A Rose For Emily - Barn Burning - Other Short Stories of William Faulkner Study Guide

Glossary of Terms

barnstorming circus

A form of entertainment in which stunt pilots perform at venues like county fairs.

Board of Aldermen

A municipal legislative council.

britching strop

A britching strap, attached to a saddle to keep a pack in place on a horse.

camber

On an aircraft, the arched curve of an airfoil.

canebrake

An area of land with a dense growth of sugarcane.

cinch strop

The strap that holds the saddle onto a horse.

drummer

A traveling salesman.

Elk's Club

An American social club founded in 1868

fuselage

The body of an airplane.

Handley-Page

A bomber plane made by the Handley-Page, Limited aircraft manufacturing company.

jury struts

Parts of an airplane that provide structural stability and prevent wing strut vibration.

Lewis

An automatic machine gun of American design, used mostly by the British Empire in WWI and WWII.

mess

A dining hall in a military camp.

mole

A stone wall in the sea, used as a breakwater.

noblesse oblige

This French term translates to "nobility obligates," and refers to the idea that with wealth comes responsibility.

oilskin

A garment made waterproof by treatment with oil.

Phi Beta Kappa

A national honor society of college graduates of academic distinction.

portico

A porch with columns to support its roof.

puttee

A strip of cloth wound around the lower leg as part of a military uniform.

shikepoke

"Shikepoke" is an onomatopoetic name for the American bittern, a bird distinguished by the three-syllable pumping sound it makes.

Skull and Bones

An elite secret society at Yale University.

snaffle

A common type of bit used in horseback riding.

standers

Hunters assigned to stand in a specific spot on the periphery of the hunt.

stripling

A youth.