Glossary
This glossary includes helpful vocabulary that will deepen your understanding of the words and worlds of The Piano Lesson.
| WORD/PHRASE | DEFINITION |
|---|---|
| Ghosts of the Yellow Dog | (n) The spirits of enslaved ancestors who were wrongfully murdered by slaveholders; they are said to be responsible for several deaths of slaveholders who fell into wells like Sutter, and they died near a train line called “Yellow Dog,” which is how they got their name |
| Big Sandy & Little Sandy | (n) Two close-by creeks in Kentucky |
| Marlin County | (n) A city in Texas |
| Stoner County | (n) A city in Mississippi |
| Sugartit | (n) A homemade pacifier consisting of sugar or honey wrapped in a cloth |
| Settlement house | (n) A community center that provides social services and educational opportunities for low-income families |
| Parchment Farm | (n) Another name for the Mississippi State Penitentiary, where many characters in this play were victims of convict leasing and forced to do labor while incarcerated |
| Tangleye | (n) In reference to Walter “Tangle Eye” Jackson, a blues singer who recorded while imprisoned at Parchment Farm |
| Squirrel Hill | (n) A neighborhood of Pittsburgh |
| Queen of Sheba | (n) A biblical reference; the Queen of Sheba was 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 |