specs
Short for spectacles, which is another way of saying eyeglasses.
spell
In this case, the word refers to a period of time, not a magical incantation.
sphinx
Monster of ancient Egyptian and Greek legends. The Egyptian sphinx had a man's head and lion's body. The Greek sphinx in Thebes had a woman's head and lion's body and killed anyone who couldn't answer its riddle:
What is four-footed in the morning,
two-footed at noon,
three-footed in the evening?
The answer is man, who in childhood creeps on hands and knees, in adulthood walks erect, and in old age uses a cane.
spitter
Apple that is too sour to eat—one bite and you spit it out.
spittoon
Bowl or urn for spitting in. When tobacco chewing was all the rage and men didn't mind what kind of juice was dribbling down their chins, chewers needed somewhere to spit when in polite company.
split-bottom chair
Chair with a seat made from split logs.
squire
A medieval manservant who carried a knight's shield and sword.
St. Jerome
Patron saint of orphans. His full name is St. Jerome Emiliani. He lived in Italy (1481–1537) and devoted his life to the care of orphans.
St. Joe
Short for St. Joseph, Missouri, a town on the Missouri River that was one of the starting points for settlers heading west.
staghorn knife
Knife with a handle made from a stag's horn (a stag is a male deer).
star-crossed
Describes something not favored by the stars—unlucky.
stateroom
A sleeping room on a steamboat. Each room is named after a different state of the union. They are generally small and cramped but luxurious when compared to deck passage, where people camp out on the open deck with livestock and one another.
steerage
If you don't have money for a stateroom (see above), you might be able to afford a ticket on steerage. It got its name from being near the boat's rudder, which steers the ship.
stove works
Factory that makes stoves.
straight
A poker hand where all the cards are consecutive (or in order) but of different suits. An example would be the two of hearts, three of spades, four of diamonds, five of clubs, and six of hearts.
strap
A strip of leather often used for whippings.
straw tick
Crinkly mattress filled with straw.
stretcher
In this case, a story that stretches the truth considerably.
T
tanner
Someone who tans animal hides to change them into leather. This is done by treating the hide with chemicals.
tar and feathering
Frontier punishment. The person was covered with hot tar and then sprinkled with feathers that stuck to the tar. Very unhealthy and possibly fatal.
tarnation
Polite way of saying damnation.
taters
Potatoes.
telegraph
Before the telephone there was the telegraph. Invented in 1835 by Samuel Morse, it was a machine that allowed people who were far apart to communicate by sending a series of clicks over electrical wires. By 1849 telegraph wires had spread as far west as St. Louis, where they were briefly halted until a way could be figured out to string a line across the Mississippi River.
tenpenny nail
Nail that is three inches long. When this nail was first made in the 1400s, you could buy one hundred of them for ten pennies. The price has gone up considerably since then, but the name remains the same today.
ten pin
Early form of bowling.
Thebes
Name of ancient Egyptian and Greek cities.
three R's
The three fundamentals taught in frontier schools: reading, writing, and arithmetic. The phrase comes from saying the three words this way: reading, 'riting, 'rithmetic.
throw
Bedcover or blanket.
tick mattress
Fabric covering that is filled with straw, corn husks, or feathers for sleeping on.
to-do
Activity, bother, or fuss.
trappings
The appearance or outward sign of something.
travois (truh-VOY)
Sled used by Plains Indians. Comes from a French word that means "to travel." Pulled by ponies or dogs, the travois was the moving van of its day.
trey
The number three card in a deck of cards.
tribulations
Troubles or difficulties.
truck
Two different meanings are used by Zeb in the story. First, truck can be small stuff of little value. Second, it can mean to have a close connection to something.
tsa kic ti (tsah kick TEE)
Translates as "very good." It is from the Hidatsa language. The Hidatsa are an Indian tribe that lived on the upper Missouri River in the 1840s. They still live in the same general area, which today is part of North Dakota.
tsa ki ha (tsah kee HAH)
Translates as "quiet." It is from the Hidatsa language. The Hidatsa are an Indian tribe that lived on the upper Missouri River in the 1840s. They still live in the same general area, which today is part of North Dakota.
turnkey
Someone in charge of a prison's keys.
tyke
Small child.
V
varmint
Animal that is a nuisance.
Venus
Roman goddess of love and beauty.
victuals
Food.
vittles
Food again.
W
wampum
Money. The word originally referred to shells that Indians used as money.
war bonnet
Headdress worn by the men in some American Indian tribes. It is made up of feathers that circle the head and trail down the back.
wardrobe
Upright trunk that is big enough to hang clothes inside. It used to do the same job that closets do in today's homes.
washbasin
Bowl or basin to wash in. No indoor plumbing!
weather eye
An eye that's quick to notice changes in anything, especially the weather.
wheat berry
Dry seed of wheat.
whilst
While.
whim-wham
To have the jitters.
whistler
Horse that makes a whistling sound when breathing hard. Not good.
whit
Smallest thing you can imagine.
willies
Jitters, often caused by something that frightens you.
works
Building where factory work is done.
wrangle
To get something you want by being persistent.
Y
yarb and root doctor
Yarb is another word for herb, so this is a doctor who uses plant remedies.
yoke
Wooden frame that connects the heads of two work animals, like oxen.
* * *
* Anyone wondering what mumblety-peg is can risk a trip to the small dictionary lurking at the back of this book. But proceed with caution. That dictionary's filled with words and foreign phrases that have been dying off in these parts since the time of this story. There's no telling what kind of diseases you might catch from them.
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Crows and Cards (Houghton Mifflin Stereotype Editions) Page 21