mdmd(4) - French Words & Tarot

[Brian D. McCary]

OK, I'm taking a Mulligan on this one.  I asked for some translations on the
french words during the hanging scene, got some, (thanks) but wasn't satisfied.
It's all probably real obvious to everyone, but for the sake of completness....

The Piquant Mots in question are Chilled Hock and de Rigueur.  Hock, a Rhine Wine,
was offered as an alternative to the Gorce.  Hock is also, of course, a word for 
leg or thigh (back thigh, actually) and a dead person would have cold legs, hence
the initial pun.  de Rigueur, (the response to the chilled Hock suggestion) 
is meant in the sense of necessary, but of course, it has the connotation of rigid,
and the same root as rigor, as in rigor mortise.  Thus, Florinda responds to 
Mason's low jib with one of her own.

The french origin of some of the words is a total red herring.

Speaking of Chilled Hock, I was browsing through some shiny book on the Tarot in
an airport this weekend, and noted the following things:

1	The eleventh card of the Major Arcana is the Hanged Man, according to this
source.  I didn't bother to buy it, and some other sources I've checked since
suggest that it's the twelfth card, with Justice for the eleventh.  Whatever.  
Either one works in the context, though I *love* the idea that the hanged man
would be connected with the number 11.

2	The Hanged Man is hung by his leg, ie, "hock", adding yet another layer to
Mason's little joke.

3	The Moon, eighteenth card, can be interpreted as a indiction of unstableness
and hence insanity.  This was probably initially because of it's changing phases.
In any case, this further strengthens the connection between the Moon and the 
insanity discussions.  I still like Stoppard, but I withdraw him as a possible 
source for the initial connection.