ethereal—of or like the ether or upper regions of space; light; airy; unearthly.
echelon—a subdivision of a military force according to rank, position or function.
C.I.D.—The initials stand for Central Intelligence Division. The irony is that the C.I.D. representatives in the novel are far from intelligent, suggesting the oxymoron (a combination of contradictory terms) “military intelligence.”
tepid—barely or moderately warm; lukewarm.
Washington Irving—American author (1783–1859), best known for short stories such as “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle.”
diffident—lacking self-confidence; timid; shy.
Raskolnikov—Clevinger compares Yossarian to the central character in Fyodor Dostoyevski’s novel Crime and Punishment (1866), who maintains, at least for a time, that the end justifies the means.
