SLSL Intro "Two Amiable Fuzzy Creatures"

[pynchonoid]

   "Attentive fans of Shakespeare will notice that the
name Porpentine is lifted from Hamlet, I, v.  It is an
early form of 'porcupine.'  The name Moldweorp is Old
Teutonic for 'mole'--the animal, not the infiltrator. 
I thought it would be a cute idea for people named
after two amiable fuzzy critters to be duking it out
over the fate of Europe." (SL, "Intro," pp. 19-20)


The "amiable" and "fuzzy" descriptors seem a tad out
of joint with "porcupine", to my ear at least.  The
porcupine is prickly and defensive.  The mole...



mole    ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (ml)
n. 

1.	Any of various small insectivorous mammals of the
family Talpidae, usually living underground and having
thickset bodies with light brown to dark gray silky
fur, rudimentary eyes, tough muzzles, and strong
forefeet for burrowing.
2.	A machine that bores through hard surfaces, used
especially for tunneling through rock.
3.	A spy who operates from within an organization,
especially a double agent operating against his or her
own government from within its intelligence
establishment.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=mole


The espionage angle might be of interest in this
context.

Anyway, we all know the difference between a porcupine
and a Porsche, right?  

With a Porsche, the pricks are on the inside.

-Doug

P.S.  No insult intended to our German friends, this
is an American joke.



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