ATD 374-396
- Please keep these annotations SPOILER-FREE by not revealing information from later pages in the novel.
Contents
Page 374
a dime novel . . . suffering in its name
The novel is, presumably, The Chums of Chance in Old Mexico, as described on p. 7.
Ewball Oust
Eyeball? Cueball?
Toplady Oust
???
Patio method
???
Page 375
Washoe process
???
Espato... espanto... Espantoso
???
Page 376
General Huerta
General labor-strike (Spanish) is far-fetched. Gen. Victoriano Huerta (1854-1916) was on the make in the period of the action; here is a précis of his career.
Bajio... Torreon... Zacatecas... Leon... Silao
???
tlachiqueros
???
maguey juice
Juice from the maguey, or century plant.
Vera Cruz puros
Puros: cigars (Spanish).
zinc
Galvanized iron doesn't rust?
Empresas Oustianas, S.A.
???
Page 377
pulque
A Mexican alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of various agaves.
callejon... subida
???
Semana Santa
Holy Week (week before Easter) (Spanish).
juzgado
Sp. court, likely orgin of hoosegow.
Mordida
Sp. bribe.
Broomhandle
Cf German self-loader.
esposas
Spouses.
Panteon
Cemetery.
Cerro del trozado
???
El Palacio de Cristal
The Crystal Palace (Spanish).
Page 379
chinches
Bedbugs
Dwayne Provecho
In Mexico, and other Latin American cultures, "Buen Provecho" is a phrase spoken to one's companions before a meal. Used like the French "Bon appétit", it means "Enjoy your meal." This makes Dwayne's comment on page 381 that much more humorous: "You boys sure eat good,"
No say prayo-coopy, compadre
"No se preoccupe"? Don't worry?
Page 380
Amparo
???
Page 381
lisonjeros
???
bolillos
Mexican rolls.
El Chinganariz
The nosefuck?
paredon
???
P.L.M.
???
Flores Magon
???
Camilo Arriaga
???
potosino
i.e. from San Luis Potosi, San Luis Potosi
Page 382
muñeca
???
caldereros y sus macheteros
???
Page 383
cuchillo
Knife.
momias
Mummies (Spanish). More about Guanajuato's famous Mummies at Wikipedia.
'"everybody here thinks you're the Kieselguhr Kid"'
The 'Kieselguhr Kid' has become a myth, a construct. There has to be one. All sorts of things are expected of 'him' from both his enemies and his friends. A little like Bin Laden?
Page 384
Marfil
???
compinche
Pal, buddy, (chum?)
Ay, Jalisco
(Not italic?)
El Ñato
Also a character in Gravity's Rainbow, where he was the leader of the Argentinians trying to emigrate to Germany.
Page 385
a very large tropical parrot
Cf. the "parrot with a disdainful smile," p. 129.
pendejo
A Mexican obscenity used an an insult, roughly translates to "dick."
sin embargo
Nevertheless (Spanish).
el Famoso Chavalito del Quiselgur
The famous Kieselguhr Kid (Spanish).
Page 386
copa
Cup (of coffee).
pues
Well (Spanish)
a partial vacuum in the passage of time
Cf. p. 373, "a place promised them, not by God, which'd be asking too much of the average Anarchist, but by certain hidden geometries of History, which must include, somewhere, at least at a single point, a safe conjugate to all the spill of accursed meridians, passing daily, desolate, one upon the next."
Que guapa, que tetas fantasticas, verdad
"How beautiful, what fantastic tits, eh? (right?)"
Page 387
Cuban claro
???
Partidos wrapper
???
tropa
???
huevon
???
'Double refraction'
Once again the theme of dual natures.
psitticide
Parrot-murder.
Caray
???
loco... lucas
???
Page 388
jack
???
Monte el Refugio
???
Huertistas
Huerta's troops.
Sombrerete
???
Tarahumares
Indigenous people of northern Mexico, renowned for their long-distance running ability.
Wikipedia Entry
Page 389
Yaquis
Central American Indian tribe. Wikipedia entry.
Mayas
???
Mausers
???
fandango saloon
Saloon featuring a style of flamenco music and dance. These are especially popular in the southwest United States.Wikipedia entry
Page 390
Hasta lueguito
See you in a little bit?
El Espinero
The thorn-man (Spanish).
shabotshi
This is a Tarahumare word meaning "bearded one" and is most often used to refer, with derision, to Mexicans. Among the Tarahumare men, beards are rare. Carl Lumholtz' Unknown Mexico Ebook
Que toza tienes alla
"What a log you've got there." Frank should be flattered. A toza is pretty much an entire tree trunk. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Trillo-6_tronco_de_pino.png
Page 391
nopales
Prickly pear cacti.
scalenohedral
Having the form of a scalenohedron, a solid body the faces of which are all scalene triangles.
Page 392
Hikuli
Peyote. This scene, with the brujo giving Frank peyote, followed by him barfing and then flying, is highly reminiscent of Carlos Castaneda's works, esp. Tales of Power.
while it was alive
(Most vegetables?)
Page 393
"The idea was that water should be everywhere, free to everybody. It was life. Then a few got greedy."
The idea of dual natures, or dual forces has come up repeatedly (cf. Renfrew p. 226). Here we have a variation that is a bit like the concept of Original Sin. There is a single location near the desert where all the rain that would have fallen in the desert falls. This is a punishment for the greed of some people. Alternatively, it could be seen -- and in fact is described in the passage -- as a balance. The greed of 'some people' distorts the intended even distribution of water. To balance this, a concentration occurs somewhere else. Notice that with the idea of balance, the old Original Sin concept is altered. 'Intent' in the sense of divine intent or punishment, is much less clear. Instead there is a notion of consequences. One imbalance leads to a counter balance.
Page 394
Tears of Job
An annual grass (Coix lacryma-jobi) native to Asia and naturalised in North America.
Page 395
Bolson de Mapimi
???
Budweiser Little Big Horn panorama
"This depiction of a horrific (if somewhat-deserved) massacre has been brought to you in sweeping panorama by Bludweiser and by Blud Lite. Bludweiser - this Blud's for you!"
blood . . . Fin
Cinematic imagery.
El se fue
He left (Spanish).
jarrito
???
Annotation Index
| Part One: The Light Over the Ranges |
|
|---|---|
| Part Two: Iceland Spar |
119-148, 149-170, 171-198, 199-218, 219-242, 243-272, 273-295, 296-317, 318-335, 336-357, 358-373, 374-396, 397-428 |
| Part Three: Bilocations |
429-459, 460-488, 489-524, 525-556, 557-587, 588-614, 615-643, 644-677, 678-694 |
| Part Four: Against the Day |
695-723, 724-747, 748-767, 768-791, 792-820, 821-848, 849-863, 864-891, 892-918, 919-945, 946-975, 976-999, 1000-1017, 1018-1039, 1040-1062 |
| Part Five: Rue du Départ |
