dry spell
in this context it refers to an extended period of time during which there was no rain
anemic
the decrease in blood’s capacity to transport oxygen to other cells as a result of low red cells
dugout
the author mentions how Ike used to live in a dugout; in this context, a dugout is a house dug into the hide of the prairie; because the house was underground, the people living there used boards to keep the soil in place
cow chips
cow chips was cow excrements, rich in minerals, used by many as a form of fuel to warm their houses
sodbusters
a sodbuster was a farmhand whose purpose was to plough the land
a sneeze away
extremely close
hedonists
hedonists are the followers of a philosophical movement that concentrates on pursuing pleasures to the fullest and considers them as being the most important things in a person’s life
gullet
the gullet is an old fashion word to refer to the oesophagus
spitton
spittoon is a container used by people who in the past used to chew tobacco or other form of leaves; the remaining residue was then discarded by the user into a spittoon
sanitarium
in this context, it refers to a hospital used for physical ailments
