Revision as of 17:23, 17 August 2012 (view source) Sanmilton (Talk | contribs) (→‎Page 642) ← Older edit		Latest revision as of 05:29, 7 November 2018 (view source) Notahcse (Talk | contribs) (→‎Page 637)
(62 intermediate revisions by 7 users not shown)
Line 4:		Line 4:
	==Page 620==		==Page 620==
		+
		+	'''baud'''<br />
		+	a unit of one bit per second in data transmission; see Wiki for page 60, where this paragraph appears almost word-for-word.
		+
		+	'''couture'''<br />
		+	high-fashion women's clothing
	'''carpal neuralgia, phospenic migraine, gluteal hyperadiposity, lumbar stressae'''<br />		'''carpal neuralgia, phospenic migraine, gluteal hyperadiposity, lumbar stressae'''<br />
Line 12:		Line 18:
	'''genuflecting'''<br />		'''genuflecting'''<br />
−	bending the knee	+	kneeling to the ground on one knee, esp. to convey respect
		+
		+	'''sub-rosa'''<br />
		+	secret
	''''spect-ops''''<br />		''''spect-ops''''<br />
−	Perhaps a play on the popularized military term 'spec-ops,' meaning 'special operation(s).'	+	Perhaps a play on the popularized military term 'spec-ops,' meaning 'special operation(s).' In this case probably meaning 'spectation opportunities'; i.e. opportunities to be a spectator of a live event such as the draining of the duck pond.
	'''Gapers' Blocks'''<br />		'''Gapers' Blocks'''<br />
−	traffic delays caused by rubbernecking, i.e., blocking or retarding traffic by stopping to gape at the scene of an accident	+	traffic delays caused by rubbernecking, i.e., blocking or retarding traffic by stopping or slowing to gape at the scene of an accident
	==Page 621==		==Page 621==
Line 26:		Line 35:
	'''coprolaliac'''<br />		'''coprolaliac'''<br />
−	abnormally disposed to using profanity	+	uncontrollably disposed to the use of profanity
	'''nucleic'''<br />		'''nucleic'''<br />
−	pertaining to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_force nuclear force], which binds protons and neutrons into atomic nuclei	+	a malaprop; DFW means pertaining to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_force nuclear force], which binds protons and neutrons into atomic nuclei, but this word means of or pertaining to nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA (OED)
	'''PAs'''<br />		'''PAs'''<br />
−	public-address sytems	+	public-address systems
	'''nostrums'''<br />		'''nostrums'''<br />
−	patent medicines	+	patent medicines, i.e., quack medicines
	'''Cultists in saffron with much percussion'''<br />		'''Cultists in saffron with much percussion'''<br />
−	members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Society_for_Krishna_Consciousness (Hare Krishna movement)] in their distinctive saffron-colored (orange) robes, likely carrying [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hang_(musical_instrument) hang] drums and tambourines	+	members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Society_for_Krishna_Consciousness (Hare Krishna movement)] in their distinctive saffron-colored (orange) robes, likely carrying [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mridangam Mridangams] and tambourines
	'''bunting'''<br />		'''bunting'''<br />
Line 45:		Line 54:
	'''c.'''<br />		'''c.'''<br />
	abbreviation for ''circa'', Latin for "around," used here in the sense of "approximately"		abbreviation for ''circa'', Latin for "around," used here in the sense of "approximately"
		+
		+	'''mufflered'''<br />
		+	wearing scarves
	'''sylvan'''<br />		'''sylvan'''<br />
	woodsy		woodsy
		+
		+	'''The pond is perfectly round...'''<br />
		+	Two things wrong here, actually. There is no 'duck pond' in The Public Garden. There is a large lagoon on which the swan boats ply their trade, but it is irregular in shape. Make that three things as the lagoon is not drained in the fall. I suppose he could be referring to the 'frog pond' but that' in the neighboring Boston Common. [Or, welcome to the Boston of Subsidized Time™, part of O.N.A.N.]
	==Page 622==		==Page 622==
Line 55:		Line 70:
	'''möbiusizing'''<br />		'''möbiusizing'''<br />
	a neologism for taking on the shape of a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%B6bius_strip Möbius strip]		a neologism for taking on the shape of a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%B6bius_strip Möbius strip]
		+
		+	'''coccyx'''<br />
		+	tailbone
	'''scopophile'''<br />		'''scopophile'''<br />
Line 61:		Line 79:
	'''dun'''<br />		'''dun'''<br />
	grayish brown		grayish brown
		+
		+	'''martial at ease'''<br />
		+	a military stance with feet shoulder's width apart and hands clasped behind the back
		+
		+	==Endnote 258==
		+	'''peasant skirt'''<br />
		+	a long, flowing skirt usually featuring bands of embroidery
		+
		+	==Page 622 (cont'd)==
	'''Gregg pen'''<br />		'''Gregg pen'''<br />
Line 71:		Line 98:
	'''verdigrised'''<br />		'''verdigrised'''<br />
−	covered with grayish-green rust	+	neologism: covered with verdigris, NOAD: a bright bluish-green encrustation or patina formed on copper or brass by atmospheric oxidation, consisting of basic cupric (copper in the +2 oxidation state) carbonate
		+
		+	'''statues of ducklings in a row'''<br />
		+	Wallace is referring to an actual statue in Boston Public Garden shown [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/44/Make_way_for_ducklings_statue.jpg here]
	'''Robert McCloskey'''<br />		'''Robert McCloskey'''<br />
Line 81:		Line 111:
	'''greensward'''<br />		'''greensward'''<br />
	stretch of grassy turf		stretch of grassy turf
		+
		+	'''lithe'''<br />
		+	slim and gracefully flexible
	'''...play a game with a small beanbaggy ball...'''<br />		'''...play a game with a small beanbaggy ball...'''<br />
Line 87:		Line 120:
	'''5º C'''<br />		'''5º C'''<br />
	41º Fahrenheit		41º Fahrenheit
		+
		+	'''attenuated'''<br />
		+	weakened, also pertaining to the propagation of waves in telecommunications
		+
		+	'''unmoored'''<br />
		+	opposite of the nautical term moored meaning fastened or secured in place (as in a boat)
		+
		+	'''stupor'''<br />
		+	state of near-unconsciousness
	'''appurtenances'''<br />		'''appurtenances'''<br />
−	apparatus or instruments	+	equipment, e.g., clothing, tools, or instruments, used for a specific purpose or style of living
	'''Bread & Circus'''<br />		'''Bread & Circus'''<br />
Line 99:		Line 141:
	'''chanting very softly 'Smoke''''<br />		'''chanting very softly 'Smoke''''<br />
	i.e., surreptitiously peddling marijuana		i.e., surreptitiously peddling marijuana
		+
		+	'''undercapitalized'''<br />
		+	lacking sufficient funds to complete a business transaction
	==Page 624==		==Page 624==
		+
		+	'''thermal'''<br />
		+	an upward current of warm air
	'''metallurgy'''<br />		'''metallurgy'''<br />
	the making and conducting of alloys		the making and conducting of alloys
−	'''Mass Comm.'''<br />	+	'''chyme'''<br />
−	Massachusetts Community College(s)	+	NOAD: the pulpy acidic fluid which passes from the stomach to the small intestine, consisting of gastric juices and partly digested food.
		+
		+	'''Mass Comm. graduate student '''<br />
		+	Mass Communications? This is unclear. The uppercase M and C suggest it is intended to be the name of a college, though the absence of a period after 'Mass' suggests the word 'mass'. To me the uncial M & C suggest what the uncial I in Internet suggests: the Teutonization of English spelling. I vote for the person so described being a [post-]graduate student in the specified department of an unnamed university.
	==Page 625==		==Page 625==
		+
		+	'''allay'''<br />
		+	put to rest
		+
		+	'''triptych'''<br />
		+	NOAD: a picture or relief carving on three panels, typically hinged together side by side and used as an altarpiece
		+
		+	'''micronized'''<br />
		+	reduced in particle size to only a few microns (millionths of a meter) in diameter
	'''ICU'''<br />		'''ICU'''<br />
Line 117:		Line 177:
	'''Basilar'''<br />		'''Basilar'''<br />
−	related to or situated at the base, especially the base of the skull (as with the basilar artery); capitalization could suggest a fictitious branding, perhaps a competitor of Otis	+	related to or situated at the base, especially the base of the skull (as with the basilar artery), recalling the site is the building built in the form of a human head as detailed in the text on page 183 and its neighbors; basilar is also applied to an emergency slide as part of that same building on page 186; capitalization could also suggest a fictitious branding, perhaps a competitor of Otis
	'''half a house'''<br />		'''half a house'''<br />
−	a half-way house	+	malaprop: a half-way house
	'''copless'''<br />		'''copless'''<br />
Line 130:		Line 190:
	'''hackysackers'''<br />		'''hackysackers'''<br />
	players of a game (hacky sack) where people in a circle kick a small leather bag around to one another (see "game with a small beanbaggy ball" on page 623)		players of a game (hacky sack) where people in a circle kick a small leather bag around to one another (see "game with a small beanbaggy ball" on page 623)
		+
		+	'''slaloms'''<br />
		+	NOAD: verb, moves or races in a winding path, avoiding obstacles
		+
		+	'''moguls'''<br />
		+	a bumps on a ski slope formed by the repeated turns of skiers over the same path
		+
		+	'''coruscant'''<br />
		+	sparkling
	==Page 626==		==Page 626==
Line 137:		Line 206:
	'''moguls'''<br />		'''moguls'''<br />
−	bumps of the kind often seen in snow on ski slopes	+	see previous page's note
	'''coruscant'''<br />		'''coruscant'''<br />
Line 165:		Line 234:
	'''C/W'''<br />		'''C/W'''<br />
	Country & Western		Country & Western
		+
		+	'''juris-prudential precepts'''<br />
		+	rulings from a court of law
	'''Beefeater'''<br />		'''Beefeater'''<br />
−	a British brand of gin	+	a British brand of gin displaying an image of a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeomen_Warders Yeoman Warder] on its label.
	'''clapboard'''<br />		'''clapboard'''<br />
Line 187:		Line 259:
	'''Birkenstock'''<br />		'''Birkenstock'''<br />
	Birkenstock is a German brand of sandals and shoes (see right)		Birkenstock is a German brand of sandals and shoes (see right)
		+
		+	'''sugarless'''<br />
		+	that ETA is said to have served sugarless bread is remarkable indeed. By the onset of Subsidized Time™, almost no commercial bread was free of sweetener, however obtusely labeled
	'''glutens'''<br />		'''glutens'''<br />
Line 204:		Line 279:
	'''saltpeter'''<br />		'''saltpeter'''<br />
	potassium nitrate or nitre, an ingredient in gunpowder, it was (is) commonly believed to be used in food fed to prisoners and even military enlistees (or other predominantly male populations, such as boys' schools and Boy Scout troops) to curb libido; there is no evidence that it causes erectile dysfunction, but large amounts can have dangerous (poisonous) side effects		potassium nitrate or nitre, an ingredient in gunpowder, it was (is) commonly believed to be used in food fed to prisoners and even military enlistees (or other predominantly male populations, such as boys' schools and Boy Scout troops) to curb libido; there is no evidence that it causes erectile dysfunction, but large amounts can have dangerous (poisonous) side effects
		+
		+	'''regrout'''<br />
		+	replace the grout (construction material used to seal the gaps between tiles)
	'''Seldane'''<br />		'''Seldane'''<br />
−	a brand-name of non-drowsy antihistamine	+	a brand-name of fexodenadine, which claims to be a non-drowsness-inducing antihistamine
	'''carminative'''<br />		'''carminative'''<br />
−	expelling gas	+	a drug that relieves flatulence
	==Page 631==		==Page 631==
	'''carb-caloric''' (from page 630)<br />		'''carb-caloric''' (from page 630)<br />
−	Cranberry juice is higher in carbohydrates than other juices because of the larger amounts of sugar added to sweeten it, cranberries being less naturally sweet than, e.g., oranges or apples.	+	Cranberry juice is higher in carbohydrates than other juices because of the larger amounts of sugar added to sweeten it, cranberries being less naturally sweet and more naturally bitter than, e.g., [non-Seville] oranges or apples.
	'''mammarial'''<br />		'''mammarial'''<br />
−	resembling or having to do with breasts	+	a neologism by Hal's criteria, presumably resembling or having to do with breasts
	'''lecithin'''<br />		'''lecithin'''<br />
−	a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lecithin mixture of fats] found in milk and other foods	+	a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lecithin phospholipid] found in soybeans, milk and other foods, also widespread in many human tissues. If broken into its component parts, it yields choline, phosphoric acid, glycerol, and two fatty acids.
	'''semicolonized'''<br />		'''semicolonized'''<br />
−	otherwise, it's a comma splice	+	neologism, witty: converted from a comma to a semicolon; otherwise, it's a comma splice
	'''autolysis'''<br />		'''autolysis'''<br />
Line 238:		Line 316:
	'''scooters'''<br />		'''scooters'''<br />
−	apparently a slang term for "dollars"	+	neologism, apparently a slang term for "dollars"
	'''déjà vu'''<br />		'''déjà vu'''<br />
Line 249:		Line 327:
	'''tektitic'''<br />		'''tektitic'''<br />
−	referring to fossils formed by meteoric impacts	+	neologism: of or pertaining to textites which are (OED) small, roundish, glassy bodies of unknown origin that occur scattered over various parts of the earth. [[now presumed to result from impacts]
	'''foist'''<br />		'''foist'''<br />
−	to insert deceitfully	+	NOAD: impose an unwelcome or unnecessary person or thing on
	==Page 633==		==Page 633==
		+
		+	'''he thinks a manila folder's a Filipino contortionist'''<br />
		+	Manila being the capital of the Philippines
	'''Grant's Tomb'''<br />		'''Grant's Tomb'''<br />
Line 260:		Line 341:
	'''the one about what do Canadian girls put behind their ears to attract boys'''<br />		'''the one about what do Canadian girls put behind their ears to attract boys'''<br />
−	Presumably a reference to this old riddle: Q: What does a blonde put behind her ears to make her more attractive? A: Her ankles.	+	Presumably a reference to this old riddle: Q: What does a blonde put behind her ears to make her more attractive? A: Her ankles. (indeed, that is answered on page 634 by Coyle)
	'''cubist'''<br />		'''cubist'''<br />
Line 273:		Line 354:
	'''offal'''<br />		'''offal'''<br />
−	garbage, particularly rotting meat	+	[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offal Internal organs and entrails of butchered animals.]
	==Page 634 (cont.)==		==Page 634 (cont.)==
		+
		+	'''post-prandially'''<br />
		+	after eating a meal
	'''tantric'''<br />		'''tantric'''<br />
Line 290:		Line 374:
	'''colposcope'''<br />		'''colposcope'''<br />
−	a scope used to examine the internal female reproductive organs	+	a scope used to examine the vagina and the cervix of the uterus, but not the internal genital organs
	'''Combat Zone'''<br />		'''Combat Zone'''<br />
−	an area of Boston known for prostitution and sex shops	+	a former  area of downtown Boston known for prostitution and sex shops, south Washington St. at one time
	==Page 635==		==Page 635==
Line 299:		Line 383:
	'''bussed'''<br />		'''bussed'''<br />
	cleaned up		cleaned up
		+
		+	'''jejune'''<br />
		+	naive and childish
		+
		+	'''patellar tendon'''<br />
		+	the tendon connecting the patella (kneecap) to the tibia (shinbone)
	'''B.B.'''<br />		'''B.B.'''<br />
Line 305:		Line 395:
	'''asexual'''<br />		'''asexual'''<br />
	not sexually active or not attracted to either sex		not sexually active or not attracted to either sex
		+
		+	'''contingent'''<br />
		+	in this context, a group of people sharing a common trait within a larger group
	==Page 636==		==Page 636==
		+
		+	[[Image:Doryphoros.jpeg|thumb|right|''Doryphoros'']]
	'''nascent'''<br />		'''nascent'''<br />
Line 318:		Line 413:
	'''Polycleitos'''<br />		'''Polycleitos'''<br />
−	a Greek sculptor of the fifth century BC	+	more commonly Polykleitos, a Greek sculptor of the fifth century BC most commonly known for his canonical sculpture [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doryphoros ''Doryphoros''] (see right)
	'''Hermes'''<br />		'''Hermes'''<br />
Line 328:		Line 423:
	'''swart'''<br />		'''swart'''<br />
	i.e. swarthy - of dark complexion or color		i.e. swarthy - of dark complexion or color
		+
		+	'''mottled'''<br />
		+	marked with irregular patches or smears of color
	==Page 637==		==Page 637==
Line 336:		Line 434:
	'''acerbic'''<br />		'''acerbic'''<br />
	sharp or biting		sharp or biting
		+
		+	'''penitent'''<br />
		+	repentant
	'''hick'''<br />		'''hick'''<br />
Line 342:		Line 443:
	'''spitter'''<br />		'''spitter'''<br />
	a spitball, in baseball		a spitball, in baseball
		+
		+	'''urologist'''<br />
		+	see note, page 527
	'''tsunami'''<br />		'''tsunami'''<br />
	tidal wave		tidal wave
		+
		+	'''blither'''<br />
		+	more cheerful and irreverently indifferent
	==Page 638==		==Page 638==
Line 352:		Line 459:
	'''tsimmes'''<br />		'''tsimmes'''<br />
−	a fruit and vegetable casserole	+	a Jewish sweet stew typically containing vegetables and dried fruits
	'''riches nouveaux'''<br />		'''riches nouveaux'''<br />
Line 362:		Line 469:
	'''Pet-Rockish'''<br />		'''Pet-Rockish'''<br />
	inane, like the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pet_Rock fad] phenomenon of the small stones marketed as live "pets," requiring care and feeding, in the silly '70s		inane, like the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pet_Rock fad] phenomenon of the small stones marketed as live "pets," requiring care and feeding, in the silly '70s
		+
		+	'''windfall'''<br />
		+	sudden or unexpected monetary gain
	=May 1st, YDAU - Steeply & Marathe discuss an obsession with ''M*A*S*H''=		=May 1st, YDAU - Steeply & Marathe discuss an obsession with ''M*A*S*H''=
Line 382:		Line 492:
	==Page 640==		==Page 640==
		+
		+	'''Knights of Columbus'''<br />
		+	the world's largest Catholic fraternal organization
	'''Canadiens of the N.L. of H.'''<br />		'''Canadiens of the N.L. of H.'''<br />
Line 407:		Line 520:
	'''''transperçant'''''<br />		'''''transperçant'''''<br />
−	French: penetrating across	+	French: piercing or transfixing
		+
		+	'''salience'''<br />
		+	pronounced feature
	'''Major Burns'''<br />		'''Major Burns'''<br />
Line 413:		Line 529:
	==Page 643==		==Page 643==
		+
		+	<i>'''Troy Record'''</i ><br />
		+	a tabloid-style daily newspaper for the city of Troy, NY
	'''inveterate'''<br />		'''inveterate'''<br />
Line 418:		Line 537:
	'''Maury Linville'''<br />		'''Maury Linville'''<br />
−	There is no such actor.	+	Steeply is misremembering ''Larry'' Linville.
		+
		+	'''c/o'''<br />
		+	care of, signifying an intermediary responsible for transporting the piece of mail to the final recipient's address
	''''In the South Korea of history.''''<br />		''''In the South Korea of history.''''<br />
−	sort of implying that in the time of the novel, there's only one Korea again	+	possibly implying that in the time of the novel, there's only one Korea again
	''''You are not meaning your sister was a goat.''''<br />		''''You are not meaning your sister was a goat.''''<br />
Line 427:		Line 549:
	==Page 644==		==Page 644==
		+
		+	'''Mumkinsky'''<br/>
		+	Funny that Steeply explains it as a pet name here, but everywhere else calls her "Mummykins"
	'''Korean Police Action of the U.N.'''		'''Korean Police Action of the U.N.'''
−		+	This is a reference to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War Korean War], which involved military support from United Nations member nations (in defense of South Korea from the invading North). The war actually lasted three full years.
−	this in reference to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War Korean War], which involved military support from (in defense of South Korea from the invading North) United Nations member nations. The war actually lasted three full years.	+
	'''baroquoco'''<br />		'''baroquoco'''<br />
−	This would seem to be a mix between "baroque" and "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rococo rococo]."	+	This would seem to be a mix between "baroque" and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rococo "rococo"].
	'''augured'''<br />		'''augured'''<br />
−	predicted for the future	+	predicted; forecast
	==Page 645==		==Page 645==
		+
		+	'''tact'''<br />
		+	the sense of what to do to avoid offending or souring relations with someone
		+
		+	'''explicated'''<br />
		+	analyzed and developed in detail
		+
		+	'''do-goodnik'''<br />
		+	a play on no-goodnik, i.e., lowlife, presumably meaning do-gooder
	==Page 646==		==Page 646==
		+
		+	'''haggard'''<br />
		+	fatigued and unwell
	'''Alda'''<br />		'''Alda'''<br />
Line 450:		Line 586:
	'''ventricle'''<br />		'''ventricle'''<br />
	one of two of the four chambers of the heart		one of two of the four chambers of the heart
		+
		+	'''All was calm. All was bright'''<br/>
		+	seems like a reference to the lyrics of Silent Night: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Night#Lyrics
	==Page 647==		==Page 647==
Line 477:		Line 616:
	'''anomaly'''<br />		'''anomaly'''<br />
−	something like nothing else (i.e. an outlier)	+	something like nothing else (i.e., an outlier)
	==Page 650==		==Page 650==
Line 485:		Line 624:
	'''''magna cum laude'''''<br />		'''''magna cum laude'''''<br />
−	Latin: with very high honors	+	Latin: with high honors
	==Page 651==		==Page 651==

---

Latest revision as of 05:29, 7 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!

☽ (Mid-November, YDAU) - WYYY Engineer goes "sunning"

Page 620

baud
a unit of one bit per second in data transmission; see Wiki for page 60, where this paragraph appears almost word-for-word.

couture
high-fashion women's clothing

carpal neuralgia, phospenic migraine, gluteal hyperadiposity, lumbar stressae
hand pain, migraines with flashing lights, fat buttocks, and lower back pain

"...all three O.N.A.N. time zones..."
Three is considerably fewer time zones than the five the U.S. (including Alaska and Hawaii) currently span, plus the Atlantic Time Zone, in which some of Canada can be found.

genuflecting
kneeling to the ground on one knee, esp. to convey respect

sub-rosa
secret

'spect-ops'
Perhaps a play on the popularized military term 'spec-ops,' meaning 'special operation(s).' In this case probably meaning 'spectation opportunities'; i.e. opportunities to be a spectator of a live event such as the draining of the duck pond.

Gapers' Blocks
traffic delays caused by rubbernecking, i.e., blocking or retarding traffic by stopping or slowing to gape at the scene of an accident

Page 621

apotheosis
the process of being raised to godlike status

coprolaliac
uncontrollably disposed to the use of profanity

nucleic
a malaprop; DFW means pertaining to the nuclear force, which binds protons and neutrons into atomic nuclei, but this word means of or pertaining to nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA (OED)

PAs
public-address systems

nostrums
patent medicines, i.e., quack medicines

Cultists in saffron with much percussion
members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Hare Krishna movement) in their distinctive saffron-colored (orange) robes, likely carrying Mridangams and tambourines

bunting
loosely woven fabric in a generally half-circle shape; red-white-and-blue ones can be seen hung on podiums, porches, baseball stadiums, etc, especially on the 4th of July and other patriotic holidays

c.
abbreviation for circa, Latin for "around," used here in the sense of "approximately"

mufflered
wearing scarves

sylvan
woodsy

The pond is perfectly round...
Two things wrong here, actually. There is no 'duck pond' in The Public Garden. There is a large lagoon on which the swan boats ply their trade, but it is irregular in shape. Make that three things as the lagoon is not drained in the fall. I suppose he could be referring to the 'frog pond' but that' in the neighboring Boston Common. [Or, welcome to the Boston of Subsidized Time™, part of O.N.A.N.]

Page 622

phylogenic
From phylogeny, the study of changes and developments in organisms' lineages. Phylogenetic is the more common adjectival form.

möbiusizing
a neologism for taking on the shape of a Möbius strip

coccyx
tailbone

scopophile
someone who derives pleasure (usually sexual) from looking at something

dun
grayish brown

martial at ease
a military stance with feet shoulder's width apart and hands clasped behind the back

Endnote 258

peasant skirt
a long, flowing skirt usually featuring bands of embroidery

Page 622 (cont'd)

Gregg pen

Gregg is a phonetic shorthand writing system for stenographers, devised by John Robert Gregg and first published in 1888. The rights to Gregg shorthand were owned by the Gregg Publishing Company, founded in 1896. The Gregg company licensed pen manufacturers to produce pens to Gregg’s specifications and use the Gregg name; these pens are relatively thin and have very firm fine nibs. Some Gregg pens were fitted with an enameled Gregg emblem inlaid into the end of the cap, as shown at left on a Wahl pen from the late 1920s. here. Read more about Gregg shorthand here and Gregg pens here.

purview
scope of vision

Page 623

verdigrised
neologism: covered with verdigris, NOAD: a bright bluish-green encrustation or patina formed on copper or brass by atmospheric oxidation, consisting of basic cupric (copper in the +2 oxidation state) carbonate

statues of ducklings in a row
Wallace is referring to an actual statue in Boston Public Garden shown here

Robert McCloskey
Robert McCloskey (1914-2003) was an American author and illustrator of children's books.

Make Way for Ducklings
Read about this book here.

greensward
stretch of grassy turf

lithe
slim and gracefully flexible

...play a game with a small beanbaggy ball...
a reference to hacky sack (or "hackey sack")

5º C
41º Fahrenheit

attenuated
weakened, also pertaining to the propagation of waves in telecommunications

unmoored
opposite of the nautical term moored meaning fastened or secured in place (as in a boat)

stupor
state of near-unconsciousness

appurtenances
equipment, e.g., clothing, tools, or instruments, used for a specific purpose or style of living

Bread & Circus
a small chain of health-food stores that first opened in Brookline, MA, in 1975 and acquired by Whole Foods Market in 1992

sepia
dark brown, as in the pigment used to make very early photographs

chanting very softly 'Smoke'
i.e., surreptitiously peddling marijuana

undercapitalized
lacking sufficient funds to complete a business transaction

Page 624

thermal
an upward current of warm air

metallurgy
the making and conducting of alloys

chyme
NOAD: the pulpy acidic fluid which passes from the stomach to the small intestine, consisting of gastric juices and partly digested food.

Mass Comm. graduate student
Mass Communications? This is unclear. The uppercase M and C suggest it is intended to be the name of a college, though the absence of a period after 'Mass' suggests the word 'mass'. To me the uncial M & C suggest what the uncial I in Internet suggests: the Teutonization of English spelling. I vote for the person so described being a [post-]graduate student in the specified department of an unnamed university.

Page 625

allay
put to rest

triptych
NOAD: a picture or relief carving on three panels, typically hinged together side by side and used as an altarpiece

micronized
reduced in particle size to only a few microns (millionths of a meter) in diameter

ICU
Intensive Care Unit

swart
swarthy, i.e., dark-skinned

Basilar
related to or situated at the base, especially the base of the skull (as with the basilar artery), recalling the site is the building built in the form of a human head as detailed in the text on page 183 and its neighbors; basilar is also applied to an emergency slide as part of that same building on page 186; capitalization could also suggest a fictitious branding, perhaps a competitor of Otis

half a house
malaprop: a half-way house

copless
without policemen

M.D.C.
Metropolitan District Commission, a former Massachusetts state agency that was responsible for maintenance of public parks and roads in the Metropolitan Boston area

hackysackers
players of a game (hacky sack) where people in a circle kick a small leather bag around to one another (see "game with a small beanbaggy ball" on page 623)

slaloms
NOAD: verb, moves or races in a winding path, avoiding obstacles

moguls
a bumps on a ski slope formed by the repeated turns of skiers over the same path

coruscant
sparkling

Page 626

Autoteller
an ATM (automated teller machine)

moguls
see previous page's note

coruscant
glittering

November 11th, YDAU - Mealtime at ETA

Page 627

fenestrated
having windows

R.H.I.P.
Rank Has Its Privileges

mastication
chewing

Page 628

P.O.W.ish
greedily, in the manner of prisoners of war

Liberal KS
To be exact, it's three miles via Route 83 to the Oklahoma border.

C/W
Country & Western

juris-prudential precepts
rulings from a court of law

Beefeater
a British brand of gin displaying an image of a Yeoman Warder on its label.

clapboard
a long, thin board, thicker along one edge than the other, used in covering the outer walls of buildings (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)

nuptial
marital

Page 629

toilet-eau
eau de toilette (French: toilet water) is used mainly by women and is less concentrated than perfume, but more concentrated than eau de cologne, which is used more commonly by men

connubial
marital

Birkenstock
Birkenstock is a German brand of sandals and shoes (see right)

sugarless
that ETA is said to have served sugarless bread is remarkable indeed. By the onset of Subsidized Time™, almost no commercial bread was free of sweetener, however obtusely labeled

glutens
a mixture of wheat proteins

torpor
sluggishness

turrets
refers here to small towers of the kind seen on medieval castles and other fortifications, often built with battlement crenels (notches) for use by defensive archers

Page 630

"...like Roosevelt at Yalta..."
a reference to the supposed bullying by Stalin of FDR at the conference at Yalta in 1945 to cede Eastern Europe to Soviet control

saltpeter
potassium nitrate or nitre, an ingredient in gunpowder, it was (is) commonly believed to be used in food fed to prisoners and even military enlistees (or other predominantly male populations, such as boys' schools and Boy Scout troops) to curb libido; there is no evidence that it causes erectile dysfunction, but large amounts can have dangerous (poisonous) side effects

regrout
replace the grout (construction material used to seal the gaps between tiles)

Seldane
a brand-name of fexodenadine, which claims to be a non-drowsness-inducing antihistamine

carminative
a drug that relieves flatulence

Page 631

carb-caloric (from page 630)
Cranberry juice is higher in carbohydrates than other juices because of the larger amounts of sugar added to sweeten it, cranberries being less naturally sweet and more naturally bitter than, e.g., [non-Seville] oranges or apples.

mammarial
a neologism by Hal's criteria, presumably resembling or having to do with breasts

lecithin
a phospholipid found in soybeans, milk and other foods, also widespread in many human tissues. If broken into its component parts, it yields choline, phosphoric acid, glycerol, and two fatty acids.

semicolonized
neologism, witty: converted from a comma to a semicolon; otherwise, it's a comma splice

autolysis
perhaps used here in the sense of digestion, although the term actually refers to self-digestion, the destruction of a cell through the action of its own enzymes

buttinskis
i.e., the right to butt into line

R.H.I. literal P.
Rank Has Its literal Priveleges (see R.H.I.P. on page 627)

Tryna
i.e., trying to

scooters
neologism, apparently a slang term for "dollars"

déjà vu
From French for "already seen," it's the sense that you're re-experiencing something.

Page 632

saltire
the Cross of St. Andrew

tektitic
neologism: of or pertaining to textites which are (OED) small, roundish, glassy bodies of unknown origin that occur scattered over various parts of the earth. [[now presumed to result from impacts]

foist
NOAD: impose an unwelcome or unnecessary person or thing on

Page 633

he thinks a manila folder's a Filipino contortionist
Manila being the capital of the Philippines

Grant's Tomb
The trick answer to the question is "no one." As the tomb is above ground, Ulysses S. Grant is technically "entombed" and not "buried." The obvious answer is Grant himself, and, in fact, he and his wife Julia are both entombed there. The General Grant National Memorial overlooks the Hudson River, in Riverside Park in Manhattan (New York).

the one about what do Canadian girls put behind their ears to attract boys
Presumably a reference to this old riddle: Q: What does a blonde put behind her ears to make her more attractive? A: Her ankles. (indeed, that is answered on page 634 by Coyle)

cubist
suggestive of Cubism, the early-20th-century avant-garde (not après-garde) art movement

Crohn's Disease
also regional enteritis, an inflammatory disease of the bowels

Page 634

Endnote 261

offal
Internal organs and entrails of butchered animals.

Page 634 (cont.)

post-prandially
after eating a meal

tantric
referring to a particular branch of Hinduism, but very particularly to the sexual aspect of this branch, which emphasizes long sessions of sexual intercourse

Twister
a parlor game produced by Hasbro that involves contorting the body

cataract
waterfall

reticent
tending to keep one's thoughts to oneself

colposcope
a scope used to examine the vagina and the cervix of the uterus, but not the internal genital organs

Combat Zone
a former area of downtown Boston known for prostitution and sex shops, south Washington St. at one time

Page 635

bussed
cleaned up

jejune
naive and childish

patellar tendon
the tendon connecting the patella (kneecap) to the tibia (shinbone)

B.B.
Big Buddy

asexual
not sexually active or not attracted to either sex

contingent
in this context, a group of people sharing a common trait within a larger group

Page 636

nascent
beginning to develop

Sapphic
i.e., lesbian, the reference being to Sappho, the ancient Greek poet from Lesbos

Penal Matron
in other words, a female prison warden

Polycleitos
more commonly Polykleitos, a Greek sculptor of the fifth century BC most commonly known for his canonical sculpture Doryphoros (see right)

Hermes
the messenger god of Greek mythology

Theseus
a hero of Greek mythology

swart
i.e. swarthy - of dark complexion or color

mottled
marked with irregular patches or smears of color

Page 637

staccato
in music, notes sounded in a detached manner

acerbic
sharp or biting

penitent
repentant

hick
a person from a rural area

spitter
a spitball, in baseball

urologist
see note, page 527

tsunami
tidal wave

blither
more cheerful and irreverently indifferent

Page 638

olla
a pot for making stew, or stew itself

tsimmes
a Jewish sweet stew typically containing vegetables and dried fruits

riches nouveaux
French: new riches; here an inversion of nouveaux riches, i.e., "newly rich"

Amway
the American-based international direct-sales retailer

Pet-Rockish
inane, like the fad phenomenon of the small stones marketed as live "pets," requiring care and feeding, in the silly '70s

windfall
sudden or unexpected monetary gain

May 1st, YDAU - Steeply & Marathe discuss an obsession with M*A*S*H

Page 638

Page 639

acronym
MASH stands for "Mobile Army Surgical Hospital."

prima facie
Latin: at first sight

Troy, New York
a college town about ten miles from the state capital of Albany

wens
harmless cysts on the scalp or face

Page 640

Knights of Columbus
the world's largest Catholic fraternal organization

Canadiens of the N.L. of H.
the Montreal Canadiens, a team in the National Hockey League

Page 641

canned laughter
prerecorded laughter used on the soundtracks of some filmed comedies (which are not "filmed before a live studio audience"), but also a reminder of the incident involving the can of macadamia nuts (page 580)

Bröckengespenstphänom
German: Brocken is a German mountain and the brockengespenst refers to the large shadow an observer on the mountain casts in a certain lighting. This is an allusion to a scene from Thomas Pynchon's 1973 novel Gravity's Rainbow.

Page 642

Marsh or Swamp
The principal male characters in M*A*S*H lived in the same tent, which they called "the Swamp."

Endnote 263

Betamax
the smaller format of videotape that was eventually pushed out of the market by VHS

Page 642 (cont'd)

transperçant
French: piercing or transfixing

salience
pronounced feature

Major Burns
a "villain" character played by Larry Linville

Page 643

Troy Record
a tabloid-style daily newspaper for the city of Troy, NY

inveterate
habitual

Maury Linville
Steeply is misremembering Larry Linville.

c/o
care of, signifying an intermediary responsible for transporting the piece of mail to the final recipient's address

'In the South Korea of history.'
possibly implying that in the time of the novel, there's only one Korea again

'You are not meaning your sister was a goat.'
bearing in mind that "kid" also means a baby goat

Page 644

Mumkinsky
Funny that Steeply explains it as a pet name here, but everywhere else calls her "Mummykins"

Korean Police Action of the U.N. This is a reference to the Korean War, which involved military support from United Nations member nations (in defense of South Korea from the invading North). The war actually lasted three full years.

baroquoco
This would seem to be a mix between "baroque" and "rococo".

augured
predicted; forecast

Page 645

tact
the sense of what to do to avoid offending or souring relations with someone

explicated
analyzed and developed in detail

do-goodnik
a play on no-goodnik, i.e., lowlife, presumably meaning do-gooder

Page 646

haggard
fatigued and unwell

Alda
a reference to M*A*S*H star Alan Alda

transmural infarction
heart attack

ventricle
one of two of the four chambers of the heart

All was calm. All was bright
seems like a reference to the lyrics of Silent Night: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Night#Lyrics

Page 647

mesquite
a spiny shrub with bean pods

Dick Willis
There was a spy named Richard Willis (1613-1690) active during the English Civil War (1642-1660). This is also the name of a professional peer of Steeply in the novel, first mentioned earlier.

Ossified
turned to bone

plura
a misspelling (likely) of "pleura," which is a thin membrane enclosing the lungs

Page 648

November 13th, YDAU - Kate Gompert & Geoffrey Day discuss It

Page 648

Page 649

benign
harmless

anomaly
something like nothing else (i.e., an outlier)

Page 650

malevolent
intending harm

magna cum laude
Latin: with high honors

Page 651

130-kilo
286.6 pounds