Achilles—Greek warrior and leader in the Trojan War; hero in Homer’s Iliad who temporarily refuses to fight.
cajole—to coax with flattery or insincere talk.
ululating—moaning or lamenting loudly.
cara mio—(Italian) “my dear.”
grazie, grazie—(Italian) “thank you, thank you.”
stolid—having or showing little or no emotion or sensitivity.
Old Blood and Guts—nickname for General George Smith Patton (1885–1945), commander of the Seventh and Third Armies during World War II; the comparison is sardonic.
