Hoover carts: automobiles pulled by mules during the Great Depression because owners couldn’t afford gas. “Hoover” refers to Herbert Hoover, the president blamed for failing to stop the United States’ economic downturn. "Hoover cart" follows the pattern of other ironic "Hoover" items, i.e. "Hoover blankets" (newspapers used as blankets) or "Hoover leather" (cardboard used to line worn-out shoes).
Johnson grass: a weed that can choke out lucrative crops. Named after an Alabama plantation owner.
Rabbit tobacco: a plant with long leaves. Often used by rural children as a tobacco substitute. Also slang for marijuana.
Lydia Pinkham bottles: glass bottles that held tonics and other herbal remedies, often bought by/marketed to women.
Stumphole whiskey: illegal whiskey that was hidden in tree stumps; another name for moonshine.
Rose Bowl: an American college football game played yearly on January 1. The oldest (and most prestigious) “bowl” game in the United States.
Playing hooky: skipping school.
Scuppernong arbour: a part of a garden, a pathway or sitting area with pillars and latticing on which vines can be grown, such as the scuppernong, a grape native to the American South, twice the size of a typical grape and a lighter amber or bronze color.
Azaleas: flowering shrubs that usually bloom in the spring. They often grow near trees.
Turnip greens: the leaves of turnips, often eaten as a side dish.
Smilax: a shrub with heart-shaped leaves and rubbery berries.
Sam Hill: a euphemism used to avoid saying “hell” or “devil.” Might come from a mercantile store called Sam Hill.
Camisole: a woman’s sleeveless undergarment.
Shinnied up: drunk.
Ivanhoe: an 1819 novel by Sir Walter Scott set during the Crusades in the 12th century. Its success is credited with increasing interest in the medieval time period.
Ruttin: the “rut” is the mating season for deer, elk, sheep, and some other animals, so "rutting" means being in that season; being "in heat," essentially.
Frogsticking without a light: "frogsticking" involves using a pitchfork to catch frogs, usually to later eat them. It is commonly done at night (that's when frogs are active--think of all the croaking you hear if you're near any sort of swampy area), and thus going without a light source of some sort would be precarious, might lead to getting lost, etc.
Chiffarobe: a piece of furniture that combines a chiffonier (a chest of drawers) with a wardrobe.
Corn cribs: raised barn-like structures used to dry and store corn.
Corn cribs: raised barn-like structures used to dry and store corn.
