VLVL2 (9.5): "Just Like a William Powell"

Wed Nov 26 02:23:41 CST 2003

   "'You forget, everybody!' he cried insouciently,
'I'm already dead!' as there in the perilous open,
regarded no doubt over the sights of Uzis set on full
automatic, under the stilled beaks of mountainside
birds, Takeshi reached into his bag to produce only
the ukulele, gals, no problem, and strum a four-bar
intro before before singing, as certification he was
harmless ..." (VL, Ch. 9. pp. 161-2)

p. 161 "technically dead"    Since Takeshi lives
without fear, this makes him a perfect samurai, and
echoes the idea on p. 29 about how a samurai is always
prepared to die.

http://www.mindspring.com/~shadow88/chapter9.htm

Cf. ...

"Hector sadly knew this wasn't anywhere near the
samurai condition of always being on the perfect edge
prepared to die, a feeling he'd known only a few times
in his life, long ago."  (VL, Ch. 3, p. 29)

http://waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l&month=0308&msg=84629&sort=date

"JUST LIKE A WILLIAM POWELL"

p. 162 Song: Just Like a William Powell.    Echoes
"Like a Meat Loaf" (p. 363), and, of course, Dylan's
"Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues."

http://www.mindspring.com/~shadow88/chapter9.htm

"Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" (1965)

http://www.bobdylan.com/songs/tomthumb.html

"When you're just like, a William Powell"

http://imdb.com/name/nm0001635/

http://themave.com/Powell/

"Lookin' for some, Myrna Loy!"

http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0001485/

http://freespace.virgin.net/donna.moore/myrna.htm

The Thin Man (1934)

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0025878/

http://www.thrillingdetective.com/charles.html/thinman.htm

"Lassie's got Roddy McDowell"

Lassie

http://www.lassie.net/

http://www.flyingdreams.org/tv/lassie/lassmain.htm

http://www.wizard.net/~eei/lassie.htm

Lassie, Come Home (1943)

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0036098/

Roddy McDowell (!)

http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0001522/

http://www.xmoppet.org/frame.html

"Trigger's got, Dale and Roy"

Trigger

http://us.imdb.com/name/nm1022326/

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/pet/trigger.html

Dale Evans

http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0262661/

http://www.cowgirls.com/dream/cowgals/daleevans.htm

Roy Rogers

http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0001678/

http://www.royrogers.com/

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/CAVICroyrogers.html

"Asta's got William Powell"

http://us.imdb.com/name/nm1208817/

http://freespace.virgin.net/donna.moore/Asta.htm

"And just think of how Tarzan, would start to how-l,
"If only he was hangin' out, with Cheetah and Boy--"

Tarzan

http://www.tarzan.org/

http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~stephan/Tarzan/

http://www.tarzanmovieguide.com/

http://www.unitedmedia.com/comics/tarzan/

http://www.thewb.com/Shows/Show/0,7353,%7C%7C1474,00.html

Tarzan the Ape Man (1932)

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0023551/

Cheetah (sic?)

http://us.imdb.com/name/nm1426535/

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/05/0509_030509_cheeta.html

Boy

http://www.80smusiclyrics.com/artists/baltimora.htm

"I feel like th' alphabet, without a vowel"

http://www.jewfaq.org/alephbet.htm

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=1308&letter=A

"Like Flatfoot Floogie, with only one Floy"

Flat Foot Floogie (1938)

Oh, the flat foot floogie with a floy, floy, 
Flat foot floogie with a floy, floy, 
Flat foot floogie with a floy, floy, 
Floy doy, floy doy, floy doy ...

http://www.heptune.com/lyrics/flatfoot.html

http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~at9k-ikd/McVouty/Session/380217vocalion.html

http://waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l&month=9811&msg=33819&sort=date

Mahwooga, Lord of the Roach People, whither goest
thou?  Come back, Mahwooga, come back ...

"throw in the towel"

3.5.6 To throw up the sponge/in the towel

The reason for the variation of this phrase is the
change of practise in boxing. On the whole - to throw
up the sponge is a term from 19th century boxing, the
London Prize Ring, while to throw or chuck in the
towel - reflects the practice in our century.

To throw up the sponge is originally a slang term
(CEOED, 1987:V2, 2976):

"To throw up the sponge, to submit, give over - from
the practice of throwing up the sponge to cleanse the
combatant´s face at a prize-fight, as a signal that
mill is concluded".

CEOED, (1987:S, 1281) gives boxing as the origin of
the expression to throw in the towel.

Both phrases can be used figuratively: "You stop doing
something because you realize that you cannot
succeed," (CCED, 1992:1549).

In Inimit Jeeves, 1923*, P G Woodehouse writes:

"He found the going hard and chucked in the towel".*

These two idioms belong to the most common ones in the
English language. But there might be a difference in
usage, since to throw in the sponge seems to be used
mainly in British English (CDI:195, p.312).

http://www.hedbergska.sundsvall.se/roger/finalD.htm

"the, real McCoy"

3.5.7 The Real McCoy

The origin of the idiom The Real McCoy is debated. The
Dictionary of English Idioms suggests the American
boxer Charles "Kid" McCoy (1873-1940), who in his
prime was regarded as an exceptional boxer. The
metaphoric meaning is being "the real, original
thing". 

"The beer that they serve in this hotel is the real
McCoy…" (DEI, 1996:215)

Others consider the livestock trader Joseph McCoy, as
the origin of the idiom. He was the first man to bring
cattle from Texas to Chicago in the 1870’s (McCrum,
1992:275). But even if Joseph McCoy was the real
origin of this idiom, it is obvious that "Kid" McCoy
to some extent has overshadowed his predecessor. He is
in fact often is credited for this idiom and the
example from DEI is just an example of this tendency.
Perhaps it is correct to assume that "Kid" McCoy in
his prime was a more well-known character to the
general public than Joseph McCoy. After all sports,
boxing included, is likely to be more in focus in
media than livestock trade.

The idiom is listed in group 3 out 4 referring to
frequency in English (CDI, 1995:256).

All the first six examples of idioms in English
related to boxing suggest the conceptual metaphor Life
is Boxing, while the last one The Real McCoy, probably
indicates that there is a metaphor +boxing is
exceptional+.

http://www.hedbergska.sundsvall.se/roger/finalD.htm

And see as well ...

http://waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l&month=9811&msg=33782&sort=date

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