Thomas Pynchon Wiki - User contributions [en]

Chapter 41: 410-421

2008-09-11T20:23:15Z

Rjsutherland: /* Page 413 */

==Page 410==
'''Nonpareil''' 
from [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/nonpareil Wiktionary]:
# A person or thing that has no equal; a paragon.
# A small, flat chocolate drop covered with white pellets of sugar.

'''Lepton Castle''' 
"Lepton" is Greek money. It is also a subatomic particle. See, also, [http://waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l&month=9712&msg=22311&sort=date "Dinn's Notes": MDMD(14) Notes & Questions Part 1, 410.16]

'''his Lordship''' 
[[L#lepton|Lord Lepton]]

==Page 411==
'''Tallow Dips, and the last feeble Rush-Light''' 
"The first candles probably consisted of dried rushes soaked in grease.
Homemade rushlights were commonly used in England as late as 1800
because, although they smoked and smelled horribly, they were so
cheap ... Eventually someone discovered the method of making a "tallow dip"
with a wick running longitudinally through its center. The wick -- a few
threads of flax, hemp, or cotton, lightly twisted or plaited -- was dipped
in melted tallow and allowed to cool, again and again, until the candle
had a desired thickness" -- [http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/natbltn/500-599/nb590.htm ''Candles''. Nature Bulletin No. 590. Forest Preserve District of Cook County. February 6, 1960]

Note that the lighting technologies are listed regressively, as if moving back through time.

'''Bloomeries''' 
bloomery -- a forge in which wrought iron is made straight from ore ([http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bloomery Wiktionary])

'''Invisible Hand''' 
“Adam Smith's notion that rational agents guided by their own self-interest would act in such a way as to promote the public interest, the foundation of laissez-faire economics which caused much of the misery associated with the Industrial Revolution” – [http://www.hyperarts.com/pynchon/mason-dixon/alpha/i.html HyperArts entry: Invisible Hand]

==Page 412==
'''Gangue''' 
"(mining) The earthy waste substances occurring in metallic ore" -- [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Gangue Wiktionary]

'''more room inside than could possibly be contained in the sorrowing ruin''' 
Cf. "a Conveyance, wherein the inside is quite noticeably larger than the outside", [[Chapter 35: 349-361|Ch. 35 p. 354]]

'''Plafond''' 
“Plafond, in a broad sense, is any (flat, vaulted or dome) ceiling of any premise. Plafond can be product of monumental and decorative painting and sculpture; subject or ornamental - also is designated by the term "Plafond". Picturesque plafonds can be executed directly on plaster (in technique of fresco, oil, glutinous, synthetic paints, etc.), on a canvas attached to a ceiling (panel), a mosaic, and other methods. As a part of decorative furniture of church and palace stateroom plafonds received a wide circulation in 17 - beginning of 19 centuries. For plafond compositions of this period typically use of effect of illusory break in architectural in open or proceeding behind a ceiling space, the image of figures and architectural details in strong foreshortenings.” – [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plafond Wikipedia]

'''silver sconce and Sperm Taper Light''' 
"sperm taper is a candle made from spermaceti or sperm oil. sconce, LME, aphetic fr Fr esconse = hiding place or lantern, or fr med Lat sconsa aphetic fr absconsa (laterna) = dark (lantern), 1 a) A lantern or candlestick with a screen to protect the light from the wind, and a handle for carrying, LMW-M18, b) a flat candlestick with a handle, M19, 2 A bracket for a candle or a light hung on or fixed to an interior wall, rare M19." -- [http://osdir.com/ml/culture.literature.thomas-pynchon/2002-03/msg00114.html from MDMD Dinn's notes on Ch. 41]

==Page 413==
'''from the Oboick Reveries of the Besozzis, as the Imperial Melismata of Quantz''' 
* Besozzis: probably Antonio Besozzi and his son Carlo Besozzi, oboists and composers (numerous gifted woodwind players apparently sprung from the Besozzi family tree)
* Melismata: plural form of melism, “a melody or melodic sequence of notes. Usually spec. (in singing and vocal composition): the prolongation of one syllable over a number of notes; an instance of this” – the OED
* Quantz, Johann Joaquim (1697-1773): German flautist and composer, and court composer for Frederick II, the Great. He wrote a treatise on flute playing and composed a huge quantity of pieces for the flute.

Question: Did Quantz compose a piece entitled "Melismata"?

No, but he wrote a treatise on Flute Playing which deals with ornamentation such as Melismata - see [http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Topics/Ornamentation.htm]

Trivia: Quantz and Carlo Besozzi were both oboists for the Dresden court: Carlo from 1754 until his death; Quantz seemingly earlier as he entered Frederick the Great's service in 1741.

'''Hurricanoe''' 
“aka "Hurricane" (a large private party - 18th cent.)” – [http://www.hyperarts.com/pynchon/mason-dixon/alpha/h.html HyperArts entry: Hurricanoe/Hurricane]

==Page 414==
'''Climbers' Discourse''' 
???

'''behave inconveniently''' 
[[I#inconvenience|Inconvenience]] again, see entry on [[Chapter 40:399-409| page 401]].

'''Churs of Stroud''' 
Churs = electors???
Stroud = Stroud, Gloucestershire UK: [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=stroud+United+Kingdom&ie=UTF8&om=1 Google Map]

'''Calvert agent''' 
Calvert County Realtors - Calvert Agents In Maryland.

==Page 415==
'''Raby Castle''' 
[[Image:RubyCastle.jpg|thumb|Raby Castle from Jones' Views (1819)|right]]
"Raby Castle [...] near Staindrop, County Durham is one of the largest inhabited castles in England. It has opulent eighteenth and nineteenth century interiors inside a largely unchanged late medieval shell. It is a Grade I listed building. Raby once belonged to the Neville family, who became one of the most powerful in England" -- [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raby_Castle Wikipedia]

[http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=raby+castle,+Staindrop,+County+Durham&sll=54.630531,-1.773605&sspn=0.168921,0.460739&ie=UTF8&ll=54.595166,-1.808538&spn=0.010567,0.028796&z=15&iwloc=addr&om=1 Google Maps]

'''Brunswick style''' 
worn with a petticoat, the Brunswick was an informal gown or Riding Habit. A riding habit consisted of a petticoat, jacket, and waistcoat.

'''wine-colored Cordovan''' 
a favorite boot color of TRP's. There is a "wine-cordovan boot" on page 121 of ATD, also a female's.

'''French Court heels''' 
Ladies of the French court once carried canes to support themselves on uncomfortable high heels. Heels became lower after the French Revolution, not surprisingly.

'''Iron Nabob''' 
Nabob (from [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/nabob Wiktionary]):
#an Indian ruler within the Mogul empire; a nawab
#(by extension) someone of great wealth or importance

'''Phrygioid if not Phrygian''' 
According to unvarying tradition the Phrygians were most closely akin to certain tribes of Macedonia and Thrace; and their near relationship to the Hellenic stock is proved by all that is known of their language and
art, and is accepted by almost every modern authority. -- [http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Phrygia Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 th edition]. Pynchon's wit makes up the word Phrygioid to mean something like "like Phrygian" that is fake Phyrgian due to the prevalence of 'British modality'--preceding phrase.

"Phrygian Mode - A lot of traditional music, especially Scottish and Irish is termed 'Modal' because it does not follow the conventional modern major or
minor scales. There are seven modes, and Phrygian is the one that starts with E." --[http://www.themodernword.com/pynchon/levy_mason_and_dixon.pdf Toby Levy's ''Three Pages Per Day'' Project]

==Page 416==
'''pierc'd paint Eyes of Nevilles and Vanes''' 
"Presumably like some Hammer House of Horror movie there is a tunnel passing behind the portraits in the gallery" ([http://osdir.com/ml/culture.literature.thomas-pynchon/2002-03/msg00114.html from MDMD Dinn's notes on Ch. 41]). Raby's castle was once held by the Nevilles ([http://www.rabycastle.com/history/nevills_raby.htm Raby Castle History: Nevilles]) and was later passed to the Vanes ([http://www.rabycastle.com/history/vanes_raby.htm Raby Castle History: Vanes]).

'''Bellezza, che chiama''' 
"a beauty that beckons" - [http://www.hyperarts.com/pynchon/mason-dixon/alpha/i.html HyperArts entry: Italian Translations]

'''multiply-bepoxed''' 
??? suggestion that he has syphilis???

'''after three of these trans-Stygian Years, become Journeyman''' 
Stygian (from [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/stygian Wiktionary]):
#Dark and gloomy
#Infernal or hellish
#Of, or relating to the river Styx

==Page 417==
'''Chatelaine''' 
from [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/chatelaine Wiktionary]:
#The mistress of a castle or large household.
#A chain or clasp worn at the waist by women in the 16th to the 19th centuries, with handkerchief, keys, etc., attached.

'''Mignonette''' 
"A type of fine French bobbin lace made in narrow strips and having the consistency of tulle. Occas. more fully mignonette lace. Now hist" -- OED

'''Great Chain of Being this, Great Chain of Being that, [...] this rather lengthy ''Chain'' [...] Is there something [...] dangling from its bottom end?''' 
The great chain of being is a classical and western medieval conception of the order of the universe, whose chief characteristic is a strict hierarchical system. 
It is a conception of the world's structure that was accepted, and unquestioned, by most educated men from the time of Lucretius until the Copernican and Darwinian revolution and the ultimate flowering of the Renaissance. The chain of being is composed of a great number of hierarchal links, from the most basic and foundational elements up through the very highest perfection, in other words, God, or the Prime Mover. 
God, and beneath him the angels, both existing wholly in spirit form, sit at the top of the chain. Earthly flesh is fallible and ever-changing: mutable. Spirit, however, is unchanging and permanent. This sense of permanence is crucial to understanding this conception of reality. One does not abandon one's place in the chain; it is not only unthinkable, but generally impossible. The hierarchy is a chain and not a ladder. 
The natural order, earth (rock) is at the bottom of the chain; these elements possess only the attribute of existence. Moving on up the chain, each succeeding link contains the positive attributes of the previous link, and adds (at least) one other. Rocks, as above, possess only existence; the next link up, plants, possess life and existence. Beasts add not only motion, but appetite as well. 
Man is a special instance in this conception. He is both mortal flesh, as those below him, and also spirit. In this dichotomy, the struggle between flesh and spirit becomes a moral one. --abridged (slightly) from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Chain_of_Being Wikipedia]

Notice Pynchon's multimeaning playfulness with the "chains" of the Chainmen and, one must think, the chains of the slave trade. This joking on the concept by Lord Lepton seems to touch some deep themes of M & D.

What [creature] dangles at the bottom of the chain? Where does it "fall" if it 'fails to hold on'? One is reminded of the supposedly real witticism as joke about an Eastern creation myth. The Earth is held up by a turtle
which is held up by another turtle, someone explained. "And that turtle?" asks the interlocuter. "Another turtle"...."And that one"?......."O No, you're not going to trap me...it's turtles all the way down."

'''Perhaps it is a Helixxx''' 
DNA? Though note the suggestion of a snake. (Cf. "the Serpent," [[Chapter 13: 125-145|Ch. 13, p. 135]]; "Something underground, moving Westward," [[Chapter 30: 296-301|Ch. 30, p. 299]])

==Page 418==
'''fiduciary''' 
from [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fiduciary Wiktionary]:
#One who holds a thing in trust for another; a trustee.
#One who depends for salvation on faith, without works; an Antinomian.

'''nitter-natter''' 
??? chitter-chatter? ???

'''Staithes''' 
plural for Stath (from OED):
#The land bordering on water, a bank, shore.
#A landing-stage, wharf; esp. a waterside depôt for coals brought from the collieries for shipment, furnished with staging and shoots for loading vessels.
#An embankment.

"Staithes is an English village at the most northerly point of the North Yorkshire coast [...] Roxby Beck (a small river) running through Staithes is the border between North Yorkshire and neighbouring Redcar and Cleveland. Formerly one of the largest and most productive fishing centres in North-East England, Staithes is now largely a tourist destination thanks to its picturesque appearance [...] Staithes is noted for its sheltered harbour, bounded by high cliffs and two long breakwaters. A mile to the north, Boulby Cliff is the highest cliff in England" -- [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staithes Wikipedia]

'''You sound like one of those Leveler chaps''' 
Levelers or Levellers, English Puritan sect active at the time of the English civil war. The name was apparently applied to them in 1647, in derision of their beliefs in equality. The Levelers demanded fundamental constitutional reform—a written constitution, a single supreme representative body elected by universal manhood suffrage, proportional representation, and the abolition of monarchy and noble privilege. Their ideals, far in advance of their time, were those of complete religious and political equality. They were adept at the use of mass petitions and extensive pamphleteering to arouse the public. When the Long Parliament did not respond to their ideas, they tried to build support in the ranks of the army, with some success. -- Columbia Encyclopedia

==Page 419==
'''It is difficult in these days of closer-fitting Attire, to imagine the enormous volumes of unoccupied Space that once lay between is Skirt's outer Envelope and the woman's body far within.''' 
"Is this another case where inside and outside have wildly different metric
properties. And what about ''these days'' [?] Were skirts so much tighter in the 1780s than in the 1760s [?] If not then who is speaking and when?" -- [http://osdir.com/ml/culture.literature.thomas-pynchon/2002-03/msg00114.html from MDMD Dinn's notes on Ch. 41]

'''Majordomos''' 
Plural form of Majordomo (from [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/majordomos Wiktionary]):
#The head servant in a wealthy European household
#A butler

'''Soubrette''' 
a lightweight soprano voice or type of soprano role, frequently found in comic operas or operettas; the soubrette usually possesses a flirtatious demeanor and street wise manner, as in the case of Adele in Die Fledermaus, or is a particularly fetching country innocent, like Adina in The Elixir of Love. Webster's online dictionary.

==Page 420==
'''Otick Catarrh''' 
Mason is suggesting he will get an ear ache (or infection) from Dixon's "loud" and "moist" whisperings:
*Octic - "(anatomy) of, relating/pertaining to, or located near the ear" ([http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Otic Wiktionary]) 
*Catarrh - "inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose and throat" ([http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Catarrh Wiktionary])

'''Ague''' 
Apogee (from [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/apogee Wiktionary]):
# (astronomy) That point in the orbit of any object which is at the greatest distance from the center of the central body. For example, the point in the moon's orbit which is the greatest distance from the center of the earth.
# The highest point.

'''Viudas de Cristo''' 
Spanish: "The Widows of Christ"

==Page 421==
'''Paradise of Chance''' 
Cf. [http://against-the-day.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=C#chums The Chums of Chance in ''Against the Day''].

A-and from an article on the Ancient Greek philosopher perhaps most associated with the concept of Chance, Democritus: "it[chance] seems to be an attempt to show how an apparently ordered arrangement can arise automatically, as a byproduct of the random collisions of bodies in motion. No attractive forces or purposes need be introduced to explain the sorting by the tide or in the sieve: it is probable that this is an attempt to show how apparently orderly effects can be produced without goal-directioned forces or purpose." [http://plato.stanford.edu/search/searcher.py?query=democritus Democritus] 
Such a condition would be Paradisaical in Pynchon's anti-determinism vision.

'''E-O Wheel''' 
"Even Odds"; a roulette (French: "small wheel") wheel, a gambling game based on opposing pairs, e.g. black/white, even/odd, in which players bet on which red or black numbered compartment of a revolving wheel a small ball (spun in the opposite direction) will come to rest within. Bets are placed on a table marked to correspond with the compartments of the wheel.

==Annotation Index==

{{MD PbP}}

Chapter 36: 362-370

2008-09-11T19:31:18Z

Rjsutherland: /* Page 369 */

==Page 362==
'''The Driver, having observed through the low clouds, candle-lit Windows in the Distance ... The rush of the Weather past the smooth outer Shell ... Link-men waiting in a double line ... their torches sparking intensely yellow''' 
Is the coach flying? Are the Link-men's torches illuminating the outer-edges of a landing strip?

'''Cremona Violin''' 
Cremona is a town in Italy. "From the 16th century onwards, Cremona was renowned as a centre of musical instrument manufacture, beginning with the violins of the Amati family, and later included the products of the Guarneri and Stradivari shops. To the present day, their work is widely considered to be the summit of achievement in string instrument making" -- [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cremona#Music Wikipedia]

'''Zouks''' 
Souks. Middle-Eastern bazaars, from Arabic ''suq'' - marketplace

==Page 363==
'''"Another bonny gahn-on tha've got us into"''' 
Reference to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Another_Fine_Mess Laurel and Hardy] ("That's another fine mess you've gotten us into!")?

==Page 364==
'''in strata''' 
This image of layering appears frequently in the text--compare this image, for example, with the descriptions of Cape Town which also had a multifaceted society, with various groups layered, operating with large degrees of independence. See, also, [[Chapter 50: 484-490|"as above, so below" (ch. 50, p. 487)]] and [[C#chain|Great Chain of Being]].

'''trans-Elemental Uncle Toby''' 
Uncle Toby is a character created by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_Sterne Laurence Sterne] in his major novel, ''The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman''.
Laurence Sterne (November 24, 1713 – March 18, 1768) was an Irish-born English novelist and an Anglican clergyman. He is best known for his novel, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Life_and_Opinions_of_Tristram_Shandy%2C_Gentleman ''The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman].

[http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/tristram/terms/char_4.html Sparks Notes] notes that "after sustaining a groin-wound in battle, he [Uncle Toby] retires to a life of obsessive attention to the history and science of military fortifications." Mr. [[K#Knockwood|Mr. Knockwood]] was also obsessed with fortifying his home front, though his concerns were directed towards the element of water.

==Page 365==
'''The Assembly Room is not Bath''' 
"Bath is a city in Somerset, England most famous for its baths fed by three hot springs. It is situated 99 miles (159 km) west of Central London and 13 miles (21 km) south east of Bristol.

The city is founded around the only naturally occurring hot springs in the United Kingdom. It was first documented as a Roman spa, although tradition suggests that it was founded earlier. The waters from its spring were believed to be a cure for many afflictions. From Elizabethan to Georgian times it was a resort city for the wealthy." -- [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath,_Somerset Wikipedia]

'''Land-Jobbers''' 
I cannot find a good definition, but the term appears to refer to professional land dealers or developers; the terms seems to often have negative connotations, associated with underhanded dealings.

A jobber is a merchant middleman between producers and retailers. A wholesaler which buys in lots, "jobs", and resells to those who retail to end users.

'''Labor Crimps''' 
maritime labor brokers; in addition to signing up volunteers and negotiating for deserters, '''crimps''' routinely shanghaied "unfree" labor.

"Until 1915 unfree labor was widely used aboard American merchant ships. A person conscripted to such work was said to have been shanghaied when coercive techniques such as trickery, intimidation, or violence were used. Those engaged in this form of kidnapping were known as '''crimps'''. The related term ''press gang'' refers specifically to impressment practices in the British Royal Navy" -- [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghaiing Wikipedia]

Check out this interesting article on the topic: [http://www.well.com/user/sfflier/crimps.html "Down to the Sea in Ships" (''The San Francisco Flyer'' 9/25/97)].

Note that Pynchon (Wicks) uses the term "Body-jobbers" on p. 443 to refer to non-naval crimps.

'''crepuscular''' 
twilight; here used figuratively: dim or indistinct

'''Pleiades''' 
star cluster in Taurus, commonly called the ''Seven Sisters''

'''Legerdemain''' 
"Sleight of hand; "magic" trickery" -- [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Legerdemain Wiktionary]

'''dyspeptic''' 
indigestive

==Page 366==
'''Apiary''' 
"a place where bees are kept" -- [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/apiary Wiktionary]

'''Hanger''' 
strap on a sword belt that holds a sword or dagger, often ornate

'''brumal''' 
"Of, relating to, or occurring in winter ... Here's one of Pynchon's puns: Squire Haligast states 'Tis a brumal night, for behold it sweepeth by' -- [http://www.themodernword.com/pynchon/levy_mason_and_dixon.pdf Toby Levy's ''Mason & Dixon 3 Pages a Day'' Project]

'''gnomic''' 
"mysterious and often incomprehensible yet seemingly wise" -- [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gnomic Wiktionary]

==Page 367==
'''''batterie des couteaux''''' 
battery of knives

'''Eponym''' 
From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandwich Wiktionary]:
# A person whose name has become identified with a particular object or activity.
# A word formed from a person’s name, e.g. stentorian after the Greek herald Stentor.

In this case, the [[S#sandwich|Earl of Sandwich]], who, like [[L#lepton|Lord Lepton]], was a member of the [[H#hellfire|Hellfire Club]].

'''Wilkesite''' 
Follower of [[W#wilkes|John Wilkes]]?

"John Wilkes (17 October 1725–26 December 1797) was an English radical, journalist and politician. In the Middlesex election dispute, he fought for the right of voters — rather than the House of Commons — to determine their representatives. In 1771 he was instrumental in obliging the government to concede the right of printers to publish verbatim accounts of parliamentary debates. In 1776 he introduced the first Bill for parliamentary reform in the British Parliament. Wilkes' increasing conservatism as he grew older caused dissatsifaction among radicals and was instrumental in the loss of his Middlesex seat at the 1790 general election. Wilkes then retired from politics and took no part in the growth of radicalism in the 1790s" -- [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wilkes Wikipedia]

John Wilkes, like the [[S#sandwich|Earl of Sandwich]] and [[L#lepton|Lord Lepton]], a member of the [[H#hellfire|Hellfire Club]].

'''[[C#consubstantiate|consubstantiate]]''' 
The union of the "actual, substantial presence of the body of Christ with the bread and wine of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper" ([http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/consubstantiation Wiktionary]) as opposed to transubstantiate.

==Page 369==
'''the Frenchman sweeps off his Toque''' 
Toque – “(Canada) a winter hat that is often a woolen, cotton, or acrylic, tightly knit triangular shaped hat with a small pom-pom affixed at the top. Similar to military watch-cap” – [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/toque Wiktionary] 

but in this context, the tall white hat worn by chefs may be more appropriate...

'''incipient case of the Green Pip''' 
???

==Page 370==
'''Iliad of Inconvenience''' 
Another example of "inconvenience" meaning life, the unplannable details of one's life with others in the world. See [[I#Inconvenience|Inconvenience in the Alphabetic Index listing]] for other page references. As well as ATD, of course.

==Annotation Index==

{{MD PbP}}

Chapter 36: 362-370

2008-09-11T19:23:56Z

Rjsutherland: /* Page 362 */

==Page 362==
'''The Driver, having observed through the low clouds, candle-lit Windows in the Distance ... The rush of the Weather past the smooth outer Shell ... Link-men waiting in a double line ... their torches sparking intensely yellow''' 
Is the coach flying? Are the Link-men's torches illuminating the outer-edges of a landing strip?

'''Cremona Violin''' 
Cremona is a town in Italy. "From the 16th century onwards, Cremona was renowned as a centre of musical instrument manufacture, beginning with the violins of the Amati family, and later included the products of the Guarneri and Stradivari shops. To the present day, their work is widely considered to be the summit of achievement in string instrument making" -- [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cremona#Music Wikipedia]

'''Zouks''' 
Souks. Middle-Eastern bazaars, from Arabic ''suq'' - marketplace

==Page 363==
'''"Another bonny gahn-on tha've got us into"''' 
Reference to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Another_Fine_Mess Laurel and Hardy] ("That's another fine mess you've gotten us into!")?

==Page 364==
'''in strata''' 
This image of layering appears frequently in the text--compare this image, for example, with the descriptions of Cape Town which also had a multifaceted society, with various groups layered, operating with large degrees of independence. See, also, [[Chapter 50: 484-490|"as above, so below" (ch. 50, p. 487)]] and [[C#chain|Great Chain of Being]].

'''trans-Elemental Uncle Toby''' 
Uncle Toby is a character created by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_Sterne Laurence Sterne] in his major novel, ''The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman''.
Laurence Sterne (November 24, 1713 – March 18, 1768) was an Irish-born English novelist and an Anglican clergyman. He is best known for his novel, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Life_and_Opinions_of_Tristram_Shandy%2C_Gentleman ''The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman].

[http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/tristram/terms/char_4.html Sparks Notes] notes that "after sustaining a groin-wound in battle, he [Uncle Toby] retires to a life of obsessive attention to the history and science of military fortifications." Mr. [[K#Knockwood|Mr. Knockwood]] was also obsessed with fortifying his home front, though his concerns were directed towards the element of water.

==Page 365==
'''The Assembly Room is not Bath''' 
"Bath is a city in Somerset, England most famous for its baths fed by three hot springs. It is situated 99 miles (159 km) west of Central London and 13 miles (21 km) south east of Bristol.

The city is founded around the only naturally occurring hot springs in the United Kingdom. It was first documented as a Roman spa, although tradition suggests that it was founded earlier. The waters from its spring were believed to be a cure for many afflictions. From Elizabethan to Georgian times it was a resort city for the wealthy." -- [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath,_Somerset Wikipedia]

'''Land-Jobbers''' 
I cannot find a good definition, but the term appears to refer to professional land dealers or developers; the terms seems to often have negative connotations, associated with underhanded dealings.

A jobber is a merchant middleman between producers and retailers. A wholesaler which buys in lots, "jobs", and resells to those who retail to end users.

'''Labor Crimps''' 
maritime labor brokers; in addition to signing up volunteers and negotiating for deserters, '''crimps''' routinely shanghaied "unfree" labor.

"Until 1915 unfree labor was widely used aboard American merchant ships. A person conscripted to such work was said to have been shanghaied when coercive techniques such as trickery, intimidation, or violence were used. Those engaged in this form of kidnapping were known as '''crimps'''. The related term ''press gang'' refers specifically to impressment practices in the British Royal Navy" -- [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghaiing Wikipedia]

Check out this interesting article on the topic: [http://www.well.com/user/sfflier/crimps.html "Down to the Sea in Ships" (''The San Francisco Flyer'' 9/25/97)].

Note that Pynchon (Wicks) uses the term "Body-jobbers" on p. 443 to refer to non-naval crimps.

'''crepuscular''' 
twilight; here used figuratively: dim or indistinct

'''Pleiades''' 
star cluster in Taurus, commonly called the ''Seven Sisters''

'''Legerdemain''' 
"Sleight of hand; "magic" trickery" -- [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Legerdemain Wiktionary]

'''dyspeptic''' 
indigestive

==Page 366==
'''Apiary''' 
"a place where bees are kept" -- [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/apiary Wiktionary]

'''Hanger''' 
strap on a sword belt that holds a sword or dagger, often ornate

'''brumal''' 
"Of, relating to, or occurring in winter ... Here's one of Pynchon's puns: Squire Haligast states 'Tis a brumal night, for behold it sweepeth by' -- [http://www.themodernword.com/pynchon/levy_mason_and_dixon.pdf Toby Levy's ''Mason & Dixon 3 Pages a Day'' Project]

'''gnomic''' 
"mysterious and often incomprehensible yet seemingly wise" -- [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gnomic Wiktionary]

==Page 367==
'''''batterie des couteaux''''' 
battery of knives

'''Eponym''' 
From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandwich Wiktionary]:
# A person whose name has become identified with a particular object or activity.
# A word formed from a person’s name, e.g. stentorian after the Greek herald Stentor.

In this case, the [[S#sandwich|Earl of Sandwich]], who, like [[L#lepton|Lord Lepton]], was a member of the [[H#hellfire|Hellfire Club]].

'''Wilkesite''' 
Follower of [[W#wilkes|John Wilkes]]?

"John Wilkes (17 October 1725–26 December 1797) was an English radical, journalist and politician. In the Middlesex election dispute, he fought for the right of voters — rather than the House of Commons — to determine their representatives. In 1771 he was instrumental in obliging the government to concede the right of printers to publish verbatim accounts of parliamentary debates. In 1776 he introduced the first Bill for parliamentary reform in the British Parliament. Wilkes' increasing conservatism as he grew older caused dissatsifaction among radicals and was instrumental in the loss of his Middlesex seat at the 1790 general election. Wilkes then retired from politics and took no part in the growth of radicalism in the 1790s" -- [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wilkes Wikipedia]

John Wilkes, like the [[S#sandwich|Earl of Sandwich]] and [[L#lepton|Lord Lepton]], a member of the [[H#hellfire|Hellfire Club]].

'''[[C#consubstantiate|consubstantiate]]''' 
The union of the "actual, substantial presence of the body of Christ with the bread and wine of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper" ([http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/consubstantiation Wiktionary]) as opposed to transubstantiate.

==Page 369==
'''the Frenchman sweeps off his Toque''' 
Toque – “(Canada) a winter hat that is often a woolen, cotton, or acrylic, tightly knit triangular shaped hat with a small pom-pom affixed at the top. Similar to military watch-cap” – [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/toque Wiktionary]

'''incipient case of the Green Pip''' 
???

==Page 370==
'''Iliad of Inconvenience''' 
Another example of "inconvenience" meaning life, the unplannable details of one's life with others in the world. See [[I#Inconvenience|Inconvenience in the Alphabetic Index listing]] for other page references. As well as ATD, of course.

==Annotation Index==

{{MD PbP}}

Chapter 36: 362-370

2008-09-11T19:23:10Z

Rjsutherland: /* Page 362 */

==Page 362==
'''The Driver, having observed through the low clouds, candle-lit Windows in the Distance ... The rush of the Weather past the smooth outer Shell ... Link-men waiting in a double line ... their torches sparking intensely yellow''' 
Is the coach flying? Are the Link-men's torches illuminating the outer-edges of a landing strip?

'''Cremona Violin''' 
Cremona is a town in Italy. "From the 16th century onwards, Cremona was renowned as a centre of musical instrument manufacture, beginning with the violins of the Amati family, and later included the products of the Guarneri and Stradivari shops. To the present day, their work is widely considered to be the summit of achievement in string instrument making" -- [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cremona#Music Wikipedia]

'''Zouks''' 
Middle-Eastern bazaars, from Arabic ''suq'' - marketplace

==Page 363==
'''"Another bonny gahn-on tha've got us into"''' 
Reference to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Another_Fine_Mess Laurel and Hardy] ("That's another fine mess you've gotten us into!")?

==Page 364==
'''in strata''' 
This image of layering appears frequently in the text--compare this image, for example, with the descriptions of Cape Town which also had a multifaceted society, with various groups layered, operating with large degrees of independence. See, also, [[Chapter 50: 484-490|"as above, so below" (ch. 50, p. 487)]] and [[C#chain|Great Chain of Being]].

'''trans-Elemental Uncle Toby''' 
Uncle Toby is a character created by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_Sterne Laurence Sterne] in his major novel, ''The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman''.
Laurence Sterne (November 24, 1713 – March 18, 1768) was an Irish-born English novelist and an Anglican clergyman. He is best known for his novel, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Life_and_Opinions_of_Tristram_Shandy%2C_Gentleman ''The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman].

[http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/tristram/terms/char_4.html Sparks Notes] notes that "after sustaining a groin-wound in battle, he [Uncle Toby] retires to a life of obsessive attention to the history and science of military fortifications." Mr. [[K#Knockwood|Mr. Knockwood]] was also obsessed with fortifying his home front, though his concerns were directed towards the element of water.

==Page 365==
'''The Assembly Room is not Bath''' 
"Bath is a city in Somerset, England most famous for its baths fed by three hot springs. It is situated 99 miles (159 km) west of Central London and 13 miles (21 km) south east of Bristol.

The city is founded around the only naturally occurring hot springs in the United Kingdom. It was first documented as a Roman spa, although tradition suggests that it was founded earlier. The waters from its spring were believed to be a cure for many afflictions. From Elizabethan to Georgian times it was a resort city for the wealthy." -- [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath,_Somerset Wikipedia]

'''Land-Jobbers''' 
I cannot find a good definition, but the term appears to refer to professional land dealers or developers; the terms seems to often have negative connotations, associated with underhanded dealings.

A jobber is a merchant middleman between producers and retailers. A wholesaler which buys in lots, "jobs", and resells to those who retail to end users.

'''Labor Crimps''' 
maritime labor brokers; in addition to signing up volunteers and negotiating for deserters, '''crimps''' routinely shanghaied "unfree" labor.

"Until 1915 unfree labor was widely used aboard American merchant ships. A person conscripted to such work was said to have been shanghaied when coercive techniques such as trickery, intimidation, or violence were used. Those engaged in this form of kidnapping were known as '''crimps'''. The related term ''press gang'' refers specifically to impressment practices in the British Royal Navy" -- [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghaiing Wikipedia]

Check out this interesting article on the topic: [http://www.well.com/user/sfflier/crimps.html "Down to the Sea in Ships" (''The San Francisco Flyer'' 9/25/97)].

Note that Pynchon (Wicks) uses the term "Body-jobbers" on p. 443 to refer to non-naval crimps.

'''crepuscular''' 
twilight; here used figuratively: dim or indistinct

'''Pleiades''' 
star cluster in Taurus, commonly called the ''Seven Sisters''

'''Legerdemain''' 
"Sleight of hand; "magic" trickery" -- [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Legerdemain Wiktionary]

'''dyspeptic''' 
indigestive

==Page 366==
'''Apiary''' 
"a place where bees are kept" -- [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/apiary Wiktionary]

'''Hanger''' 
strap on a sword belt that holds a sword or dagger, often ornate

'''brumal''' 
"Of, relating to, or occurring in winter ... Here's one of Pynchon's puns: Squire Haligast states 'Tis a brumal night, for behold it sweepeth by' -- [http://www.themodernword.com/pynchon/levy_mason_and_dixon.pdf Toby Levy's ''Mason & Dixon 3 Pages a Day'' Project]

'''gnomic''' 
"mysterious and often incomprehensible yet seemingly wise" -- [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gnomic Wiktionary]

==Page 367==
'''''batterie des couteaux''''' 
battery of knives

'''Eponym''' 
From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandwich Wiktionary]:
# A person whose name has become identified with a particular object or activity.
# A word formed from a person’s name, e.g. stentorian after the Greek herald Stentor.

In this case, the [[S#sandwich|Earl of Sandwich]], who, like [[L#lepton|Lord Lepton]], was a member of the [[H#hellfire|Hellfire Club]].

'''Wilkesite''' 
Follower of [[W#wilkes|John Wilkes]]?

"John Wilkes (17 October 1725–26 December 1797) was an English radical, journalist and politician. In the Middlesex election dispute, he fought for the right of voters — rather than the House of Commons — to determine their representatives. In 1771 he was instrumental in obliging the government to concede the right of printers to publish verbatim accounts of parliamentary debates. In 1776 he introduced the first Bill for parliamentary reform in the British Parliament. Wilkes' increasing conservatism as he grew older caused dissatsifaction among radicals and was instrumental in the loss of his Middlesex seat at the 1790 general election. Wilkes then retired from politics and took no part in the growth of radicalism in the 1790s" -- [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wilkes Wikipedia]

John Wilkes, like the [[S#sandwich|Earl of Sandwich]] and [[L#lepton|Lord Lepton]], a member of the [[H#hellfire|Hellfire Club]].

'''[[C#consubstantiate|consubstantiate]]''' 
The union of the "actual, substantial presence of the body of Christ with the bread and wine of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper" ([http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/consubstantiation Wiktionary]) as opposed to transubstantiate.

==Page 369==
'''the Frenchman sweeps off his Toque''' 
Toque – “(Canada) a winter hat that is often a woolen, cotton, or acrylic, tightly knit triangular shaped hat with a small pom-pom affixed at the top. Similar to military watch-cap” – [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/toque Wiktionary]

'''incipient case of the Green Pip''' 
???

==Page 370==
'''Iliad of Inconvenience''' 
Another example of "inconvenience" meaning life, the unplannable details of one's life with others in the world. See [[I#Inconvenience|Inconvenience in the Alphabetic Index listing]] for other page references. As well as ATD, of course.

==Annotation Index==

{{MD PbP}}

Chapter 36: 362-370

2008-09-11T19:22:24Z

Rjsutherland: /* Page 362 */

==Page 362==
'''The Driver, having observed through the low clouds, candle-lit Windows in the Distance ... The rush of the Weather past the smooth outer Shell ... Link-men waiting in a double line ... their torches sparking intensely yellow''' 
Is the coach flying? Are the Link-men's torches illuminating the outer-edges of a landing strip?

'''Cremona Violin''' 
Cremona is a town in Italy. "From the 16th century onwards, Cremona was renowned as a centre of musical instrument manufacture, beginning with the violins of the Amati family, and later included the products of the Guarneri and Stradivari shops. To the present day, their work is widely considered to be the summit of achievement in string instrument making" -- [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cremona#Music Wikipedia]

'''Zouks'''
Middle-Eastern bazaars, from Arabic ''suq'' - marketplace

==Page 363==
'''"Another bonny gahn-on tha've got us into"''' 
Reference to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Another_Fine_Mess Laurel and Hardy] ("That's another fine mess you've gotten us into!")?

==Page 364==
'''in strata''' 
This image of layering appears frequently in the text--compare this image, for example, with the descriptions of Cape Town which also had a multifaceted society, with various groups layered, operating with large degrees of independence. See, also, [[Chapter 50: 484-490|"as above, so below" (ch. 50, p. 487)]] and [[C#chain|Great Chain of Being]].

'''trans-Elemental Uncle Toby''' 
Uncle Toby is a character created by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_Sterne Laurence Sterne] in his major novel, ''The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman''.
Laurence Sterne (November 24, 1713 – March 18, 1768) was an Irish-born English novelist and an Anglican clergyman. He is best known for his novel, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Life_and_Opinions_of_Tristram_Shandy%2C_Gentleman ''The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman].

[http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/tristram/terms/char_4.html Sparks Notes] notes that "after sustaining a groin-wound in battle, he [Uncle Toby] retires to a life of obsessive attention to the history and science of military fortifications." Mr. [[K#Knockwood|Mr. Knockwood]] was also obsessed with fortifying his home front, though his concerns were directed towards the element of water.

==Page 365==
'''The Assembly Room is not Bath''' 
"Bath is a city in Somerset, England most famous for its baths fed by three hot springs. It is situated 99 miles (159 km) west of Central London and 13 miles (21 km) south east of Bristol.

The city is founded around the only naturally occurring hot springs in the United Kingdom. It was first documented as a Roman spa, although tradition suggests that it was founded earlier. The waters from its spring were believed to be a cure for many afflictions. From Elizabethan to Georgian times it was a resort city for the wealthy." -- [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath,_Somerset Wikipedia]

'''Land-Jobbers''' 
I cannot find a good definition, but the term appears to refer to professional land dealers or developers; the terms seems to often have negative connotations, associated with underhanded dealings.

A jobber is a merchant middleman between producers and retailers. A wholesaler which buys in lots, "jobs", and resells to those who retail to end users.

'''Labor Crimps''' 
maritime labor brokers; in addition to signing up volunteers and negotiating for deserters, '''crimps''' routinely shanghaied "unfree" labor.

"Until 1915 unfree labor was widely used aboard American merchant ships. A person conscripted to such work was said to have been shanghaied when coercive techniques such as trickery, intimidation, or violence were used. Those engaged in this form of kidnapping were known as '''crimps'''. The related term ''press gang'' refers specifically to impressment practices in the British Royal Navy" -- [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghaiing Wikipedia]

Check out this interesting article on the topic: [http://www.well.com/user/sfflier/crimps.html "Down to the Sea in Ships" (''The San Francisco Flyer'' 9/25/97)].

Note that Pynchon (Wicks) uses the term "Body-jobbers" on p. 443 to refer to non-naval crimps.

'''crepuscular''' 
twilight; here used figuratively: dim or indistinct

'''Pleiades''' 
star cluster in Taurus, commonly called the ''Seven Sisters''

'''Legerdemain''' 
"Sleight of hand; "magic" trickery" -- [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Legerdemain Wiktionary]

'''dyspeptic''' 
indigestive

==Page 366==
'''Apiary''' 
"a place where bees are kept" -- [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/apiary Wiktionary]

'''Hanger''' 
strap on a sword belt that holds a sword or dagger, often ornate

'''brumal''' 
"Of, relating to, or occurring in winter ... Here's one of Pynchon's puns: Squire Haligast states 'Tis a brumal night, for behold it sweepeth by' -- [http://www.themodernword.com/pynchon/levy_mason_and_dixon.pdf Toby Levy's ''Mason & Dixon 3 Pages a Day'' Project]

'''gnomic''' 
"mysterious and often incomprehensible yet seemingly wise" -- [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gnomic Wiktionary]

==Page 367==
'''''batterie des couteaux''''' 
battery of knives

'''Eponym''' 
From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandwich Wiktionary]:
# A person whose name has become identified with a particular object or activity.
# A word formed from a person’s name, e.g. stentorian after the Greek herald Stentor.

In this case, the [[S#sandwich|Earl of Sandwich]], who, like [[L#lepton|Lord Lepton]], was a member of the [[H#hellfire|Hellfire Club]].

'''Wilkesite''' 
Follower of [[W#wilkes|John Wilkes]]?

"John Wilkes (17 October 1725–26 December 1797) was an English radical, journalist and politician. In the Middlesex election dispute, he fought for the right of voters — rather than the House of Commons — to determine their representatives. In 1771 he was instrumental in obliging the government to concede the right of printers to publish verbatim accounts of parliamentary debates. In 1776 he introduced the first Bill for parliamentary reform in the British Parliament. Wilkes' increasing conservatism as he grew older caused dissatsifaction among radicals and was instrumental in the loss of his Middlesex seat at the 1790 general election. Wilkes then retired from politics and took no part in the growth of radicalism in the 1790s" -- [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wilkes Wikipedia]

John Wilkes, like the [[S#sandwich|Earl of Sandwich]] and [[L#lepton|Lord Lepton]], a member of the [[H#hellfire|Hellfire Club]].

'''[[C#consubstantiate|consubstantiate]]''' 
The union of the "actual, substantial presence of the body of Christ with the bread and wine of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper" ([http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/consubstantiation Wiktionary]) as opposed to transubstantiate.

==Page 369==
'''the Frenchman sweeps off his Toque''' 
Toque – “(Canada) a winter hat that is often a woolen, cotton, or acrylic, tightly knit triangular shaped hat with a small pom-pom affixed at the top. Similar to military watch-cap” – [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/toque Wiktionary]

'''incipient case of the Green Pip''' 
???

==Page 370==
'''Iliad of Inconvenience''' 
Another example of "inconvenience" meaning life, the unplannable details of one's life with others in the world. See [[I#Inconvenience|Inconvenience in the Alphabetic Index listing]] for other page references. As well as ATD, of course.

==Annotation Index==

{{MD PbP}}

Chapter 35: 349-361

2008-09-11T19:11:58Z

Rjsutherland: /* page 354 */

==Page 349==
'''quidnunc''' 
A gossip or busybody; an ever-curious questioner; newsmonger

==Page 350==
'''certain Egyptian Deity''' 
???

==Page 351==
'''Bedlam ... Salpêtriére''' 
Two early mental asylums, both quite horrific. The suggestion, of course, is that readers of novels like ''Mason & Dixon'' will drive themselves crazy by indulging in such fantasies.

==Page 352==
'''Invisible Snake Trick''' 
Is there really something called the Invisible Snake Trick, or is this pure joshing (à la ''Get Smart'': "the old Invisible Snake Trick, eh?")? Curiously, [[Aunt Euphrenia]], hoisting an oboe, follows this witty braggadocio by playing “a sinuous Air full of exotick sharps and flats” – perhaps this “sinuous Air” is, itself, the Invisible Snake. And the Trick? Note that once she starts playing, “The Company redeploy themselves in the direction of Comfort” – it’s as if she’s charmed her challengers into wandering away from her and the dispute.

Note that the novel frequently mentions [[I#invisible|invisible]] forces.

==Page 353==
'''I was back in America''' 
The Secton from here until page 392 takes place from [[1765#January|January]] 11, 1765 to [[1765#January|January]] 17, 1765.

'''The Stamp Act Crisis''' 
It's strange to note that the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stamp_Act_1765 Stamp Act] wasn't passed until [[1765#March|March]] 22, 1765. The Rev is setting the mood of the times but this is really only the dissatisfaction waiting for a trigger.

==page 354==
'''a Conveyance, wherein the inside is quite noticeably larger than the outside''' 
I wonder if this a reference to Dr. Who: "The TARDIS is a time machine and spacecraft in the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. The name is an acronym of Time And Relative Dimension(s) In Space. A product of Time Lord technology, a properly maintained and piloted TARDIS can transport its occupants to any point in time and space. The interior of a TARDIS is much larger than its exterior, which can blend in with its surroundings through the ship's chameleon circuit" ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TARDIS Wikipedia]).

Note to, the OED definition of tardis, which includes usage samples dating back to 1969:

* Etymology: [< TARDIS (acronym < Time And Relative Dimensions In Space), the name in the science-fiction BBC television series Doctor Who (first broadcast in 1963) of a time machine outwardly resembling a police telephone box, yet inwardly much larger.]
* Definition: In allusive use. Something resembling or likened to Doctor Who's TARDIS; spec.: (a) a thing which has a larger capacity than its outward appearance suggests; a building, etc., that is larger on the inside than it appears from the outside; (b) a thing seemingly from another time (past or future).

My suspicions are furthered by several references to the coach as a "Machine," some mysteries concerning the driver, and some suggestion that the coach is flying.

(On the other hand, I can imagine other "things" that may be larger outside than in, including, perhaps, black holes and the mind...?)

Note, too, that this is one in a series of supposed "paradoxes" that [[Reverend Wicks Cherrycoke]] presents to his audience, including the Möbius smoke ring ([[Chapter 34: 341-348|ch. 34, p. 345]]). This same joke (?) is presented again regarding a cabin ([[Chapter 41: 410-421|ch. 41, p. 412]]). Watch to see the audiences' reaction to these paradoxes. Are they growing progressively more tolerant of Wick's tall-tales?

'''game of All-Fours''' 
Card game, somewhat related to Whist; also known as “seven-up” or “old-sledge.” At the time of ''Mason & Dixon'', played for money. See this humorous article by Mark Twain: [http://www.twainquotes.com/Galaxy/187010d.html Science vs. Luck].

'''Cisalleghenic''' 
The other side of the Allegheny river

==Page 355==
'''cap of white Lawn''' 
White lawn is a fabric. It can still be purchased by the yard.

'''introduce himself in a mucilaginous voice''' 
mucilaginous - I think the meaning here is "slimy" with the [[Reverend Wicks Cherrycoke]] implying that [[E#Edgewise|Mr. Edgewise]] is a slime ball, hitting on these young, defenseless ladies--right in front of his wife, the cad... Is Wicks' portrayal of Mr. Edgewise tainted his gambling losses to Edgewise? Wicks' contrasting portraits of a sinful Edgewise vs. a saintly pair of [[R#Redzinger|Redzinger]]s provides some humor in this chapter.

==Page 356==
'''''net''''' 
Dutch for "exactly." Seems to be a verbal tick on the part of [[R#Redzinger|Frau Luise Redzinger]].

'''Pietists''' 
followers of Pietism, "a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late-17th century to the mid-18th century. It proved to be very influential throughout Protestantism and Anabaptism, inspiring not only Anglican priest John Wesley to begin the Methodist movement, but also Alexander Mack to begin the Brethren movement. The Pietist movement combined the Lutheran emphasis on Biblical doctrine with the Reformed, and especially Puritan, emphasis on individual piety, and a vigorous Christian life" -- [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pietism Wikipedia]

'''being between preferments''' 
I believe that preferments, here, refers to claims (to, for example, a monetary payment or land holding). See also, '''interprebendary''' later on this page.

'''interprebendary''' 
“Not in the dictionary, prebendary is described as someone who receives a stipend from a cathedral or collegiate church in England. Perhaps Wicks used this word because he was receiving stipends from more than one church” – Toby Levy’s [http://www.themodernword.com/pynchon/levy_mason_and_dixon.pdf ''Mason & Dixon Three Pages a Day'']

Note that "inter" could also mean "between" (rather than "among" or "in the midst of"), in which case this term would suggest that Wicks is inbetween payments.

What does this mean: "... after promising a Certain Deity that I would refrain" [from using the term "interprebendary"]?

'''the Gambler''' 
Pot calling the kettle black?

'''Puzting''' 
Checking out the neighbors' putz--Moravian/Pennsylvanian Dutch Nativity scenes, often quite elaborate. Described well by the [http://www.easthillsmc.org/putz.html East Hills Moravian Church].

==Page 357==
'''Jehu son of Nimshi''' 
Reference to [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=12&chapter=9&verse=19&end_verse=21&version=50&context=context 2 Kings 9:20], wherein Jehu--a king of Israel--drives a chariot to battle with fury: "So the watchman reported, saying, 'He went up to them and is not coming back; and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously!'" A couple of on-line dictionaries categorize this as a colloquial phrase.

==Page 359==
'''Tales of the Pit''' 
Funny phrase; is it a reference to something specific outside the text?

==Page 361==
'''''...shall this Machine come abruptly to a Stop...only the Machine, fading as we stand, and a Prairie of desperate Immensity...''''' 
The passage recalls the closing scene of ''Vineland'', in which ''Prairie'' Wheeler is lying on a meadow, waiting for Brock Vond to find her. He doesn't come though.

Again (following up on comments from page 354, above), I wonder, too, if there is some sly reference ("only the machine, fading as we stand") to Dr. Who, in which the time machine/spacecraft TARDIS "can blend in with its surroundings through the ship's chameleon circuit" ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TARDIS Wikipedia]).

==Annotation Index==

{{MD PbP}}