Pages 174-177

2008-04-28T20:53:31Z

Ievans: /* Page 175 */ new entries on polythene and staccato

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==Page 174 ==
'''golliwog'''<br>
The Golliwog or Golliwogg is a blackfaced African American caricature created in the late 1800s. It is relatively unknown in the United States, but was historically very popular in Europe. Since the 1960s, the doll has become the subject of a great deal of controversy, with Europeans attempting to decide whether it is a valuable cultural artifact or a racist insult.online dictionary<br>

Golliwog was also World War II British naval slang for a Gauloise cigarette, which had tobacco which was nearly black in colour.

The American rock group Creedence Clearwater Revival was known as "The Golliwogs" and under this name they released a number of singles before
the 1970s.

In unofficial military parlance of some countries which has become less common nowadays, the term was used to indicate a piece of equipment that has been tuned, upgraded, and possibly customised to the point where it is no longer similar to the stock item it started as. The term stems from the fact that although the Golliwog itself was black – its standard form was featureless in a sense – it was always represented as decorated smartly with, for example, ribbons and bows. It could be said to be found always dressed up in finery; no Golliwog was ever seen dressed conservatively.<br>
Golliwog [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/golliwog]]

==Page 175==
'''Tommy'''<br>
tommy, n., Chiefly British: A British soldier. American Heritage Dictionary.

'''Jerries'''<br>
Jerry, n. pl. 'Jerries'; war slang 1a. A German soldier; a German;
1b. German soldiers collectively; the Germans.<br>
Etymology: alteration of German.

So, the two nouns in the song allude to the famous cartoon series ''Tom & Jerry.''
[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_%26_Jerry]]

<div id="polythene">'''polythene'''</div>
polythene, adj., also known as "polyethelyne" or "polyethene", a common thermoplastic.

<div id="staccato">'''staccato'''</div>
staccato, n. musical term meaning detached or not connected, with the musical notation being small dots above or below the notes. Staccato is the opposite of slurred. The sound of the crowd's staccato singing possibly mimics the sound of a machine gun, referenced in the lines directly above.

'''she [Penelope] can see the crocheted shawl'''<br>
The most famous Penelope, of course, is in ''The Odyssey'', Odysseus' faithful wife who spent his time away weaving a shroud..and unweaving it at night.

'''refraction'''<br>
time-forward allusion to a major element of ''Against the Day''?

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