Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway

Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway Glossary

Abnegazione

Italian word for self-denial or sacrifice.

Adjutant

A non-commissioned officer, roughly equivalent to a staff sergeant or warrant officer in English-speaking armies.

Anis del Toro

More commonly called “anisette:” a liqueur made by distilling the seed of the anis plant; it tastes like licorice.

Arc-light

A lamp in which the light source is an electric arc either between carbon rods or between electrodes in a xenon gas container.

Banderillero

A flagman who is responsible for placing pointed sticks with flags on the ends in the bull’s shoulders.

Bevo

Non-alcoholic malt beverage produced by Anheuser-Busch from 1916 to 1929.

Bwana

Word of Swahili origin meaning “big boss.”

Copita

A glass of wine.

Eland

Species of antelope native to eastern and southern Africa often hunted for its meat.

Fratellanza

Italian word for brotherhood.

Gimlet

Cocktail made of gin or vodka and lime juice.

Ivresse

French word for drunkenness.

Jodhpurs

Riding pants flared at the thigh and fitted tightly from knee to ankle.

Klim

Brand of powdered milk developed before World War II by Borden.

Lombardy Poplar

Species of poplar also known as “Black poplar,” native to Europe, southwest and central Asia, and northwest Africa.

Marc

French word for brandy.

Matador

The main performer in a bullfight who wields a cape and sword and eventually kills the bull.

Memsahib

A combination of the English word “ma’am” and the Arabic word “sahib,” which came into common usage under the British Raj in India to refer to female members of the establishment class. It has definite colonialist connotations.

Orderly

A soldier assigned to a commissioned officer as a servant.

Peseta

Unit of the former currency of Spain.

Picador

A lancer on horseback who tests the bull’s strength using a spear in order to reveal the animal’s particular strong and weak points to the matador.

Rebolera

A technique used by the matador in which the cape is swirled around his waist like a skirt.

Schatz

A German term of endearment meaning “my treasure.”

Spoor

Any physical sign of a creature in the wild such as tracks, droppings, or other bodily fluids.

Veronica

A technique used by the matador in making a pass at the bull.

Water-buck

Species of African antelope.

Wicket

A window or hatchway closed by a grating or small door, in this case, connecting the kitchen with the lunch-counter area.

Windy

Nervous, from the British term "to get the wind up."