Vocabulary and Grammar: New Frontier

(Please Note: The definitions below correspond to how the words are used in the text. Many words have multiple definitions.)


Gonna: going to Wingding: a slang term for a party Summer smoker: another slang term for a party.

Dugout: refers to a fallout shelter, which is a type of underground shelter that is built to withstand a nuclear war. Many of these were built in the 1950s due to the fear of war between the USA and the Soviet Union.

Reds: the communists, in this case the Soviets. Push the button down: During the cold war, there was a rumor that the leader of the USA or the Soviet Union needed to press only a special button in order to start a nuclear war.

Provisions: supplies, the stuff they would need in a shelter in order to survive.
Example: They will need a lot of provisions in order to survive the winter up in the mountains.

Tuesday Weld: a child model and actress in the 1950’s. In the song, it is said that the girl looks a little like (a touch of) Tuesday Weld.

Ambush: a type of perfume

French Twist: a type of hairstyle where the hair is held up with clips. Women often wear their hair in this style at their wedding.

Limbo: a dance that originated in Trinidad where a person dances to a rhythm and tries to lower himself under a vertical pole, which is lowered after each pass.

Dynamic:

Overseas: in a foreign country

Steady boyfriend: A guy whom a girl dates seriously. The phrase going steady is often used to say two people are dating. Example: I saw Lisa and John together at the cinema. Are they going steady?

Dave Brubeck: a famous jazz pianist. His height of popularity was in the 50s and 60s when he toured with the Dave Brubeck Quartet.

Pioneer: a person who is the first to do something in a certain area; an innovator; a trend setter. In this case, Brubeck set trends in the jazz music scene.
Example: Issac Newton was a pioneer in scientific research.


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