GR translation: she is starch

[Bekah]

Yes, but perhaps the phrase  "a little stiff" might be expanded from stiff of body to a bit stiff of temperament.  As such it might include some idea of "proper."   She was starch -  she was "up to snuff,"  or "up to scratch,"   proper.  

Bekah 


On Mar 4, 2013, at 8:07 PM, David Payne <dpayne1912 at hotmail.com> wrote:

> 
> FWIW, I agree.
> 
> ________________________________
>> Date: Mon, 4 Mar 2013 21:52:29 -0600 
>> Subject: Re: GR translation: she is starch 
>> From: fqmorris at gmail.com 
>> To: gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com 
>> CC: pynchon-l at waste.org 
>> 
>> Yes. 
>> 
>> On Monday, March 4, 2013, Mike Jing wrote: 
>> P257.16-26 “Why did you leave,” the sad whisper ringing as if through 
>> a telephone receiver from someplace far away, “they wanted to help you. 
>> They wouldn’t have done anything bad. . . .” Her hair is rolled up, 
>> George Washington style, all the way around. She gazes at 45° to 
>> Slothrop, a patient, parkbench chessplayer’s gaze, very large, arching 
>> kindly nose and bright eyes: she is starch, sure-boned, the toes of her 
>> leather shoes turn up slightly, she’s wearing red-and-white striped 
>> socks on enormous feet that give her the look of a helpful critter from 
>> one of the other worlds, the sort of elf who’d not only make shoes 
>> while you slept but also sweep up a little, have the pot on when you 
>> awoke, and maybe a fresh flower by the window— 
>> 
>> Does "starch" mean "a little stiff" here, like the starch used on the linen? 
>> 
>