Glossary
Confused by a reference? Check here!
Reading, PA
https://www.readingpa.gov, “located in southeastern Pennsylvania, is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and the county seat for Berks County. With an estimated population of 95,112 as of the 2020 census, it is the fourth most populated city in the state, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Allentown”
Old Dry Road Farm
https://www.dryroadfarm.org, “A living-history farm museum located in the Blue Marsh Lake Recreation Area of Berks County, Pennsylvania. The Old Dry Road Farm Complex includes 200 acres of farmland on which are three farmsteads.”
Aryan Brotherhood
a white supremacist, Neo-Nazi prison gang and crime syndicate. https://www.adl.org/education/references/hate-symbols/aryan-brotherhood
Sneaker Villa
a shoe store with headquarters in Philadelphia, PA. It merged with DTLR in 2017 to create DTLR Villa.
Santana's "Smooth"
Reading’s aggressive dog ordinance
put into place in 2000, overturned in 2008. The ordinance defined “aggressive dogs as breeds that account for 40 percent or more of dog bite incidents in the city,” which included pitbulls. https://www.dailyitem.com/pa-court-tosses-reading-s-aggressive-dog-ordinance/article_98c74122-0a0d-50ad-83ec-8acfb49eca6b.html
“nice bottle of Chablis”
Pronounced “shah-blee.” Chablis is a white wine from Burgundy, France.
NAFTA
North American Free Trade Agreement was enacted in 1994 and “created a free trade zone for Mexico, Canada, and the United States, is the most important feature in the U.S.-Mexico bilateral commercial relationship” (ITA). For further reading please see the Internal Trade Administration: https://www.trade.gov/north-american-free-trade-agreement-nafta
Dyslexia
“People with dyslexia have trouble matching the letters they see on the page with the sounds those letters and combinations of letters make… Dyslexic children and adults struggle to read fluently, spell words correctly, and learn a second language, among other challenges… dyslexia is also very common, affecting 20 percent of the population and representing 80-90 percent of all those with learning disabilities.” https://dyslexia.yale.edu/dyslexia/what-is-dyslexia/
Wharton MBAs
a reference to the master’s degree in Business Administration from the Wharton School of Business in residence at the University of Pennsylvania. The University of Pennsylvania is one of the eight, private schools known as the Ivy League. More information about the program can be found here: https://mba.wharton.upenn.edu
Harley
referring to the Harley-Davidson brand of motorcycles.
Nike Flightposite
a shoe famously worn by NBA player Kevin Garnett during the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Air Jordan XVII
a shoe originally released in 2002: https://www.jordan.com/collection/air-jordan-17.
Sixers
a nickname for the Philadelphia 76ers, a professional NBA team.
teaching program at Albright
Albright College is a public university in Reading, PA. More information can be found on their website here: https://www.albright.edu/academic/undergraduate-programs/education/
“couple of them white hats walking the floor”
white hats typically refer to managers or a member of supervision staff.
downtown to Penn
referring to Penn Street, Reading, PA. Penn Street is a main thoroughfare with shops, restaurants, and bar.
Pomeroy’s, Whitner’s, whatever.
Referring to department stores in Reading, PA. Whitner’s closed in 1981, and Pomeroy’s closed in 1985. Further reading: http://www2.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=54159
Gimlet
a traditional cocktail made with gin and lime juice.
Oscar is behind the bar playing a portable electronic game.
The most realistic option is that Oscar is playing a Game Boy / Game Boy Color.
“A Cher hit”
Cher’s most popular song in the time period is “Believe” (1998). Here is a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZXRV4MezEw
Carhartt
“American apparel company founded in 1889, known for heavy-duty working clothes” https://www.carhartt.com
Joni Mitchell
She is a Canadian singer-songwriter. In 2000, she released one of her most famous albums, Both Sides Now.
Alaska where my dad worked in a cannery. Kodiak
Kodiak, Alaska is an island city off the coast of Alaska. A cannery is where fish – like tuna and sardines – are packaged into cans.
Istanbul, Tehran, Kandahar, Kabul, Peshawar, Lahore, Kathmandu
Istanbul (formerly known as Constantinople) is the largest city in Turkey. Tehran is the capital of Iran. Kandahar is the second-largest city in Afghanistan, whereas Kabul is the largest city in Afghanistan. Peshawar is a large city in Pakistan. Lahore is the second-largest city in Pakistan. Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal.
Bottle Rockets
exactly what it sounds like. It’s a bottle with “feet”, full of a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. You can find a recipe for yourself here: https://www.armandhammer.com/for-everything-soda/bottle-rocket-soda.
Like a Transformer
“Transformers are living, human-like robots with the unique ability to turn into vehicles or beasts” (Hasbro). The franchise began in the 1980s and later was turned into a series of films. More information can be found here: https://transformers.hasbro.com/en-us.
“got a jar of Buena suerte from Botanica”
“Buena suerte” (Spanish) translates to “good luck.” To the best of my knowledge, Botanic is a store which sells religious goods and artifacts.
Arepas
“A South American staple, particularly in Columbia and Venezuela, arepas are stuffed cornmeal cakes that are crispy outside and fluffy inside” (Allrecipes, https://www.allrecipes.com/article/what-are-arepas/)
“jacking”
“Jacking is a term used to describe the application of a force with the aim of pushing or lifting an object” (Trenchlesspedia).
Common White Supremacist Tattoos
See media gallery below.
See also: https://www.adl.org/education/resources/glossary-terms/defining-extremism-white-supremacy
