The Worst Hard Time Glossary

The Worst Hard Time Glossary

dry spell

in this context it refers to an extended period of time during which there was no rain

anemic

the decrease in blood’s capacity to transport oxygen to other cells as a result of low red cells

dugout

the author mentions how Ike used to live in a dugout; in this context, a dugout is a house dug into the hide of the prairie; because the house was underground, the people living there used boards to keep the soil in place

cow chips

cow chips was cow excrements, rich in minerals, used by many as a form of fuel to warm their houses

sodbusters

a sodbuster was a farmhand whose purpose was to plough the land

a sneeze away

extremely close

hedonists

hedonists are the followers of a philosophical movement that concentrates on pursuing pleasures to the fullest and considers them as being the most important things in a person’s life

gullet

the gullet is an old fashion word to refer to the oesophagus

spitton

spittoon is a container used by people who in the past used to chew tobacco or other form of leaves; the remaining residue was then discarded by the user into a spittoon

sanitarium

in this context, it refers to a hospital used for physical ailments

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