand, kin describes primarily relatives.

Works Cited

Source 1:

Capote, Truman. In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences. New York: Vintage, 1994. Print.

Definitions:

"Definitions and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 08 Jan. 2013.