GR translation: sucking on an egg

[Mike Jing]

I did consider that possibility, but of course I wasn't quite sure, so I
asked.  Now that you mentioned it, it does make a lot of sense.

On Mon, Dec 21, 2015 at 1:17 PM, Jochen Stremmel <jstremmel at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Has nobody thought of the possibility that S. is sucking on e real egg? I
> was some days away from my books and had only now the possibility to look
> it up, and voilà – some lines before on the same page:
>
> The Springer is his old chipper self: "Fresh eggs and coffee [...]"
>
> 2015-12-21 5:42 GMT+01:00 Mike Jing <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com>:
>
>> I think I figured it out.  Here Slothrop is sucking in his cheeks as if
>> sucking on an egg, and generally trying to act nonchalant, while waiting
>> for a more serious response from the Springer.  Looking back, it should
>> have been fairly obvious.
>>
>> On Sun, Dec 20, 2015 at 4:41 PM, Mark Kohut <mark.kohut at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Reflecting, leads me to see the words that follow perhaps " better".
>>> Pynchon seems to imply that, with that military parody in mind, and with
>>> the comradely awareness that military personnel can have, usually to be "
>>> sucking an egg" means a sly awareness that you are consciously doing that.
>>> But Slothrop does it without feeling sly. Not even that pleasure.
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>
>>> On Dec 20, 2015, at 2:57 PM, Mike Jing <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> OK, this makes a little more sense.  Believe it or not, I did search
>>> around before I asked the question, but I wasn't quite sure how it applies
>>> to the current context.  Thanks, Mark.
>>>
>>> Also, please remove my hotmail address from your contact list and always
>>> reply to this email address (gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com) instead.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sun, Dec 20, 2015 at 7:01 AM, Mark Kohut <mark.kohut at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> To attempt more specificity than was in my last email, I think "
>>>> sucking an egg" here means doing something utterly useless as
>>>> institutionalized by the military which is really doing nothing. along with
>>>> waiting that other aspect of military life so dissed by soldiers.
>>>>
>>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>>
>>>> > On Dec 20, 2015, at 3:47 AM, Mike Jing <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>> >
>>>> > V526.22-40   “What’s the deal?”
>>>> >        “A minor piracy. Pick up one package for me while I cover
>>>> you.” He looks at his watch, hamming it up.
>>>> > “O.K., get me a discharge, I’ll come with you.”
>>>> >        “A what? A discharge? For you? Ha! Ha! Ha!”
>>>> >        “You ought to laugh more, Springer. It makes you look really
>>>> cute.”
>>>> >        “What kind of a discharge, Slothrop? Honorable, perhaps? Ah,
>>>> ah-ha! Ha! Ha!” Like Adolf Hitler, Springer is easily tickled by what the
>>>> Germans call Schadenfreude, the feeling of joy at another’s misfortune.
>>>> >        “Quit fooling, I’m serious.”
>>>> >        “Of course you are, Slothrop!” More giggling.
>>>> >        Slothrop waits, watches, sucking on an egg though he feels
>>>> anything but sly this morning.
>>>> >        “Närrisch, you see, was supposed to go with me today. Now I’m
>>>> stuck with you. Ha! Ha! Where do you want it delivered, this—ha—this
>>>> discharge?”
>>>> >        “Cuxhaven.” Slothrop has been having lately this dim fantasy
>>>> about trying to contact the Operation Backfire people in Cuxhaven, to see
>>>> if they’ll help get him out.
>>>> >
>>>> > What does "sucking on an egg" mean here?
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>
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