| A | B |
| wakes up stupid | looks bad in the morning |
| grogged with sleep | very tired, sleepy |
| one name-reclaimment | we took back our Spanish names |
| emblemized with Death | with the word Death written all over them |
| assured | certain, sure |
| careening | going quickly |
| mute | silent, quiet |
| flower immediately into | quickly become |
| a Timex as primitive as a sundial | a very old watch |
| a car that'e easily Jurassic | a car that doesn't work well, like an old dinosaur |
| for extra z's | to take extra naps |
| shaping up | getting better |
| veered off the road from Beverly Hills | taken the wrong road from his fancy, or rich, neighborhood |
| gaping like apes | staring with our mouths open |
| swoon | fall or faint |
| stupefied | surprised |
| ski goggles | thick plastic eyeglasses |
| dilute the sauce | make the sauce watery |
| their stats | their statistics that tell how well they play the game |
| barrio interloper | guy who doesn't belong in the neighborhood |
| motive | reason for being coach |
| tha sends Luis's eyes spinning in his skull | Luis rolls his eyes. He can't believe it. |
| dribble my brains loose | play a lot of basketball |
| for a glimpse of him | to see him |
| this reception | the coach walking with the kids |
| bog | slow |
| the understatement of the millennium | very true |
| live on these words forever | keep going no matter how hard it is |
| bears a chip on his shoulder the size of a sequoia stump | has a lot of problems and is angry about them |
| vacates | leaves |
| vending Coach Tre-abilia | selling Coach Tree's things |
| the last of him | the end of playing basketball for Jose' |
| plunges in | starts speaking |
| letting it slide | not going to punish him |
| lost by choice | doing something nice for not good reason |
| hardcase | tough person to work with |
| Tupperware tub | plastic food container |
| strangling out | trying to get it out |
| CPR peppers | way to help people who eat hot peppers |
| totally mortified | very embarrassed |
| ship of (smoking) calm | calm man who has eaten hot peppers |
| emulate | be like, copy |