I had been in town less than a half hour.

scar = cicatrice
scarce = rare

pick over something = to talk about something in detail
embroide = broder
quite = assez // I'm quite sure

these = ceux-ci/celles-ci
their = leur
neat and tidy = propre et net 
fit lean = maigre
elbow = coude
textbook move = comme dans un manuel, classique
it could have ended badly = OK

somehow = en quelque sorte
drawback = inconvéniant