bp Boaz is the biblical husband of Ruth; Amy actually means “the patience of a Job,” another biblical figure who suffers yet remains faithful to God; Miss Malaprop, in Irish playwright Richard Sheridan’s 1775 comedy The Rivals, habitually misuses words.
bq Sodium bicarbonate, used to make dough rise.
br Sooty.
bs Arranged with the nicest ones on top; reference to the hypocrisy of some church-men.
bt Important Greek philosopher (c.428-c.347 B.C.) who studied under Socrates, taught Aristotle, and founded the Athenian Academy for the study of philosophy.
bu Ridiculous figure.
bv Light boat.
bw Turned the oars to reduce air resistance.
bx Durable, slightly ribbed fabric of cotton or silk.
by Meaning he had used his final resource; a trump card is held in reserve to win a round.
bz Popular Victorian card game in which players collect cards representing the works of various authors.
ca Lively British folk dance, often performed by sailors.
cb Navy warship.
cc Moved.
cd Directly.
ce The English nation personified; a typical Englishman.
cf Principal play (1800) of premier German Romantic dramatist Friedrich von Schiller, about Mary, Queen of Scots.
cg Rotten Row in Hyde Park, a bridle path that was the place to see and be seen in Victorian London.
ch In The Pilgrim’s Progress (see endnote 1), the mountain range on which Christian and Hopeful stop to rest; shepherds there give them a fleeting view of the Celestial City.
ci Fern frond.
cj To steep.
ck Shepherd king of ancient Israel, renowned for his musical skill; reputed author of many biblical psalms.
cl Dutch oven, a type of covered pot.
cm He kills Hamlet with a poisoned sword in Shakespeare’s play.
cn Light, cylindrical boxes for storing small items of clothing.
co Desirable.
cp In Greek myth, a speedy hunter who promises to marry the suitor who can defeat her in a race.
cq Debut novel (1778) of English writer Fanny Burney, first published anonymously, which won her early fame.
cr Also the title of Alcott’s first published story (1852).
cs That is, slapped the clay.
ct Long towel with the ends sewn together that hangs on a rolling cylinder; also called a roller towel.
cu In The Pilgrim’s Progress (see endnote I), one of the guides leading Christian’s wife, Christiana, and children to the Celestial City.
cv Drag, or trail.
cw Old Scottish ballad, adapted by poet Robert Burns (1759-1796); “Land of the Leal” refers to heaven (leal means “faithful”).
cx My dear Mama (French).
cy Pranks.
cz Virginia river flowing into Chesapeake Bay; during the Civil War, much fighting took place in the vicinity of the Rappahannock, including the battles of Fredericks burg and Chancellorsville.
da Medicine containing arsenic.
db Camphor is an aromatic liniment and pain reliever.
dc Poisonous plant, also called deadly nightshade; extracts derived from the plant were used to treat a multitude of ailments, including sore throats.
dd Jewel.
de Abbreviation of videlicet, meaning “namely” (from the Latin).
df Vest.
dg Used for ironing clothes.
dh Beautiful young woman in Maria Edgeworth’s novel Patronage (1814), known for her discretion and wise judgment; she listens to her suitor’s declaration of love with great composure, then rejects his proposal because she feels too young to marry.
di That is, high-spirited people; a pepper pot is a peppershaker.
dj In Dickins’s novel Little Dorrit (1857), the governess Mrs. General advises Amy Dorrit to practice pronouncing words such as these to maintain an aristocratic, slightly puckered set to her lips.
dk Reference to Life of Samuel Johnson (1791), a biography of the iconic English author and lexicographer (1709-1784), by Scottish lawyer and author James Boswell.
dl Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia (1759), a romance by Samuel Johnson.
dm Periodical (1750-1752) largely written by Samuel Johnson.
dn The devil.
do Maiden Maiden (German).
dp Highest mountain of the French Alps.
dq Boiling.
dr In The Pilgrim’s Progress (see endnote 1), Christian’s companion for much of his journey.
ds That is, the pilgrims of The Pilgrim’s Progress.
dt Parian ware was a popular style of unglazed ceramic statuary—in this case, of the mythological figure of Psyche, a princess loved by Cupid, the Roman god of love.
du Character from Richard John Raymond’s play The Toodles (1831), who buys profusely at auctions.
dv Messenger of the Roman gods.
dw Set of shelves for knickknacks.
dx Sleeveless, apronlike dress that fastens at the back.
dy Lustrous Lustrous patterned fabric.
dz Loose, flowing jacket.
ea Mrs. Gummidge, a “generally disconsolate” widow in Charles Dickens’s novel David Copperfield (1849-1850), throws a bucket of water at a ship’s cook when he proposes marriage to her.
eb Fabric with a wavy, shimmering pattern.
ec Oath combining the names of the chief Roman god and the biblical son of Lot.
ed Legendary hero of Greek myth, famous for his strength and labors.
ee Hebe is the Greek goddess of youth and cupbearer to the gods.
ef That is, sashayed in a sliding dance step.
eg Burning designs on wood with a heated implement.
eh Greek god of wine.
ei Tall flowering herb.
ej The point of sight is the line of sight an artist chooses when drawing in perspective; it is sometimes determined by squinting along the length of a string.
ek Seminal Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect, and poet (1475-1564).
el That is, a queenly air, referring to the powerful Austrian queen of Hungary and Bohemia (1717-1780) and mother of Marie-Antoinette (queen of Louis XVI of France).
em Coach with benches for sightseeing.
en Medicine derived from the dried pods of the senna plant, used to induce vomiting and loosen the bowels.
eo Submit.
ep Closed, horse-drawn carriage.
eq Victorian name for a conventional, prudish person.
er Never despair (Latin).
es Unaware.
et Mr. March is probably beginning a discussion of John Evelyn (1620-1706), English diarist and author of works on varied topics, including one on salads titled Aceteria, a Discourse of Sallets (1699).
eu Dishes that are a mixture of ingredients eaten together.
ev Inspiration.
ew Delicate handmade lace.
ex Parody of the prolific best-selling American sensational novelist E. D. E. N. Southworth ( 1819-1899).
ey capital of Portugal, largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1755.
ez Brave and self-disciplined; the Spartans of ancient Greece were renowned for their courage and austerity.
fa Movement espousing communication between the living and the spirits of the dead.
fb English Romantic poet John Keats (1795-1821) was mockingly said to have been killed at a young age by his bad reviews.
fc In the Bible (Luke 10:38-42) Martha opens her home to Jesus and serves him; her sister Mary sits at Jesus’s feet, leaving Martha to do all the work.
fd Thin white linen fabric.
fe Reference to a popular mid-nineteenth-century cookbook, The Young Housekeeper’s Friend, by Mrs. Mary Hooker Cornelius.
ff Ruddy- or sturdy-looking.
fg Germanic.
fh Tragic mother of Greek myth who mourns her slain children until she dies and is turned into a weeping stone.
fi Putter; move about aimlessly.
br /> fj Trimming stitched along a clothing seam or edge.
fk Woman’s short, close-fitting sleeveless jacket.
fl In Dickens’s novel Nicholas Nickleby (1838-1839), a selfish, foppish character who bankrupts his wife’s dressmaking business.
fm Flounces.
fn Heavy overcoat.
fo Quakers were said to be somber.
fp Large, heavy breed of dog.
fq Pump handle.
fr Half (French).
fs A bond is a binding agreement; in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, Shylock is a greedy Jewish moneylender who demands a pound of a debtor’s flesh for failure to repay a loan.
ft That is, a dressmaker; a mantua is an old-fashioned, loose-fitting gown.
fu Fine, transparent muslin fabric.
fv Cloak.
fw Jo is referencing the opening lines of Keats’s lengthy 1818 poetic romance Endymion: “A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: / Its loveliness increases; it will never / Pass into nothingness.”
fx Quotation from English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s long 1855 poem Maud, describing the tragic heroine’s face, which is “dead perfection, no more.”
fy Possible reference to the protagonist of English writer Thomas Hughes’s moral novel Tom Brown’s School Days ( 1857), set in an English public school; a brick is a kind person.
fz Possible reference to Albert Edward (1841-1910), prince of Wales and heir to the throne in 1860, when he became the first member of the British royal family to visit the United States and Canada.
ga Insults.
gb Freed slaves.
gc Grouchy person.
gd That is, the part of a wealthy great lady in a neighborhood; from a character in Irish Restoration dramatist George Farquhar’s comedy The Beaux’ Stratagem (1707).
ge Port city and capital of the southeastern Canadian province Nova Scotia.
gf Now Cobh, a port town in southwestern Ireland.
gg From a popular ballad by Irish writer Lady (Sydney Owenson) Morgan (1776-1859); the scenic Lakes of Killarney are in southwestem Ireland.
gh Popular broad, full style of sideburn.
gi Hens.
gj Town in central England, the site of revels held for Elizabeth I in Sir Walter Scott’s 1821 novel of the same name.
gk Coalmine.
gl Weekly London comic newspaper founded in 1841.
gm Footmen.
gn Soft goatskin gloves.
go Charles Fechter (1824-1879), Anglo-French actor known for his Shakespearean and romantic roles.
gp Hampton Court Palace, once inhabited by Henry VIII, and Kensington Museum, now the Victoria and Albert Museum, are popular destinations in Greater London.
gq French-speaking.
gr Jewelry (French).
gs Very splendid (French); the park west of Paris called the Bois de Boulogne, the Palais-Royale, and the Champs Elysées, famous for its shops, are fashionable areas in and around Paris.
gt Good-bye ... your friend (French); Amie is a visual pun on Amy’s name.
gu Capital city of Switzerland.
gv River of western Europe running through the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland; Coblenz and Bonn are German cities on the Rhine.
gw City in southwestern Germany known for its thermal baths.
gx Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), revered German poet, dramatist, and novelist.
gy A beautiful little blonde (German).
gz Part of the post office where letters are held for pickup by the addressee.
ha Large cask for wine; the ruined Heidelberg Castle houses what is said to be the world’s largest.
hb River of southwestern Germany rolling through the Black Forest and into the Rhine.
hc Stereotypically characteristic of the English Romantic poet Lord Byron (1788-1824) or his heroes—that is, lonely, romantic, and brooding.
hd Said by Robin Redbreast in the Mother Goose rhyme “Little Jenny Wren,” when Jenny rejects him after he nurses her back to health; with this insult, he calls her an impudent prankster.
he Match (French).
hf Fop.
hg Line from the song “Bonnie Dundee,” from Sir Walter Scott’s play The Doom of Devergoil (1830).
hh Attic.
hi Reference to nineteenth-century English poet Mary Howitt’s ballad “Mabel on Midsummer Day.”
hj Do you know the country (German); from a sentimental song sung by the child Mignon in Goethe’s novel Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship (1796); sung again in Little Women on page 437.
hk Jabber.
hl Come in (German).
hm Also called the Great Bear; a conspicuous northern constellation.
hn Literally, terrifying child (French); shocking young person known for being outrageous.
ho Biscuits containing seeds, such as sesame or caraway.
hp Mischievous fairies or gnomes in German folklore.
hq She means “Herculean”—that is, with the strength of Hercules. Herculaneum is an ancient southern Italian city destroyed, along with Pompeii, by Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.
hr Clay pipe.
hs Fairy tales (German).
ht Also called “The Steadfast Tin Soldier”; a Hans Christian Andersen tale about the adventures of a one-legged tin soldier who loves a toy paper dancer.
hu Underclothes made of flannel.
hv Greek poet of the ninth or eighth century B.C., presumed author of the epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey. ‡Inkstand.
hw Handkerchiefs (French).
hx Objet d‘art; curious ornament.
hy The fairy queen in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, bewitched to fall in love with the comic weaver Nick Bottom, who has a donkey’s head.
hz Literally, castle in Spain (French)—that is, a castle in the air.
ia Family name in English novelist Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (1811); like Little Women, Austen’s novel is about a family of sisters living in straitened financial circumstances.
ib The Tailor Retailored; Latin title of a philosophical satire (1833-1834) by English author Thomas Carlyle, which purports to be a review of a German work on the “philosophy of clothing.”
ic Manuscript.
id Fanciful adventures.
ie Pen name (French).
if Quotation from English poet Robert Browning’s “Evelyn Hope” (1855); Evelyn’s soul is “pure and true.”
ig Female poetic genius; Corinne is the title character of an 1807 novel by French writer Madame de Staël.
ih English author and lexicographer Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) was said to have drunk tremendous quantities of tea.
ii Poet and musician of Greek myth.
ij Disillusioned (French).
ik Theoretical philosophy.
il Tragedy (1800) by German writer Friedrich von Schiller; part of a trilogy based on the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648), a European war fought mainly in Germany, against the power of the Holy Roman Empire and in particular the royal Hapsburg family.
im Making small slits in gathered fabric.
in Mary Martha Sherwood (1775-1851), English children’s writer.
io English religious writer and dramatist (1745-1833).
ip Wendell Phillips (1811-1884): Boston reformer and abolitionist known for his simple, direct speaking style; Demosthenes (384-322 B.C.): Athenian statesman and the most renowned orator of ancient Greece.
iq Stately processional section from German-born English Baroque composer George Frideric Handel’s oratorio Judas Maccabeus (1747).
ir Literally, head to head (French); a private conversation between two people.
is Steps for climbing a wall or fence.