Charles Dickens – VB

inimitable – unique, impossible to imitate

abiding – enduring (of a feeling or memory)
carol – a religious or secular song or hymn associated with Christmas, (and more rarely, Easter). Many of these go back centuries, and are folksongs sung by carol-singers. Nowadays many are sung as hymns in churches, but originally they were considered too secular for this – the words are often pagan in origin and not Christian in any way. Some have symbols which were common representations of the mother of Jesus, for instance – the rose – but are not recognised particularly by people today. Many others date from some of the great hymn-writers of the 18th and 19th centuries.
carol-singers – people / groups of people who go round the streets, and especially from door to door, singing carols (carol-singing) in order to raise money for charities. Originally carol-singers danced these songs as well as sang them, and their activities were considered dubious by some Christian churches.
bleak – bare and exposed (eg of a landscape / location); unencouraging / not hopeful (of a situation / point of view)
utilitarianism – doctrine that actions are right if they are useful or for the benefit of a majority
utilitarian – adj – useful / practical rather than attractive
sledgehammer – a large, heavy hammer used for breaking up rocks, driving in posts; as a modifier it means very powerful, forceful, or unsubtle. Eg He’s got a sledgehammer approach = there is nothing subtle about the way he deals with things.
an orphan – a child whose parents are dead
dress up – a) dress in smart or formal clothes for a formal occasion b) put on special clothes as a disguise, or for a theatrical event
(the) clergy plural noun – the body of people ordained for religious duties in the Christian Church.
A clergyman / clergywoman = a priest or minister in the Christian Church
ostentatiousness – showy / pretentious display (of wealth, skill, knowledge, etc) designed to impress people
mourner – person who attends a funeral as a relative or friend of the dead person

VB in the second quiz a stagecoach – a large, closed, horse-drawn vehicle formerly used to carry passengers and mail