Array Коллектив авторов - 33 лучших юмористических рассказа на английском / 33 Best Humorous Short Stories

bê che-de-mer– the so-called “sea cucumber”

New Britain, New Ireland, New Guinea, and the Admiralties– these are islands and parts of Papua New Guinea

wag– a one who likes and makes jokes

King Herod– Herod the Great, biblical king who ordered the massacre of the Innocents in his attempt to get rid of the new-born Jesus

Metropolitan– Metropolitan Opera House in New York

De Reszke, Caruso– both were famous opera tenors, but Jean De Reszke was a star of the late 19th century, and Enrico Caruso was the star of the early 20th century

fol-de-rols– trifles or nonsense

S. P. C. C– Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children

run to earth= to find, to catch

Parcheesi– a game where you move pieces along the board

the M. K. & T– the Missouri—Kansas—Texas Railroad

hypodermical– he means ‘hypothetical,’ of course

Buffalo Bill– William Frederick ‘Buffalo Bill’ Cody (1846–1917), an American scout, bison hunter, and organizer of the first cowboy show

the Katy– the Katy trail (road)

P.R.R.– either Peachtree Road Race, a 10 kilometer road race held annually in Atlanta, Georgia, or Pennsylvania Railroad

mines of Gondola– he means the gold mines in the Swiss village of Gondo

Delilah when she set the Philip Stein on to Samson– in the Hebrew bible ‘Book of Judges’ Delilah was the woman whom Samson loved, and she betrayed him to Philistines

an epitogram– he created smth in between an epigram and epitaph

mulct’em in parvo= multum in parvo – much in little ( Latin )

a rift within the loot– a break in friendly relations; actually, ‘in the lute,’ ‘loot’ means ‘money’ ( slang ).

Albert Tennyson– Alfred Tennison (1809–1892), one of the greatest poets and writers of the Victorian era

Juniper Aquarius– he means ‘Jupiter,’ of course: Jupiter is the chief Roman god, and juniper is a bush

Matutinal– mutational

’dobe– adobe, brick made of clay

the Skibo– Skibo Castle in Scotland (symbol of wealth)

Cantharides –they are a kind of flies; he may mean Cato, a noted Roman orator.

Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth –Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth (1819–1899), widely-read American novelist

Tyre and Siphon– Biblical cities of Tyre and Sidon had long been reduced to ruins

sine qua non– it’s absolutely needed ( Latin )

burro– a donkey ( Spanish )

Americanos diablos– devilish Americans ( Spanish )

moso = mozo– a boy, a servant ( Spanish )

zapato –a shoe ( Spanish )

Kapes– keeps

Baile– ball ( Spanish )

cuartel –quarters ( Spanish )

Toeses– toes

triste– sad ( Spanish )

Cockleburrs – cocklebur is a plant, which has prickly fruits

Greengages– a sort of plums

horse got the botts– apparently, constipation

Homer K.M.– corrupted name of Omar Khayyám (1048–1131), Persian poet and mathematician, the author of famous rubáiyát

pro re nata– as needed ( Latin , used in prescriptions)

Ruby Ott– Rubáiyát (a form of Persian poetry)

nom de plume– pen-name ( French )

Hebe –the goddess of youth in Greek mythology, the daughter of Zeus and Hera

Minerva– the Roman goddess of wisdom

Shylock– a character in William Shakespeare’s ‘The Merchant of Venice.’ His name is used to mean a loan shark.

goo-goo eyes or ‘git’– eyes full of love or childish admiration

Psyche– the soul or breath of life in Greek and Latin mythology

cerebrum cerebellum, medulla oblongata– sections of the brain

Autolycan– in Greek mythology, Autolycus was a master in the art of theft and trickery

fourflushers– a four-flusher is a liar or idly boaster. The term originates from the game of poker (when a person bluffs that he has five cards in a flush when there are only four).

Goldstein’s– meaning Oliver Goldsmith, (1728–1774), Anglo-Irish poet and writer

Only the 1st line is really from the named poem, while the 3rd is from ‘Maud Muller’ by John Greenleaf Whittier, and the 4th is from ‘The May Queen’ by Alfred Tennyson.

Fairbanks for the stuff that kept Eliza from sinking into the river –Jason Fairbanks (1780–1801) was an American murderer who killed his sweetheart Elizabeth Fales in 1801

dinkus– discus

Reub– an unsophisticated guy ( slang )

reckernized –recognized

Soon Parted– perhaps, from the proverb ‘A fool and his money are soon parted’

Ponce de Leon –Juan Ponce de León (1474–1521), Spanish explorer, the first European who reached Florida (1513). His name is alsotied up with the legendary Fountain of Youth.

Hoe cylinder– a rotary press made by Richard M. Hoe (1812–1886), a New York City inventor, which led to speeding up the production of the printed word

vers de socié té – flippant or mildly ironic light poetry intended for a limited, sophisticated audience

doxology– a hymn of praise to God

sockdology –a 19th-century boxing term meaning ‘a finishing blow’ or ‘the brutal end of everything’

sockdolager– smth outstanding or smth that settles the matter (can be a blow too!)

’nuff!– enough

a marvel. I’ll give you a white alley –A marble. These things are used in the game of marbles; white alley is a beautiful white one.

a bully taw –a taw is a fancy marble used to shoot with in playing marbles