Capistrano a city in Orange County, California, and the location of the ruins of Mission San Juan Capistrano, dedicated in 1776 by Father Junipero Serra, where legend declares the swallows nest each year from March 19 to October 23.
Southern Pacific Mole a local train which passes through tunnels in Twin Peaks, two hills in central San Francisco.
restaurant cum gambling casino a combination restaurant and gambling casino.
Fillmore District the traditional black district in central San Francisco.
Nisei second-generation Japanese-American citizens, or sons and daughters of Japanese immigrants.
Axis agent a spy for the combined enemy, consisting of Germany, Italy, and Japan, the Axis powers.
Pride and Prejudice Angelou is making a pun on the title of Jane Austen's novel.
Iwo Jima a volcanic island south of Tokyo, Japan, and the site of a costly battle by American Marines in February 1945.
House Un-American Activities a committee of the U. S. House of Representatives convened to eradicate fascists, communists, or other un-American infiltrators through intimidation, public disclosure, or imprisonment.
Basil Rathbone captivating British actor (1892-1967) who starred as Sherlock Holmes in The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and had major roles in Captain Blood, David Copperfield, The Last Days of Pompeii, and A Tale of Two Cities.
Bette Davis two-time Academy Award-winning American actress (1908-89) who starred in All This and Heaven Too, Jezebel, Dark Victory, The Little Foxes, and All About Eve.
arabesque an elegant ballet pose in which one arm extends forward and the other arm or a leg extends gracefully to the rear.
post-Earthquake affair a house built after the catastrophe which struck San Francisco on April 18, 1906, leaving 700 dead and blocks of buildings collapsed, burning, or uninhabitable. Many of the replacement buildings contained architectural features which were designed to prevent future earthquake destruction, such as huge bolts and stabilizing bars.
mark the unsuspecting victim of a hoax, or con game.
C.C.C. a relief program initiated by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1933 which utilized two and a half million young men for conservation and reforestation projects.
drag disparage, or denigrate.
go down on suffer a setback or defeat.
Lucullan feast lavish or extravagant entertainment, after the manner of Lucius Lucinius Lucullus (110-57 b.c.), a Roman consul and contemporary of Julius Caesar.
