Also notice how Chet was never 'fat', but 'plump','chubby','stout', etc? I learned more synonyms for fat from Hardy Boys books than should have been allowed.
I have to say that, despite the terrible, terrible writing, reading the Hardy Boys did a) pique my interest in vocabulary and b) introduce me to the idea of learning words through context.
For that reason (and nothing else) I do not regret having read them.
I learned about the solar plexus (they were always knocking out goons by hitting them in that mythical spot)... never could seem to find it in real-life fights though...
1) first reading the word "rendezvous," which I never heard anyone say, so for years, my brother and I talked about secret "rend-a-visses"
2) never quite figuring out what a "jalopy" was, as chet's car was never a car, always a jalopy.