Difference between revisions of "Pages 489-508"
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'''plexus'''<br /> | '''plexus'''<br /> | ||
| − | an intricate network | + | an intricate network, no doubt a reference to the solar plexus, a blow to which results in having "one's wind knocked out" because it temporarily causes the diaphragm not to function |
| + | |||
| + | '''confiscated from razzles...<br /> | ||
| + | (To find a useful note for this is a challenge. It occurs 4 times in the book, always in association with 'the entertainment' but its meaning is unclear.) | ||
'''tête'''<br /> | '''tête'''<br /> | ||
| Line 12: | Line 15: | ||
==Page 490== | ==Page 490== | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''consummately'''<br /> | ||
| + | perfectly or skillfully | ||
'''I/O'''<br /> | '''I/O'''<br /> | ||
| Line 58: | Line 64: | ||
'''metastisate'''<br /> | '''metastisate'''<br /> | ||
| − | He means " | + | He means "metastasize." |
| + | |||
| + | '''replete'''<br /> | ||
| + | full | ||
'''gibber'''<br /> | '''gibber'''<br /> | ||
| Line 70: | Line 79: | ||
'''Concord'''<br /> | '''Concord'''<br /> | ||
agreement | agreement | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''field series generator'''<br /> | ||
| + | probably a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shunt_generator shunt generator] | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''leatherette'''<br /> | ||
| + | imitation leather | ||
==Page 494== | ==Page 494== | ||
| Line 75: | Line 90: | ||
'''declivity'''<br /> | '''declivity'''<br /> | ||
downward slope or hill | downward slope or hill | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''precipitate'''<br /> | ||
| + | product of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precipitation_%28chemistry%29 precipitation] | ||
==Page 495== | ==Page 495== | ||
| − | '''hypotenuse''' | + | '''hypotenuse'''<br /> |
| − | + | ||
the longest arm of a right triangle | the longest arm of a right triangle | ||
'''right dihedral triangle'''<br /> | '''right dihedral triangle'''<br /> | ||
| − | + | a right triangle is one whose largest angle is 90º. Dihedral means "having two faces," a three dimensional structure (a mattress) is under discussion. In architecture, the intersection of two planar walls is a dihedral angle. | |
| + | |||
| + | '''toggle bolt'''<br /> | ||
| + | bolts with expanding wings used to fasten objects onto hollow surfaces, e.g., drywall | ||
==Page 497== | ==Page 497== | ||
| Line 92: | Line 112: | ||
'''caster'''<br /> | '''caster'''<br /> | ||
wheel | wheel | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''deep-pile'''<br /> | ||
| + | carpet with relatively long fibers | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Page 498== | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''''Variety'''''<br /> | ||
| + | a still-running entertainment tabloid magazine | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''cast'''<br /> | ||
| + | tinge of color | ||
==Page 499== | ==Page 499== | ||
'''rodential'''<br /> | '''rodential'''<br /> | ||
| − | + | OED: of or relating to rodents; resembling or characteristic of a rodent. | |
'''stalactite'''<br /> | '''stalactite'''<br /> | ||
| − | the kind of V-shaped rock | + | the kind of V-shaped rock formation in caves that grows from the '''c'''eiling down; cf. ''stala'''g'''mite'', which grows from the floor or '''g'''round of the cave upward |
| + | |||
| + | ==Page 500== | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''carriage-head bolt'''<br /> | ||
| + | a bolt with a domed head not designed to be driven | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''attenuated'''<br /> | ||
| + | reduced | ||
==Page 502== | ==Page 502== | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''magneto'''<br /> | ||
| + | a small generator using a permanent magnet to produce high-voltage pulses | ||
'''Powell's ''Peeping Tom'''''<br /> | '''Powell's ''Peeping Tom'''''<br /> | ||
| Line 108: | Line 150: | ||
'''hex'''<br /> | '''hex'''<br /> | ||
i.e., hexagonal, having six sides | i.e., hexagonal, having six sides | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''cycloid'''<br /> | ||
| + | a curve traced by a point of a circle as it rolls across a straight line demonstrated [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Cycloid_f.gif here] | ||
'''L'Hôpital'''<br /> | '''L'Hôpital'''<br /> | ||
| Line 117: | Line 162: | ||
'''Brachistochrone'''<br /> | '''Brachistochrone'''<br /> | ||
a reference to a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachistochrone brachistochrone curve] | a reference to a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachistochrone brachistochrone curve] | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''apposite'''<br /> | ||
| + | NOAD: apt in the circumstances or in relation to something | ||
==Page 503== | ==Page 503== | ||
'''minor-D'''<br /> | '''minor-D'''<br /> | ||
| − | Musical works written in the key of D Minor tend to carry an ominous tone.[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipzR9bhei_o A Fugue in D Minor] | + | Musical works written in the key of D Minor tend to carry an ominous tone. See[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipzR9bhei_o A Fugue in D Minor]. |
| + | |||
| + | Wallace displays his familiarity with the subject of music by inverting its more commonly known name of D Minor to "minor-D." This is a habit of many professional musicians, because the fact that the composition is in a minor mode is more important than the pitch of its tonic (root) note. | ||
=Ken Erdedy & Kate Gompert go to NA= | =Ken Erdedy & Kate Gompert go to NA= | ||
| Line 128: | Line 178: | ||
'''anechoic vestry'''<br /> | '''anechoic vestry'''<br /> | ||
| − | Anechoic means "characterized by a low level of reverberation | + | Anechoic means "characterized by a low level of reverberation;" a vestry is where the priests' vestments (clothing for mass) are kept between ceremonies. |
'''lassitude'''<br /> | '''lassitude'''<br /> | ||
| Line 134: | Line 184: | ||
'''catalepsy'''<br /> | '''catalepsy'''<br /> | ||
| − | suspension of sensation, with bodily rigidity | + | suspension of sensation and consciousness, with bodily rigidity |
'''circadian arrhythmia'''<br /> | '''circadian arrhythmia'''<br /> | ||
| Line 155: | Line 205: | ||
'''Knights of Columbus'''<br /> | '''Knights of Columbus'''<br /> | ||
a Catholic fraternal order | a Catholic fraternal order | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''plasm'''<br /> | ||
| + | synonym of plasma, i.e., a state of matter most similar to gas | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''cordite'''<br /> | ||
| + | a smokeless explosive, see note to page 433 | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Motley'''<br /> | ||
| + | incongruously varied in character or appearance | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''sap'''<br /> | ||
| + | a bludgeon or club | ||
'''Penn Station'''<br /> | '''Penn Station'''<br /> | ||
| − | the chief national train station in New York, at 34th Street and Eighth Avenue | + | the chief national train station in New York, at 34th Street and Eighth Avenue; a terminal for both Amtrak and the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) |
==Page 505== | ==Page 505== | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''morose'''<br /> | ||
| + | gloomy | ||
'''styptic'''<br /> | '''styptic'''<br /> | ||
| Line 173: | Line 238: | ||
'''bonhommic'''<br /> | '''bonhommic'''<br /> | ||
| − | a neologism | + | a neologism meaning "good-hearted" |
==Page 507== | ==Page 507== | ||
| Line 179: | Line 244: | ||
'''Keds'''<br /> | '''Keds'''<br /> | ||
a brand of sneaker | a brand of sneaker | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''parquet'''<br /> | ||
| + | wooden mosaic flooring | ||
=Steeply & Marathe discuss temptation to watch the Entertainment= | =Steeply & Marathe discuss temptation to watch the Entertainment= | ||
| Line 194: | Line 262: | ||
'''pantalone'''<br /> | '''pantalone'''<br /> | ||
| − | a stock mime character, often the butt of jokes | + | a stock mime or <i>Commedia dell'Arte</i> character, often the butt of jokes |
| + | : and a wearer of long trousers, to which he gave their modern French name ''pantalon''. DFW’s use of the term in the context of amputated legs is certainly not a coincidence. | ||
'''Hercules'''<br /> | '''Hercules'''<br /> | ||
Latest revision as of 09:45, 29 March 2020
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Contents
☽ Pre-dawn, May 1st, YDAU - Steeply & Marathe discuss possible contents of the Entertainment
Page 489
plexus
an intricate network, no doubt a reference to the solar plexus, a blow to which results in having "one's wind knocked out" because it temporarily causes the diaphragm not to function
confiscated from razzles...
(To find a useful note for this is a challenge. It occurs 4 times in the book, always in association with 'the entertainment' but its meaning is unclear.)
tête
French: head
Page 490
consummately
perfectly or skillfully
I/O
Input/Output
C'est ça
French: that's that
Page 491
ALGOL
an ancient computer programming language
Winter, B.S. 1963; Sepulveda, CA - Flashback to Himself's Childhood
Page 491
Endnote 208
Institut für Neutronenphysik und Reaktortechnik, Kernforschungszentrum
German: Institute for Neutron Physics and Reactor Engineering, Nuclear Research Center (a real organization)
Karlsruhe
a city in Germany about 90 miles south of Frankfurt (Main)
U.R.G.
probably United Republic of Germany
Springer-Verlag
one of the largest publishers in Germany
Wien
the German name for Vienna, capital of Austria
Page 491 (cont'd)
Bazin
André Bazin (1918-1958) was a French film theorist and director.
Page 492
Eureka
Ancient Greek for "I've found it," made famous by Archimedes
metastisate
He means "metastasize."
replete
full
gibber
to chatter unintelligibly
Page 493
Synchronicity
the state of happening simultaneously
Concord
agreement
field series generator
probably a shunt generator
leatherette
imitation leather
Page 494
declivity
downward slope or hill
precipitate
product of precipitation
Page 495
hypotenuse
the longest arm of a right triangle
right dihedral triangle
a right triangle is one whose largest angle is 90º. Dihedral means "having two faces," a three dimensional structure (a mattress) is under discussion. In architecture, the intersection of two planar walls is a dihedral angle.
toggle bolt
bolts with expanding wings used to fasten objects onto hollow surfaces, e.g., drywall
Page 497
ebullient
zestfully enthusiastic
caster
wheel
deep-pile
carpet with relatively long fibers
Page 498
Variety
a still-running entertainment tabloid magazine
cast
tinge of color
Page 499
rodential
OED: of or relating to rodents; resembling or characteristic of a rodent.
stalactite
the kind of V-shaped rock formation in caves that grows from the ceiling down; cf. stalagmite, which grows from the floor or ground of the cave upward
Page 500
carriage-head bolt
a bolt with a domed head not designed to be driven
attenuated
reduced
Page 502
magneto
a small generator using a permanent magnet to produce high-voltage pulses
Powell's Peeping Tom
Michael Latham Powell (1905-1990) was a British filmmaker, and Peeping Tom was one of his films.
hex
i.e., hexagonal, having six sides
cycloid
a curve traced by a point of a circle as it rolls across a straight line demonstrated here
L'Hôpital
Guillaume François Antoine, Marquis de l'Hôpital (1661-1704), was a French mathematician.
Bernoulli
Jacob Bernoulli (1654-1705) was a Swiss mathematician.
Brachistochrone
a reference to a brachistochrone curve
apposite
NOAD: apt in the circumstances or in relation to something
Page 503
minor-D
Musical works written in the key of D Minor tend to carry an ominous tone. SeeA Fugue in D Minor.
Wallace displays his familiarity with the subject of music by inverting its more commonly known name of D Minor to "minor-D." This is a habit of many professional musicians, because the fact that the composition is in a minor mode is more important than the pitch of its tonic (root) note.
Ken Erdedy & Kate Gompert go to NA
Page 503
anechoic vestry
Anechoic means "characterized by a low level of reverberation;" a vestry is where the priests' vestments (clothing for mass) are kept between ceremonies.
lassitude
weariness of body
catalepsy
suspension of sensation and consciousness, with bodily rigidity
circadian arrhythmia
sleep disturbance
Page 504
anhedonia
inability to feel pleasure
peristyle
a colonnade surrounding an open space, or the space so encircled
astrolabes
a type of navigational device used before the invention of the sextant
prickets
sharp metal points on which to stick candles
Knights of Columbus
a Catholic fraternal order
plasm
synonym of plasma, i.e., a state of matter most similar to gas
cordite
a smokeless explosive, see note to page 433
Motley
incongruously varied in character or appearance
sap
a bludgeon or club
Penn Station
the chief national train station in New York, at 34th Street and Eighth Avenue; a terminal for both Amtrak and the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR)
Page 505
morose
gloomy
styptic
contracting tissue
dis
act of disrespect
Page 506
anorak
a hooded pullover jacket
bonhommic
a neologism meaning "good-hearted"
Page 507
Keds
a brand of sneaker
parquet
wooden mosaic flooring
Steeply & Marathe discuss temptation to watch the Entertainment
Page 507
C'est la guerre
French: That's war
Perseus
the Greek hero who beheaded Medusa (cf. The Medusa v. The Odalisque) , using the head to kill others; compared here to the A.F.R. ("the legs ... were amputated") which steals the Entertainment and uses it to kill others
jongleur
a wandering minstrel
pantalone
a stock mime or Commedia dell'Arte character, often the butt of jokes
- and a wearer of long trousers, to which he gave their modern French name pantalon. DFW’s use of the term in the context of amputated legs is certainly not a coincidence.
Hercules
the Greek hero who lost his mind, murdered his family, and was forced to suffer twelve labors as punishment, including calming a three-headed dog, clearing dung from the Augean stables, and stealing apples of infinite joy; compared here to Gately ("head was square"), who lost his mind as an addict and was forced into a twelve-step program, where he had to calm Pat M.'s dogs and clear shit from the Shattuck shelter (he previously stole the master to the Entertainment). Hercules also borrowed Athena's chariot on occasion; Gately borrows Pat M.'s car.
Castor and Pollux
stars in the constellation Gemini, named for twin sons of Zeus and Leda in Greek mythology
Page 508
