Thomas Pynchon Wiki - User contributions [en]

Chapter 37: 371-381

2010-12-18T08:28:28Z

Soupface: /* Page 375 */ Added bit about Daffy's speech pattern

==Page 371==
'''Amphibia''' 
"plural of amphibian" – [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/amphibia Wiktionary]

'''''Blanquette de Veau''''' 
Blanquette de veau is a French veal dish. The term 'blanquette' comes from the French word for "white" (blanc), being a ragout (stew) with a white sauce... In a typical recipe, pieces of veal meat (shoulder, breast) and aromatic vegetables (onion, celery, carrot etc) are simmered at length in water or stock. The vegetables may then be discarded and the cooking liquid is thickened and enriched with flour, butter, cream and egg yolks. Mushrooms, rice, pasta and potatoes are common accompaniments to this dish, which is served hot. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blanquette_de_veau WIKI]

==Page 372==
'''''un Accés de Cuisinier''''' 
"an attack from the chef" -– [http://www.hyperarts.com/pynchon/mason-dixon/alpha/f.html#French HyperArts entry: French]

or morely "the Approach of the Chef"? In other words, someone that shouldnt be in the kitchen, one would "deploy" this to get them out quickly (ie. stopped in their tracks)? Or on the otherhand, they may be sneaky with whomever it is to avoid the Chef, to keep them there.

'''Jacques de Vaucanson''' 
Jacques de Vaucanson (February 24, 1709 – November 21, 1782) was a French inventor and artist with a mechanical background who is credited with creating the world's first true robots, as well as for creating the first completely automated loom. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_de_Vaucanson WIKI]

"He actually did make a mechanical Duck that could eat and excrete. Perhaps his most significant automata were his automatic looms, because years later, Jacquard would invent the punched card so as to program Vaucanson's looms" -- [http://www.hyperarts.com/pynchon/mason-dixon/alpha/v.html HyperArts entry: Vaucanson, Jacques de (1709-82)]

See also, [http://www.stanford.edu/group/SHR/4-2/text/mazlish.html Bruce Mazlish’s ''the man-machine and artificial intelligence''] and [http://www.themodernword.com/pynchon/pynchon_essays_luddite.html Pynchon’s ''Is it O.K. to be a Luddite?''].

'''the mechanickal Duck''' [[Image:MechanicalDuck.jpg|thumb|Mistaken representation of how the Digesting Duck worked|right]]The Canard Digérateur, or Digesting Duck, was an automaton in the form of a duck, created by Jacques de Vaucanson in 1739. The mechanical duck appeared to have the ability to eat kernels of grain, and to metabolize and defecate them. While the duck did not actually have the ability to do this - the food was collected in one inner container, and the pre-stored feces was 'produced' from a second, so that no actual digestion took place - Vaucanson hoped that a truly digesting automaton could one day be designed. Voltaire wrote that "without [...] the duck of Vaucanson, you have nothing to remind you of the glory of France." ("Sans...le canard de Vaucanson vous n'auriez rien qui fit ressouvenir de la gloire de la France.") From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digesting_Duck WIKI]

"an actual historickal figure; ‘account of the mechanism of an automaton, or image playing on the German-flute: as it was presented in a memoire, to the gentlemen of the Royal academy of sciences at Paris, by Vaucanson, inventor and maker of the said machine. Together with a description of an artificial duck, eating, drinking, macerating the food, and voiding excrements, pluming her wings, picking her feathers, and performing several operations in imitation of a living duck’ (Translated out of the French original, by J.T. Desaguliers. London, Printed by T. Parker, and sold by S. Varillon, 1742)" -- [http://www.hyperarts.com/pynchon/mason-dixon/alpha/v.html HyperArts entry: Duck, Vaucanson's mechanickal]

See also [http://music.calarts.edu/~sroberts/articles/DeVaucanson.duck.html Elaboration & Illustration], [[C#chain|Great Chain of Being]].

'''Prometheus''' 
In Greek mythology, Prometheus (Ancient Greek: Προμηθεύς, "forethought") is a Titan, the son of Iapetus and Themis, and brother to Atlas, Epimetheus and Menoetius. He was a champion of human-kind known for his wily intelligence, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals. Zeus then punished him for his crime by having him bound to a rock while a great eagle ate his liver every day only to have it grow back to be eaten again the next day. His myth has been treated by a number of ancient sources, in which Prometheus is credited with – or blamed for – playing a pivotal role in the early history of humankind. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prometheus WIKI]

==Page 373==
'''Man in the Iron Mask''' 
The Man in the Iron Mask was a prisoner held in a number of prisons, including the Bastille and the Chateau d'If, during the reign of Louis XIV of France. The identity of this man has been thoroughly discussed, mainly because no one ever saw his face as it was hidden by a mask of black velvet cloth, which later re-tellings of the story have said to have been an iron mask -- From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_in_the_iron_mask Wikipedia]

'''Atelier''' 
An atelier is an artist's studio or workroom. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atelier WIKI]

'''Madame la Marquise de Pompadour''' 
Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour, also known as Madame de Pompadour (29 December 1721 – 15 April 1764), was a member of the French court, and was the official maîtresse-en-titre of Louis XV from 1745 to 1750. See [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madame_de_Pompadour WIKI]

'''''faisons le Dejeuner''''' 
Do lunch

'''the Gallic miniature''' 
Squire Haligast

'''''Hubris''''' 
Hubris (/hjuːbrɪs/) (ancient Greek ὕβρις) is a term used in modern English to indicate overweening pride, haughtiness, or arrogance, often resulting in fatal retribution or Nemesis. In ancient Greece, hubris referred to actions which, intentionally or not, shamed and humiliated the victim, and frequently the perpetrator as well. The word was also used to describe actions of those who challenged the gods or their laws, especially in Greek tragedy, resulting in the protagonist's downfall. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubris WIKI]

'''the Academy of Sciences''' 
The French Academy of Sciences is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French scientific research. It was at the forefront of scientific developments in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. It is one of the earliest academies of sciences. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Academy_of_Sciences WIKI]

'''Thousand Toises per Minute''' 
Noun: toise, f. = a former French unit of length, corresponding to about 1.949 metres 
Etymology: Old French teise (cognate with Italian tesa), from Latin tesa (brachia) ‘outstretched (arms)’, from tendere ‘stretch’. 
Pronunciation: /twaz/
# a toise.
# a height gauge.
Retrieved from "[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/toise Wiktionary]"

This translates to approximately 72.66 miles per hour.

==Page 374==
'''''cher Maitre''''' 
Dear Master

'''''Canard au Pamplemousse Flambé''''' 
Grapefruit Duck Flambé

Flambé (also spelled flambe; pronounced /flɒmˈbeɪ/) is a cooking procedure in which alcohol (ethanol) is added to a hot pan to create a burst of flames. The word means flamed in French (thus, in French, flambé is a past participle; the verb is flamber). It is typically done to create an impressive visual presentation at a dramatic point in the preparation of a meal. The flames result from the partial combustion of the flammable alcohol, which is quickly consumed, subsequently extinguishing the flames (some alcohol content remains). From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamb%C3%A9 WIKI]

'''''Canard avec Aubergines en Casserole''''' 
Duck and Eggplant Casserole

'''''Fantaisie des Canettes...''''' 
The Ducklings' Fantasy

==Page 375==
'''…began to speak, in a curious Accent, inflected heavily with linguo-beccal Fricatives…''' 
Seems to describe the way Daffy Duck (the cartoon duck from Looney Tunes) speaks, including his spit-spraying esses ("a fine Mist of some digestive Liquid").

'''Bluebeard''' 
"Bluebeard" (French: "La Barbe bleue") is a French literary fairy tale written by Charles Perrault and is one of eight tales by the author first published by Barbin in Paris in January 1697 in Histoires ou Contes du temps passé. The tale tells the story of a violent nobleman in the habit of murdering his wives and the attempts of one wife to avoid the fate of her predecessors. Gilles de Rais, a 15th-century artistocrat and prolific serial killer, has been suggested as the source for the character of Bluebeard as has Conomor the Accursed, an early Breton king. "The White Dove" and "Fitcher's Bird" are tales similar to "Bluebeard". From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluebeard WIKI]

'''"I am provided with extensive Alarms... but 'twill trigger Consequences disagreeable."''' 
The duck is sort of similar to Emerson's watch, which would basically blow up if someone tried to take it apart (to figure out how it worked)

==Page 376==
'''''Attend, Flatteur''''' 
Wait, Flattering

'''Cocks of Strasbourg and Lyon''' 
The Strasbourg astronomical clock is located in the Strasbourg Cathedral, in the city of Strasbourg, Alsace, which was annexed by France in the late 17th century... A popular feature of the new clock was the golden cockerel, a relic of the first clock, which perched on the top of the cupola and entertained the onlookers at noon every day until 1640, when it was struck by lightning. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strasbourg_astronomical_clock WIKI]

Lyon Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Lyon) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Lyon, France, the seat of the Archbishop of Lyon... The cathedral also has an astronomical clock from the 14th century. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyon_Cathedral WIKI]

'''''bien entendu''''' 
Naturally

==Page 377==
'''Galuppi''' 
Baldassare Galuppi (18 October 1706 – 3 January 1785) was an Italian composer from Venice, noted for his operas, and particularly opera buffa... He was born on the island of Burano in the Venetian Lagoon, and as a result, he became known as Il Buranello. His first attempt at opera, La fede nell'incostanza ossia gli amici rivali (1722), was a spectacular failure, having been hissed off the stage. He subsequently studied music with Antonio Lotti, and after a brief period in Florence working as a harpsichordist, returned to Venice for another attempt at opera. This time, his opera seria Dorinda (1729) was a success and launched his theatrical career. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galuppi WIKI]

Duck seems to have made up the name of the opera, as well as the restaurant, etc, all a part of his "plot"

'''L'Appeau''' 
The Decoy

'''''Insectes d'Etang a i'Etouffee''''' 
Pond Bug Étouffée

Étouffée or etouffee is a Creole and Cajun dish typically served with shellfish or chicken over rice and is similar to gumbo. It is most popular in New Orleans and in the bayou country of the southernmost half of Louisiana. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etouffee WIKI]

'''''"Calmati, Mio Don Aldo irascibile"''''' 
"Calm down, my irascible Don Aldo"

'''Mme. la Marquise de Pompadour''' 
See page [http://masondixon.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_37:_371-381#Page_373 373].

'''Jansenists''' 
See page [http://masondixon.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_22:_215-227#Page_227 227].

'''Prussian Military''' 
The Prussian Army (German: Preußische Armee) was the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power. The Prussian Army had its roots in the meager mercenary forces of Brandenburg during the Thirty Years' War. Elector Frederick William developed it into a viable standing army, while King Frederick William I of Prussia drastically increased its size. King Frederick the Great led the disciplined Prussian troops to victory during the 18th century Silesian Wars and increased the prestige of the Kingdom of Prussia. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prussian_Army WIKI]

'''missions Bourbon and Orleanist''' 
The Orléanists were a French right-wing/center-right political faction or party which arose out of the French Revolution, and ceased to have a separate existence shortly after the establishment of the Third Republic in 1870. It took its name from the Orléans branch of the House of Bourbon, who were its leaders. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orl%C3%A9anist WIKI]

'''Corsican Adventurers''' 
The Age of Enlightenment overthrew signorial and colonial rule and brought some measure of self-rule to the island. Corsica is distinguished by having staged the first enlightenment revolution, being upstaged only by the English Revolution of the preceding century. It was the first of a trio: Corsican, American, French, and as such had some influence on the American Revolution. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Corsica WIKI]

'''Martinist Illuminati''' 
Martinism is a form of mystical or esoteric Christianity, which envisions the figure of Christ as "The Repairer" who enables individuals to attain an idealised state such as that in the Garden of Eden before the Fall. As an informal practice, Martinism dates back to late 18th Century France. In the late 19th Century it was established in France and elsewhere as a formal order meeting in lodges. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martinist WIKI] - Related to the Elect Cohens mentioned previously in the novel, see page [http://masondixon.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_35:_349-361#Page_358 358].

==Page 378==
'''''Grand Melange'' of Motive''' 
Grand Conglomeration (or Mixture) of Motive

'''Hepatomachy''' 
Closest to Hepatomancy (Hepatomachy could be the hierachy practicing many different strange divinations): In Roman practice, inherited from the Etruscans, a haruspex (plural haruspices) was a man trained to practise a form of divination called haruspicy, hepatoscopy or hepatomancy. Haruspicy is the inspection of the entrails of sacrificed animals, especially the livers of sacrificed sheep and poultry. The rites were paralleled by other rites of divination such as the interpretation of lightning strikes, of the flight of birds (augury), and of other natural omens. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepatomancy WIKI]

'''wayward Barouches''' 
A barouche, developed from the calash of the 18th century, was a fashionable type of horse-drawn carriage in the 19th century. It was a four-wheeled, shallow vehicle with two double seats inside, arranged so that the sitters on the front seat faced those on the back seat. It had a collapsible half-hood folding like a bellows over the back seat and an outside box seat high in front for the driver. The entire carriage was suspended on C springs. It was drawn by a pair of high-quality horses and was used principally for leisure driving in the summer. A light barouche was a barouchet or barouchette. The word barouche is an anglicisation of the German word barutsche, via the Italian baroccio or biroccio and ultimately from the Latin birotus, "two-wheeled". The name thus became a misnomer, as the later form of the carriage had four wheels. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barouche WIKI]

'''Soupcon de Trop''' 
The Overly Suspicious

'''''Repaire''''' 
Lair

'''announced only by that distressing Hum''' 
The arrival of the duck resonates with the sound before the rockets in ''Gravity's Rainbow''

'''"Duress? Duress is not an Issue,- for Life is Duress."''' 
Wonderful aphorism by the duck

'''"the Lotus"''' 
The lotus position is a cross-legged sitting posture originating in meditative practices of ancient India, in which the feet are placed on the opposing thighs. It is an established posture of the Hindu Yoga tradition. The position is said to resemble a lotus, to encourage breathing proper to associated meditative practice, and to foster physical stability. Famous depictions of the lotus position include Shiva, the meditating ascetic god of Hinduism, and Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_position WIKI]

==Page 379==
'''Time, however, had acquir'd additional Properties.''' 
Brings to mind Emerson's quote from pg. 326, "Time is the Space that may not be seen."

'''Anatine''' 
Of the family of duck, swan, and geese

'''sub-scullion''' 
A scullion is one that does menial jobs around a kitchen, so a sub-scullion would be even lower in rank than that, a substitute for a kitchen lackey

==Page 381==
'''Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle''' 
Aachen (French, and, historically, English: Aix-la-Chapelle, Ripuarian: Oche, Dutch: Aken) is a historic spa city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the medieval Kings of Germany. It is the westernmost city of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, 65 km (40 mi) west of Cologne. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aix-la-chapelle WIKI]

'''Martinique''' 
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of 1,128 km2 (436 sq mi). It is an overseas department of France. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia. As with the other overseas departments, Martinique is also one of the twenty-six regions of France (being an overseas region) and an integral part of the Republic. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martinique WIKI]

'''New Castle''' 
Seee page [http://masondixon.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_26:_257-265#Page_258 258].

'''''Hachoir''''' 
A mezzaluna (or hachoir) is a chopping instrument consisting of a single or double curved blade with a handle on each end. It is often used for chopping herbs or very large single blade versions are sometimes used for pizza or pesto. See [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachoir WIKI]

==Annotation Index==

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Chapter 19: 190-198

2010-12-06T06:11:35Z

Soupface: /* Page 196 */ antimony

==Page 190==
'''Macclesfield and that gang''' 
Reference to George Parker, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield, who was very prominent in effecting the changeover to the Gregorian calendar, which came into effect in 1752. From 1752 until his death, Macclesfield was president of the Royal Society. See [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Parker,_2nd_Earl_of_Macclesfield WIKI].

'''Eleven Days''' 
Reference to a lost "Eleven Days" when the English finally adopted the Gregorian calendar. The Gregorian calendar, a modification of the Julian, introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII and at first adopted by only Catholic countries, was not adopted in England until 1752. It is the present calendar system which removed the leap year three times every four hundred years from the Julian calendar. It does a better job at keeping the summer solstice on June 21st. By 1752 England and the eastern part of America was finding that the summer solstice arrived on June 10th hence the need for an eleven day addition. See [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar WIKI].

'''Roman Whore's Time''' 
English epithet for the Catholic Church, the religion of the hated French; the adoption of "Roman Whore's Time" was Protestant England's long-delayed adoption of Pope Gregory XIII's reform (1582) of the Julian calendar which resulted in the loss of eleven days.

==Page 192==
'''"Time, ye see," says the Landlord, "is the money of Science, isn't it." 
Cf. thematically, Time, science in Against the Day.

'''Schizochronick year of '52''' 
Schizochronick = the splitting, or fission of time

==Page 193==
'''''Walpole-Gang''''' 
Reference to Horatio (or Horace) Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford (24 September 1717 – 2 March 1797), who was an art historian, man of letters, antiquarian and politician. He is now largely remembered for Strawberry Hill, the home he built in Twickenham, south-west London where he revived the Gothic style some decades before his Victorian successors, and for his Gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto. As well as the book, his literary reputation rests on his Letters, which are of significant social and political interest. He was the son of Sir Robert Walpole, and cousin of Lord Nelson. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horace_Walpole,_4th_Earl_of_Orford WIKI]

'''Shirburn Castle''' 
The moated, sometime home of the Earls of Macclesfield. It is pictured on the 1797 penny token from the Globe Series issued by Peter Skidmore.

George Parker, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield (c.1695–1764), celebrated as an astronomer, spent much time conducting astronomical observations at Shirburn Castle, which his father had bought in 1716. Here he built an observatory and a chemical laboratory. In 1761 the astronomer Thomas Hornsby observed the transit of Venus from the castle grounds. From[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirburn_Castle WIKI]

'''Leek, Staffordshire''' 
A busy market town in the Moorlands..Staffordshire is known
as the Queen of the Moorlands

'''Lord Chesterfield's House''' 
Home of Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield PC KG (22 September 1694 – 24 March 1773), who was a British statesman and man of letters... Though Dukedom refused, he continued for some years to attend the Upper House, and to take part in its proceedings. In 1751, seconded by Lord Macclesfield, president of the Royal Society, and James Bradley, the eminent mathematician, he distinguished himself greatly in the debates on the calendar, and succeeded in making the new style a fact: the Act of Parliament is sometimes known as Chesterfield's Act. Deafness, however, was gradually affecting him, and he withdrew little by little from society and the practice of politics. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Stanhope,_4th_Earl_of_Chesterfield WIKI].

==Page 194==
'''Mathesis''' 
Ma·the·sis n. Learning; especially, mathematics

See page [http://masondixon.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_13:_125-145#Page_134 134].

'''Time must be denied its freedom to elapse''' 
again, ATD must be referenced thematically.

==Page 195==
'''Stepney''' 
Joke on 'far, far east": Stepney is an inner-city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is located 3.6 miles (5.8 km) east north-east of Charing Cross and forms part of the East End of London.

'''quite another relation to Time....not...the terror of time's passage''' 

Major themes of ''Against the Day'' include time travel and time vs. timelessness.

==Page 196==
'''playing upon enormous Chimes of Crystal Antimony''' 
Yes, this may be stretching it, but given the scene here, and its relation to space/time/Reason etc., it is interesting to note that switching the "m" and the "second n" in Antimony, gives us Antinomy, from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antinomy WIKI]:

The term acquired a special significance in the philosophy of Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), who used it to describe the equally rational but contradictory results of applying to the universe of pure thought the categories or criteria of reason proper to the universe of sensible perception or experience (phenomena). Empirical reason cannot here play the role of establishing rational truths because it goes beyond possible experience and is applied to the sphere of that which transcends it.

For Kant there are four antinomies connected with

1. the limitation of the universe in respect of space and time,
2. the theory that the whole consists of indivisible atoms (whereas, in fact, none such exist),
3. the problem of free will in relation to universal causality
4. the existence of a necessary being

about each of which pure reason contradicts the empirical, as thesis and antithesis. This was part of Kant's critical program of determining limits to science and philosophical inquiry.

: ...''Or'' Pynchon could mean antimony, a naturally occurring metalloid [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antinomy WIKI]

'''"...despite these enigmatick Gaolers?"''' 
Seems to be a reference to the Royal Society, Macclesfield, Bradley, etc. as "cryptic jailors" of these alien Pygmies now inhabiting the lost eleven days.

'''Black Hole 
of Calcutta, main meaning. See Wikipedia. But black holes, as discovered
and named by astronomers in the 20th Century, are collapsed stars where
light can not even escape because of the pull of gravity (!). Time changes, astronomers say, inside black holes. Resonance with the discussion of the loss of eleven days going on in the text here.

'''the Hoogli''' 
Hoogli River, a distributary of the Ganges River, both in India.

==Page 197==
'''Lord's Assizes''' 
The Courts of Assize, or Assizes, were periodic criminal courts held around England and Wales... An Act passed in the reign of King Edward I provided that writs summoning juries to Westminster were to appoint a time and place for hearing the causes with the county of origin. Thus they were known as writs of nisi prius (Latin "unless before"): the jury would hear the case at Westminster unless the king's justices had assembled a court in the county to deal with the case beforehand. The commission of oyer and terminer, was a general commission to hear and decide cases, while the commission of gaol delivery required the justices to try all prisoners held in the gaols (jails). From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assize WIKI]

'''Albedo''' 
n. , pl. -dos . The fraction of incident electromagnetic radiation reflected by a surface, especially of a celestial body.

==Page 198==
'''the Defenestration of the Clothiers in '56''' [[Image:Defenestration of Prague.jpg|thumb|[http://masondixon.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Defenestration_of_Prague Defenestration (of Prague)]|right]]Clothiers were recorded in 1685, 1689, 1692, 1712, and 1756 and the trade apparently ceased towards the end of the 18th century.- Economic History of England

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Chapter 11: 105-115

2010-03-18T18:54:52Z

Soupface: /* Page 112 */ Kalee

==Page 105==

'''The St. Helena...mourn''' 
Paradise lost---and mourned. Thematic?

==Page 106==
'''what is never to be named directly''' 
darkness? see page 107. Darkness as the void? See ATD also.

'''the terrible Authorization?''' 
to murder? by the Seamen? to go aboard ship ???

A closer reading suggests that it is the 'swinging boots', not the seamen, whose destinies include homicide; presumably by kicking victims to death, taking their tempo from the 'Brutal Pulse'.

==Page 107==
'''no change here is gradual''' 
A Pynchon motif....rapid change is not good, not natural. And, next line, distances should not be vast....life 'goes for nought" then. see page 122
and the Dutch clocks' "that strike without warning" and their effect on M & D.

==Page 109==
'''Black Hole of Calcutta''' 
Guard room in the old Fort William, at Calcutta, India where troops of the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud-Daulah, held British prisoners of war after the capture of the Fort on June 19, 1756. See [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hole_of_Calcutta WIKI].

==Page 110==
'''In lower-situated imitations of the Hellfire Club''' 
The Hellfire Club was the popular name for a number of supposed exclusive clubs for high society rakes established all over Britain and Ireland in the 18th century. These clubs were rumoured to be the meeting places of "persons of quality" who wished to take part in immoral acts, and the members were often very involved in politics. The very first Hellfire Club was founded in London in 1719, by Philip, Duke of Wharton and a handful of other high society friends. The most infamous club associated with the name was established in England by Sir Francis Dashwood, and met irregularly from around 1749 to around 1760, and possibly up until 1766. Other clubs using the name "Hellfire Club" were set up throughout the 18th century. Most of these clubs were set up in Ireland after Wharton's was dispelled. The club motto was ''Fais ce que tu voudras (Do what thou wilt)'', a philosophy of life associated with François Rabelais' fictional abbey at Thélème and later used by Aleister Crowley. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellfire_club Wikipedia] 

Although here used as a nice periphrase for a brothel or a house of loose morals, note that the ''Hellfire Club'' concept is very pynchonian: a place outside the laws and rules of society, hidden away from the eyes of authorities, which has it's own, different kinds of laws. There are many examples of these places all throughout Pynchon's work.

==Page 111==
'''Hanging of Lord Ferrers''' 
Lord Ferrers killed Mr Johnson, his land-steward, was tried, condemned for murder and hanged at Tyburn on 5 May 1760. He is the last British peer to die a felon's death. See [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_ferrers WIKI].

==Page 112==
'''Kalee''' 
Is a planet is Star Wars mythology; the Kaleesh people are hunters/predators to make ceremonial cloaks and war masks, they would most likely enjoy hunting for Silk. See [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Star_Wars_planets_%28K-L%29#Kalee WIKI].
: Probably means '''Kālī''', the Hindu goddess of time and destruction. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kālī WIKI] (This seems likely, given the context in which this word is mentioned, and the fact that <cite>Mason & Dixon</cite> was published in 1997, and the mention of Kalee in <cite>Star Wars</cite> comes from the more recent films which were released in 1999, 2002.)

==Page 113==
'''Mr. Bubb Dodington''' 
English politician and nobleman, see [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Dodington,_1st_Baron_Melcombe WIKI].

==Annotation Index==

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Chapter 8: 77-86

2010-03-15T20:57:19Z

Soupface: /* Page 77 */ Fix link in Torpedick

==Page 77==

'''Sensorium''' 
The unique and changing sensory environments perceived by individuals, see [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensorium WIKI].

'''Etesian''' 
Prevailing northerly monsoonal winds in the summer and early fall. The word originates from latin ''aetas'', summer.

'''not whistle''' 
Such a fun "vice" was not allowed on ship.

'''Torpedick''' 
Comes from electric eels (see ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torpediniformes Torpediniformes]''), from the Latin "torpere," to be stiffened or paralyzed, referring to the effect on someone who handles or steps on a living electric ray.

'''''Bandieten''''' 
Armed thieves in a band of thieves. Still in use in contemporary Dutch.

'''Batavia''' 
Jakarta, Indonesia during the Dutch colonial era, see [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batavia WIKI].

'''Pumplenose''' 
A large citrus fruit (''Citrus maxima''); the ancestor of grapefruit (or the tree itself).

Etymologically, an alternate form of the South African “pampelmoes”—commonly known elsewhere as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomelo pomelo], Chinese grapefruit, jabong, or [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaddock shaddock] (after Captain Shaddock, who introduced the fruit to the West Indies in the 17th C.). The OED lists 18 alternate forms of "pampelmoes," including, most comically, pimple-nose and pummel-nose. In Dutch it is ''pompelmoes'' and pretty popular.

My local grocer offered a small stash of pomelos last year, and I bought one out of curiosity. It was quite similar to yellow grapefruit, but much larger—though I discovered that the size is due to an extraordinarily thick and pulpy rind. The fruit itself was smaller, dryer, and somewhat less tart than most grapefruits. Though worth a try, I doubt if most readers would be so taken as to make the pumplenose a regular part of their diet.

==Page 78==

'''monitory''' 
Conveying an admonition or a warning

'''the Watch''' 
Closely observing an area as in a neighborhood watch.

'''his Fell''' 
hide: the dressed skin of an animal (especially a large animal)
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

'''virid''' 
Etymology: From the Latin viridis, from virere ‘to be green’. 
Pronunciation:/'vɪrɪd/ 
Noun,Singular: virid; Plural,virids 
virid (plural virids):(colour) a bright green colour 
virid colour: Adjective: virid, more virid, most virid 
(colour) having a bright green colour 
1977: His protruberant eyeballs were veined with red like certain kinds of rare marble. He urged me to meditate upon the virid line of the whirling universe. — Angela Carter, The Passion of New Eve

'''''Voorhuis''''' 
Dutch: fronthouse

==Page 79==

'''"Tell me, what'd I say?"''' 
Perhaps a reference to Ray Charles' 1959 hit song, "What'd I Say," which features this line. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What'd_I_Say Wikipedia entry]

'''lock'd his front door''' 
(Traditional?)

'''Fumulus''' 
fumulus—A contraction of the words fume and cumulus, indicating water-droplet clouds that form within the top of rising plumes from smokestacks.

==Page 80==

'''''Stoep''''' 
Entered English as 'stoop' in 1789.

'''Theater of the Japanese''' 
Called Noh (see [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noh Wikipedia]). Here is the relevancy for the text: When hand props other than fans are used, they are usually introduced or retrieved by stage attendants who fulfill a similar role to stage crew in contemporary theater. Like their Western counterparts, stage attendants for Noh traditionally dress in black, but unlike in Western theater they may appear on stage during a scene, or may remain on stage during an entire performance, in both cases in plain view of the audience.

'''the Range of their Desires''' 
Must be compared, it would seem, to the name of Part 1 of ATD: Light Over the Ranges.

'''Younkers''' 
youn·ker: Pronunciation: 'y&[ng]-k&r 
Etymology: Dutch: jonker--young nobleman 
Noun
1 : a young man
2 : CHILD, YOUNGSTER Merriam-Webster Dict.

'''delegated the sighing''' 
Jet will not sigh over the romantic overtures; her sisters will.

==Page 81==

'''Jesuit part''' 
his penis, that is part of his lap, where the Guitar is? A(nother) small penis joke with an aware allusion to "Jesuitical", arguing small points?

'''Sylphs''' 
Word for a slender, graceful woman (or girl) while also word for mythological creatures of Western tradition; elementals of air, see [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylphs WIKI].

==Page 82==

'''''lengkua''''' 
"...the word should be lengkuas, a Malay word for the spice whose Linnean name is ''Alpinia galanga''. Now, [http://www.tropilab.com/galanga.html this site] has a slew of names for it: siamese ginger, siamese galanga, java galangal, greater galangal, el galangal, el adkham, hang dou kou, stor kalanga, galanga, galanga de l'inde, laos, galgant, kulanjan, naukyo, lenkuas, galanga maior, kha, ka, riêng, großer galgant, herbe indienne, da liang jiang, grand galanga, galanga majeur. But the form ''galangal'' seems to be the [http://www.yourdictionary.com/ahd/g/g0012600.html current] English name, used alongside galanga ... is Pynchon's ''lengkua'' a simple mistake or typo for ''lengkuas'', or could it be a legitimate (though rare) alternate form? I have too much respect for Pynchon and his love of variant forms to assume the former, but I don't see much evidence for the latter ... Incidentally, the OED has the entry form galingale (used by Chaucer in the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales: 'A Cook they hadde with hem for the nones/ To boille the chiknes with the Marybones/ And poudre Marchant tart and galyngale')" -- posted by a linguist on [http://www.languagehat.com/archives/001908.php Languagehat.com]

'''Bilimbi pickles''' 
AVERRHOA Bilimbi, or Vilimbipuli or Irumpanpuli (in Malayalam), is a fruit seen in the backyard of most homes in Kerala. Unlike other fruits, it has not found a place in the market or been used in the food preservation industry.[2003 article] It belongs to Oxalidaceae, the sorrel family, and is a small pinnate-leaved tree cultivated in the tropics. The fruit resembles a small green cucumber and grows on the trunk and the older branches. The fruit is about two to five centimetres long and acidic in nature with a sour taste. The flowers are tiny five-petalled and maroon.

The fruit is a rich source of Vitamin C. It fights cholesterol, and is used as a tonic and a laxative. Syrup made from the fruit is used in French Guyana to cure ailments arising from jaundice. The fruit is also known to stop internal bleeding in the stomach.

The fruit was hitherto known to be used only in curries and in the making of pickles. 

Bilimbi pickle 

Ingredients:
Small or medium sized Bilimbi cut lengthwise 1/4 kg
Green chillies 5
Garlic 10 lobes
Ginger 2 pieces about one inch in length
Wheat flour 1/4 dsp (desert spoon — 3 tsps)
Gram flour 1/4 dsp
Chilli powder 1 1/2 dsp
Mustard and fenugreek 1/4 tsp each
Asafoetida powder 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Vinegar 2 oz.
Gingelly oil 2 to 3 oz.

Method:

Add a little salt to the bilimbi and keep in the sun for two days, in a wide-mouthed, shallow earthen vessel. Pour the oil in a deep vessel, and season with the mustard, fenugreek and curry leaves. Then sauté the garlic and ginger after ground to a fine paste. Add the chillies and sauté. (Heat the wheat and gram flour and keep aside). Lower the fire and add the chilli powder and asafoetida. Add the salt and vinegar and bring to a boil. Then add the bilimbi and the fried powders. Remove from fire and bottle when cool.

'''''Bobotie''''' 
From Wikipedia (and confirmed with the OED): “[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobotie Bobotie] is a South African dish … of spiced [curried], minced meat baked with an egg-based topping … [It] probably originates from the [[Dutch East India Company]] colonies in Batavia … [and has been] known in the [[Cape of Good Hope]] since the 17th century … Some recipes also call for chopped onions … Traditionally, bobotie incorporates dried fruit … It is often garnished with walnuts, chutney and bananas … Bobotie was transported by South African settlers to colonies all over Africa.”

'''''Frikkadel''''' 
Typical Afrikaner dish, spiced meatball. [http://funkymunky.co.za/meat.html Recipe]

==Page 84==

'''Satay''' 
sa·tay also sa·té or sa·te (sä'tā)
n.
A dish of southeast Asia consisting of strips of marinated meat, poultry, or seafood grilled on skewers and dipped in peanut sauce.
[Malay saté, satai or Indonesian sate, both perhaps of Tamil origin.]

'''Rakhman''' 
A popular indonesian name which seems to be used jokingly.

'''even better, as Eve''' 
(No missing rib? Gets to be disobedient?)

==Page 85==

'''B-st-rd''' 
Who's censoring here? A convention in 18th century literature.

'''a Tun short... law''' 
Tun:large cask especially one holding a volume equivalent to 2 butts or 252 gals
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn - Definition in context

'''Fence-Runner''' 
Not in OED? He means surveyer, insinuating that all surveyers do is measure property lines.

==Page 86==

'''Nidor of Lambs''' 
While "nidor" means scent or savor of meat, or food, cooking, it is also interesting to note that Nidor is the name of a fictional planet in two science fiction books of the 1950's; on Nidor there is no separation between society and religion. For more see the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nidor WIKI].

'''recreations including running ''Amok''''' 
"Running amok, sometimes referred to as simply amok (also spelled amuck or amuk), is derived from the Malay word mengamuk, meaning "to go mad with rage" (uncontrollable rage). In typical cases of running amok, someone, although having shown no previous sign of anger and/or any inclination to resort to violence, will acquire a weapon and in a sudden frenzy will attempt to kill or seriously injure everyone they meet. Amok episodes of this kind normally end with the amok-runner being killed by bystanders" -- from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amok Wikipedia]

'''Transubstantiation . . . presided''' Transubstantiation is the Catholic belief that the bread of communion literally and actually becomes the body of Christ. Here, the young clergyman writes that Mason's father presided in the oven because Mason's father was a baker. Thus, there's a play on "father" since "God the Father" is in the bread (i.e., transubstantiation) and Mason's biological father is associated with bread.

==Annotation Index==

{{MD PbP}}

Chapter 8: 77-86

2010-03-15T20:56:23Z

Soupface: /* Page 77 */ Torpedick

==Page 77==

'''Sensorium''' 
The unique and changing sensory environments perceived by individuals, see [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensorium WIKI].

'''Etesian''' 
Prevailing northerly monsoonal winds in the summer and early fall. The word originates from latin ''aetas'', summer.

'''not whistle''' 
Such a fun "vice" was not allowed on ship.

'''Torpedick''' 
Comes from electric eels (see ''[[wikipedia:Torpediniformes|Torpediniformes]]''), from the Latin "torpere," to be stiffened or paralyzed, referring to the effect on someone who handles or steps on a living electric ray.

'''''Bandieten''''' 
Armed thieves in a band of thieves. Still in use in contemporary Dutch.

'''Batavia''' 
Jakarta, Indonesia during the Dutch colonial era, see [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batavia WIKI].

'''Pumplenose''' 
A large citrus fruit (''Citrus maxima''); the ancestor of grapefruit (or the tree itself).

Etymologically, an alternate form of the South African “pampelmoes”—commonly known elsewhere as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomelo pomelo], Chinese grapefruit, jabong, or [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaddock shaddock] (after Captain Shaddock, who introduced the fruit to the West Indies in the 17th C.). The OED lists 18 alternate forms of "pampelmoes," including, most comically, pimple-nose and pummel-nose. In Dutch it is ''pompelmoes'' and pretty popular.

My local grocer offered a small stash of pomelos last year, and I bought one out of curiosity. It was quite similar to yellow grapefruit, but much larger—though I discovered that the size is due to an extraordinarily thick and pulpy rind. The fruit itself was smaller, dryer, and somewhat less tart than most grapefruits. Though worth a try, I doubt if most readers would be so taken as to make the pumplenose a regular part of their diet.

==Page 78==

'''monitory''' 
Conveying an admonition or a warning

'''the Watch''' 
Closely observing an area as in a neighborhood watch.

'''his Fell''' 
hide: the dressed skin of an animal (especially a large animal)
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

'''virid''' 
Etymology: From the Latin viridis, from virere ‘to be green’. 
Pronunciation:/'vɪrɪd/ 
Noun,Singular: virid; Plural,virids 
virid (plural virids):(colour) a bright green colour 
virid colour: Adjective: virid, more virid, most virid 
(colour) having a bright green colour 
1977: His protruberant eyeballs were veined with red like certain kinds of rare marble. He urged me to meditate upon the virid line of the whirling universe. — Angela Carter, The Passion of New Eve

'''''Voorhuis''''' 
Dutch: fronthouse

==Page 79==

'''"Tell me, what'd I say?"''' 
Perhaps a reference to Ray Charles' 1959 hit song, "What'd I Say," which features this line. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What'd_I_Say Wikipedia entry]

'''lock'd his front door''' 
(Traditional?)

'''Fumulus''' 
fumulus—A contraction of the words fume and cumulus, indicating water-droplet clouds that form within the top of rising plumes from smokestacks.

==Page 80==

'''''Stoep''''' 
Entered English as 'stoop' in 1789.

'''Theater of the Japanese''' 
Called Noh (see [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noh Wikipedia]). Here is the relevancy for the text: When hand props other than fans are used, they are usually introduced or retrieved by stage attendants who fulfill a similar role to stage crew in contemporary theater. Like their Western counterparts, stage attendants for Noh traditionally dress in black, but unlike in Western theater they may appear on stage during a scene, or may remain on stage during an entire performance, in both cases in plain view of the audience.

'''the Range of their Desires''' 
Must be compared, it would seem, to the name of Part 1 of ATD: Light Over the Ranges.

'''Younkers''' 
youn·ker: Pronunciation: 'y&[ng]-k&r 
Etymology: Dutch: jonker--young nobleman 
Noun
1 : a young man
2 : CHILD, YOUNGSTER Merriam-Webster Dict.

'''delegated the sighing''' 
Jet will not sigh over the romantic overtures; her sisters will.

==Page 81==

'''Jesuit part''' 
his penis, that is part of his lap, where the Guitar is? A(nother) small penis joke with an aware allusion to "Jesuitical", arguing small points?

'''Sylphs''' 
Word for a slender, graceful woman (or girl) while also word for mythological creatures of Western tradition; elementals of air, see [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylphs WIKI].

==Page 82==

'''''lengkua''''' 
"...the word should be lengkuas, a Malay word for the spice whose Linnean name is ''Alpinia galanga''. Now, [http://www.tropilab.com/galanga.html this site] has a slew of names for it: siamese ginger, siamese galanga, java galangal, greater galangal, el galangal, el adkham, hang dou kou, stor kalanga, galanga, galanga de l'inde, laos, galgant, kulanjan, naukyo, lenkuas, galanga maior, kha, ka, riêng, großer galgant, herbe indienne, da liang jiang, grand galanga, galanga majeur. But the form ''galangal'' seems to be the [http://www.yourdictionary.com/ahd/g/g0012600.html current] English name, used alongside galanga ... is Pynchon's ''lengkua'' a simple mistake or typo for ''lengkuas'', or could it be a legitimate (though rare) alternate form? I have too much respect for Pynchon and his love of variant forms to assume the former, but I don't see much evidence for the latter ... Incidentally, the OED has the entry form galingale (used by Chaucer in the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales: 'A Cook they hadde with hem for the nones/ To boille the chiknes with the Marybones/ And poudre Marchant tart and galyngale')" -- posted by a linguist on [http://www.languagehat.com/archives/001908.php Languagehat.com]

'''Bilimbi pickles''' 
AVERRHOA Bilimbi, or Vilimbipuli or Irumpanpuli (in Malayalam), is a fruit seen in the backyard of most homes in Kerala. Unlike other fruits, it has not found a place in the market or been used in the food preservation industry.[2003 article] It belongs to Oxalidaceae, the sorrel family, and is a small pinnate-leaved tree cultivated in the tropics. The fruit resembles a small green cucumber and grows on the trunk and the older branches. The fruit is about two to five centimetres long and acidic in nature with a sour taste. The flowers are tiny five-petalled and maroon.

The fruit is a rich source of Vitamin C. It fights cholesterol, and is used as a tonic and a laxative. Syrup made from the fruit is used in French Guyana to cure ailments arising from jaundice. The fruit is also known to stop internal bleeding in the stomach.

The fruit was hitherto known to be used only in curries and in the making of pickles. 

Bilimbi pickle 

Ingredients:
Small or medium sized Bilimbi cut lengthwise 1/4 kg
Green chillies 5
Garlic 10 lobes
Ginger 2 pieces about one inch in length
Wheat flour 1/4 dsp (desert spoon — 3 tsps)
Gram flour 1/4 dsp
Chilli powder 1 1/2 dsp
Mustard and fenugreek 1/4 tsp each
Asafoetida powder 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Vinegar 2 oz.
Gingelly oil 2 to 3 oz.

Method:

Add a little salt to the bilimbi and keep in the sun for two days, in a wide-mouthed, shallow earthen vessel. Pour the oil in a deep vessel, and season with the mustard, fenugreek and curry leaves. Then sauté the garlic and ginger after ground to a fine paste. Add the chillies and sauté. (Heat the wheat and gram flour and keep aside). Lower the fire and add the chilli powder and asafoetida. Add the salt and vinegar and bring to a boil. Then add the bilimbi and the fried powders. Remove from fire and bottle when cool.

'''''Bobotie''''' 
From Wikipedia (and confirmed with the OED): “[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobotie Bobotie] is a South African dish … of spiced [curried], minced meat baked with an egg-based topping … [It] probably originates from the [[Dutch East India Company]] colonies in Batavia … [and has been] known in the [[Cape of Good Hope]] since the 17th century … Some recipes also call for chopped onions … Traditionally, bobotie incorporates dried fruit … It is often garnished with walnuts, chutney and bananas … Bobotie was transported by South African settlers to colonies all over Africa.”

'''''Frikkadel''''' 
Typical Afrikaner dish, spiced meatball. [http://funkymunky.co.za/meat.html Recipe]

==Page 84==

'''Satay''' 
sa·tay also sa·té or sa·te (sä'tā)
n.
A dish of southeast Asia consisting of strips of marinated meat, poultry, or seafood grilled on skewers and dipped in peanut sauce.
[Malay saté, satai or Indonesian sate, both perhaps of Tamil origin.]

'''Rakhman''' 
A popular indonesian name which seems to be used jokingly.

'''even better, as Eve''' 
(No missing rib? Gets to be disobedient?)

==Page 85==

'''B-st-rd''' 
Who's censoring here? A convention in 18th century literature.

'''a Tun short... law''' 
Tun:large cask especially one holding a volume equivalent to 2 butts or 252 gals
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn - Definition in context

'''Fence-Runner''' 
Not in OED? He means surveyer, insinuating that all surveyers do is measure property lines.

==Page 86==

'''Nidor of Lambs''' 
While "nidor" means scent or savor of meat, or food, cooking, it is also interesting to note that Nidor is the name of a fictional planet in two science fiction books of the 1950's; on Nidor there is no separation between society and religion. For more see the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nidor WIKI].

'''recreations including running ''Amok''''' 
"Running amok, sometimes referred to as simply amok (also spelled amuck or amuk), is derived from the Malay word mengamuk, meaning "to go mad with rage" (uncontrollable rage). In typical cases of running amok, someone, although having shown no previous sign of anger and/or any inclination to resort to violence, will acquire a weapon and in a sudden frenzy will attempt to kill or seriously injure everyone they meet. Amok episodes of this kind normally end with the amok-runner being killed by bystanders" -- from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amok Wikipedia]

'''Transubstantiation . . . presided''' Transubstantiation is the Catholic belief that the bread of communion literally and actually becomes the body of Christ. Here, the young clergyman writes that Mason's father presided in the oven because Mason's father was a baker. Thus, there's a play on "father" since "God the Father" is in the bread (i.e., transubstantiation) and Mason's biological father is associated with bread.

==Annotation Index==

{{MD PbP}}