abalone a tasty mollusk similar to scallops.
alien a resident of a foreign country whose status is determined by the government bureaucracy, which can deport undesirables without recourse to courts.
alluvial fan clay, sand, gravel, silt, and other debris deposited in a triangle where a stream pours from a gorge.
American Friends Service a Quaker charitable organization founded in 1917 and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1947.
American Legion a confederation of honorably discharged wartime veterans. Founded in 1919, the group is comprised of more than 3,000,000 members.
banzai a Japanese interjection which serves as greeting, battle cry, or cheer and translates "May you live ten thousand years!"
Bismarck the "Bismarck stick" is a pun on Bismarck, North Dakota, site of the prison where Ko was incarcerated, and on Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898), a Prussian statesman who unified Germany; he is remembered for his dandified airs as he brandished a swagger stick while he inspected troops.
bobbysoxer a typical American teen in the 40s.
Burma-Shave signs a uniquely successful advertising idea utilizing a series of small, unobtrusive roadside advertisements which formed a witty jingle.
catechism a specified list of questions and answers which teaches the principles of Catholicism.
Charlie Chaplin a popular silent movie comic of the 1920s and 1930s.
chignon a French twist, an arrangement that pulls hair sleekly to the side of the head and into a tight knot at the back.
Commodore Perry an American naval officer who opened Japan's ports to Westerners.
