Lemony Snicket

something happens figuratively, it feels like it's happening. If you are literally jumping for joy, for instance, it means you are leaping in the air because you are very happy. If you are figuratively jumping for joy, it means you are so happy that you could jump for joy,

You're not going to marry Violet figuratively—you're going to marry her literally!

But I consider her to be a stick behind a stubborn mule.”

“Casing the joint” means observing a particular location in order to formulate a plan. For instance, if you are a bank robber—although I hope you aren't—you might go to the bank a few days before you planned to rob it. Perhaps wearing a disguise, you would look around the bank and observe security guards, cameras, and other obstacles, so you could plan how to avoid capture or death during your burglary.

The particular knot she was using was called the Devil's Tongue.

and a blurry photograph, taken a very long time ago, of a woman whose name is Beatrice.

don't know, boss. Yes, boss. Yes, boss, of course I understand she's yours. Yes, boss.”

so high up,” he said. “You must have been terrified.”

“It was very scary,” she admitted, “but not as scary as the thought of marrying Count Olaf.”

“I'm sorry your invention didn't work,” Klaus said sadly.

“The invention worked fine,” Violet said, rubbing her sore shoulder.

“Like most people,” Violet said, “I am right handed. But I signed the document with my left hand.”