I apologize, dear reader, for not having made more frequent updates as of late. The sad story, and it is a tale of woe, is that a week ago my son got sick, then my daughter got sick, and then I, being a stay at home dad, was pretty much doomed to get sick. My wife, a CPA hip deep into tax season, chose to abandon us for the relatively sanitary conditions of her Sister's house. Today is pretty much the first time I've been able to string sentences together in a manner recognizable as language.
Fortunately I was able to recognize words and sentences while being subjected to the plague, and so I've nearly read to the end of To Kill a Mockingbird. I'll be posting my thoughts on the second third another time, but today I have another reason for posting.
As I've mentioned, I am a huge fan of "Appalachian American" culture and language. It really does need its own specification because it is so very different from anything you'll experience anywhere else. Yes, we speak the same "language" and all embrace the general American culture. It can, however, be as different from Alaska to Georgia as it is from the U.S.A. to England. There are roots and the same language but so very different. Sometimes it can be different words for the same thing, as in an elevator in the U.S. and a lift in England, or distinct local oddities.
Rabbit Tobacco: When scout describes the condition of the Radley yard she mentions that Johnson Grass and Rabbit Tobacco grew in abundance there. Johnson Grass is a common enough around the nation and is actually native to the Mediterranean area. It's apparently very good at protecting against soil erosion. Rabbit Tobacco, though, I had never heard of before. Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium, is its scientific designation if that sort of thing matters to you. It also goes by the names "old field balsam" and "sweet everlasting." When it is crushed it gives of the scent of maple. The Native Americans of all tribes found a ton of different uses for it; everything from muscle cramps, asthma (when smoked), rheumatism, cold syrup, mumps, fevers, headaches, to dispelling ghosts and bringing back those who had "lost their mind". From what I've read it was actually common for children in the south to smoke the leaves to mimic adults smoking actual tobacco.
Smilax: When Mr. Cunningham pays Atticus however he can, for Christmas he dropped off a crate of "smilax and holly". While it may have been just for the purpose of Christmas decoration, the root of the smilax is predominantly used in sarsaparilla and other root beers.
Croker Sack: Essentially a burlap sack or it could mean any sack made of a coarse material. The colorful name comes from it being the kind of sack used to hold frogs when hunting them.
Hain't: This was a hard one to find. In the book Walter Cunningham, walking past the Radley place with Jem and Scout, declared that there was a "hain't" that lived in the decrepit house. Most places online simply say it's a contraction of the word "hasn't" and "ain't". The only things I could find other than this were odd mentions that it means a ghost or spirit. In one place a sermon referred to the Holy Spirit as the "Holy Haint". Of course, the context lends credence to the paranormal definition. I quite like the word "hain't". It feeds into my brain regarding the nature or supernatural creatures, that they are things that shouldn't be but yet are.
Crackling Bread: Because Calpurnia go "so lonesome" with both kids away from school she made Crackling Bread. This is something on my list of regional foods to try. From what I could gather, it's cornbread made with pork rinds in it. I can't stand a pork rind by itself (fried pork skin...just doesn't sound appealing) but put it in cornbread and something in the pleasure center of my brain says, "Oh, that could be nummy."
Scuppernongs: The state fruit of North Carolina, Scuppernongs are similar to your average white grape but are larger and more round. The name is due to where they were first found, the Scuppernong River in North Carolina. Also in North Carolina is the oldest cultivated grape vine known to man. It's the 400 year old "Mother Vine" on Roanoke Island.
Lane Cake: Miss Maudie makes up a Lane Cake for Mr. Avery who helped fight the fire. I've made a few cakes in my time and have looked over many descriptions of recipes (mostly because I'm trying to find one that I had once when I was 5 years old that I still crave but haven't found its equal) and this is the first time I've heard one described as "bourbon-laden". There's a heck of a lot of bourbon in this baby...hoo wee. How much you ask? 3 cups of bourbon for one cake. DANG. Other than that there are raisins, pecans, coconut, and other variations.
Scout mentions that Miss Maudie made a Lane cake to welcome Aunt Alexandra "with so much shinny in that it made me tight."
Shinny: Liquor.
Habiliments: Clothing. Yeah...I was a bit disappointed to. I suppose the level of the word was increased to make it worth of Sunday dress.
Rotogravure: A process of mass production printing used at the time for magazines, art prints, and the like.
There were a few more colorful words and phrases that caught my eye, but I forgot to mark them in my copy because I was getting caught up in the story. After the showdown at the jail, I was burning through the book and can't wait to write some more about how truly wonderful it is. For now, though, I've got some cold medicine and a nap calling my name.
Pax,
W
No comments:
Post a Comment