brackish
Slightly salty; used to describe the mixture of river and seawater in estuaries and marshes
curdawg
Mongrel; an insult used for a cruel or worthless person
diurnal
of the day; opposite of "nocturnal"
doodlebugs
Insect larvae
estuaries
Rivers that flow into the sea
fedora
A man's brimmed hat
likker
Slang for alcohol
moonshiners
Producers of illegal alcohol
ne'er-do-wells
Good-for-nothing people, or vagrants
night crawlers
Earthworms
"outta kilter"
Out of balance
palmetto
Fan palms common in the southern United States and northern South America
predacious
Predatory
skeeters
Slang for mosquitos
skiff
A light rowing boat
sloughs
Swamps
"upped the ante"
Raised the stakes
grits
A simple southern dish made from boiled corn hominy
"a fur piece"
A faraway place
hoecake
A cornmeal cake, originally baked on the blade of a hoe
frigidaire
Slang for an electric refrigerator
The Swamp Guinea
A bar and poker joint in the marshes near Kya's home
madras
A light cotton fabric, often in a plaid pattern
orinthology
The study of birds
fubsy
A large and squat stature
