Difference between revisions of "Pages 418-442"

(Page 438 (cont'd): Not in opposition of S.T.; more like the obvious precursor.)
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<span class="marker">418 · Marathe & Steeply on Economic Competition</span>
+
=April 30th/May 1st, YDAU - Marathe & Steeply on the A.F.R.'s motives=
 
+
 
==Page 418==
 
==Page 418==
 
[[Subsidized Time|Year of the Depend Adult Undergarment]]
 
  
 
==Page 419==
 
==Page 419==
Line 13: Line 10:
  
 
'''Caillou Bay'''<br />
 
'''Caillou Bay'''<br />
You can see a map of southern Louisiana [http://www.mobilegeographics.com/tideimages/tidesta5222.png here].
+
caillou = quail in French. You can see a map of southern Louisiana [http://www.mobilegeographics.com/tideimages/tidesta5222.png here].
  
 
'''Cajun'''<br />
 
'''Cajun'''<br />
a French-speaking people dwelling in the woods of Louisiana, having emigrated there from French Canada two hundred years ago
+
a corruption of Acadian, a French-speaking people dwelling in the woods of Louisiana, having emigrated there from French Canada two hundred years ago
  
 
'''Taurus PT9'''<br />
 
'''Taurus PT9'''<br />
Line 28: Line 25:
  
 
'''caricaturesque'''<br />
 
'''caricaturesque'''<br />
pertaining to a depiction of someone that exaggerates certain facial or bodily characteristics
+
neologism: pertaining to a depiction of someone that exaggerates certain facial or bodily characteristics
  
 
==Page 420==
 
==Page 420==
Line 42: Line 39:
  
 
==Page 421==
 
==Page 421==
 +
 +
'''Ragheads'''<br />
 +
derogatory term for people who wear keffiyehs or turbans
  
 
'''malice'''<br />
 
'''malice'''<br />
 
desire to do harm
 
desire to do harm
 +
 +
'''delineatable'''<br />
 +
exactly describable
  
 
==Page 422==
 
==Page 422==
Line 50: Line 53:
 
'''vacuous'''<br />
 
'''vacuous'''<br />
 
lacking in ideas or intelligence
 
lacking in ideas or intelligence
 +
 +
'''Shining Path'''<br/>
 +
Maoist guerrilla group in Peru ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shining_Path Wikipedia])
  
 
'''Maxwell House'''<br />
 
'''Maxwell House'''<br />
Line 67: Line 73:
 
'''Comme on dit'''<br />
 
'''Comme on dit'''<br />
 
French: Like they say
 
French: Like they say
 +
 +
'''burning some ''k.'' down''' <br />
 +
what is k.?? presumably kilometers ('''k'''erosene or '''k'''indling fits the context better, I wot)
  
 
==Page 424==
 
==Page 424==
 +
 +
'''sacrosanct'''<br />
 +
inviolable
 +
 +
'''Bien sûr''' <br />
 +
of course
  
 
'''chasm'''<br />
 
'''chasm'''<br />
Line 75: Line 90:
 
==Page 425==
 
==Page 425==
  
'''Habitant ''soup aux pois'''''<br />
+
'''Habitant ''soupe aux pois'''''<br />
''Habitant'' is Québecois French for "farmer," though it seems like a brand name here. ''Soup aux pois'' is pea soup, very popular in Québec.
+
''Habitant'' is Québecois French for "farmer," though it seems like a brand name here. ''Soupe aux pois'' is pea soup, very popular in Québec.  Habitant is in fact a Canadian brand of soup made by the Campbell Company of Canada.
  
 
'''parodically'''<br />
 
'''parodically'''<br />
Line 87: Line 102:
  
 
'''burrs'''<br />
 
'''burrs'''<br />
protruding, ragged edges
+
rough and prickly seed husks prone to sticking to hair or fur
  
 
==Page 427==
 
==Page 427==
Line 96: Line 111:
 
'''''un autre'''''<br />
 
'''''un autre'''''<br />
 
an other, i.e., an outsider
 
an other, i.e., an outsider
 +
 +
'''''pursuivre le bonheur'''''<br />
 +
French: (properly <i>poursuivre</i>) pursuit of happiness
 +
 +
'''declivity'''<br />
 +
downward slope
 +
 +
'''idylls''' <br />
 +
simple and tranquil scenes of nature
  
 
'''supine'''<br />
 
'''supine'''<br />
Line 107: Line 131:
 
==Endnote 173==
 
==Endnote 173==
  
==[[IJE304|Endnote 304]]==
+
==Endnote 304==
 +
 
 +
[[Notes_and_Errata_-_Pages_983-1079#Endnote_304_.C2.B7_The_Train_Game|Notes and Errata - Endnote 304]]
  
 
==Page 428 (cont'd)==
 
==Page 428 (cont'd)==
Line 120: Line 146:
  
 
'''''D'éclaisant'''''<br />
 
'''''D'éclaisant'''''<br />
not a real French word
+
not a real French word <br/>
 +
"éclairer" is French for enlighten, so we can assume this is intended to mean enlightenment.
  
'''maffick'''<br />
+
'''mafficking'''<br />
to celebrate boisterously
+
boisterous celebration, back-formation from Mafeking (now Mafikeng), from the rejoicings at the relief of the siege there during the Boer War in 1900 —
 +
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition. Probably no connection intended with Tantivy Mucker-Maffick, a character in <i>Gravity's Rainbow</i>
  
 
==Page 430==
 
==Page 430==
Line 130: Line 158:
 
French: Between us
 
French: Between us
  
<span class="marker">430 · The Rest of the Eric Clipperton Story</span>
+
'''gendarmes''' <br />
 +
usually denoting the police force of France or a formerly French nation, here simply meaning law enforcement agencies
 +
 
 +
=The Rest of the Eric Clipperton Story=
  
 
==Page 430==
 
==Page 430==
 +
 +
'''perfunctory''' <br />
 +
performed with minimal effort or care, done just out of routine or duty
  
 
==Page 431==
 
==Page 431==
  
 
'''slider'''<br />
 
'''slider'''<br />
a breaking pitch in baseball that curves down and out, with much more speed than a typical curveball
+
in tennis, a slider is a sliced serve with side spin.  Refer [http://www.optimumtennis.net/tennis-slice-serve.htm here]. 
  
 
[[Subsidized Time|Year of the Whopper]]
 
[[Subsidized Time|Year of the Whopper]]
Line 148: Line 182:
  
 
'''PowerBook'''<br />
 
'''PowerBook'''<br />
an IBM brand of laptop computer
+
an Apple brand of laptop computer, preceding the MacBook
  
 
'''vig'''<br />
 
'''vig'''<br />
interest, as on a loan from a loan shark
+
the amount charged by a bookie for facilitating bets
  
 
==Page 432==
 
==Page 432==
 +
 +
'''codicil'''<br />
 +
NOAD: an addition or supplement that explains, modifies, or revokes a will or part of one
  
 
'''CPR'''<br />
 
'''CPR'''<br />
Cardiopulonary resuscitation
+
cardiopulmonary resuscitation
  
 
'''Winchester'''<br />
 
'''Winchester'''<br />
Line 162: Line 199:
  
 
'''counsel'''<br />
 
'''counsel'''<br />
purpose, plan, or design
+
in this context, advice or guidance, especially that given formally. It can also be used to refer to attorney(s)
  
 
'''whey'''<br />
 
'''whey'''<br />
Line 168: Line 205:
  
 
==Page 433==
 
==Page 433==
 +
 +
'''green-gilled''' <br />
 +
i.e., green about the gills, about to vomit
  
 
'''miasma'''<br />
 
'''miasma'''<br />
a noxious atmosphere
+
NOAD: a highly unpleasant or unhealthy smell or vapor
  
 
'''cordite'''<br />
 
'''cordite'''<br />
a propellant used in place of gunpowder in firearms
+
NOAD: a smokeless explosive made from nitrocellulose, nitroglycerine, and petroleum jelly, used in ammunition.
  
 
'''Crawfordsville, Indiana'''<br />
 
'''Crawfordsville, Indiana'''<br />
Line 180: Line 220:
 
'''Veedersburg IN'''<br />
 
'''Veedersburg IN'''<br />
 
this town lies 22 miles west of Crawfordsville on Route 74
 
this town lies 22 miles west of Crawfordsville on Route 74
 +
 +
'''bradykinetic'''<br />
 +
[physiology] extremely slow in movement [The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary]
  
 
==Page 434==
 
==Page 434==
  
 
'''vicissitude'''<br />
 
'''vicissitude'''<br />
a change or variation in the course of something
+
a change or variation in the course of something;
 +
or a hardship due to chance
  
 
'''votaried'''<br />
 
'''votaried'''<br />
filled with devotion
+
neologism: a participle has been made of the noun votary: OED: One who is devoted to a particular religion, or to some form of worship or religious observance; a devotee.
  
<span class="marker">434 · Gately's Other Job</span>
+
=Gately's Other Job=
  
 
==Page 434==
 
==Page 434==
Line 197: Line 241:
  
 
'''cab of his 4 X 4'''<br />
 
'''cab of his 4 X 4'''<br />
A 4 X 4 is a pick-up truck and the cab is where people sit.
+
A 4 X 4 is a vehicle having 4 wheels, each of which is powered; and the cab is where people sit.
  
 
'''sub-table'''<br />
 
'''sub-table'''<br />
 
under the table, i.e., off the books so that taxes don't have to be paid
 
under the table, i.e., off the books so that taxes don't have to be paid
 +
 +
'''yutzes'''<br />
 +
plural of the Yiddish word "yutz" meaning fool (See [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_words_of_Yiddish_origin Wikipedia])
  
 
==Page 435==
 
==Page 435==
  
 
'''colostomy'''<br />
 
'''colostomy'''<br />
a procedure by which feces exit the body via a hole in a person's side into a bag, rather than via the anus
+
a procedure by which feces exit the body via an opening in the abdominal wall into a bag, rather than via the anus
 +
 
 +
'''Kaposi's Sarcoma'''<br />
 +
a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaposi%27s_sarcoma type of viral cancer] caused by HHV8 that is perhaps best known for causing skin lesions, among many other types of lesions. It is often seen in the setting of immune system dysfunction, as caused by HIV infection / AIDS
 +
 
 +
'''suppurating'''<br />
 +
oozing pus
 +
 
 +
'''D.T.s'''<br />
 +
shaking frenzy, from the Latin [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delirium_tremens ''delirium tremens''], seen most often in early alcohol withdrawal
 +
 
 +
'''sperm'''<br />
 +
actually, undoubtedly, semen with its attendant sperm
 +
 
 +
'''spermy'''<br />
 +
see previous note
  
 
'''B&E'''<br />
 
'''B&E'''<br />
 
Breaking and Entry, i.e., burglary
 
Breaking and Entry, i.e., burglary
 +
 +
'''finski'''<br />
 +
slang: $5 bill
  
 
'''Kools'''<br />
 
'''Kools'''<br />
Line 221: Line 286:
 
a funny remark
 
a funny remark
  
<span class="marker">436 · More O.N.A.N. History</span>
+
=More O.N.A.N.T.A. History=
  
 
==Page 436==
 
==Page 436==
Line 234: Line 299:
  
 
'''NaCN'''<br />
 
'''NaCN'''<br />
sodium cyanide
+
sodium cyanide is among the most rapidly acting of all known poisons
 +
 
 +
'''rivet'''<br />
 +
a type of pin or bolt; DFW is likely playing off the phrase "dead as a doornail" here
  
 
'''acrostics'''<br />
 
'''acrostics'''<br />
These are "set(s) of words arranged in a square such that they read the same horizontally and vertically" (''American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language'').
+
Dr. Rusk might be composing acrostic poems, in which the first letters of each line, read sequentially, spell a word or phrase or create a mnemonic device, but it's more likely that she's solving [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrostic_(puzzle) acrostic puzzles], in which the letters comprising a quotation (typically 180-225) are scrambled into a set of clued entries (most commonly 22-26), the first letters of which spell out the name of the author of the quotation and the work in which it appears.
  
 
'''dewimpled'''<br />
 
'''dewimpled'''<br />
like defrocked, except for a nun
+
like defrocked, except for a nun. The Carmelites being a Roman Catholic Order which puts an emphasis on contemplation.
  
 
==Page 438==
 
==Page 438==
Line 251: Line 319:
 
'''Minister of Environment and Resource-Development Enterprises'''<br />
 
'''Minister of Environment and Resource-Development Enterprises'''<br />
 
The initials spell ''merde'', which is French for "shit."
 
The initials spell ''merde'', which is French for "shit."
 +
 +
'''Candida albicans'''<br />
 +
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candida_albicans a dimorphic fungus] associated with yeast infections in humans
  
 
'''macrocartographic'''<br />
 
'''macrocartographic'''<br />
immense and involved with maps
+
neologism: immense and involved with maps
  
 
==Page 438 (cont'd)==
 
==Page 438 (cont'd)==
Line 259: Line 330:
 
'''Sino-temporal-endorsement'''<br />
 
'''Sino-temporal-endorsement'''<br />
 
Chinese-style-time-sponsorship; a reference to China's use of animal signs to date the years (Year of the Dog, Pig, Rat, etc.); the obvious inspiration or model for [[Subsidized Time]].
 
Chinese-style-time-sponsorship; a reference to China's use of animal signs to date the years (Year of the Dog, Pig, Rat, etc.); the obvious inspiration or model for [[Subsidized Time]].
 
  
 
[[Subsidized Time|Year of the Whopper]]
 
[[Subsidized Time|Year of the Whopper]]
Line 274: Line 344:
 
'''Rantoul IL'''<br />
 
'''Rantoul IL'''<br />
 
a town 125 miles south-southwest of Chicago
 
a town 125 miles south-southwest of Chicago
 +
 +
'''ACROMEGALIC'''<br />
 +
suffering from acromegaly, a chronic disease characterized by enlarged bones of the extremities, face, and jaw, caused by excessive secretion of growth hormone by the pituitary gland
  
 
'''Ithaca NY'''<br />
 
'''Ithaca NY'''<br />
Line 304: Line 377:
  
 
'''chapeau'''<br />
 
'''chapeau'''<br />
hat
+
French: hat
  
 
==Page 441==
 
==Page 441==
Line 311: Line 384:
 
French: my dear
 
French: my dear
  
'''Cerberus'''<br />
+
'''"look into my eyes: no new enhancements"'''<br />
in Greek mythology, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerberus three-headed dog] that guards Hades
+
Cf. George H. W. Bush saying "Read my lips: no new taxes" during his 1988 election campaign (See [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Read_my_lips:_no_new_taxes Wikipedia]).
 +
 
 +
'''Cerberus-horned'''<br />
 +
malaprop: In Greek mythology, this the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerberus three-headed dog] that guards the entrance to Hades.  President Gentle is mixing his mythological metaphors here: Cerberus's three heads were not horned, as was that of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minotaur Minotaur], with its bull's head on the body of a man.
  
 
'''Achilles' tendon'''<br />
 
'''Achilles' tendon'''<br />
a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achilles%27_tendon tendon] in the back of the leg, near the foot
+
malaprop: A [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achilles%27_tendon tendon] in the back of the leg, near the foot, named for the great Greek hero of the Trojan War.  But Achilles was mortally wounded by Paris's poisoned arrow, not by a thorn, which instead figures prominently in Aesop's tale of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_and_the_Mouse  <i>The Lion and the Mouse</i>], which is thematically related to the folk tale not in Aesop, <i>Androcles and the Lion</i>.
  
 
==Page 442==
 
==Page 442==
  
 
'''canter'''<br />
 
'''canter'''<br />
an easy gallop
+
NOAD: a three-beat gait of a horse or other quadruped between a trot and a gallop:
  
 
'''Ixnayish'''<br />
 
'''Ixnayish'''<br />
Remove -ish, and you have Pig Latin for "nix."
+
Remove -ish, and you have Pig Latin for "nix." - the hand gesture is negative, no-saying, with intent to end Gentle's utterance
  
 
'''H.U.D.'''<br />
 
'''H.U.D.'''<br />

Latest revision as of 02:19, 2 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!

April 30th/May 1st, YDAU - Marathe & Steeply on the A.F.R.'s motives

Page 418

Page 419

capricious
subject to acting on a whim

Caillou Bay
caillou = quail in French. You can see a map of southern Louisiana here.

Cajun
a corruption of Acadian, a French-speaking people dwelling in the woods of Louisiana, having emigrated there from French Canada two hundred years ago

Taurus PT9
You can see this pistol here.

unsafetied
The gun's safety is off.

longshoremen
Dock workers who load and unload ships.

caricaturesque
neologism: pertaining to a depiction of someone that exaggerates certain facial or bodily characteristics

Page 420

subsumption
the act of placing something under a more comprehensive category

rôle
This is how we used to spell "role" in English and how it's still spelled in French.

Edmonton
the capital of Alberta

Page 421

Ragheads
derogatory term for people who wear keffiyehs or turbans

malice
desire to do harm

delineatable
exactly describable

Page 422

vacuous
lacking in ideas or intelligence

Shining Path
Maoist guerrilla group in Peru (Wikipedia)

Maxwell House
a brand of coffee

M. Kemp
as in Monsieur Kemp, i.e., Jack Kemp, implying he was assassinated with a bomb in his house

Very Large Satan
or "Great Satan," if you will

Page 423

utilitaire
utilitarian, i.e., providing the greatest good for the greatest number

Comme on dit
French: Like they say

burning some k. down
what is k.?? presumably kilometers (kerosene or kindling fits the context better, I wot)

Page 424

sacrosanct
inviolable

Bien sûr
of course

chasm
a gorge or deep cleft in the earth's surface

Page 425

Habitant soupe aux pois
Habitant is Québecois French for "farmer," though it seems like a brand name here. Soupe aux pois is pea soup, very popular in Québec. Habitant is in fact a Canadian brand of soup made by the Campbell Company of Canada.

parodically
in a sarcastic or mocking way

Page 426

Safeway
a chain of supermarkets

burrs
rough and prickly seed husks prone to sticking to hair or fur

Page 427

ami
French: friend

un autre
an other, i.e., an outsider

pursuivre le bonheur
French: (properly poursuivre) pursuit of happiness

declivity
downward slope

idylls
simple and tranquil scenes of nature

supine
on one's back

Page 428

ponderous
awkward or unwieldy

Endnote 173

Endnote 304

Notes and Errata - Endnote 304

Page 428 (cont'd)

Veuillez Recycler Ce Contenant
French: Please Recycle This Container

en ce moment
French: at this moment

Page 429

D'éclaisant
not a real French word
"éclairer" is French for enlighten, so we can assume this is intended to mean enlightenment.

mafficking
boisterous celebration, back-formation from Mafeking (now Mafikeng), from the rejoicings at the relief of the siege there during the Boer War in 1900 — Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition. Probably no connection intended with Tantivy Mucker-Maffick, a character in Gravity's Rainbow

Page 430

Entre nous
French: Between us

gendarmes
usually denoting the police force of France or a formerly French nation, here simply meaning law enforcement agencies

The Rest of the Eric Clipperton Story

Page 430

perfunctory
performed with minimal effort or care, done just out of routine or duty

Page 431

slider
in tennis, a slider is a sliced serve with side spin. Refer here.

Year of the Whopper

Forest Lawn NNY
a town in New York state, on Lake Ontario

cuirass
a piece of armor covering the heart

PowerBook
an Apple brand of laptop computer, preceding the MacBook

vig
the amount charged by a bookie for facilitating bets

Page 432

codicil
NOAD: an addition or supplement that explains, modifies, or revokes a will or part of one

CPR
cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Winchester
a city in Massachusetts about 8.5 miles northwest of Boston

counsel
in this context, advice or guidance, especially that given formally. It can also be used to refer to attorney(s)

whey
the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained

Page 433

green-gilled
i.e., green about the gills, about to vomit

miasma
NOAD: a highly unpleasant or unhealthy smell or vapor

cordite
NOAD: a smokeless explosive made from nitrocellulose, nitroglycerine, and petroleum jelly, used in ammunition.

Crawfordsville, Indiana
a town about 45 miles northwest of Indianapolis

Veedersburg IN
this town lies 22 miles west of Crawfordsville on Route 74

bradykinetic
[physiology] extremely slow in movement [The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary]

Page 434

vicissitude
a change or variation in the course of something; or a hardship due to chance

votaried
neologism: a participle has been made of the noun votary: OED: One who is devoted to a particular religion, or to some form of worship or religious observance; a devotee.

Gately's Other Job

Page 434

Jamaica Plain
a section of Boston

cab of his 4 X 4
A 4 X 4 is a vehicle having 4 wheels, each of which is powered; and the cab is where people sit.

sub-table
under the table, i.e., off the books so that taxes don't have to be paid

yutzes
plural of the Yiddish word "yutz" meaning fool (See Wikipedia)

Page 435

colostomy
a procedure by which feces exit the body via an opening in the abdominal wall into a bag, rather than via the anus

Kaposi's Sarcoma
a type of viral cancer caused by HHV8 that is perhaps best known for causing skin lesions, among many other types of lesions. It is often seen in the setting of immune system dysfunction, as caused by HIV infection / AIDS

suppurating
oozing pus

D.T.s
shaking frenzy, from the Latin delirium tremens, seen most often in early alcohol withdrawal

sperm
actually, undoubtedly, semen with its attendant sperm

spermy
see previous note

B&E
Breaking and Entry, i.e., burglary

finski
slang: $5 bill

Kools
a brand of menthol cigarettes

Page 436

mobilely upward
that is to say, upwardly mobile

witticism
a funny remark

More O.N.A.N.T.A. History

Page 436

Davis
a city in California about 15 miles west of Sacramento

Quik
a powder mix used to make chocolate milk

Page 437

NaCN
sodium cyanide is among the most rapidly acting of all known poisons

rivet
a type of pin or bolt; DFW is likely playing off the phrase "dead as a doornail" here

acrostics
Dr. Rusk might be composing acrostic poems, in which the first letters of each line, read sequentially, spell a word or phrase or create a mnemonic device, but it's more likely that she's solving acrostic puzzles, in which the letters comprising a quotation (typically 180-225) are scrambled into a set of clued entries (most commonly 22-26), the first letters of which spell out the name of the author of the quotation and the work in which it appears.

dewimpled
like defrocked, except for a nun. The Carmelites being a Roman Catholic Order which puts an emphasis on contemplation.

Page 438

Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V (1741-1801) was an American general during the Revolutionary War who turned traitor for the British.

Endnote 176

Minister of Environment and Resource-Development Enterprises
The initials spell merde, which is French for "shit."

Candida albicans
a dimorphic fungus associated with yeast infections in humans

macrocartographic
neologism: immense and involved with maps

Page 438 (cont'd)

Sino-temporal-endorsement
Chinese-style-time-sponsorship; a reference to China's use of animal signs to date the years (Year of the Dog, Pig, Rat, etc.); the obvious inspiration or model for Subsidized Time.

Year of the Whopper

orts
scraps of food

CONCORD
the capital of New Hampshire

CLEMSON
a university in South Carolina

Rantoul IL
a town 125 miles south-southwest of Chicago

ACROMEGALIC
suffering from acromegaly, a chronic disease characterized by enlarged bones of the extremities, face, and jaw, caused by excessive secretion of growth hormone by the pituitary gland

Ithaca NY
a town in upstate New York, home to Cornell University

Page 439

camp
deliberately artificial or vulgar -- sometimes referring specifically to gay humor

robber-baron
Wikipedia defines robber-barons as "businessmen and bankers who dominated their respective industries and amassed huge personal fortunes, typically as a direct result of pursuing various allegedly anti-competitive or unfair business practices."

Ollster
a nickname for Oliver, like "Ollie"

"...one slim cat with an outsized leg..."
i.e., Orin Incandenza

Page 440

placative
intending to pacify or calm

quadrennial
occurring every four years

pulchritudinous
good-looking

chapeau
French: hat

Page 441

cheri
French: my dear

"look into my eyes: no new enhancements"
Cf. George H. W. Bush saying "Read my lips: no new taxes" during his 1988 election campaign (See Wikipedia).

Cerberus-horned
malaprop: In Greek mythology, this the three-headed dog that guards the entrance to Hades. President Gentle is mixing his mythological metaphors here: Cerberus's three heads were not horned, as was that of the Minotaur, with its bull's head on the body of a man.

Achilles' tendon
malaprop: A tendon in the back of the leg, near the foot, named for the great Greek hero of the Trojan War. But Achilles was mortally wounded by Paris's poisoned arrow, not by a thorn, which instead figures prominently in Aesop's tale of The Lion and the Mouse, which is thematically related to the folk tale not in Aesop, Androcles and the Lion.

Page 442

canter
NOAD: a three-beat gait of a horse or other quadruped between a trot and a gallop:

Ixnayish
Remove -ish, and you have Pig Latin for "nix." - the hand gesture is negative, no-saying, with intent to end Gentle's utterance

H.U.D.
Housing and Urban Development


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