Lindbergh Charles Lindbergh (1902–74), the American aviator who made the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean, from New York to Paris, in 1927.
corsets constricting undergarments worn by women to shape their waists and give them "hourglass" figures.
cupola architecturally, a domed structure atop a roof.
peck basket A peck equals eight quarts of any dry material; the peck basket that Ruth drops could hold a maximum of eight quarts of red velvet rose petals.
pregnant-woman bow Traditionally, pregnant women attached decorative bows to their clothes at the stomach to announce that they were pregnant.
cloche a bell-shaped hat that fits snugly over the ears and forehead.
galoshes rubber overshoes used to protect footwear during inclement weather.
racial-uplift groups During the early 1900s, white liberals and black nationalists founded several organizations dedicated to "uplifting the race." These pioneering groups included the Niagara Movement, forerunner of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); the National Urban League; and the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA).
jumpers protective one-piece garments worn over clothes.
Father Divine a storefront preacher popular during the 1930s, hailed by some as a black messiah. Here, Father Divine "reigns" in Philadelphia, "the city of brotherly love," the home of the Liberty Bell, and the site of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The reference emphasizes the ironic fact that African Americans were being denied the "divine right" to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
nutwagon here, an insane person.
reaper meaning the Grim Reaper, traditionally a symbol of death.
Hoover Herbert Hoover (1874–1964), the thirty-first president of the United States (1929-33). The people from whom Mr. Smith collects insurance money jokingly wonder if Hoover knows of Mr. Smith's regularity in collecting their money; Hoover failed to correct the financial crash of 1929, which began the Great Depression.
"Right on time." Pilate's words allude to the African-American proverb, "He [Jesus] may not come when you call Him, but He's always right on time."
sedan a two- or four-door car; the term "sedan" has become somewhat antiquated today.
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.
sunshine cake a light, airy, circular cake, made with either a yellow cake batter or a white cake batter and then frosted with yellow icing.
gross equaling 144 items.
lilt a happy, upbeat manner of speaking.
salt cellar a salt shaker or a small, shallow bowl from which salt is pinched.
rennet dessert a cheeselike dessert in which rennet, a dried extract made from the stomach lining of a small animal, usually a calf, is the major ingredient.
iodine here, a reference to iodic acid, a disinfectant powder used to clean surfaces.
linseed oil an oil made from the seeds of flax, a plant widely cultivated for its seeds and stems, and used in paints and varnishes.
pussy willow a deciduous North American shrub having clusters of large, silvery, fuzzy flowers.
Scotch pine a pine tree native to Europe and Asia having a flattened top and triangular cones.
grosgrain ribbon a ribbon made from grosgrain, a coarse-textured silk or rayon fabric.
bodice the fitted part of a dress from the waist to the shoulder.
perspiration shields pads, probably made from cotton, that women wore underneath their armpits so that their sweat would not soil their clothes.
onyx skin Onyx is a crystal-like substance indigenous to India and South America and found in many colors; onyx skin would be a deep, black-colored skin.
fluky odd; eccentric.
relief check here, a government-issued check made payable to low-income individuals and families.
tetter spots skin eruptions caused by various skin diseases, including psoriasis and herpes; tetter is common chiefly in the southern United States.
town crier an antiquated term for a person hired to make public announcements in the streets; here, a public gossiper, a person who feels it necessary to tell everyone's business to everybody.
caught the eagle got paid. The phrase alludes to the African-American folk saying "The eagle flies on Friday" — Friday is payday.
wild turkey a wild variety of turkey and the ancestor of the domesticated North American turkey.
calico a brightly printed cloth.
India rubber erasers erasers made from India rubber, cultivated from the rubber plant, an evergreen fig plant native to India and Malaysia.
