A.M.E. Zion African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. Incorporated in New York in 1801, the A.M.E. Zion Church is the oldest black church in the United States. In 1821, the church was formally founded and held its first annual conference. Its worship services generally incorporate traditional African and Afro-centric elements.
Accra the capital of Ghana, West Africa. (On August 27, 1963, renowned writer, scholar, and activist W. E. B. Du Bois, who greatly influenced Morrison, died in Accra, his adopted home, at age ninety-five.)
acridness bitterness; constant irritation.
AKC American Kennel Club, the premier organization of dog breeders in the United States.
Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965) French philosopher and theologian; awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952.
Algonquins a Native-American people who lived in the Ottawa River area, in southern east-central Canada, around 1600. Driven from their homeland by the Iroquois, eventually they were absorbed into other Canadian tribes.
amanuensis a person who takes dictation or copies manuscripts.
anaconda a large South American snake that suffocates its victims. Morrison characterizes Hagar's feelings for Milkman as an "anaconda love" because Hagar's love is all-consuming.
Argo cornstarch a brand name of cornstarch, a thickener in cooking.
Armistice Day November 11 of every year; originally celebrated in the United States to commemorate the United States' signing the armistice that ended World War I, today it is part of Veterans Day, which honors all veterans of the armed forces.
B. B. Riley "B. B." King (b. 1925), a famous blues singer.
B-52 an American military bomber plane, used extensively during the Vietnam War (1954–75).
baked Alaska a dessert made of angel food cake, ice cream, and meringue, and often topped with heated brandy, which is set ablaze for a dramatic presentation.
bath salts a perfumed salt solution used for softening bath water.
Belleau Wood a small forest in northern France, site of a World War I battle (1918) in which United States military forces stopped a German advance on Paris.
bier a stand on which a coffin is placed — for example, during a funeral.
Bilbo country Here, Freddie alludes to the South as "Bilbo country." Because "Bilbo" is capitalized, the initial reference is to the infamous, racist two-term governor of Mississippi and its multi-term senator, Theodore G. Bilbo, whose name is synonoymous with prejudice and corruption. Coincidentally, "bilbo," with a lower-case "b," refers to an iron bar to which ankle clamps are attached; it was used to shackle slaves during slavery and to shackle chain gangs during the 1950s.
the Blood Bank The name of Southside's notorious neighborhood alludes to Dr. Charles Richard Drew (1904-1950), a world-renowned surgeon, scientist, and educator. The pioneer of blood plasma preservation, Dr. Drew established the first successful blood plasma bank. In 1950, while on his way to a medical convention at Tuskegee Institute, Dr. Drew was fatally injured in an automobile accident. Denied treatment at a nearby white hospital because of his black skin color, he was refused the blood transfusions that might have saved his life. Here, the term for the neighborhood is used ironically, for this part of town is notorious for crime and murder — bloodletting, the opposite of blood banking.
Bo Diddley Otha "Bo Diddley" McDaniels (b. 1928), renowned rock-and-roll singer.
bodice the fitted part of a dress from the waist to the shoulder.
Bohemian carefree; a person who disregards conventional standards of behavior.
bolero an open-front, short jacket.
brambles a prickly shrub or bush, including blackberry and raspberry plants.
brocade a heavy fabric with a raised design.
Bryn Mawr located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, a private women's college founded in 1880.
calico a brightly printed cloth.
cane-bottomed chair a chair whose seat is made of interweaving cane, a strong but flexible stem from certain reed plants.
caught the eagle got paid. The phrase alludes to the African-American folk saying "The eagle flies on Friday" — Friday is payday.
caul According to superstition, a baby born with a caul — part of the membrane that protects the fetus — was destined to have good luck. According to African legend, a baby born with a caul has the power to combat evil spirits and the ability to see ghosts.
celluloid a colorless material used to make photographic film.
Cherry smash a brand name of soda pop.
chromosomes strands of DNA that carry hereditary genes. Guitar reverses the white-supremacist argument that characteristics such as intelligence are race-based and genetically determined.
chubby a waist-length jacket, often made of fake fur.
clarion call a trumpet call that signals the start of a hunt. The phrase emphasizes Milkman's inability to fly and his eagerness for the hunt.
cloche a bell-shaped hat that fits snugly over the ears and forehead.
clove an evergreen tree native to the Molucca Islands, also known as the Spice Islands, a group of islands in Indonesia. The tree's small purple flower clusters are dried to produce cloves, a common spice used in cooking.
cod-liver oil oil extracted from the livers of cod, fish of northern Atlantic waters; a source of vitamins A and D.
coiffure hairstyle.
Committee on Civil Rights a committee established on December 5, 1946, by President Truman, that eventually recommended anti-lynching and anti-poll-tax legislation, and the creation of the Fair Employment Practices Commission, an oversight commission charged with eradicating racism and unfair labor practices in the workplace.
communion the part of a Mass in which the Eucharist — the host — is received in remembrance of Christ's death.
Congo an African country that gained independence from France in 1960.
Contes de Daudet French, meaning The Short Stories of Daudet; Alphonse Daudet (1840–97) was a French short-story writer noted for his humorous characterization of life.
cop here, slang for steal.
corduroy a heavy fabric with vertical ribs.
Corpus Domini Nostri Jesu Christi custodiat animam tuam Latin, meaning "The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, who watches over our souls."
corsets constricting undergarments worn by women to shape their waists and give them "hourglass" figures.
crackers slang for poor white people, usually uneducated and usually racially prejudiced.
cracklin browned, crisp rinds of roast pork, especially popular in the South.
the crash of 1929 refers to the United States stock market crash of 1929, which precipitated the Great Depression and contributed to a worldwide financial collapse.
crock an earthenware container.
cupola architecturally, a domed structure atop a roof.
Cutty Sark the name brand of a blended scotch liquor.
