A reference is made to a headline, "Nazis Sweep through Norway", placing this film as being made after April 1940, as the Germans invaded Norway on the 9th of that month.
Cousin Emma paraphrases the famous quote from Admiral David Farragut "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead".
Cousin Willie quotes 'We are such stuff as dreams are made on' from 'The Tempest' (Act 4, scene 1, 148-158) by 'William Shakespeare' when speaking to Jesse Bibbs, the bank manager.
The WPA was the 'Work Progress Administration' (formerly the 'Works Projects Administration'), created by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1935 to create employment and revitalize communities across the USA. It was part of his New Deal strategy.