Pages 380-398
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Contents
☽ November 8th, YDAU - Interdependence Day - Mario's adaptation of The ONANtiad
Page 380
fiat
official sanction
sucrotically
referring to sucrose, i.e. sugar
Endnote 147
pluck
courage or resolution in the face of difficulty
qua
in the capacity or character of
Page 380 (cont'd)
toque
a kind of brimless hat
aigrette
decorative feather or plume
Endnote 148
sallet
a type of helmet, the forerunner of the modern combat helmets
calpac
a high-crowned felt or sheepskin hat worn in Turkey, Iran, and Central Asia
calotte
A skullcap, especially one worn by Roman Catholic priests
topography
a detailed description of something, usually a place or region.
escudo
Spanish for shield
shako
tall, cylindrical military cap, usually with a visor and sometimes tapered at the top
Sallet
Calpac
Calotte
Shako
Page 380 (cont'd)
maraschino
a marasca cherry
Redi-Whip
actually Reddi-wip, a brand name of pressurized whipped cream in a can
tendentiously
in a manner showing a definite bias or prejudice
Page 381
amanuentic
secretarial
fedoras
A fedora is a soft felt hat that is creased lengthwise down the crown and pinched in the front on both sides. Similar hats with a C-crown (with an indentation for the head in the top of the crown) are occasionally called fedoras. (see right) Wikipedia
baklava
a Near Eastern dessert made from filo dough, honey, nuts, and spices
Echt
German for "bona fide"
linotype
short form name for a linotype machine
'Let the call go forth . . . generation of Americans...'
Compare John F. Kennedy's inaugural address
né
French for "born," the feminine née being more common to denote one's birth name
Joyner
not the real Johnny Gentle, who was born with the surname Askew and in the U.K.
retentive
here short for "anal-retentive"
Dermalatix
not a real product
Hypospectral
a neologism that would mean "below the [visible] spectrum [of light]," i.e., invisible
epidermal
of or pertaining to the outermost layer of skin
schmaltz
rendered chicken fat, used in cooking by Jews who keep kosher (among others), who cannot use lard or other rendered pork fat
Endnote 149
Frankies and Tonies
Frankie Avalon and Tony Bennett, e.g.
Page 382 (cont'd)
scab
a derogatory word for a worker who replaces a union worker on strike
GE/RCA
General Electric/Radio Company of America
fulcrum
a support or point of rest
lap-dissolves
According to Wikipedia, a lap dissolve "is a technical term in film editing, most often used in the United States, applying to the process whereby the fading last shot of a preceding scene is superimposed over the emerging first shot (fade in) of the next scene..."
prescient
having previous knowledge
jingoist
patriotic to an extreme
macrobiotic
regarding a diet designed largely of whole grains and beans, designed to prolong life
Hillary R.C.
Hillary Rodham Clinton
LaRoucheishly
a reference to Lyndon Hermyle LaRouche, Jr. (born 1922), a political extremist and cult leader
Endnote 150
dioxins
highly toxic by-products of pesticide manufacturing
high-R-waste
probably refers to high radioactivity; Roentgen (R) is a standard for measuring radiation.
Page 382 (cont'd)
Perot
Henry Ross Perot (born 1930) ran for president in 1992 and 1996 as an independent, in the first case getting the largest third-party vote in several decades.
white-gloved finger
implying that the finger is on the hand in a white glove, used to draw one's hand over a recently cleaned surface to see if any residual dirt remains
U.W.S.A.
United We Stand America, Perot's political movement
G.O.P.s
Republicans, G.O.P. standing for "Grand Old Party"
Jihad
an Arabic word meaning "struggle" but often translated as "holy war"
redolent
smelling very badly
retinue
a body of attendants to a powerful person
psychosphere
sort of a synonym for collective consciousness
Page 383
"majestic ambers and purple fruits"
words, slightly jumbled, from "America, the Beautiful"
effluvia
invisible exhalations of noxious vapors
CO
carbon monoxide
Uno
as in numero uno, number one
dandling
bouncing a baby up and down, as on one's knee
mufti
civilian clothes
adipose
adipose tissue, i.e., fat
fractious
unruly or angry
Page 384
Seal
the Great Seal of the U.S.
Teutons
The President seems to be using this as a place name (perhaps a malapropism of the Tetons), but Teutons is an ancient term for German-speaking people.
wavered
quavering in sound
Wurlitzer
the Rudolf Wurlitzer Company, a producer of organs
dusky
dark-skinned
entr' acte
French: between acts
Page 385
glycemically
in a manner that is motivated or caused by the level of sugar in the blood
cannolis
a type of Italian dessert pastry, stuffed with sweetened ricotta cheese
absolution
forgiveness of sins
jejune
childish or juvenile
J.J.J.C.
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien
sympatico
in agreement
inexorable
unyielding
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
EEC
European Economic Community
oown
Canadian pronunciation
NAFTA
North American Free Trade Agreement
butter and guns
These are the typical goods used in certain economic models because they are non-competing goods.
infraternal
not a real word
Page 386
frappeurs
apparently a French expression for something that strikes something else
ICBM
Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
maple leaf
the national emblem of Canada
toot sweet
i.e., tout de suite, French for "right away"
enjambment
the breaking of a line at the end of a verse (in a poem, song, etc.)
Meanwhile, in the Weight Room
Page 386
purling
flowing or rippling
Page 387
gurutical
not a real word, but apparently having to do with gurus
fulgurant
flashing like lightning
Page 388
glabrous
smooth, hairless
wunderkind
German: child prodigy
I/SPN
probably meant to be a follow-up television channel to ESPN
M. Chang
Michael Chang (born 1972) is an American former professional tennis player. That he is described as "lately expired" is puzzling; Chang was alive in 1996 and is still alive today. (Note: Since the novel takes place in a fictional future, Chang being described as "lately expired" need not be puzzling; Wallace is using creative license, positing that someone who is alive and well at the time of publication may well expire at some point in the [fictional] future.)
Mephistophelan
referring to Mephistopheles, the devil character in Goethe's Faust and Marlowe's Doctor Faustus, to whom Faust sells his soul
Page 389
hagiography
the biography of a saint
'The truth will set you free...'
Lyle is paraphrasing John 8:32.
alfresco
Al fresco in Italian means "outside."
Page 390
Seventh-Day Adventists
a Protestant sect of Christianity marked by its observance of the weekly sabbath on Saturdays
turpitude
depravity
dire
indicating trouble
C.F.D.C.
Caffeine-Free Diet Coke
The ONANtiad, cont.
Page 391
Benson & Hedges
a brand of cigarettes
high-lipid
high-fat
auteur
creator, author
UKRAINE, TWO MORE BALTIC STATES APPLY FOR NATO INCLUSION
Ukraine did not begin application for NATO membership until 2006, while the Baltic States were all admitted in 2004.
THERMS
thermonuclear warheads
twelve out of fifteen NATO nations
The last time NATO had fifteen members was in 1982, when Spain was admitted.
Finlandization
This is defined as "the influence that one powerful country may have on the policies of a smaller neighboring country" and refers to Finland's relations with the USSR following WWII.
Page 392
'BIG STICKS'
Jean Chrétien admits that the issues were used here as the "big stick" in the T. Roosevelt-era "speak softly and carry a big stick" foreign policy of President Gentle.
TURTLE MTN. INDIAN RESERVATION
a reservation for Chippewa Indians
Page 393
GI-X-Ray-Grade Colonic Purgative
the kind of laxatives given to people about to undergo colonoscopies
Pruritis
very bad itching
U.N.L.V.
University of Nevada at Las Vegas
D.O.E.
Department of Energy
METHUEN
a city of Massachusetts about 30 miles north of Boston
Scorcese
He actually spells his name "Scorsese."
Page 394
Meanwhile, in the Weight Room, cont.
Page 394
Patridge KS
a city in Kansas about 60 miles northwest of Wichita
telekinetic
able to moves things with one's mind
somnambulist
sleepwalker
Page 395
calotte
a skullcap, typically worn by Roman Catholic acolytes
M.O.
Modus operandi, a Latin phrase meaning the way in which a criminal operates out of habit
DMV
Department of Motor Vehicles
oncologist
a physician who treats cancer
Some of Himself's Movies
Page 395
masochistic
enjoying (usually sexually) of pain
Page 396
sucrose
table sugar
siren
a reference to the Sirens of Greek mythology
56-gram
about two ounces
Ford's Theater
This is the theater where President Lincoln was assassinated.
muttonchops
very thick sideburns
involuted
complicated; abstruse.
petrification
the process of turning into stone
Ste. Thérèse
Her full name Thérèse de Lisieux
Page 397
cottoned
took a liking to
marquees
the lighted signs on which theaters announce what is playing
dirndls
women's dresses with close fitting bodices and full skirts
Page 398
loo
the British word for "bathroom"
