Glossary
This glossary includes helpful vocabulary and allusions that will deepen your understanding of King Hedley II.
| WORD/PHRASE | DEFINITION |
|---|---|
| Aretha Franklin | (n) A prominent singer-songwriter and pianist regarded as the “Queen of Soul” and known for songs such as “Respect” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” |
| Beretta | (n) An Italian firearms manufacturing company that manufactures pistols, shotguns, and rifles |
| Craps | (n) A gambling game involving two six-sided dice |
| Ella Fitzgerald | (n) A prominent jazz vocalist, song writer, and composer regarded as the “First Lady of Song,” known for songs such as “Summertime” (with Louis Armstrong) and “How High the Moon” |
| Lone Ranger | (n) A fictional cowboy character from radio and television programs from the 1930s and 1940s; the Lone Ranger is a renegade lawman in the American West, known for wearing a black mask and for his Native American partner, Tonto |
| Machete | (n) A wide blade primarily used as an agricultural tool, but also used as a crude weapon |
| Mayview | (n) A psychiatric hospital near Bridgeville, Pennsylvania |
| “Red Sails” by Nat King Cole | (n) A popular recorded version of the 1935 classic song that tells the story of someone waiting by the shore for their loved one to return safely from sea |
| The Queen of Sheba | (n) An Arabian Queen known for bringing lavish gifts to King Solomon (a biblical Israelite king) and seducing him; God later punished King Solomon for his focus on wealth and women instead of his Jewish faith |
| “Do Gimbels tell Kaufmann’s their business?” | Both Gimbels and Kaufmann’s were famous American department store chains; this phrase implies the necessity for secrecy to safeguard success |