Difference between revisions of "Pages 470-489"

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{{PbP Header}}
 
{{PbP Header}}
  
−
<span class="marker">470 · Steeply and Marathe on Mind Control</span>
+
=Pre-dawn, May 1st, YDAU - Steeply & Marathe on the Pleasure Center=
  
 
==Page 470==
 
==Page 470==
−
 
−
[[Subsidized Time|Y.D.A.U.]]
 
  
 
'''stereotaxy'''<br />
 
'''stereotaxy'''<br />
 
also known as "stereotaxis," this is three-dimensional brain imaging
 
also known as "stereotaxis," this is three-dimensional brain imaging
 +
 +
'''Elder, Elders'''<br />
 +
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Olds James Olds], co-discovered the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleasure_center#Experiments_on_rodents "pleasure center"]
  
 
'''plutonium-239'''<br />
 
'''plutonium-239'''<br />
Line 15: Line 16:
 
'''ablative surgery'''<br />
 
'''ablative surgery'''<br />
  
−
a treatment for neurological disorders involving freezing or burning of brain tissue
+
a treatment for neurological disorders involving freezing or burning (ablating) of brain or nerve tissue
  
 
==Page 471==
 
==Page 471==
Line 23: Line 24:
  
 
==Page 472==
 
==Page 472==
 +
 +
'''MK-Ultra''' <br />
 +
an actual [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_MKULTRA CIA mind-control experiment] starting in the 1950s and continuing well into the 1960s and possibly 70s
  
 
==Endnote 198==
 
==Endnote 198==
  
 
'''''Orlikow et al. v. United States of America'''''<br />
 
'''''Orlikow et al. v. United States of America'''''<br />
−
This was a real case, and you can read the proceedings [http://www.mindcontrolforums.com/orli-01.htm here].
+
This was a real case, and you can read the proceedings [http://www.randomcollection.info/mcf/orli-01.htm here].
  
 
==Page 472 (cont'd)==
 
==Page 472 (cont'd)==
  
 
'''G.C.'''<br />
 
'''G.C.'''<br />
−
Government of Canada, perhaps
+
Government of Canada, perhaps. It may also mean some type of transmitter that can interfere with a pacemaker (which Marathe's father has).
  
 
'''M.M.P.I.'''<br />
 
'''M.M.P.I.'''<br />
Line 40: Line 44:
  
 
'''Millon's'''<br />
 
'''Millon's'''<br />
−
the [Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III http://millon.net/instruments/MCMI_III.htm], another psych inventory
+
the [http://millon.net/instruments/MCMI_III.htm Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III], another psych inventory
  
 
'''Approception'''<br />
 
'''Approception'''<br />
−
apparently not a real test
+
apparently not a real test, perhaps a misspelt allusion to the Thematic Apperception Test
  
 
'''shiatsu'''<br />
 
'''shiatsu'''<br />
Line 49: Line 53:
  
 
'''weal'''<br />
 
'''weal'''<br />
−
prosperity or happiness
+
well-being
  
 
'''Turner, Bush, Casey'''<br />
 
'''Turner, Bush, Casey'''<br />
Line 56: Line 60:
 
'''Langley'''<br />
 
'''Langley'''<br />
 
the town in Virginia where the CIA is headquartered
 
the town in Virginia where the CIA is headquartered
 +
 +
'''pernicious''' <br />
 +
NOAD: having a harmful effect, especially in a subtle or gradual way
  
 
==Page 474==
 
==Page 474==
  
 
'''divans'''<br />
 
'''divans'''<br />
−
couches or sofas
+
couches or sofas (or chesterfields -- for Canadian readers)
  
 
'''rutting'''<br />
 
'''rutting'''<br />
Line 70: Line 77:
 
'''C7'''<br />
 
'''C7'''<br />
 
The C7 is a modified version of the American M-16 combat rifle. It's implied here that C7 was some kind of security apparatus, but there is no evidence that such a body existed.
 
The C7 is a modified version of the American M-16 combat rifle. It's implied here that C7 was some kind of security apparatus, but there is no evidence that such a body existed.
 +
 +
'''R.C.M.P.''' <br />
 +
'''R'''oyal '''C'''anadian '''M'''ounted '''P'''olice
 +
 +
'''emery board''' <br />
 +
nail file, cardboard, disposable
  
 
==Page 475==
 
==Page 475==
  
−
<span class="marker">475 · Gately Driving / Antitoi Brothers</span>
+
=Gately Driving / Antitoi Brothers=
  
 
==Page 475==
 
==Page 475==
Line 82: Line 95:
 
'''cluster migraines'''<br />
 
'''cluster migraines'''<br />
 
Cluster headaches and migraines are actually two distinct syndromes.
 
Cluster headaches and migraines are actually two distinct syndromes.
 +
 +
'''quiche''' <br />
 +
a baked flan or tart with a savory filling thickened with eggs
  
 
'''feldspar'''<br />
 
'''feldspar'''<br />
−
a rock-forming mineral
+
NOAD: a rock-forming mineral typically occurring as colourless or pale-coloured crystals and consisting of aluminosilicates of potassium, sodium, and calcium.
  
 
==Page 476==
 
==Page 476==
Line 90: Line 106:
 
'''E.R.'''<br />
 
'''E.R.'''<br />
 
Emergency Room
 
Emergency Room
 +
 +
'''Rebel Yell'''<br />
 +
a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebel_yell battle cry] used by Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War. You can actually hear a recording of it[http://www.smithsonianmag.com/videos/category/history/what-did-the-rebel-yell-sound-like/] here (after installing a browser extension)
  
 
'''CITGO'''<br />
 
'''CITGO'''<br />
−
one of the [http://www.citgo.com/Home.jsp major oil] companies
+
one of the [http://www.citgo.com/Home.jsp major oil] companies. The neon [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citgo_sign#The_Citgo_sign Citgo sign] described here is an iconic landmark in Boston.
  
 
'''70 kph.'''<br />
 
'''70 kph.'''<br />
 
about 43.5 miles per hour
 
about 43.5 miles per hour
 +
 +
'''Father & Son Market...Riley's Roast Beef'''<br />
 +
all of these are references to actual stores and clubs in Allston/Brighton, though many have closed or been renamed and some are on nearby streets and would not be visible to Gately as he drives down Comm. Ave.
  
 
'''CVS'''<br />
 
'''CVS'''<br />
Line 105: Line 127:
 
'''ς'''<br />
 
'''ς'''<br />
 
the Greek letter ''sigma'' as it appears in lower case at the ends of words
 
the Greek letter ''sigma'' as it appears in lower case at the ends of words
 +
 +
'''mysticetously'''<br />
 +
in the manner of a baleen whale
  
 
'''cognomen'''<br />
 
'''cognomen'''<br />
Line 112: Line 137:
  
 
'''tallboys'''<br />
 
'''tallboys'''<br />
−
a long-necked bottle
+
 
 +
16oz cans of beer
  
 
'''80 kph'''<br />
 
'''80 kph'''<br />
Line 118: Line 144:
  
 
'''Berklee School of Music'''<br />
 
'''Berklee School of Music'''<br />
−
a real school, one of the highest-prestige [http://www.berklee.edu/ music schools] in the U.S.
+
a real school, one of the highest-prestige [http://www.berklee.edu/ music schools] in the U.S., though it has been named Berklee College of Music since B.S. 1970
  
 
==Page 478==
 
==Page 478==
 +
 +
'''tonic machines'''<br />
 +
"tonic" is a (rapidly disappearing) Boston area term for carbonated soft drinks.
  
 
==Endnote 202==
 
==Endnote 202==
 +
 +
'''argot'''<br />
 +
slang, jargon
  
 
'''Escherian'''<br />
 
'''Escherian'''<br />
−
referring to the work of Maurits Cornelis (M.C.) Escher (1898-1972), a Dutch graphic artist
+
referring to the work of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._C._Escher Maurits Cornelis (M.C.) Escher] (1898-1972), a Dutch graphic artist famous for his illustrations of repeated patterns and impossible structures. "Escherian signs" would seem to indicate signs that are confusing or impossible to follow.
  
 
==Page 478 (cont'd)==
 
==Page 478 (cont'd)==
 +
 +
'''Bread & Circus in Inman Square'''<br />
 +
a real health food store on Prospect Street in Cambridge between Central and Inman Squares. The Bread & Circus chain was bought by Whole Foods, so this store is now operating as a Whole Foods.
 +
 +
'''microbiotic'''<br />
 +
probably an intentional misspelling of macrobiotic; a macrobiotic diet primarily consists of whole grains, beans, and vegetables based on the Taoist principles of yin and yang
  
 
'''slalom'''<br />
 
'''slalom'''<br />
−
to zigzag between obstacles
+
NOAD: <i>verb</i>, move or race in a winding path, avoiding obstacles
  
 
==Page 479==
 
==Page 479==
 +
 +
'''madonnas'''<br />
 +
statues of the Virgin Mary
  
 
'''bodegas'''<br />
 
'''bodegas'''<br />
−
a Spanish-owned grocery
+
small grocery stores, usually in Spanish-speaking neighborhoods that are also usually owned and operated by Spanish-speaking people
  
 
'''crèche'''<br />
 
'''crèche'''<br />
Line 141: Line 182:
  
 
'''propinquous'''<br />
 
'''propinquous'''<br />
−
Probably what's intended is "propinquitous," meaning "proximity" or "nearness."
+
OED alternate form of "propinquitous," that is in propinquity (in various senses); nearby, close at hand.
  
 
'''Chickens Fresh Killed Daily'''<br />
 
'''Chickens Fresh Killed Daily'''<br />
−
a reference to the prominent 'Live Poultry Fresh Killed' sign of the Mayflower Poultry Company at 621 Cambridge St, East Cambridge. http://bostonist.com/2007/09/07/mayflower_poult.php
+
a reference to the prominent 'Live Poultry Fresh Killed' sign of the [http://bostonist.com/2007/09/07/mayflower_poult.php Mayflower Poultry Company] at 621 Cambridge Street, East Cambridge, about a half a mile from Inman Square.
 +
 +
'''Ryle's Jazz Club'''<br />
 +
a reference to [http://www.rylesjazz.com/ Ryles Jazz Club] (no apostrophe) in Inman Square, Cambridge, at 212 Hampshire Street.
  
 
'''briar pipes'''<br />
 
'''briar pipes'''<br />
−
a type of pipe for [http://www.tinderboxinternational.com/briar.htm smoking]
+
a type of [http://www.tinderboxinternational.com/briar.htm pipe] for smoking
 +
 
 +
'''tympanum'''<br />
 +
a, usually decorative, semicircular or triangular wall face above an entrance
 +
 
 +
'''Sancta Something'''<br />
 +
perhaps a reference to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sancta_Sanctorum Sancta Sanctorum], a famous Italian side chapel
 +
 
 +
'''finials'''<br />
 +
decorative ornaments placed on the apex of roofs
  
 
'''60 k'''<br />
 
'''60 k'''<br />
Line 159: Line 212:
 
'''aerodyne'''<br />
 
'''aerodyne'''<br />
 
a heavier-than-air aircraft deriving lift from motion
 
a heavier-than-air aircraft deriving lift from motion
 +
 +
==Endnote 203==
 +
 +
'''solecism'''<br />
 +
nonstandard or ungrammatical usage
 +
 +
==Page 480 (cont'd)==
  
 
'''viz.'''<br />
 
'''viz.'''<br />
−
abbreviation for ''videlicet'' (Latin)
+
abbreviation for ''videlicet'' (Latin), meaning "namely" or "specifically" or "in other words"
  
 
'''CQBC'''<br />
 
'''CQBC'''<br />
 
not a real entity, but probably here denoting a French-Canadian radio station
 
not a real entity, but probably here denoting a French-Canadian radio station
 +
 +
'''sterno'''<br />
 +
a fuel made from denatured and jellied alcohol burned directly from the can
 +
 +
'''hobnail boots'''<br />
 +
heavy-duty boots with hobnails, short, thick-headed nails used to protect footwear, on the soles to provide durability and traction on unfavorable terrain
  
 
'''monomitotic'''<br />
 
'''monomitotic'''<br />
−
"Mitosis" is cell division; "monomitosis" would be the splitting of a cell into a single cell, i.e., not splitting.G
+
"Mitosis" is cell division, and Wallace is playing with words again: "monomitosis" could be the one-time-only splitting of a cell; in this case, the "cell" is a group of insurgents rather than the biological unit, and "monomitotic" might imply that once it splits (i.e., separates to accomplish its targeted task), it dissolves or disbands.
  
 
'''Gaspé Peninsula'''<br />
 
'''Gaspé Peninsula'''<br />
 
a [http://www.great-adventures.com/destinations/canada/gaspe.html region] in northern Québec
 
a [http://www.great-adventures.com/destinations/canada/gaspe.html region] in northern Québec
 +
 +
'''U.S.A. Civic War hero's Boylston St. statue'''<br />
 +
Civil is probably intended where one reads Civic, probably a reference the Robert Gould Shaw statue that Joelle van Dyne passes on p. 223.  DFW appears to have moved the Shaw memorial from Beacon Street to Boylston Street.
  
 
'''''chiens-courants'''''<br />
 
'''''chiens-courants'''''<br />
−
French: running dogs
+
French: running dogs, hounds
  
 
==Page 481==
 
==Page 481==
 +
 +
'''interdicted'''<br />
 +
prohibited with official authority
 +
 +
'''Van Buskirk of Montreal'''<br />
 +
Bacon & Van Buskirk is a glass company in Wallace's home town of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.
 +
 
 +
'''Provincial Autoroute 55'''<br />
 +
Quebec north-south highway that runs from Shawinigan to Stanstead at the US border, where it connects with...
  
 
'''U.S.A. 91'''<br />
 
'''U.S.A. 91'''<br />
Line 182: Line 260:
 
'''Bellow's Falls VT'''<br />
 
'''Bellow's Falls VT'''<br />
 
a town off Route 91, about 70 miles west of Manchester, N.H.
 
a town off Route 91, about 70 miles west of Manchester, N.H.
 +
 +
'''credulous'''<br />
 +
gullible
  
 
'''paisley'''<br />
 
'''paisley'''<br />
Line 187: Line 268:
  
 
'''Nehru jacket'''<br />
 
'''Nehru jacket'''<br />
−
A collarless jacket named for Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964), first Prime Minister of India and father of Indira Gandhi
+
A collarless jacket named for Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964), first Prime Minister of India and father of Indira Gandhi. Nehru jackets were popular among hippies in the B.S. 1960s
  
 
'''''école-spéciale'''''<br />
 
'''''école-spéciale'''''<br />
 
French: special school
 
French: special school
 +
 +
'''Ste.-Anne-des-Monts'''<br />
 +
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainte-Anne-des-Monts,_Quebec city] on the north shore of the  Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec
  
 
'''''Va chier, putain!'''''<br />
 
'''''Va chier, putain!'''''<br />
Line 208: Line 292:
 
'''impost'''<br />
 
'''impost'''<br />
 
something imposed, as a tax or duty
 
something imposed, as a tax or duty
 +
 +
'''notions'''<br />
 +
miscellaneous small, useful items
  
 
==Page 483==
 
==Page 483==
Line 215: Line 302:
 
'''Saprogenic'''<br />
 
'''Saprogenic'''<br />
 
of or pertaining to putrefaction or rotting
 
of or pertaining to putrefaction or rotting
 +
 +
'''treacly'''<br />
 +
sweet or sentimental
  
 
==Page 483 (cont'd)==
 
==Page 483 (cont'd)==
Line 221: Line 311:
 
illegal
 
illegal
  
−
'''IL NE FAUT PLUS QU'ON PURSUIVE LE BONHEUR'''<br />
+
'''IL NE FAUT PLUS QU'ON PURSUIVE LE BONHEUR'''<br />  
−
French: It is no longer necessary to pursue happiness
+
French: POURSUIVRE is probably intended.  It is no longer necessary to pursue happiness. Note: "on", translating as the pronoun "one", is often used in colloquial Québécois to replace "nous" ("we"). Also, "il ne faut pas", translating word-for-word as "it is not necessary", is very often used imperatively to mean "one should/must not" or "do not". So, the line on the cartridge could also translate as "we must stop pursuing happiness". Perhaps one might prefer "One no longer needs to pursue happiness."
  
 
==Page 484==
 
==Page 484==
 +
 +
'''domestic'''<br />
 +
a person hired to perform household tasks, e.g., cleaning
  
 
'''125-kilo'''<br />
 
'''125-kilo'''<br />
 
about 276 lbs
 
about 276 lbs
 +
 +
'''variegated'''<br />
 +
streaked or patched with multiple colors
 +
 +
'''defile'''<br />
 +
a line of soldiers
  
 
'''ROPAS'''<br />
 
'''ROPAS'''<br />
−
Spanish: CLOTHES
+
Portuguese: CLOTHES
 +
 
 +
'''glyph'''<br />
 +
a hieroglyphic character or symbol, a pictogram (that is sometimes engraved or incised)
  
 
==Page 485==
 
==Page 485==
Line 236: Line 338:
 
'''union-suit underwear'''<br />
 
'''union-suit underwear'''<br />
 
one-piece long undergarments
 
one-piece long undergarments
 +
 +
'''chiens'''<br />
 +
French: dogs
  
 
'''stelliform'''<br />
 
'''stelliform'''<br />
Line 241: Line 346:
  
 
==Page 486==
 
==Page 486==
 +
 +
'''transperçant'''<br />
 +
French: "stabbing or piercing," but also "transfixing"
  
 
'''baguette'''<br />
 
'''baguette'''<br />
Line 247: Line 355:
 
'''cerise'''<br />
 
'''cerise'''<br />
 
deep red to purple in color
 
deep red to purple in color
 +
 +
'''teratoid'''<br />
 +
resembling a monster; monstrous (from Greek teras, terat- "monster.")
 +
 +
'''supplicant's'''<br />
 +
beggar's
  
 
''''''n soir, 'sieur'''''<br />
 
''''''n soir, 'sieur'''''<br />
−
an elision of ''bon soir, monsieur,'' i.e., "Goodnight, sir" in French
+
an elision of ''bon soir, monsieur,'' i.e., "Good evening, sir" in French
  
−
''''''Malhereusement, ton collégue est décedé. It faisait une excellente soupe aus pois.''''''<br />
+
''''''Malhereusement, ton collégue est décédé. Il faisait une excellente soupe aux pois.''''''<br />
 
French: Sadly, your friend is dead. He made an excellent pea soup.
 
French: Sadly, your friend is dead. He made an excellent pea soup.
 +
 +
on p. 425, Marathe outlined a hypothetical in which two people both wanted a Habitant ''soupe aus pois'' that belonged to someone who had recently died
  
 
''''''Non? Ou c'était toi, faisait-elle?''''''<br />
 
''''''Non? Ou c'était toi, faisait-elle?''''''<br />
−
French: No? Our was it you that made it?
+
French: No? Or was it you that made it?
  
 
==Page 487==
 
==Page 487==
Line 269: Line 385:
  
 
'''''ne pas plaisanter'''''<br />
 
'''''ne pas plaisanter'''''<br />
−
French: not pleasure
+
French: do not joke
  
 
'''''iront paître'''''<br />
 
'''''iront paître'''''<br />
−
French: they will go to eat
+
French idiom: They'll pack up and head out, literally they will go to graze
  
 
'''''entend-il?'''''<br />
 
'''''entend-il?'''''<br />
 
French: Does he hear?
 
French: Does he hear?
 +
 +
'''repast'''<br />
 +
meal
 +
 +
'''maxillofacial'''<br />
 +
relating to the jaw and face
  
 
==Page 488==
 
==Page 488==
Line 281: Line 403:
 
'''''inutile'''''<br />
 
'''''inutile'''''<br />
 
French: useless
 
French: useless
 +
 +
'''leonine'''<br />
 +
resembling a lion
  
 
'''natal'''<br />
 
'''natal'''<br />
Line 286: Line 411:
  
 
'''aphonia'''<br />
 
'''aphonia'''<br />
−
absence of sound
+
loss of or inability to speak (of many possible causes, blockage of the airway, disease or injury of larynx, brain, or nerve
 +
 
 +
'''aphrasiac'''<br />
 +
the inability to speak words in intelligible order is probably intended, but by Hal's criteria, this is a neologism
 +
 
 +
'''half-cellular'''<br />
 +
half consisting of living cells, i.e., half-dead
 +
 
 +
'''Chic-Choc lakes'''<br />
 +
the Chic-Choc mountains are in the Gaspé Peninsula
 +
 
 +
'''Cap-Chat'''<br />
 +
a town in the Gaspé Peninsula
 +
 
 +
'''culcate'''<br />
 +
neologism perhaps stemming off of inculcate, here meaning implanted. Another similar word is "calcate", meaning "To trample or stamp under the heel" (OED). So he might have intended it to mean "stamping".
 +
 
 +
'''inguinal canal'''<br />
 +
a passage in the lower front part of the abdominal wall
 +
 
 +
'''sigmoid'''<br />
 +
the sigmoid colon is the part of the large intestine closest to the rectum
  
 
'''muskie'''<br />
 
'''muskie'''<br />

Latest revision as of 02:17, 3 November 2018

Editors: Please keep these annotations SPOILER-FREE by not revealing information from later pages in the novel. And please pay attention to formatting and grammar. Preview your changes before saving them. Thanks!

Pre-dawn, May 1st, YDAU - Steeply & Marathe on the Pleasure Center

Page 470

stereotaxy
also known as "stereotaxis," this is three-dimensional brain imaging

Elder, Elders
James Olds, co-discovered the "pleasure center"

plutonium-239
a fissile isotope of plutonium

ablative surgery

a treatment for neurological disorders involving freezing or burning (ablating) of brain or nerve tissue

Page 471

Q-dopa
not a real neurotransmitter

Page 472

MK-Ultra
an actual CIA mind-control experiment starting in the 1950s and continuing well into the 1960s and possibly 70s

Endnote 198

Orlikow et al. v. United States of America
This was a real case, and you can read the proceedings here.

Page 472 (cont'd)

G.C.
Government of Canada, perhaps. It may also mean some type of transmitter that can interfere with a pacemaker (which Marathe's father has).

M.M.P.I.
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, a commonly administered psychological test designed to give an overview of personality, neuroses, etc.

Page 473

Millon's
the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III, another psych inventory

Approception
apparently not a real test, perhaps a misspelt allusion to the Thematic Apperception Test

shiatsu
a type of Asian massage

weal
well-being

Turner, Bush, Casey
Admiral Stansfield Turner was head of the CIA from 1977 to 1981. George H.W. Bush (later President) was CIA head from 1976 to 1977. William J. Casey was head from 1981 to 1987.

Langley
the town in Virginia where the CIA is headquartered

pernicious
NOAD: having a harmful effect, especially in a subtle or gradual way

Page 474

divans
couches or sofas (or chesterfields -- for Canadian readers)

rutting
heat, i.e., sexual excitement

N.S.A.
National Security Agency

C7
The C7 is a modified version of the American M-16 combat rifle. It's implied here that C7 was some kind of security apparatus, but there is no evidence that such a body existed.

R.C.M.P.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police

emery board
nail file, cardboard, disposable

Page 475

Gately Driving / Antitoi Brothers

Page 475

princess-and-pea
a reference to the fairy tale "The Princess and the Pea," wherein despite several mattresses, a princess can still feel a single pea below her

cluster migraines
Cluster headaches and migraines are actually two distinct syndromes.

quiche
a baked flan or tart with a savory filling thickened with eggs

feldspar
NOAD: a rock-forming mineral typically occurring as colourless or pale-coloured crystals and consisting of aluminosilicates of potassium, sodium, and calcium.

Page 476

E.R.
Emergency Room

Rebel Yell
a battle cry used by Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War. You can actually hear a recording of it[1] here (after installing a browser extension)

CITGO
one of the major oil companies. The neon Citgo sign described here is an iconic landmark in Boston.

70 kph.
about 43.5 miles per hour

Father & Son Market...Riley's Roast Beef
all of these are references to actual stores and clubs in Allston/Brighton, though many have closed or been renamed and some are on nearby streets and would not be visible to Gately as he drives down Comm. Ave.

CVS
a large chain of drugstores

75 k
about 46.6 miles per hour

ς
the Greek letter sigma as it appears in lower case at the ends of words

mysticetously
in the manner of a baleen whale

cognomen
a descriptive nickname

Page 477

tallboys

16oz cans of beer

80 kph
almost 50 miles per hour

Berklee School of Music
a real school, one of the highest-prestige music schools in the U.S., though it has been named Berklee College of Music since B.S. 1970

Page 478

tonic machines
"tonic" is a (rapidly disappearing) Boston area term for carbonated soft drinks.

Endnote 202

argot
slang, jargon

Escherian
referring to the work of Maurits Cornelis (M.C.) Escher (1898-1972), a Dutch graphic artist famous for his illustrations of repeated patterns and impossible structures. "Escherian signs" would seem to indicate signs that are confusing or impossible to follow.

Page 478 (cont'd)

Bread & Circus in Inman Square
a real health food store on Prospect Street in Cambridge between Central and Inman Squares. The Bread & Circus chain was bought by Whole Foods, so this store is now operating as a Whole Foods.

microbiotic
probably an intentional misspelling of macrobiotic; a macrobiotic diet primarily consists of whole grains, beans, and vegetables based on the Taoist principles of yin and yang

slalom
NOAD: verb, move or race in a winding path, avoiding obstacles

Page 479

madonnas
statues of the Virgin Mary

bodegas
small grocery stores, usually in Spanish-speaking neighborhoods that are also usually owned and operated by Spanish-speaking people

crèche
a nativity scene

propinquous
OED alternate form of "propinquitous," that is in propinquity (in various senses); nearby, close at hand.

Chickens Fresh Killed Daily
a reference to the prominent 'Live Poultry Fresh Killed' sign of the Mayflower Poultry Company at 621 Cambridge Street, East Cambridge, about a half a mile from Inman Square.

Ryle's Jazz Club
a reference to Ryles Jazz Club (no apostrophe) in Inman Square, Cambridge, at 212 Hampshire Street.

briar pipes
a type of pipe for smoking

tympanum
a, usually decorative, semicircular or triangular wall face above an entrance

Sancta Something
perhaps a reference to the Sancta Sanctorum, a famous Italian side chapel

finials
decorative ornaments placed on the apex of roofs

60 k
about 37.3 miles per hour

Page 480

MF
Millennial Fizzy

aerodyne
a heavier-than-air aircraft deriving lift from motion

Endnote 203

solecism
nonstandard or ungrammatical usage

Page 480 (cont'd)

viz.
abbreviation for videlicet (Latin), meaning "namely" or "specifically" or "in other words"

CQBC
not a real entity, but probably here denoting a French-Canadian radio station

sterno
a fuel made from denatured and jellied alcohol burned directly from the can

hobnail boots
heavy-duty boots with hobnails, short, thick-headed nails used to protect footwear, on the soles to provide durability and traction on unfavorable terrain

monomitotic
"Mitosis" is cell division, and Wallace is playing with words again: "monomitosis" could be the one-time-only splitting of a cell; in this case, the "cell" is a group of insurgents rather than the biological unit, and "monomitotic" might imply that once it splits (i.e., separates to accomplish its targeted task), it dissolves or disbands.

Gaspé Peninsula
a region in northern Québec

U.S.A. Civic War hero's Boylston St. statue
Civil is probably intended where one reads Civic, probably a reference the Robert Gould Shaw statue that Joelle van Dyne passes on p. 223. DFW appears to have moved the Shaw memorial from Beacon Street to Boylston Street.

chiens-courants
French: running dogs, hounds

Page 481

interdicted
prohibited with official authority

Van Buskirk of Montreal
Bacon & Van Buskirk is a glass company in Wallace's home town of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.

Provincial Autoroute 55
Quebec north-south highway that runs from Shawinigan to Stanstead at the US border, where it connects with...

U.S.A. 91
Interstate 91, which runs from New Haven, Conn, to Derby Line, Vt., at the Canadian border

Bellow's Falls VT
a town off Route 91, about 70 miles west of Manchester, N.H.

credulous
gullible

paisley
a popular design originating in Scotland

Nehru jacket
A collarless jacket named for Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964), first Prime Minister of India and father of Indira Gandhi. Nehru jackets were popular among hippies in the B.S. 1960s

école-spéciale
French: special school

Ste.-Anne-des-Monts
city on the north shore of the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec

Va chier, putain!
French: Piss off, whore!

trop formidable
French: too strong

Page 482

Basel
a city of Switzerland about 50 miles north of the capital of Bern

tu-sais-quoi
French: you know what

impost
something imposed, as a tax or duty

notions
miscellaneous small, useful items

Page 483

Endnote 204

Saprogenic
of or pertaining to putrefaction or rotting

treacly
sweet or sentimental

Page 483 (cont'd)

illicit
illegal

IL NE FAUT PLUS QU'ON PURSUIVE LE BONHEUR
French: POURSUIVRE is probably intended. It is no longer necessary to pursue happiness. Note: "on", translating as the pronoun "one", is often used in colloquial Québécois to replace "nous" ("we"). Also, "il ne faut pas", translating word-for-word as "it is not necessary", is very often used imperatively to mean "one should/must not" or "do not". So, the line on the cartridge could also translate as "we must stop pursuing happiness". Perhaps one might prefer "One no longer needs to pursue happiness."

Page 484

domestic
a person hired to perform household tasks, e.g., cleaning

125-kilo
about 276 lbs

variegated
streaked or patched with multiple colors

defile
a line of soldiers

ROPAS
Portuguese: CLOTHES

glyph
a hieroglyphic character or symbol, a pictogram (that is sometimes engraved or incised)

Page 485

union-suit underwear
one-piece long undergarments

chiens
French: dogs

stelliform
in the form of a star

Page 486

transperçant
French: "stabbing or piercing," but also "transfixing"

baguette
a long roll of French bread

cerise
deep red to purple in color

teratoid
resembling a monster; monstrous (from Greek teras, terat- "monster.")

supplicant's
beggar's

'n soir, 'sieur
an elision of bon soir, monsieur, i.e., "Good evening, sir" in French

'Malhereusement, ton collégue est décédé. Il faisait une excellente soupe aux pois.'
French: Sadly, your friend is dead. He made an excellent pea soup.

on p. 425, Marathe outlined a hypothetical in which two people both wanted a Habitant soupe aus pois that belonged to someone who had recently died

'Non? Ou c'était toi, faisait-elle?'
French: No? Or was it you that made it?

Page 487

wangs
slaps or bangs against

frère
French: brother

sphincter
Any muscle in ring form, here it means the anus, which has failed Lucien by allowing him to soil himself

ne pas plaisanter
French: do not joke

iront paître
French idiom: They'll pack up and head out, literally they will go to graze

entend-il?
French: Does he hear?

repast
meal

maxillofacial
relating to the jaw and face

Page 488

inutile
French: useless

leonine
resembling a lion

natal
like a baby's

aphonia
loss of or inability to speak (of many possible causes, blockage of the airway, disease or injury of larynx, brain, or nerve

aphrasiac
the inability to speak words in intelligible order is probably intended, but by Hal's criteria, this is a neologism

half-cellular
half consisting of living cells, i.e., half-dead

Chic-Choc lakes
the Chic-Choc mountains are in the Gaspé Peninsula

Cap-Chat
a town in the Gaspé Peninsula

culcate
neologism perhaps stemming off of inculcate, here meaning implanted. Another similar word is "calcate", meaning "To trample or stamp under the heel" (OED). So he might have intended it to mean "stamping".

inguinal canal
a passage in the lower front part of the abdominal wall

sigmoid
the sigmoid colon is the part of the large intestine closest to the rectum

muskie
short for "muskellunge," a type of fish

Page 489

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