All the King’s Men,
Chapter Two (part two), Pages 120-163, Amber Hancock
1.120.9Led
with her chin
This
expression refers to a boxer who's not very good. Normally, depending on
whether a
boxer
is right handed (orthodox) or left handed (southpaw) you would say "he
leads with
his
left/right". To say "he'd always led with his chin" means that he always
left
his
chin sticking out, inviting his opponent to knock him out.
2.121.8Lamb
of god
John 1:29 “The next day John
saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes
away the sin of the world!’”
3.121.15Ram
in the bushes
Genesis 22:13 “Abraham looked
up and there in the thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over
and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.”
4.124.19Gisant
A sepulcher sculpture popular
in 16th and 17th century Christian tombs. Gisant
sculptures depicted the person at the time of death or even in advanced
stages of decomposition.
5.127.1Seersucker
A thin cotton fabric originally
developed in India,
but popular in the high heat and humidity of the American south. The fabric
is made with a slack tension weave that causes the threads to bunch together
in some places, giving the fabric a wrinkled appearance. Suits made with
this fabric were easy to wash, did not need ironing, and allowed for good
circulation.
6.131.13Loaves
and fishes
John 6:8-13 …Here
is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far
will they go among so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There
was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand
of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those
who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather
the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." So they gathered
them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves
left over by those who had eaten.
7.132.1Absinthe
on a little cracked ice and float on a shot of ryeAbsinthe
is a green liquor derived from herbs including the flowers of the psychoactive
plant wormwood and a shot of rye could refer to rye vodka or rye whiskey.
8.132.18Peter
Rabbit and Wallie WoodchuckI couldn’t
find a reference for Wallie Woodchuck, but Peter Rabbit is the main character
of Beatrix Potter’s children’s stories which she wrote between 1902 and
1920. The general story is that Peter disobeys his mother by going to Mr.
McGregor’s farm and eating all the vegetables he can. McGregor sees him
and chases him out, but Peter loses his coat and shoes in the process,
which he then tries to get back in subsequent stories.
9.132.20TumbrilA
farm dumpcart used for carrying dung. Also used for carrying prisoners
to the guillotine during the French Revolution.
10.132.22FlivverThis
word commonly refers to an old model T Ford, but generally means a small
cheap car.
11.133.17“The
Ballad of Casey Jones”This song
is about a legendary rail man who was the only casualty of a train accident
in 1900. The end of the song is:
Casey's
body lies buried in Jackson, Tennessee
Close
beside the tracks of the old I.C.
May
his spirit live forever throughout the land
As
the greatest of all heroes of a railroad man.
Casey
Jones, he died at the throttle,
Casey
Jones, with the whistle in his hand.
Casey
Jones, he died at the throttle,
But
we'll all see Casey in the promised land.
12. 133.26 “He’s
been on the road to Damascus and he saw a great light and he’s got the
blind staggers” Acts
9 “Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the
Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters
to the synagogues in Damascus,
so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way… he might take them
as prisoners to Jerusalem.
As he neared Damascus
on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell
to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute
me?" "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,"
he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what
you must do." The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they
heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but
when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand
into Damascus.
For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything….Then Ananias
went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother
Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming
here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy
Spirit." Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and
he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food,
he regained his strength.”
13. 134.5 “Hail,
Hail, the Gang’s All Here” The
lyrics for this song were originally written for the comic opera The Pirates
of Penzance, but it was later modified and became an American song made
famous by Fred Astaire. A common rendering of the chorus is:
Hail! Hail!
the gang's all here,
What the deuce do we care,
What the deuce do we care,
Hail! Hail! we're full of cheer,
What the deuce do we care Bill!
14. 135.5 Hair
of the dog This is a colloquial
English expression for ingesting alcohol as a cure for a hangover. This
term originated in the method of treating rabies by taking hair from the
infected dog and place it in the bite wound.
15. 139.13 Adagio
A type of partner acrobatics where one person is the base and the other
is the flier. The flier balances on the bases feet, hands, shoulders, etc.
in a variety of positions. Also a musical term for a slow and stately tempo.
16. 143.9 God
helps those who help themselves
This particular phrase was coined by Benjamin Franklin in Poor Richard’s
Almanac, but it is a popular sentiment throughout history. One of the oldest
appearances was “To the man who himself strives earnestly,
God also lends a helping hand” Aeschylus, Persae
(472 BC).
17. 143.17 Quid
See annotation #5 from the first half of chapter two.
18. 145.13 Charge
of the Light Brigade
A disastrous cavalry charge in the Crimean War, it has become a symbol
of the courage and tragedy of warfare.
19. 148.3 Epworth
League
A youth organization of the Methodist Episcopal church formed by the combination
of five such organizations in 1889.
20. 158.12 Mark
4:6
“But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered
because they had not root.”
21. 158.12 Job
7:5
“My body is clothed with worms and scabs, my skin is broken and festering.”
22. 160.15 Plebiscite A
direct popular vote usually dealing with changes in sovereignty.
23. 161.7 Dago An
ethnic slur from the common Spanish name Diego, this term was originally
used for Spanish and Portuguese immigrants, but was later extended to Italians
as well. In this context it refers to Italian red wine.
24. 161.23 Rip
Van Winkle An American folktale
written by Washington Irving in 1819, it is the story of a New York villager
of Dutch decent who encounters some strange men bowling in the forest,
drinks liquor with them, and falls asleep for twenty years. He awakes to
find his wife has died, his friends have either died or left, and his children
are grown. This tale is a critique on Van Winkle’s lazy and neglectful
nature.