AtDDtA(15): Mr. Ace

[Dave Monroe]

   "Abruptly, sweeping into the scene like an opera singer with an
aria to unload, here came 'Mr. Ace,' as he called himself.  Glossy
black eyes, presented like weapons in a duel.  The gently damaged,
irrevocably educated eyes we associate with the visiting dead.  When
he smiled, or attempted to, it was not reassuring.
   "Dispensing with phatic chitchat, he began straightway to tell the
story of his 'people.'" (AtD, Pt.II, pp. 414-5)


"Mr. Ace"

Main Entry: ace
Pronunciation: 'As
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English as, from Anglo-French, from Latin, unit, a copper coin
1 a : a die face marked with one spot b : a playing card marked in its
center with one pip c : a domino end marked with one spot
2 : a very small amount or degree : PARTICLE
3 : a point scored especially on a service (as in tennis or handball)
that an opponent fails to touch
4 : a golf score of one stroke on a hole; also : a hole made in one stroke
5 : a combat pilot who has brought down at least five enemy airplanes
6 a : a person who excels at something <a computer ace> b : the best
pitcher on a baseball team <the ace of the staff>
- ace in the hole
1 : an ace dealt face down to a player (as in stud poker) and not
exposed until the showdown
2 : an effective and decisive argument or resource held in reserve
- within an ace of : on the point of : very near to <came within an
ace of winning>

Main Entry: ace
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): aced; ac·ing
1 : to score an ace against (an opponent)
2 : to make (a hole in golf) in one stroke
3 : to gain a decisive advantage over : DEFEAT -- usually used with out
4 a : to earn a high grade on (as an examination); especially : to get
an A on b : to perform extremely well in <he aced every subject>

Main Entry: ace
Function: adjective
: of first or high rank or quality <an ace mechanic>

http://m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary

Mr. A

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._A

http://www.dialbforblog.com/archives/298/

Master race; ace of spades; mysteries; Mr Earl?
Ace is used to mean a first-rate flyboy, a flying ace.
Ace originally meant the side of a die with only one mark, before it
was a term for a playing card. Since this was the lowest roll of the
die, it traditionally meant 'bad luck' in Middle English, but as the
ace is often the highest playing card, its meaning has changed to mean
'high-quality, excellence'.
The tradition of a "high" ace comes from the French Revolution where
the lowest number card (the one) was placed above the King to
represent the victory of the common man over the monarchy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace

http://against-the-day.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=ATD_397-428#Page_415


"Glossy black eyes"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_alien

http://www.skepdic.com/aliens.html


"the visiting dead"

E.g., ...

"The objective tonight is to get in touch with the late foreign
minister Walter Rathenau." (GR, Pt. I, pp. 163ff.)

"Her eyes have broken into white, and grown pointed at the outer ends,
her ears are back like a cat's." (M&D, Ch. 15, p. 164 et al.)


"phatic chitchat"

Main Entry: phat·ic
Pronunciation: 'fa-tik
Function: adjective
Etymology: Greek phatos, verbal of phanai to speak
: of, relating to, or being speech used for social or emotive purposes
rather than for communicating information

http://m-w.com/dictionary/phatic