A guide to all the confusing Handmaid’s Tale terms to read before you watch the show

On Sunday 28th April at 9pm, you'll be able to watch the first episode of The Handmaid’s Tale in the UK on Channel 4. The TV show is based on Margaret Atwood’s wildly popular 1986 dystopian classic.

Despite its date of publication, the book remains extremely relevant (almost too relevant) to today’s political climate (protests, terrorism threats, threats to women’s reproductive rights, to name a few) and paints a stunning portrait of the nightmare that could happen. Her creation of Gilead comes with a myriad of terms and phrases, some with more obvious definitions than others. Here, a sampling of what you need to know before joining Offred on her journey:

Aunts: A class of typically older women who are “true believers” of the totalitarian ways of Gilead. They are responsible for teaching the Handmaids and grooming them for their duties under the respective houses of the Commanders.

Birthmobile: A small van that transports Handmaids to a fellow Handmaid’s birthing at her Commander’s house. Handmaids are present at birth to encourage labor through repeated breathing chants.

"Blessed are the meek": Aunt Lydia quotes from Matthew 5:5 but eliminates the subsequent “the meek … shall inherit the earth.” Offred points out this omission while taking a bath ahead of a Ceremony with the Commander and his Wife.

"Blessed are the silent": As Offred notes, this phrase was added by an Aunt or someone more powerful to teach the Handmaids that silence and submission are valued.

"Blessed be the fruit": How the Handmaids greet each other; this is said to encourage fertility.

Ceremony: When a Handmaid is ovulating, she is invited to the Commander’s bedroom to have sex with him while lying between his Wife’s legs with hopes of conceiving.

Colonies: Toxic areas that are cleaned by people shunned by Gilead, including Unwomen (see below).

Commanders: The highest-ranking men in the Gilead army; the only men assigned Handmaids to conceive.

Econowives: Working-class women who are married to men who do not become Commanders during Gilead rule; these households are not assigned Marthas (see below), and econowives do everything.

Eyes: Secret police officers who work for the Republic of Gilead; they are responsible for detecting traitors and monitoring all suspicious activity in Gilead. Eyes drive in black vans and also have the power to make arrests in public.

Gender Traitor: Someone who engages in same-sex activity; gays and lesbians who are discovered by the Republic of Gilead are sent to the Colonies (where they will eventually die of radioactive poison) or hanged.

Gilead: What the United States has become after a sweeping formation of a theocratic military dictatorship.

Guardians of the Faith: Typically young men who are low-ranking in the Republic of Gilead. Some, like Nick, are responsible for washing cars and driving Commanders around while others maintain order on the street and carry machine guns.

Handmaid: A fertile woman who is assigned to a Commander and his Wife for two years to help the couple conceive. A Handmaid is typically divorced, was married to a man who had been divorced before Gilead, or has never married. Handmaids are assigned to a maximum of three houses and sent to the Colonies if she fails to conceive for all three.

Identipasses: ID cards used in Gilead; Offred and Ofglen show their Identipasses at various checkpoints during their walks to the market.

Jezebels: Prostitutes who are employed by a government-controlled club frequented by foreign ambassadors and Commanders like Offred’s Commander when he takes her out for the night. Moira becomes a Jezebel after getting caught following her escape from Handmaid training. Jezebels are allowed drugs and alcohol.

Keepers: Healthy babies birthed by Handmaids.

Marthas: Women who are infertile and work as cooks or servants in the house of a Commander.

"May the Lord open": How the Handmaids greet each other, this is said to encourage fertility.

Nolite te bastardes carborundorum: Translated from Latin, “Don’t let the bastards grind you down.” The phrase was carved in Offred’s closet by the Handmaid who lived there before her. The Handmaid hanged herself shortly after.

Prayvaganzas: Public ceremonies sorted by gender. In the book, high-society girls raised in Gilead are married off to Commanders and other high-ranking officials in Prayvaganzas.

Quakers: Viewed as outlaws of Gilead, along with Jews, Quakers are a group of religious and peaceful individuals who know the ins and outs of the Underground Femaleroad (see below). Following her great escape from Handmaid training, Moira is helped by a Quaker family.

Salvagings: Public executions sorted by gender. One type of salvaging is Particicution, where a man who has committed a serious crime like rape is beaten, trampled, and eventually killed by a circle of Handmaids.

Unbaby: A baby born deformed and will unlikely survive in Gilead. Also known as a Shredder.

Unwoman: Someone who is any of the following: infertile; not married; widows; feminists; lesbians; nuns; anyone else who questions Gilead rule. Unwomen are typically sent to the Colonies.

"Under His Eye": How Handmaids formally say goodbye to each other in person. By extension, the phrase suggests that someone — a Guardian, a Commander, a fellow Handmaid, God — is always watching.

Underground Femaleroad: An underground network connected by various Quaker stations. Moira uses this network after her escape but is intercepted by Gilead officials before reaching her destination, Canada.

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From: Cosmopolitan US