Pages 686-698

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686 · Hal After the Game

Page 686

Year of the Depend Adult Undergarment

constellated
covered, as with stars

regressed
applied statistical analysis

Page 687

ontological
regarding the philosophy of the nature of existence

Bauhaus
short term for Staatliches Bauhaus, a design school in Germany during the Weimar period that gave rise to a particular form and style

festoon
to decorate with flowers, although here used to refer to alarm clocks

Page 688

thrums
makes a monotonous sound

deuteragonist
the second most important character next to the main character, the protagonist

Page 689

goo
over-the-top sentimentality

kinesthetic
regarding the sensation of movement in the muscles, tendons, joints, etc.

689 · Where Poor Tony Was Going

Page 689

Year of the Depend Adult Undergarment

continent
able to control his bowels and bladder

Page 690

E. Room
emergency room

quixotic
impulsive or rashly unpredictable

emergent
just coming out

mercenary
paid soldiers

dour
sullen or gloomy

Contre
French: against

Page 691

rostrum
a pulpit or platform for speaking

epicene
having characteristics of both sexes

unrough trade
i.e., homosexual relations between men that are both gay

tartan
plaid, particularly when it is the pattern of a Scottish clan

692 (1) · The Penises of Ennet House

Page 692

Poor Richard
The putative author of a famous almanac published by Benjamin Franklin.

nonplussed
puzzled or perplexed

692 (2) · Meditations on Depression

Page 692

Endnote 280

Ribot
Théodule-Armand Ribot (1839-1916) was a French pre-Freudian psychologist.

Page 692 (cont'd)

gourmand
a food aficionado

novocaine
a topical anesthetic typically used for dental procedures

Page 693

schemata
diagrams or plans

Orin's and Hal's father
Notably, Mario is omitted from the list of Dr. Incandenza's children.

bogey
something that annoys or frightens

'Caius Is Mortal'
This is a variation on an older Greek syllogism used to demonstrate deductive logic:

Major Premise: All men are mortal

Minor Premise: Caius is a man

Conclusion: Caius is mortal

Caius was Julius Caesar's first name.

Page 694

Year of the Trial-Sized Dove Bar

rarified
a misspelling of "rarefied," meaning "esoteric"

Weltschmerz
German: World-sorrow

fictile
capable of being molded

Page 695

Endnote 281

pregnant
teeming or fertile

Page 695 (cont'd)

dingy
lacking brightness or freshness

mordant
sharply sarcastic

didactic
intended to teach

putrid
decomposing or rotten

remora
a fish that attaches itself to sharks for easier travel

ventral
on the side

involutional
entangling

Burton
Robert Burton (1577-1640) was an English author best known for his Anatomy of Melancholy

Yevtushenko
not the aforementioned Russian poet

Page 696

amperage
strength of electric current

Page 697

Endnote 283

ill-fated Prozac
Wallace is probably talking about the incidents of "violent suicidal ideation" that were linked with Prozac in its early use. Now it is linked to all SSRIs, though the frequency is very low.

Page 697 (cont'd)

Quadracyclics
Actually, they're known as tetracyclics.

E.C.T.
electroconvulsive therapy

Page 698

beads
i.e., rosary beads