odor Gangrene is literally a putrefaction, emitting a horrible, rotten stench.
big birds here, vultures, carrion eaters attracted to Harry’s rotting flesh.
Tommies The reference is to the Thompson’s gazelle, a small antelope.
Black’s a home remedy medical book.
Bwana Mister, or master; a term of respect.
Kikuyu a member of a Kenya tribe.
Karagach a town in Turkey.
Simplon-Orient Also known as the Orient Express, it was, in its heyday, the most famous and elegant train on any continent.
Thrace A section of Greece, it was the scene of fighting between the Greeks and the Turks in 1922.
Nansen Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1938), Norwegian Arctic explorer, scientist, statesman, and humanitarian. During the period that Hemingway was writing this story, Nansen was high commissioner of refugees for the League of Nations.
weinstube German for a tavern that specializes in various wines.
skischule German for a skiing school.
sans voir French for the concept of “not seeing.”
Kaiser Jagers Alpine troops.
Vorarlberg, Arlberg winter resorts in the Austrian Tirol country.
Kirsch a cherry-flavored liquor.
Crillon a well-known Paris hotel, used frequently in Hemingway’s works.
Memsahib a Hindustani word meaning “lady.”
jodpurs A type of trousers, named after the Indian state of Jodhpur, they end right below the knee and flare around the hips.
Klim trade name for a kind of powdered milk (spell it backward).
mosquito boots loose boots into which trousers are tucked.
boric boric acid, a mild disinfectant.
Constantinople the former name for what is now Istanbul.
Bosphorus the strait that separates Asia from Europe, made famous by Romantic poets who would try to swim across.
Anatolia the great plains area of Turkey.
Constantine officers At the time, these royal officers bore the name of the king of Greece, King Constantine.
ballet skirts During the time that Hemingway wrote the story, Greek troops in the mountains wore uniforms exactly like Hemingway describes.
saucers In various cities in Europe, drinks are served on saucers; when refills are ordered, saucers are placed atop one another; when one pays the bill, the waiter counts the number of saucers.
Spur and Town and Country Two “high society” magazines.
Schwarzwald The Black Forest of Bavaria, in the southern part of Germany.
inflation Germany suffered a terrible inflation in the middle 1920s and was eventually helped economically to recover by the United States and its so-called Dodge Plan.
marc a kind of brandy.
bal musette a public dance hall.
concierge the manager of an apartment house in Europe.
Garde Republicaine resplendently uniformed troops that guarded the French Parliament.
locataire a tenant.
L’Auto a Paris newspaper devoted to sports news.
sportifs the sporting kind.
Communards After the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War (1871), a communal government, in opposition to the national one, was set up in Paris. There followed a brief civil war; afterward, 17,000 Parisian followers of the Communards were executed, including women and children. Hemingway is referring to the descendants of these people.
boucherie chevaline a horse butcher; in many parts of Europe, horse meat is eaten quite commonly.
Paul Verlaine French poet (1844-96); considered one of the greatest poets of the nineteenth century.
ivresse drunkenness.
femme de ménage a housekeeper.
stick bomb German hand grenades had handles; during World War II, the Allies often referred to them as “potato mashers.”
lorry British for truck.
wildebeeste Dutch for wild beast, a form of gnu or antelope that is found in Africa.
daughter’s debut a monied coming-out party for a young lady, to formally introduce her to high society.
Nairobi the capital of Kenya.
Kilimanjaro the highest peak in Africa, approximately 19,317 feet.
