Thomas Pynchon Wiki - User contributions [en]

Chapter 1

2026-02-19T23:45:43Z

Jkvannort2025: /* Page 1 */

==Page 1==
'''North Shore Line''' 
The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad was an interurban line that connected the two cities. It was relatively high speed for the time and used quality cars. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_North_Shore_and_Milwaukee_Railroad]

'''the Lake''' 
Lake Michigan, on the western shore of which is Milwaukee. Chicago is 100 miles to the south of Milwaukee on the southern shore. [https://www.google.com/search?q=lake+michigan Map...]

'''Big Al in the federal pokey in Atlanta''' 
On October 18, 1931, Al Capone, the notorious Chicago gangster (1899-1947), aka "Scarface," was convicted after trial on various charges including tax evasion and prohibition-related and, on November 24, was sentenced to eleven years in federal prison, fined $50,000 and charged $7,692 for court costs, in addition to $215,000 plus interest due on back taxes. The six-month contempt of court sentence was to be served concurrently. While awaiting the results of appeals, Capone was confined to the Cook County Jail. Upon denial of appeals, he entered the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, serving his sentence there and at Alcatraz. [https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/al-capone More...]

'''Hicks McTaggart''' 
Introducing our Scots-American (McTaggart = "the priest's son") protagonist, Lindy-hopper, globe-trotter, encounterian via "tickets" (assignments) activated by his private detective agency employer. The McTaggart motto is “By reason, not by force.” A hick would be someone from the prairie with no city smarts, which April constantly derides Hicks as being. [https://www.houseofnames.com/mctaggart-family-crest]

'''Borsalino''' A luxury had from Piedmont, Italy. Popular with the Hollywood star system in the 30s. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borsalino]

'''Vito Guardalebene''' 
Guardalebene grew up in Santa Flavia, Sicily (see below) where the local mafia controlled the grapefruit orchards and the docks. Vito moved from Sicily to Milwaukee and brought many of his gang with him. He became the first Mafia boss of Milwaukee. [https://gangstersinc.org/2015/06/11/the-milwaukee-mafia-family-dont-sell-it-short/] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_crime_family]

'''the Chicago Outfit''' 
The Chicago Outfit is an Italian American Mafia crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, and throughout the Greater Chicago area, originating in the city's South Side in the early 1910s. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Outfit]

'''so forth''' 
Pynchon uses this phrase multiple times (42 exactly) throughout the book. He doesn't use it at all in ''CoL49'' and ''Gravity's Rainbow''. Is this a shortcut instead of the usual lengthy descriptions and explanations or is there another purpose? [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/and%20so%20forth]

'''Pasquale’s Bella Palermo''' 
Here begins more references to the Cosa Nostra and Sicily. Beautiful (bella) Palermo is central to the beginning of the Sicilian mafia. The Outfit members dine on Sfincione Bagheria in a restaurant named after a region of Sicily that is known for its Cosa Nostra ties. This is a pizza antecedent, and there is still a Palermo’s Pizza in Milwaukee. [https://it-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Cosa_nostra?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp] [https://www.visitsicily.info/en/ricetta/sfincione-of-bagheria/] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palermo]

==Page 2==
'''grabbing Hicks''' 
Pynchon avoids using the formulation "says" throughout the novel, opting for present-tense derivations based on action.

'''Oriental Drugs''' 
A historic lunch counter in Milwaukee. The depth of Pynchon’s research is astounding, and this link gives a good history of the location. [https://www.wuwm.com/2022-04-15/a-look-back-at-oriental-drugs-a-fountain-of-milwaukee-memories]

'''Imbisswagen''' 
German name for a food truck. Otto and Hildegarde, the owners may be a reference to Saint Hildegard who was made prioress by a Bishop Otto. Like the Italian references, there are several German references throughout the book. [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imbisswagen] [https://catholicinsight.com/2025/09/17/pope-benedict-and-saint-hildegarde-of-bingen/]

'''pineapples come…''' 
In the 1930s, "pineapples" was a colloquial term for the Mk 2 fragmentation grenades, which became a military standard during this period. While actual pineapples were not exploding, the iconic grenade's grooved, cast-iron body gave it a strong resemblance to the fruit. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mills_bomb]

'''Santa Flavia''' 
Santa Flavia is a small town in Sicily known for its picturesque coastal scenery, as well as its Mafia presence which has historically included significant power and activity. The municipality has been identified as a key area for Cosa Nostra operations, including drug trafficking, extortion, and other organized criminal activities. Mafia activity in Sicily during the 1930s focused on controlling businesses and local politics through extortion and intimidation, rather than operating under formal, legitimate fronts like a chamber of commerce.

==Page 3==
'''Bruno Airmont''' 
Possible appropriation (including the homonym "heir") of the name of Belgian-French filmmaker Bruno Dumont, the great director of the long-form quasi-series of films P'tit Quinquin [2014], Ma Loute [2016; released outside of France as "Slack Bay"], and Coincoin et les Z’Inhumains [Coincoin and theee Extrahumans, 2018]. It can also be translated as a "mountain of air”, a whole lot of nothing. Bruno is a typical Italian given name, which means “polished brown”. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_(name)#Fictional_characters]

'''drinkin Singapore Slings out of a fire hose''' 
The Singapore Sling is a classic cocktail derived from Singapore's esteemed Raffles Hotel's (featured in Jon M. Chu's 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians) unique Long Bar concoction, created by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon, of: gin, Grand Marnier, cherry brandy, Benedictine, pineapple juice, lime juice, bitters, and club soda.

A similar scenario can be found in Pynchon's Vineland.

'''Daphne''' 
Also the name of one of the members of the Mystery Incorporated 'agency' in Hanna-Barbera's cartoon series Scooby-Doo. Greek mythology from Ovid has Daphne as the mortal woman or nymph that Apollo lusts after and chases. She calls on her river god father to help. He changes her into a laurel tree before Apollo can rape her. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daphne]

==Page 4==
'''some North Shore loophound''' 
A "loop-hound" is a dated, vulgar slang term for a person who frequented a specific downtown district, known as the Loop (in this case, Chicago), in search of amusement and cheer. The term implies someone who "hounded" after such entertainment within the crowded and noisy Loop, a reference that is now mostly found in older texts.

Consonant with the slang term "bloodhound" (taken from the type of dog) which connotes someone who's a detective or, at least, on some kind of trail.

'''G. Rodney Flaunch of the Glencoe Flaunches''' 
Glencoe, in this instance, refers to a tony village located on Chicago's North Shore. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glencoe,_Illinois]

Pynchon appears to have taken this formulation from a line in Elaine May's debut feature film from 1971, A New Leaf, as spoken by Walter Matthau at a cocktail party, in reference to the similarly posh Glencoe on Long Island, New York. An excerpt from the moment can be found in filmmaker Craig Keller's 2016 short essay-film on May's films, Elaine's, viewable [https://vimeo.com/194607579|here for free on Vimeo].

'''Skeet Wheeler''' 
cf. Zoyd Wheeler, the protagonist of Pynchon's Vineland (transmuted into the Leonardo DiCaprio character "Bob" in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2025 film One Battle After Another).

==Page 5==
'''REO Speed Wagon''' 
a light motor truck model manufactured by REO Motor Car Company. An ancestor of the pickup truck, it was first introduced in 1915 and production continued through at least 1953. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REO_Speed_Wagon Wikipedia]

In the current day, the moniker is most generally associated with the band REO Speedwagon, who reached multi-platinum prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. The band hail from Champaign, Illinois.

==Page 6==
'''run his usual unsociable O-O''' 
In detective and law-enforcement slang, “run an O-O” means to conduct an “observation operation,” which is shorthand for a stakeout or surveillance job.

Also referenced in Pynchon's Vineland.

==Page 7==
'''front page of the ''Journal''''' 
''The Milwaukee Journal'' was a dominant force in Milwaukee during the 1930s. It was known for its widespread readership and large circulation, making it the largest newspaper in Wisconsin at the time.

'''Maybe for the MPD and them, bomb always equals Italian''' 
cf. Pynchon's Against the Day

==Page 8==
'''doubtful tomato quality''' 
In the 1930s, the slang term "tomato" most commonly referred to an attractive, good-looking woman. The term originated in the late 1920s and was based on the idea of "juicy plumpness". In this context, amateur or non-professional criminal matters were low rent, including the attractiveness of the women involved.

==Page 9==
'''a Christmas crèche''' 
In French villages the Christmas crib (crèche) traditionally contains figurines representing a miller, a wood-cutter and other villagers as well as the Holy Family and the traditional cow, donkey and shepherds. The Three Wise Men are added to the nativity scene at Epiphany (6 January, Twelfth Night).

==Page 10==
'''"Starting a ticket, I knew it."''' 
In the parlance of a detective agency of the time, a ticket refers to an assignment or case.

==Page 11==
'''time-motion snoopers''' 
The phrase "time-motion snoopers" is a derogatory term for the practice of using employee monitoring to conduct time and motion studies. While traditional time and motion studies were an industrial engineering technique to improve efficiency, the term "snoopers" implies surveillance, distrust, and an invasive, dehumanizing approach to management.

'''swindle sheets''' 
A derogatory slang term for an expense account or a log sheet, implying the document is used to deceive or defraud someone. The term originated in the US in the early 20th century and was famously used by truckers to describe log books where they would falsify entries to show proper rest when they were actually driving more hours.

'''Badger All-Risk Fiduciary Life''' 
Or, for short, "BARF Life."

'''Old Log Cabin''' 
During prohibition (1920-1933), Old Log Cabin, an American company, was made in Canada and became a favorite import of bootleggers, especially Al Capone’s infamous smuggling operations. [https://oldlogcabin.com/about/old-log-cabin-history/ Old Log Cabin website]

'''Korbel brandy''' 
While Korbel wasn't a big favorite in Wisconsin, Wisconsin drinkers did develop a taste for brandy during the Prohibition era, primarily from other California producers ([https://www.korbel.com/brandy/ Korbel] is located in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California). Milwaukee and Wisconsin drinkers enjoyed the broader availability of brandy and incorporated fruit and soda into their old fashioneds, a practice that continued after Prohibition ended.

Chapter 1

2026-02-19T23:44:06Z

Jkvannort2025: /* Page 1 */ Adding Borsalino entry

==Page 1==
'''North Shore Line''' 
The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad was an interurban line that connected the two cities. It was relatively high speed for the time and used quality cars. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_North_Shore_and_Milwaukee_Railroad]

'''the Lake''' 
Lake Michigan, on the western shore of which is Milwaukee. Chicago is 100 miles to the south of Milwaukee on the southern shore. [https://www.google.com/search?q=lake+michigan Map...]

'''Big Al in the federal pokey in Atlanta''' 
On October 18, 1931, Al Capone, the notorious Chicago gangster (1899-1947), aka "Scarface," was convicted after trial on various charges including tax evasion and prohibition-related and, on November 24, was sentenced to eleven years in federal prison, fined $50,000 and charged $7,692 for court costs, in addition to $215,000 plus interest due on back taxes. The six-month contempt of court sentence was to be served concurrently. While awaiting the results of appeals, Capone was confined to the Cook County Jail. Upon denial of appeals, he entered the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, serving his sentence there and at Alcatraz. [https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/al-capone More...]

'''Hicks McTaggart''' 
Introducing our Scots-American (McTaggart = "the priest's son") protagonist, Lindy-hopper, globe-trotter, encounterian via "tickets" (assignments) activated by his private detective agency employer. The McTaggart motto is “By reason, not by force.” [https://www.houseofnames.com/mctaggart-family-crest]

'''Borsalino''' A luxury had from Piedmont, Italy. Popular with the Hollywood star system in the 30s. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borsalino]

'''Vito Guardalebene''' 
Guardalebene grew up in Santa Flavia, Sicily (see below) where the local mafia controlled the grapefruit orchards and the docks. Vito moved from Sicily to Milwaukee and brought many of his gang with him. He became the first Mafia boss of Milwaukee. [https://gangstersinc.org/2015/06/11/the-milwaukee-mafia-family-dont-sell-it-short/] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_crime_family]

'''the Chicago Outfit''' 
The Chicago Outfit is an Italian American Mafia crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, and throughout the Greater Chicago area, originating in the city's South Side in the early 1910s. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Outfit]

'''so forth''' 
Pynchon uses this phrase multiple times (42 exactly) throughout the book. He doesn't use it at all in ''CoL49'' and ''Gravity's Rainbow''. Is this a shortcut instead of the usual lengthy descriptions and explanations or is there another purpose? [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/and%20so%20forth]

'''Pasquale’s Bella Palermo''' 
Here begins more references to the Cosa Nostra and Sicily. Beautiful (bella) Palermo is central to the beginning of the Sicilian mafia. The Outfit members dine on Sfincione Bagheria in a restaurant named after a region of Sicily that is known for its Cosa Nostra ties. This is a pizza antecedent, and there is still a Palermo’s Pizza in Milwaukee. [https://it-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Cosa_nostra?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp] [https://www.visitsicily.info/en/ricetta/sfincione-of-bagheria/] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palermo]

==Page 2==
'''grabbing Hicks''' 
Pynchon avoids using the formulation "says" throughout the novel, opting for present-tense derivations based on action.

'''Oriental Drugs''' 
A historic lunch counter in Milwaukee. The depth of Pynchon’s research is astounding, and this link gives a good history of the location. [https://www.wuwm.com/2022-04-15/a-look-back-at-oriental-drugs-a-fountain-of-milwaukee-memories]

'''Imbisswagen''' 
German name for a food truck. Otto and Hildegarde, the owners may be a reference to Saint Hildegard who was made prioress by a Bishop Otto. Like the Italian references, there are several German references throughout the book. [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imbisswagen] [https://catholicinsight.com/2025/09/17/pope-benedict-and-saint-hildegarde-of-bingen/]

'''pineapples come…''' 
In the 1930s, "pineapples" was a colloquial term for the Mk 2 fragmentation grenades, which became a military standard during this period. While actual pineapples were not exploding, the iconic grenade's grooved, cast-iron body gave it a strong resemblance to the fruit. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mills_bomb]

'''Santa Flavia''' 
Santa Flavia is a small town in Sicily known for its picturesque coastal scenery, as well as its Mafia presence which has historically included significant power and activity. The municipality has been identified as a key area for Cosa Nostra operations, including drug trafficking, extortion, and other organized criminal activities. Mafia activity in Sicily during the 1930s focused on controlling businesses and local politics through extortion and intimidation, rather than operating under formal, legitimate fronts like a chamber of commerce.

==Page 3==
'''Bruno Airmont''' 
Possible appropriation (including the homonym "heir") of the name of Belgian-French filmmaker Bruno Dumont, the great director of the long-form quasi-series of films P'tit Quinquin [2014], Ma Loute [2016; released outside of France as "Slack Bay"], and Coincoin et les Z’Inhumains [Coincoin and theee Extrahumans, 2018]. It can also be translated as a "mountain of air”, a whole lot of nothing. Bruno is a typical Italian given name, which means “polished brown”. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_(name)#Fictional_characters]

'''drinkin Singapore Slings out of a fire hose''' 
The Singapore Sling is a classic cocktail derived from Singapore's esteemed Raffles Hotel's (featured in Jon M. Chu's 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians) unique Long Bar concoction, created by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon, of: gin, Grand Marnier, cherry brandy, Benedictine, pineapple juice, lime juice, bitters, and club soda.

A similar scenario can be found in Pynchon's Vineland.

'''Daphne''' 
Also the name of one of the members of the Mystery Incorporated 'agency' in Hanna-Barbera's cartoon series Scooby-Doo. Greek mythology from Ovid has Daphne as the mortal woman or nymph that Apollo lusts after and chases. She calls on her river god father to help. He changes her into a laurel tree before Apollo can rape her. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daphne]

==Page 4==
'''some North Shore loophound''' 
A "loop-hound" is a dated, vulgar slang term for a person who frequented a specific downtown district, known as the Loop (in this case, Chicago), in search of amusement and cheer. The term implies someone who "hounded" after such entertainment within the crowded and noisy Loop, a reference that is now mostly found in older texts.

Consonant with the slang term "bloodhound" (taken from the type of dog) which connotes someone who's a detective or, at least, on some kind of trail.

'''G. Rodney Flaunch of the Glencoe Flaunches''' 
Glencoe, in this instance, refers to a tony village located on Chicago's North Shore. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glencoe,_Illinois]

Pynchon appears to have taken this formulation from a line in Elaine May's debut feature film from 1971, A New Leaf, as spoken by Walter Matthau at a cocktail party, in reference to the similarly posh Glencoe on Long Island, New York. An excerpt from the moment can be found in filmmaker Craig Keller's 2016 short essay-film on May's films, Elaine's, viewable [https://vimeo.com/194607579|here for free on Vimeo].

'''Skeet Wheeler''' 
cf. Zoyd Wheeler, the protagonist of Pynchon's Vineland (transmuted into the Leonardo DiCaprio character "Bob" in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2025 film One Battle After Another).

==Page 5==
'''REO Speed Wagon''' 
a light motor truck model manufactured by REO Motor Car Company. An ancestor of the pickup truck, it was first introduced in 1915 and production continued through at least 1953. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REO_Speed_Wagon Wikipedia]

In the current day, the moniker is most generally associated with the band REO Speedwagon, who reached multi-platinum prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. The band hail from Champaign, Illinois.

==Page 6==
'''run his usual unsociable O-O''' 
In detective and law-enforcement slang, “run an O-O” means to conduct an “observation operation,” which is shorthand for a stakeout or surveillance job.

Also referenced in Pynchon's Vineland.

==Page 7==
'''front page of the ''Journal''''' 
''The Milwaukee Journal'' was a dominant force in Milwaukee during the 1930s. It was known for its widespread readership and large circulation, making it the largest newspaper in Wisconsin at the time.

'''Maybe for the MPD and them, bomb always equals Italian''' 
cf. Pynchon's Against the Day

==Page 8==
'''doubtful tomato quality''' 
In the 1930s, the slang term "tomato" most commonly referred to an attractive, good-looking woman. The term originated in the late 1920s and was based on the idea of "juicy plumpness". In this context, amateur or non-professional criminal matters were low rent, including the attractiveness of the women involved.

==Page 9==
'''a Christmas crèche''' 
In French villages the Christmas crib (crèche) traditionally contains figurines representing a miller, a wood-cutter and other villagers as well as the Holy Family and the traditional cow, donkey and shepherds. The Three Wise Men are added to the nativity scene at Epiphany (6 January, Twelfth Night).

==Page 10==
'''"Starting a ticket, I knew it."''' 
In the parlance of a detective agency of the time, a ticket refers to an assignment or case.

==Page 11==
'''time-motion snoopers''' 
The phrase "time-motion snoopers" is a derogatory term for the practice of using employee monitoring to conduct time and motion studies. While traditional time and motion studies were an industrial engineering technique to improve efficiency, the term "snoopers" implies surveillance, distrust, and an invasive, dehumanizing approach to management.

'''swindle sheets''' 
A derogatory slang term for an expense account or a log sheet, implying the document is used to deceive or defraud someone. The term originated in the US in the early 20th century and was famously used by truckers to describe log books where they would falsify entries to show proper rest when they were actually driving more hours.

'''Badger All-Risk Fiduciary Life''' 
Or, for short, "BARF Life."

'''Old Log Cabin''' 
During prohibition (1920-1933), Old Log Cabin, an American company, was made in Canada and became a favorite import of bootleggers, especially Al Capone’s infamous smuggling operations. [https://oldlogcabin.com/about/old-log-cabin-history/ Old Log Cabin website]

'''Korbel brandy''' 
While Korbel wasn't a big favorite in Wisconsin, Wisconsin drinkers did develop a taste for brandy during the Prohibition era, primarily from other California producers ([https://www.korbel.com/brandy/ Korbel] is located in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California). Milwaukee and Wisconsin drinkers enjoyed the broader availability of brandy and incorporated fruit and soda into their old fashioneds, a practice that continued after Prohibition ended.

Chapter 1

2026-02-19T23:35:15Z

Jkvannort2025: /* Page 4 */ Adding a link for Glencoe

==Page 1==
'''North Shore Line''' 
The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad was an interurban line that connected the two cities. It was relatively high speed for the time and used quality cars. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_North_Shore_and_Milwaukee_Railroad]

'''the Lake''' 
Lake Michigan, on the western shore of which is Milwaukee. Chicago is 100 miles to the south of Milwaukee on the southern shore. [https://www.google.com/search?q=lake+michigan Map...]

'''Big Al in the federal pokey in Atlanta''' 
On October 18, 1931, Al Capone, the notorious Chicago gangster (1899-1947), aka "Scarface," was convicted after trial on various charges including tax evasion and prohibition-related and, on November 24, was sentenced to eleven years in federal prison, fined $50,000 and charged $7,692 for court costs, in addition to $215,000 plus interest due on back taxes. The six-month contempt of court sentence was to be served concurrently. While awaiting the results of appeals, Capone was confined to the Cook County Jail. Upon denial of appeals, he entered the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, serving his sentence there and at Alcatraz. [https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/al-capone More...]

'''Hicks McTaggart''' 
Introducing our Scots-American (McTaggart = "the priest's son") protagonist, Lindy-hopper, globe-trotter, encounterian via "tickets" (assignments) activated by his private detective agency employer. The McTaggart motto is “By reason, not by force.” [https://www.houseofnames.com/mctaggart-family-crest]

'''Vito Guardalebene''' 
Guardalebene grew up in Santa Flavia, Sicily (see below) where the local mafia controlled the grapefruit orchards and the docks. Vito moved from Sicily to Milwaukee and brought many of his gang with him. He became the first Mafia boss of Milwaukee. [https://gangstersinc.org/2015/06/11/the-milwaukee-mafia-family-dont-sell-it-short/] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_crime_family]

'''the Chicago Outfit''' 
The Chicago Outfit is an Italian American Mafia crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, and throughout the Greater Chicago area, originating in the city's South Side in the early 1910s. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Outfit]

'''so forth''' 
Pynchon uses this phrase multiple times (42 exactly) throughout the book. He doesn't use it at all in ''CoL49'' and ''Gravity's Rainbow''. Is this a shortcut instead of the usual lengthy descriptions and explanations or is there another purpose? [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/and%20so%20forth]

'''Pasquale’s Bella Palermo''' 
Here begins more references to the Cosa Nostra and Sicily. Beautiful (bella) Palermo is central to the beginning of the Sicilian mafia. The Outfit members dine on Sfincione Bagheria in a restaurant named after a region of Sicily that is known for its Cosa Nostra ties. This is a pizza antecedent, and there is still a Palermo’s Pizza in Milwaukee. [https://it-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Cosa_nostra?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp] [https://www.visitsicily.info/en/ricetta/sfincione-of-bagheria/] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palermo]

==Page 2==
'''grabbing Hicks''' 
Pynchon avoids using the formulation "says" throughout the novel, opting for present-tense derivations based on action.

'''Oriental Drugs''' 
A historic lunch counter in Milwaukee. The depth of Pynchon’s research is astounding, and this link gives a good history of the location. [https://www.wuwm.com/2022-04-15/a-look-back-at-oriental-drugs-a-fountain-of-milwaukee-memories]

'''Imbisswagen''' 
German name for a food truck. Otto and Hildegarde, the owners may be a reference to Saint Hildegard who was made prioress by a Bishop Otto. Like the Italian references, there are several German references throughout the book. [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imbisswagen] [https://catholicinsight.com/2025/09/17/pope-benedict-and-saint-hildegarde-of-bingen/]

'''pineapples come…''' 
In the 1930s, "pineapples" was a colloquial term for the Mk 2 fragmentation grenades, which became a military standard during this period. While actual pineapples were not exploding, the iconic grenade's grooved, cast-iron body gave it a strong resemblance to the fruit. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mills_bomb]

'''Santa Flavia''' 
Santa Flavia is a small town in Sicily known for its picturesque coastal scenery, as well as its Mafia presence which has historically included significant power and activity. The municipality has been identified as a key area for Cosa Nostra operations, including drug trafficking, extortion, and other organized criminal activities. Mafia activity in Sicily during the 1930s focused on controlling businesses and local politics through extortion and intimidation, rather than operating under formal, legitimate fronts like a chamber of commerce.

==Page 3==
'''Bruno Airmont''' 
Possible appropriation (including the homonym "heir") of the name of Belgian-French filmmaker Bruno Dumont, the great director of the long-form quasi-series of films P'tit Quinquin [2014], Ma Loute [2016; released outside of France as "Slack Bay"], and Coincoin et les Z’Inhumains [Coincoin and theee Extrahumans, 2018]. It can also be translated as a "mountain of air”, a whole lot of nothing. Bruno is a typical Italian given name, which means “polished brown”. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_(name)#Fictional_characters]

'''drinkin Singapore Slings out of a fire hose''' 
The Singapore Sling is a classic cocktail derived from Singapore's esteemed Raffles Hotel's (featured in Jon M. Chu's 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians) unique Long Bar concoction, created by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon, of: gin, Grand Marnier, cherry brandy, Benedictine, pineapple juice, lime juice, bitters, and club soda.

A similar scenario can be found in Pynchon's Vineland.

'''Daphne''' 
Also the name of one of the members of the Mystery Incorporated 'agency' in Hanna-Barbera's cartoon series Scooby-Doo. Greek mythology from Ovid has Daphne as the mortal woman or nymph that Apollo lusts after and chases. She calls on her river god father to help. He changes her into a laurel tree before Apollo can rape her. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daphne]

==Page 4==
'''some North Shore loophound''' 
A "loop-hound" is a dated, vulgar slang term for a person who frequented a specific downtown district, known as the Loop (in this case, Chicago), in search of amusement and cheer. The term implies someone who "hounded" after such entertainment within the crowded and noisy Loop, a reference that is now mostly found in older texts.

Consonant with the slang term "bloodhound" (taken from the type of dog) which connotes someone who's a detective or, at least, on some kind of trail.

'''G. Rodney Flaunch of the Glencoe Flaunches''' 
Glencoe, in this instance, refers to a tony village located on Chicago's North Shore. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glencoe,_Illinois]

Pynchon appears to have taken this formulation from a line in Elaine May's debut feature film from 1971, A New Leaf, as spoken by Walter Matthau at a cocktail party, in reference to the similarly posh Glencoe on Long Island, New York. An excerpt from the moment can be found in filmmaker Craig Keller's 2016 short essay-film on May's films, Elaine's, viewable [https://vimeo.com/194607579|here for free on Vimeo].

'''Skeet Wheeler''' 
cf. Zoyd Wheeler, the protagonist of Pynchon's Vineland (transmuted into the Leonardo DiCaprio character "Bob" in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2025 film One Battle After Another).

==Page 5==
'''REO Speed Wagon''' 
a light motor truck model manufactured by REO Motor Car Company. An ancestor of the pickup truck, it was first introduced in 1915 and production continued through at least 1953. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REO_Speed_Wagon Wikipedia]

In the current day, the moniker is most generally associated with the band REO Speedwagon, who reached multi-platinum prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. The band hail from Champaign, Illinois.

==Page 6==
'''run his usual unsociable O-O''' 
In detective and law-enforcement slang, “run an O-O” means to conduct an “observation operation,” which is shorthand for a stakeout or surveillance job.

Also referenced in Pynchon's Vineland.

==Page 7==
'''front page of the ''Journal''''' 
''The Milwaukee Journal'' was a dominant force in Milwaukee during the 1930s. It was known for its widespread readership and large circulation, making it the largest newspaper in Wisconsin at the time.

'''Maybe for the MPD and them, bomb always equals Italian''' 
cf. Pynchon's Against the Day

==Page 8==
'''doubtful tomato quality''' 
In the 1930s, the slang term "tomato" most commonly referred to an attractive, good-looking woman. The term originated in the late 1920s and was based on the idea of "juicy plumpness". In this context, amateur or non-professional criminal matters were low rent, including the attractiveness of the women involved.

==Page 9==
'''a Christmas crèche''' 
In French villages the Christmas crib (crèche) traditionally contains figurines representing a miller, a wood-cutter and other villagers as well as the Holy Family and the traditional cow, donkey and shepherds. The Three Wise Men are added to the nativity scene at Epiphany (6 January, Twelfth Night).

==Page 10==
'''"Starting a ticket, I knew it."''' 
In the parlance of a detective agency of the time, a ticket refers to an assignment or case.

==Page 11==
'''time-motion snoopers''' 
The phrase "time-motion snoopers" is a derogatory term for the practice of using employee monitoring to conduct time and motion studies. While traditional time and motion studies were an industrial engineering technique to improve efficiency, the term "snoopers" implies surveillance, distrust, and an invasive, dehumanizing approach to management.

'''swindle sheets''' 
A derogatory slang term for an expense account or a log sheet, implying the document is used to deceive or defraud someone. The term originated in the US in the early 20th century and was famously used by truckers to describe log books where they would falsify entries to show proper rest when they were actually driving more hours.

'''Badger All-Risk Fiduciary Life''' 
Or, for short, "BARF Life."

'''Old Log Cabin''' 
During prohibition (1920-1933), Old Log Cabin, an American company, was made in Canada and became a favorite import of bootleggers, especially Al Capone’s infamous smuggling operations. [https://oldlogcabin.com/about/old-log-cabin-history/ Old Log Cabin website]

'''Korbel brandy''' 
While Korbel wasn't a big favorite in Wisconsin, Wisconsin drinkers did develop a taste for brandy during the Prohibition era, primarily from other California producers ([https://www.korbel.com/brandy/ Korbel] is located in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California). Milwaukee and Wisconsin drinkers enjoyed the broader availability of brandy and incorporated fruit and soda into their old fashioneds, a practice that continued after Prohibition ended.

Chapter 28

2026-02-17T02:36:14Z

Jkvannort2025: /* Page 226 */ Adding Judah Loe/Golem entry

==Page 211==
'''''Haver''''' 
Hungarian: Pal.

==Page 213==
'''"the nasal bobsled run"''' 
snow being slang for cocaine

==Page 214==
'''Gesichtsröhre''' 
German: literally 'face tube'.

==Page 215==
'''John Lobbs''' 
High end bootmaker in London.

==Page 216==
'''Russ Columbo''' 
American singer and actor who recorded highly popular records in the crooning style.

==Page 217==
'''Karlovy Vary''' 
A spa town in the Czechoslovakia, also known as Karlsbad.

'''Steinach''' 
Refers to a surgical procedure developed by Eugen Steinach involving tying off the vas deferens of one testicle supposedly to increase androgen production. It was surprising popular at the time.

==Page 220==
'''Ekrexophilia''' 
Erotic interest in explosions? From Greek ékrixi + philia. A neologism?

==Page 221==
'''Wallace Beery''' 
American film actor who was very popular at the time.

==Page 225==
'''Concorso d'Eleganza''' 
An annual car show held at Villa d'Este in Italy beginning in 1929. Prizes were awarded for beauty and elegance.

==Page 226==

'''Judah Loew and the Golem lore''' 
Rabbi of Prague who according to lore created the golem out of clay to fight against antisemitism. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judah_Loew_ben_Bezalel#Legend_of_the_golem]

'''shonrim''' 
Hebrew: guards. Refers to a Jewish neighborhood watch patrol.

'''Purple Gang''' 
A Detroit criminal mob involved in bootlegging, whose members were primarily Jewish.

Chapter 1

2026-02-17T02:23:00Z

Jkvannort2025: /* Page 2 */ adding Imbisswagen entry

==Page 1==
'''North Shore Line''' 
The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad was an interurban line that connected the two cities. It was relatively high speed for the time and used quality cars. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_North_Shore_and_Milwaukee_Railroad]

'''the Lake''' 
Lake Michigan, on the western shore of which is Milwaukee. Chicago is 100 miles to the south of Milwaukee on the southern shore. [https://www.google.com/search?q=lake+michigan Map...]

'''Big Al in the federal pokey in Atlanta''' 
On October 18, 1931, Al Capone, the notorious Chicago gangster (1899-1947), aka "Scarface," was convicted after trial on various charges including tax evasion and prohibition-related and, on November 24, was sentenced to eleven years in federal prison, fined $50,000 and charged $7,692 for court costs, in addition to $215,000 plus interest due on back taxes. The six-month contempt of court sentence was to be served concurrently. While awaiting the results of appeals, Capone was confined to the Cook County Jail. Upon denial of appeals, he entered the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, serving his sentence there and at Alcatraz. [https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/al-capone More...]

'''Hicks McTaggart''' 
Introducing our Scots-American (McTaggart = "the priest's son") protagonist, Lindy-hopper, globe-trotter, encounterian via "tickets" (assignments) activated by his private detective agency employer. The McTaggart motto is “By reason, not by force.” [https://www.houseofnames.com/mctaggart-family-crest]

'''Vito Guardalebene''' 
Guardalebene grew up in Santa Flavia, Sicily (see below) where the local mafia controlled the grapefruit orchards and the docks. Vito moved from Sicily to Milwaukee and brought many of his gang with him. He became the first Mafia boss of Milwaukee. [https://gangstersinc.org/2015/06/11/the-milwaukee-mafia-family-dont-sell-it-short/] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_crime_family]

'''the Chicago Outfit''' 
The Chicago Outfit is an Italian American Mafia crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, and throughout the Greater Chicago area, originating in the city's South Side in the early 1910s. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Outfit]

'''so forth''' 
Pynchon uses this phrase multiple times (42 exactly) throughout the book. He doesn't use it at all in ''CoL49'' and ''Gravity's Rainbow''. Is this a shortcut instead of the usual lengthy descriptions and explanations or is there another purpose? [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/and%20so%20forth]

'''Pasquale’s Bella Palermo''' 
Here begins more references to the Cosa Nostra and Sicily. Beautiful (bella) Palermo is central to the beginning of the Sicilian mafia. The Outfit members dine on Sfincione Bagheria in a restaurant named after a region of Sicily that is known for its Cosa Nostra ties. This is a pizza antecedent, and there is still a Palermo’s Pizza in Milwaukee. [https://it-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Cosa_nostra?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp] [https://www.visitsicily.info/en/ricetta/sfincione-of-bagheria/] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palermo]

==Page 2==
'''grabbing Hicks''' 
Pynchon avoids using the formulation "says" throughout the novel, opting for present-tense derivations based on action.

'''Oriental Drugs''' 
A historic lunch counter in Milwaukee. The depth of Pynchon’s research is astounding, and this link gives a good history of the location. [https://www.wuwm.com/2022-04-15/a-look-back-at-oriental-drugs-a-fountain-of-milwaukee-memories]

'''Imbisswagen''' 
German name for a food truck. Otto and Hildegarde, the owners may be a reference to Saint Hildegard who was made prioress by a Bishop Otto. Like the Italian references, there are several German references throughout the book. [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imbisswagen] [https://catholicinsight.com/2025/09/17/pope-benedict-and-saint-hildegarde-of-bingen/]

'''pineapples come…''' 
In the 1930s, "pineapples" was a colloquial term for the Mk 2 fragmentation grenades, which became a military standard during this period. While actual pineapples were not exploding, the iconic grenade's grooved, cast-iron body gave it a strong resemblance to the fruit. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mills_bomb]

'''Santa Flavia''' 
Santa Flavia is a small town in Sicily known for its picturesque coastal scenery, as well as its Mafia presence which has historically included significant power and activity. The municipality has been identified as a key area for Cosa Nostra operations, including drug trafficking, extortion, and other organized criminal activities. Mafia activity in Sicily during the 1930s focused on controlling businesses and local politics through extortion and intimidation, rather than operating under formal, legitimate fronts like a chamber of commerce.

==Page 3==
'''Bruno Airmont''' 
Possible appropriation (including the homonym "heir") of the name of Belgian-French filmmaker Bruno Dumont, the great director of the long-form quasi-series of films P'tit Quinquin [2014], Ma Loute [2016; released outside of France as "Slack Bay"], and Coincoin et les Z’Inhumains [Coincoin and theee Extrahumans, 2018]. It can also be translated as a "mountain of air”, a whole lot of nothing. Bruno is a typical Italian given name, which means “polished brown”. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_(name)#Fictional_characters]

'''drinkin Singapore Slings out of a fire hose''' 
The Singapore Sling is a classic cocktail derived from Singapore's esteemed Raffles Hotel's (featured in Jon M. Chu's 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians) unique Long Bar concoction, created by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon, of: gin, Grand Marnier, cherry brandy, Benedictine, pineapple juice, lime juice, bitters, and club soda.

A similar scenario can be found in Pynchon's Vineland.

'''Daphne''' 
Also the name of one of the members of the Mystery Incorporated 'agency' in Hanna-Barbera's cartoon series Scooby-Doo. Greek mythology from Ovid has Daphne as the mortal woman or nymph that Apollo lusts after and chases. She calls on her river god father to help. He changes her into a laurel tree before Apollo can rape her. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daphne]

==Page 4==
'''some North Shore loophound''' 
A "loop-hound" is a dated, vulgar slang term for a person who frequented a specific downtown district, known as the Loop (in this case, Chicago), in search of amusement and cheer. The term implies someone who "hounded" after such entertainment within the crowded and noisy Loop, a reference that is now mostly found in older texts.

Consonant with the slang term "bloodhound" (taken from the type of dog) which connotes someone who's a detective or, at least, on some kind of trail.

'''G. Rodney Flaunch of the Glencoe Flaunches''' 
Glencoe, in this instance, refers to a tony village located on Chicago's North Shore.

Pynchon appears to have taken this formulation from a line in Elaine May's debut feature film from 1971, A New Leaf, as spoken by Walter Matthau at a cocktail party, in reference to the similarly posh Glencoe on Long Island, New York. An excerpt from the moment can be found in filmmaker Craig Keller's 2016 short essay-film on May's films, Elaine's, viewable [https://vimeo.com/194607579|here for free on Vimeo].

'''Skeet Wheeler''' 
cf. Zoyd Wheeler, the protagonist of Pynchon's Vineland (transmuted into the Leonardo DiCaprio character "Bob" in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2025 film One Battle After Another).

==Page 5==
'''REO Speed Wagon''' 
a light motor truck model manufactured by REO Motor Car Company. An ancestor of the pickup truck, it was first introduced in 1915 and production continued through at least 1953. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REO_Speed_Wagon Wikipedia]

In the current day, the moniker is most generally associated with the band REO Speedwagon, who reached multi-platinum prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. The band hail from Champaign, Illinois.

==Page 6==
'''run his usual unsociable O-O''' 
In detective and law-enforcement slang, “run an O-O” means to conduct an “observation operation,” which is shorthand for a stakeout or surveillance job.

Also referenced in Pynchon's Vineland.

==Page 7==
'''front page of the ''Journal''''' 
''The Milwaukee Journal'' was a dominant force in Milwaukee during the 1930s. It was known for its widespread readership and large circulation, making it the largest newspaper in Wisconsin at the time.

'''Maybe for the MPD and them, bomb always equals Italian''' 
cf. Pynchon's Against the Day

==Page 8==
'''doubtful tomato quality''' 
In the 1930s, the slang term "tomato" most commonly referred to an attractive, good-looking woman. The term originated in the late 1920s and was based on the idea of "juicy plumpness". In this context, amateur or non-professional criminal matters were low rent, including the attractiveness of the women involved.

==Page 9==
'''a Christmas crèche''' 
In French villages the Christmas crib (crèche) traditionally contains figurines representing a miller, a wood-cutter and other villagers as well as the Holy Family and the traditional cow, donkey and shepherds. The Three Wise Men are added to the nativity scene at Epiphany (6 January, Twelfth Night).

==Page 10==
'''"Starting a ticket, I knew it."''' 
In the parlance of a detective agency of the time, a ticket refers to an assignment or case.

==Page 11==
'''time-motion snoopers''' 
The phrase "time-motion snoopers" is a derogatory term for the practice of using employee monitoring to conduct time and motion studies. While traditional time and motion studies were an industrial engineering technique to improve efficiency, the term "snoopers" implies surveillance, distrust, and an invasive, dehumanizing approach to management.

'''swindle sheets''' 
A derogatory slang term for an expense account or a log sheet, implying the document is used to deceive or defraud someone. The term originated in the US in the early 20th century and was famously used by truckers to describe log books where they would falsify entries to show proper rest when they were actually driving more hours.

'''Badger All-Risk Fiduciary Life''' 
Or, for short, "BARF Life."

'''Old Log Cabin''' 
During prohibition (1920-1933), Old Log Cabin, an American company, was made in Canada and became a favorite import of bootleggers, especially Al Capone’s infamous smuggling operations. [https://oldlogcabin.com/about/old-log-cabin-history/ Old Log Cabin website]

'''Korbel brandy''' 
While Korbel wasn't a big favorite in Wisconsin, Wisconsin drinkers did develop a taste for brandy during the Prohibition era, primarily from other California producers ([https://www.korbel.com/brandy/ Korbel] is located in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California). Milwaukee and Wisconsin drinkers enjoyed the broader availability of brandy and incorporated fruit and soda into their old fashioneds, a practice that continued after Prohibition ended.

Chapter 1

2026-02-17T02:11:56Z

Jkvannort2025: /* Page 3 */ adding to Daphne entry

==Page 1==
'''North Shore Line''' 
The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad was an interurban line that connected the two cities. It was relatively high speed for the time and used quality cars. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_North_Shore_and_Milwaukee_Railroad]

'''the Lake''' 
Lake Michigan, on the western shore of which is Milwaukee. Chicago is 100 miles to the south of Milwaukee on the southern shore. [https://www.google.com/search?q=lake+michigan Map...]

'''Big Al in the federal pokey in Atlanta''' 
On October 18, 1931, Al Capone, the notorious Chicago gangster (1899-1947), aka "Scarface," was convicted after trial on various charges including tax evasion and prohibition-related and, on November 24, was sentenced to eleven years in federal prison, fined $50,000 and charged $7,692 for court costs, in addition to $215,000 plus interest due on back taxes. The six-month contempt of court sentence was to be served concurrently. While awaiting the results of appeals, Capone was confined to the Cook County Jail. Upon denial of appeals, he entered the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, serving his sentence there and at Alcatraz. [https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/al-capone More...]

'''Hicks McTaggart''' 
Introducing our Scots-American (McTaggart = "the priest's son") protagonist, Lindy-hopper, globe-trotter, encounterian via "tickets" (assignments) activated by his private detective agency employer. The McTaggart motto is “By reason, not by force.” [https://www.houseofnames.com/mctaggart-family-crest]

'''Vito Guardalebene''' 
Guardalebene grew up in Santa Flavia, Sicily (see below) where the local mafia controlled the grapefruit orchards and the docks. Vito moved from Sicily to Milwaukee and brought many of his gang with him. He became the first Mafia boss of Milwaukee. [https://gangstersinc.org/2015/06/11/the-milwaukee-mafia-family-dont-sell-it-short/] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_crime_family]

'''the Chicago Outfit''' 
The Chicago Outfit is an Italian American Mafia crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, and throughout the Greater Chicago area, originating in the city's South Side in the early 1910s. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Outfit]

'''so forth''' 
Pynchon uses this phrase multiple times (42 exactly) throughout the book. He doesn't use it at all in ''CoL49'' and ''Gravity's Rainbow''. Is this a shortcut instead of the usual lengthy descriptions and explanations or is there another purpose? [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/and%20so%20forth]

'''Pasquale’s Bella Palermo''' 
Here begins more references to the Cosa Nostra and Sicily. Beautiful (bella) Palermo is central to the beginning of the Sicilian mafia. The Outfit members dine on Sfincione Bagheria in a restaurant named after a region of Sicily that is known for its Cosa Nostra ties. This is a pizza antecedent, and there is still a Palermo’s Pizza in Milwaukee. [https://it-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Cosa_nostra?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp] [https://www.visitsicily.info/en/ricetta/sfincione-of-bagheria/] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palermo]

==Page 2==
'''grabbing Hicks''' 
Pynchon avoids using the formulation "says" throughout the novel, opting for present-tense derivations based on action.

'''Oriental Drugs''' 
A historic lunch counter in Milwaukee. The depth of Pynchon’s research is astounding, and this link gives a good history of the location. [https://www.wuwm.com/2022-04-15/a-look-back-at-oriental-drugs-a-fountain-of-milwaukee-memories]

'''pineapples come…''' 
In the 1930s, "pineapples" was a colloquial term for the Mk 2 fragmentation grenades, which became a military standard during this period. While actual pineapples were not exploding, the iconic grenade's grooved, cast-iron body gave it a strong resemblance to the fruit. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mills_bomb]

'''Santa Flavia''' 
Santa Flavia is a small town in Sicily known for its picturesque coastal scenery, as well as its Mafia presence which has historically included significant power and activity. The municipality has been identified as a key area for Cosa Nostra operations, including drug trafficking, extortion, and other organized criminal activities. Mafia activity in Sicily during the 1930s focused on controlling businesses and local politics through extortion and intimidation, rather than operating under formal, legitimate fronts like a chamber of commerce.

==Page 3==
'''Bruno Airmont''' 
Possible appropriation (including the homonym "heir") of the name of Belgian-French filmmaker Bruno Dumont, the great director of the long-form quasi-series of films P'tit Quinquin [2014], Ma Loute [2016; released outside of France as "Slack Bay"], and Coincoin et les Z’Inhumains [Coincoin and theee Extrahumans, 2018]. It can also be translated as a "mountain of air”, a whole lot of nothing. Bruno is a typical Italian given name, which means “polished brown”. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_(name)#Fictional_characters]

'''drinkin Singapore Slings out of a fire hose''' 
The Singapore Sling is a classic cocktail derived from Singapore's esteemed Raffles Hotel's (featured in Jon M. Chu's 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians) unique Long Bar concoction, created by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon, of: gin, Grand Marnier, cherry brandy, Benedictine, pineapple juice, lime juice, bitters, and club soda.

A similar scenario can be found in Pynchon's Vineland.

'''Daphne''' 
Also the name of one of the members of the Mystery Incorporated 'agency' in Hanna-Barbera's cartoon series Scooby-Doo. Greek mythology from Ovid has Daphne as the mortal woman or nymph that Apollo lusts after and chases. She calls on her river god father to help. He changes her into a laurel tree before Apollo can rape her. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daphne]

==Page 4==
'''some North Shore loophound''' 
A "loop-hound" is a dated, vulgar slang term for a person who frequented a specific downtown district, known as the Loop (in this case, Chicago), in search of amusement and cheer. The term implies someone who "hounded" after such entertainment within the crowded and noisy Loop, a reference that is now mostly found in older texts.

Consonant with the slang term "bloodhound" (taken from the type of dog) which connotes someone who's a detective or, at least, on some kind of trail.

'''G. Rodney Flaunch of the Glencoe Flaunches''' 
Glencoe, in this instance, refers to a tony village located on Chicago's North Shore.

Pynchon appears to have taken this formulation from a line in Elaine May's debut feature film from 1971, A New Leaf, as spoken by Walter Matthau at a cocktail party, in reference to the similarly posh Glencoe on Long Island, New York. An excerpt from the moment can be found in filmmaker Craig Keller's 2016 short essay-film on May's films, Elaine's, viewable [https://vimeo.com/194607579|here for free on Vimeo].

'''Skeet Wheeler''' 
cf. Zoyd Wheeler, the protagonist of Pynchon's Vineland (transmuted into the Leonardo DiCaprio character "Bob" in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2025 film One Battle After Another).

==Page 5==
'''REO Speed Wagon''' 
a light motor truck model manufactured by REO Motor Car Company. An ancestor of the pickup truck, it was first introduced in 1915 and production continued through at least 1953. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REO_Speed_Wagon Wikipedia]

In the current day, the moniker is most generally associated with the band REO Speedwagon, who reached multi-platinum prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. The band hail from Champaign, Illinois.

==Page 6==
'''run his usual unsociable O-O''' 
In detective and law-enforcement slang, “run an O-O” means to conduct an “observation operation,” which is shorthand for a stakeout or surveillance job.

Also referenced in Pynchon's Vineland.

==Page 7==
'''front page of the ''Journal''''' 
''The Milwaukee Journal'' was a dominant force in Milwaukee during the 1930s. It was known for its widespread readership and large circulation, making it the largest newspaper in Wisconsin at the time.

'''Maybe for the MPD and them, bomb always equals Italian''' 
cf. Pynchon's Against the Day

==Page 8==
'''doubtful tomato quality''' 
In the 1930s, the slang term "tomato" most commonly referred to an attractive, good-looking woman. The term originated in the late 1920s and was based on the idea of "juicy plumpness". In this context, amateur or non-professional criminal matters were low rent, including the attractiveness of the women involved.

==Page 9==
'''a Christmas crèche''' 
In French villages the Christmas crib (crèche) traditionally contains figurines representing a miller, a wood-cutter and other villagers as well as the Holy Family and the traditional cow, donkey and shepherds. The Three Wise Men are added to the nativity scene at Epiphany (6 January, Twelfth Night).

==Page 10==
'''"Starting a ticket, I knew it."''' 
In the parlance of a detective agency of the time, a ticket refers to an assignment or case.

==Page 11==
'''time-motion snoopers''' 
The phrase "time-motion snoopers" is a derogatory term for the practice of using employee monitoring to conduct time and motion studies. While traditional time and motion studies were an industrial engineering technique to improve efficiency, the term "snoopers" implies surveillance, distrust, and an invasive, dehumanizing approach to management.

'''swindle sheets''' 
A derogatory slang term for an expense account or a log sheet, implying the document is used to deceive or defraud someone. The term originated in the US in the early 20th century and was famously used by truckers to describe log books where they would falsify entries to show proper rest when they were actually driving more hours.

'''Badger All-Risk Fiduciary Life''' 
Or, for short, "BARF Life."

'''Old Log Cabin''' 
During prohibition (1920-1933), Old Log Cabin, an American company, was made in Canada and became a favorite import of bootleggers, especially Al Capone’s infamous smuggling operations. [https://oldlogcabin.com/about/old-log-cabin-history/ Old Log Cabin website]

'''Korbel brandy''' 
While Korbel wasn't a big favorite in Wisconsin, Wisconsin drinkers did develop a taste for brandy during the Prohibition era, primarily from other California producers ([https://www.korbel.com/brandy/ Korbel] is located in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California). Milwaukee and Wisconsin drinkers enjoyed the broader availability of brandy and incorporated fruit and soda into their old fashioneds, a practice that continued after Prohibition ended.

Chapter 1

2026-02-17T02:07:51Z

Jkvannort2025: /* Page 3 */

==Page 1==
'''North Shore Line''' 
The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad was an interurban line that connected the two cities. It was relatively high speed for the time and used quality cars. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_North_Shore_and_Milwaukee_Railroad]

'''the Lake''' 
Lake Michigan, on the western shore of which is Milwaukee. Chicago is 100 miles to the south of Milwaukee on the southern shore. [https://www.google.com/search?q=lake+michigan Map...]

'''Big Al in the federal pokey in Atlanta''' 
On October 18, 1931, Al Capone, the notorious Chicago gangster (1899-1947), aka "Scarface," was convicted after trial on various charges including tax evasion and prohibition-related and, on November 24, was sentenced to eleven years in federal prison, fined $50,000 and charged $7,692 for court costs, in addition to $215,000 plus interest due on back taxes. The six-month contempt of court sentence was to be served concurrently. While awaiting the results of appeals, Capone was confined to the Cook County Jail. Upon denial of appeals, he entered the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, serving his sentence there and at Alcatraz. [https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/al-capone More...]

'''Hicks McTaggart''' 
Introducing our Scots-American (McTaggart = "the priest's son") protagonist, Lindy-hopper, globe-trotter, encounterian via "tickets" (assignments) activated by his private detective agency employer. The McTaggart motto is “By reason, not by force.” [https://www.houseofnames.com/mctaggart-family-crest]

'''Vito Guardalebene''' 
Guardalebene grew up in Santa Flavia, Sicily (see below) where the local mafia controlled the grapefruit orchards and the docks. Vito moved from Sicily to Milwaukee and brought many of his gang with him. He became the first Mafia boss of Milwaukee. [https://gangstersinc.org/2015/06/11/the-milwaukee-mafia-family-dont-sell-it-short/] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_crime_family]

'''the Chicago Outfit''' 
The Chicago Outfit is an Italian American Mafia crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, and throughout the Greater Chicago area, originating in the city's South Side in the early 1910s. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Outfit]

'''so forth''' 
Pynchon uses this phrase multiple times (42 exactly) throughout the book. He doesn't use it at all in ''CoL49'' and ''Gravity's Rainbow''. Is this a shortcut instead of the usual lengthy descriptions and explanations or is there another purpose? [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/and%20so%20forth]

'''Pasquale’s Bella Palermo''' 
Here begins more references to the Cosa Nostra and Sicily. Beautiful (bella) Palermo is central to the beginning of the Sicilian mafia. The Outfit members dine on Sfincione Bagheria in a restaurant named after a region of Sicily that is known for its Cosa Nostra ties. This is a pizza antecedent, and there is still a Palermo’s Pizza in Milwaukee. [https://it-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Cosa_nostra?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp] [https://www.visitsicily.info/en/ricetta/sfincione-of-bagheria/] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palermo]

==Page 2==
'''grabbing Hicks''' 
Pynchon avoids using the formulation "says" throughout the novel, opting for present-tense derivations based on action.

'''Oriental Drugs''' 
A historic lunch counter in Milwaukee. The depth of Pynchon’s research is astounding, and this link gives a good history of the location. [https://www.wuwm.com/2022-04-15/a-look-back-at-oriental-drugs-a-fountain-of-milwaukee-memories]

'''pineapples come…''' 
In the 1930s, "pineapples" was a colloquial term for the Mk 2 fragmentation grenades, which became a military standard during this period. While actual pineapples were not exploding, the iconic grenade's grooved, cast-iron body gave it a strong resemblance to the fruit. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mills_bomb]

'''Santa Flavia''' 
Santa Flavia is a small town in Sicily known for its picturesque coastal scenery, as well as its Mafia presence which has historically included significant power and activity. The municipality has been identified as a key area for Cosa Nostra operations, including drug trafficking, extortion, and other organized criminal activities. Mafia activity in Sicily during the 1930s focused on controlling businesses and local politics through extortion and intimidation, rather than operating under formal, legitimate fronts like a chamber of commerce.

==Page 3==
'''Bruno Airmont''' 
Possible appropriation (including the homonym "heir") of the name of Belgian-French filmmaker Bruno Dumont, the great director of the long-form quasi-series of films P'tit Quinquin [2014], Ma Loute [2016; released outside of France as "Slack Bay"], and Coincoin et les Z’Inhumains [Coincoin and theee Extrahumans, 2018]. It can also be translated as a "mountain of air”, a whole lot of nothing. Bruno is a typical Italian given name, which means “polished brown”. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_(name)#Fictional_characters]

'''drinkin Singapore Slings out of a fire hose''' 
The Singapore Sling is a classic cocktail derived from Singapore's esteemed Raffles Hotel's (featured in Jon M. Chu's 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians) unique Long Bar concoction, created by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon, of: gin, Grand Marnier, cherry brandy, Benedictine, pineapple juice, lime juice, bitters, and club soda.

A similar scenario can be found in Pynchon's Vineland.

'''Daphne''' 
Also the name of one of the members of the Mystery Incorporated 'agency' in Hanna-Barbera's cartoon series Scooby-Doo.

==Page 4==
'''some North Shore loophound''' 
A "loop-hound" is a dated, vulgar slang term for a person who frequented a specific downtown district, known as the Loop (in this case, Chicago), in search of amusement and cheer. The term implies someone who "hounded" after such entertainment within the crowded and noisy Loop, a reference that is now mostly found in older texts.

Consonant with the slang term "bloodhound" (taken from the type of dog) which connotes someone who's a detective or, at least, on some kind of trail.

'''G. Rodney Flaunch of the Glencoe Flaunches''' 
Glencoe, in this instance, refers to a tony village located on Chicago's North Shore.

Pynchon appears to have taken this formulation from a line in Elaine May's debut feature film from 1971, A New Leaf, as spoken by Walter Matthau at a cocktail party, in reference to the similarly posh Glencoe on Long Island, New York. An excerpt from the moment can be found in filmmaker Craig Keller's 2016 short essay-film on May's films, Elaine's, viewable [https://vimeo.com/194607579|here for free on Vimeo].

'''Skeet Wheeler''' 
cf. Zoyd Wheeler, the protagonist of Pynchon's Vineland (transmuted into the Leonardo DiCaprio character "Bob" in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2025 film One Battle After Another).

==Page 5==
'''REO Speed Wagon''' 
a light motor truck model manufactured by REO Motor Car Company. An ancestor of the pickup truck, it was first introduced in 1915 and production continued through at least 1953. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REO_Speed_Wagon Wikipedia]

In the current day, the moniker is most generally associated with the band REO Speedwagon, who reached multi-platinum prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. The band hail from Champaign, Illinois.

==Page 6==
'''run his usual unsociable O-O''' 
In detective and law-enforcement slang, “run an O-O” means to conduct an “observation operation,” which is shorthand for a stakeout or surveillance job.

Also referenced in Pynchon's Vineland.

==Page 7==
'''front page of the ''Journal''''' 
''The Milwaukee Journal'' was a dominant force in Milwaukee during the 1930s. It was known for its widespread readership and large circulation, making it the largest newspaper in Wisconsin at the time.

'''Maybe for the MPD and them, bomb always equals Italian''' 
cf. Pynchon's Against the Day

==Page 8==
'''doubtful tomato quality''' 
In the 1930s, the slang term "tomato" most commonly referred to an attractive, good-looking woman. The term originated in the late 1920s and was based on the idea of "juicy plumpness". In this context, amateur or non-professional criminal matters were low rent, including the attractiveness of the women involved.

==Page 9==
'''a Christmas crèche''' 
In French villages the Christmas crib (crèche) traditionally contains figurines representing a miller, a wood-cutter and other villagers as well as the Holy Family and the traditional cow, donkey and shepherds. The Three Wise Men are added to the nativity scene at Epiphany (6 January, Twelfth Night).

==Page 10==
'''"Starting a ticket, I knew it."''' 
In the parlance of a detective agency of the time, a ticket refers to an assignment or case.

==Page 11==
'''time-motion snoopers''' 
The phrase "time-motion snoopers" is a derogatory term for the practice of using employee monitoring to conduct time and motion studies. While traditional time and motion studies were an industrial engineering technique to improve efficiency, the term "snoopers" implies surveillance, distrust, and an invasive, dehumanizing approach to management.

'''swindle sheets''' 
A derogatory slang term for an expense account or a log sheet, implying the document is used to deceive or defraud someone. The term originated in the US in the early 20th century and was famously used by truckers to describe log books where they would falsify entries to show proper rest when they were actually driving more hours.

'''Badger All-Risk Fiduciary Life''' 
Or, for short, "BARF Life."

'''Old Log Cabin''' 
During prohibition (1920-1933), Old Log Cabin, an American company, was made in Canada and became a favorite import of bootleggers, especially Al Capone’s infamous smuggling operations. [https://oldlogcabin.com/about/old-log-cabin-history/ Old Log Cabin website]

'''Korbel brandy''' 
While Korbel wasn't a big favorite in Wisconsin, Wisconsin drinkers did develop a taste for brandy during the Prohibition era, primarily from other California producers ([https://www.korbel.com/brandy/ Korbel] is located in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California). Milwaukee and Wisconsin drinkers enjoyed the broader availability of brandy and incorporated fruit and soda into their old fashioneds, a practice that continued after Prohibition ended.

Chapter 1

2026-02-17T01:22:11Z

Jkvannort2025: /* Page 2 */ adding Oriental Drugs entry

==Page 1==
'''North Shore Line''' 
The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad was an interurban line that connected the two cities. It was relatively high speed for the time and used quality cars. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_North_Shore_and_Milwaukee_Railroad]

'''the Lake''' 
Lake Michigan, on the western shore of which is Milwaukee. Chicago is 100 miles to the south of Milwaukee on the southern shore. [https://www.google.com/search?q=lake+michigan Map...]

'''Big Al in the federal pokey in Atlanta''' 
On October 18, 1931, Al Capone, the notorious Chicago gangster (1899-1947), aka "Scarface," was convicted after trial on various charges including tax evasion and prohibition-related and, on November 24, was sentenced to eleven years in federal prison, fined $50,000 and charged $7,692 for court costs, in addition to $215,000 plus interest due on back taxes. The six-month contempt of court sentence was to be served concurrently. While awaiting the results of appeals, Capone was confined to the Cook County Jail. Upon denial of appeals, he entered the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, serving his sentence there and at Alcatraz. [https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/al-capone More...]

'''Hicks McTaggart''' 
Introducing our Scots-American (McTaggart = "the priest's son") protagonist, Lindy-hopper, globe-trotter, encounterian via "tickets" (assignments) activated by his private detective agency employer. The McTaggart motto is “By reason, not by force.” [https://www.houseofnames.com/mctaggart-family-crest]

'''Vito Guardalebene''' 
Guardalebene grew up in Santa Flavia, Sicily (see below) where the local mafia controlled the grapefruit orchards and the docks. Vito moved from Sicily to Milwaukee and brought many of his gang with him. He became the first Mafia boss of Milwaukee. [https://gangstersinc.org/2015/06/11/the-milwaukee-mafia-family-dont-sell-it-short/] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_crime_family]

'''the Chicago Outfit''' 
The Chicago Outfit is an Italian American Mafia crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, and throughout the Greater Chicago area, originating in the city's South Side in the early 1910s. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Outfit]

'''so forth''' 
Pynchon uses this phrase multiple times (42 exactly) throughout the book. He doesn't use it at all in ''CoL49'' and ''Gravity's Rainbow''. Is this a shortcut instead of the usual lengthy descriptions and explanations or is there another purpose? [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/and%20so%20forth]

'''Pasquale’s Bella Palermo''' 
Here begins more references to the Cosa Nostra and Sicily. Beautiful (bella) Palermo is central to the beginning of the Sicilian mafia. The Outfit members dine on Sfincione Bagheria in a restaurant named after a region of Sicily that is known for its Cosa Nostra ties. This is a pizza antecedent, and there is still a Palermo’s Pizza in Milwaukee. [https://it-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Cosa_nostra?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp] [https://www.visitsicily.info/en/ricetta/sfincione-of-bagheria/] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palermo]

==Page 2==
'''grabbing Hicks''' 
Pynchon avoids using the formulation "says" throughout the novel, opting for present-tense derivations based on action.

'''Oriental Drugs''' 
A historic lunch counter in Milwaukee. The depth of Pynchon’s research is astounding, and this link gives a good history of the location. [https://www.wuwm.com/2022-04-15/a-look-back-at-oriental-drugs-a-fountain-of-milwaukee-memories]

'''pineapples come…''' 
In the 1930s, "pineapples" was a colloquial term for the Mk 2 fragmentation grenades, which became a military standard during this period. While actual pineapples were not exploding, the iconic grenade's grooved, cast-iron body gave it a strong resemblance to the fruit. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mills_bomb]

'''Santa Flavia''' 
Santa Flavia is a small town in Sicily known for its picturesque coastal scenery, as well as its Mafia presence which has historically included significant power and activity. The municipality has been identified as a key area for Cosa Nostra operations, including drug trafficking, extortion, and other organized criminal activities. Mafia activity in Sicily during the 1930s focused on controlling businesses and local politics through extortion and intimidation, rather than operating under formal, legitimate fronts like a chamber of commerce.

==Page 3==
'''Bruno Airmont''' 
Possible appropriation (including the homonym "heir") of the name of Belgian-French filmmaker Bruno Dumont, the great director of the long-form quasi-series of films P'tit Quinquin [2014], Ma Loute [2016; released outside of France as "Slack Bay"], and Coincoin et les Z’Inhumains [Coincoin and theee Extrahumans, 2018].

'''drinkin Singapore Slings out of a fire hose''' 
The Singapore Sling is a classic cocktail derived from Singapore's esteemed Raffles Hotel's (featured in Jon M. Chu's 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians) unique Long Bar concoction, created by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon, of: gin, Grand Marnier, cherry brandy, Benedictine, pineapple juice, lime juice, bitters, and club soda.

A similar scenario can be found in Pynchon's Vineland.

'''Daphne''' 
Also the name of one of the members of the Mystery Incorporated 'agency' in Hanna-Barbera's cartoon series Scooby-Doo.

==Page 4==
'''some North Shore loophound''' 
A "loop-hound" is a dated, vulgar slang term for a person who frequented a specific downtown district, known as the Loop (in this case, Chicago), in search of amusement and cheer. The term implies someone who "hounded" after such entertainment within the crowded and noisy Loop, a reference that is now mostly found in older texts.

Consonant with the slang term "bloodhound" (taken from the type of dog) which connotes someone who's a detective or, at least, on some kind of trail.

'''G. Rodney Flaunch of the Glencoe Flaunches''' 
Glencoe, in this instance, refers to a tony village located on Chicago's North Shore.

Pynchon appears to have taken this formulation from a line in Elaine May's debut feature film from 1971, A New Leaf, as spoken by Walter Matthau at a cocktail party, in reference to the similarly posh Glencoe on Long Island, New York. An excerpt from the moment can be found in filmmaker Craig Keller's 2016 short essay-film on May's films, Elaine's, viewable [https://vimeo.com/194607579|here for free on Vimeo].

'''Skeet Wheeler''' 
cf. Zoyd Wheeler, the protagonist of Pynchon's Vineland (transmuted into the Leonardo DiCaprio character "Bob" in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2025 film One Battle After Another).

==Page 5==
'''REO Speed Wagon''' 
a light motor truck model manufactured by REO Motor Car Company. An ancestor of the pickup truck, it was first introduced in 1915 and production continued through at least 1953. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REO_Speed_Wagon Wikipedia]

In the current day, the moniker is most generally associated with the band REO Speedwagon, who reached multi-platinum prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. The band hail from Champaign, Illinois.

==Page 6==
'''run his usual unsociable O-O''' 
In detective and law-enforcement slang, “run an O-O” means to conduct an “observation operation,” which is shorthand for a stakeout or surveillance job.

Also referenced in Pynchon's Vineland.

==Page 7==
'''front page of the ''Journal''''' 
''The Milwaukee Journal'' was a dominant force in Milwaukee during the 1930s. It was known for its widespread readership and large circulation, making it the largest newspaper in Wisconsin at the time.

'''Maybe for the MPD and them, bomb always equals Italian''' 
cf. Pynchon's Against the Day

==Page 8==
'''doubtful tomato quality''' 
In the 1930s, the slang term "tomato" most commonly referred to an attractive, good-looking woman. The term originated in the late 1920s and was based on the idea of "juicy plumpness". In this context, amateur or non-professional criminal matters were low rent, including the attractiveness of the women involved.

==Page 9==
'''a Christmas crèche''' 
In French villages the Christmas crib (crèche) traditionally contains figurines representing a miller, a wood-cutter and other villagers as well as the Holy Family and the traditional cow, donkey and shepherds. The Three Wise Men are added to the nativity scene at Epiphany (6 January, Twelfth Night).

==Page 10==
'''"Starting a ticket, I knew it."''' 
In the parlance of a detective agency of the time, a ticket refers to an assignment or case.

==Page 11==
'''time-motion snoopers''' 
The phrase "time-motion snoopers" is a derogatory term for the practice of using employee monitoring to conduct time and motion studies. While traditional time and motion studies were an industrial engineering technique to improve efficiency, the term "snoopers" implies surveillance, distrust, and an invasive, dehumanizing approach to management.

'''swindle sheets''' 
A derogatory slang term for an expense account or a log sheet, implying the document is used to deceive or defraud someone. The term originated in the US in the early 20th century and was famously used by truckers to describe log books where they would falsify entries to show proper rest when they were actually driving more hours.

'''Badger All-Risk Fiduciary Life''' 
Or, for short, "BARF Life."

'''Old Log Cabin''' 
During prohibition (1920-1933), Old Log Cabin, an American company, was made in Canada and became a favorite import of bootleggers, especially Al Capone’s infamous smuggling operations. [https://oldlogcabin.com/about/old-log-cabin-history/ Old Log Cabin website]

'''Korbel brandy''' 
While Korbel wasn't a big favorite in Wisconsin, Wisconsin drinkers did develop a taste for brandy during the Prohibition era, primarily from other California producers ([https://www.korbel.com/brandy/ Korbel] is located in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California). Milwaukee and Wisconsin drinkers enjoyed the broader availability of brandy and incorporated fruit and soda into their old fashioneds, a practice that continued after Prohibition ended.

Chapter 1

2026-02-17T01:11:54Z

Jkvannort2025: /* Page 1 */ Adding Pasquale’s Bella Palermo entry

==Page 1==
'''North Shore Line''' 
The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad was an interurban line that connected the two cities. It was relatively high speed for the time and used quality cars. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_North_Shore_and_Milwaukee_Railroad]

'''the Lake''' 
Lake Michigan, on the western shore of which is Milwaukee. Chicago is 100 miles to the south of Milwaukee on the southern shore. [https://www.google.com/search?q=lake+michigan Map...]

'''Big Al in the federal pokey in Atlanta''' 
On October 18, 1931, Al Capone, the notorious Chicago gangster (1899-1947), aka "Scarface," was convicted after trial on various charges including tax evasion and prohibition-related and, on November 24, was sentenced to eleven years in federal prison, fined $50,000 and charged $7,692 for court costs, in addition to $215,000 plus interest due on back taxes. The six-month contempt of court sentence was to be served concurrently. While awaiting the results of appeals, Capone was confined to the Cook County Jail. Upon denial of appeals, he entered the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, serving his sentence there and at Alcatraz. [https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/al-capone More...]

'''Hicks McTaggart''' 
Introducing our Scots-American (McTaggart = "the priest's son") protagonist, Lindy-hopper, globe-trotter, encounterian via "tickets" (assignments) activated by his private detective agency employer. The McTaggart motto is “By reason, not by force.” [https://www.houseofnames.com/mctaggart-family-crest]

'''Vito Guardalebene''' 
Guardalebene grew up in Santa Flavia, Sicily (see below) where the local mafia controlled the grapefruit orchards and the docks. Vito moved from Sicily to Milwaukee and brought many of his gang with him. He became the first Mafia boss of Milwaukee. [https://gangstersinc.org/2015/06/11/the-milwaukee-mafia-family-dont-sell-it-short/] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_crime_family]

'''the Chicago Outfit''' 
The Chicago Outfit is an Italian American Mafia crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, and throughout the Greater Chicago area, originating in the city's South Side in the early 1910s. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Outfit]

'''so forth''' 
Pynchon uses this phrase multiple times (42 exactly) throughout the book. He doesn't use it at all in ''CoL49'' and ''Gravity's Rainbow''. Is this a shortcut instead of the usual lengthy descriptions and explanations or is there another purpose? [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/and%20so%20forth]

'''Pasquale’s Bella Palermo''' 
Here begins more references to the Cosa Nostra and Sicily. Beautiful (bella) Palermo is central to the beginning of the Sicilian mafia. The Outfit members dine on Sfincione Bagheria in a restaurant named after a region of Sicily that is known for its Cosa Nostra ties. This is a pizza antecedent, and there is still a Palermo’s Pizza in Milwaukee. [https://it-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Cosa_nostra?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp] [https://www.visitsicily.info/en/ricetta/sfincione-of-bagheria/] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palermo]

==Page 2==
'''grabbing Hicks''' 
Pynchon avoids using the formulation "says" throughout the novel, opting for present-tense derivations based on action.

'''pineapples come…''' 
In the 1930s, "pineapples" was a colloquial term for the Mk 2 fragmentation grenades, which became a military standard during this period. While actual pineapples were not exploding, the iconic grenade's grooved, cast-iron body gave it a strong resemblance to the fruit. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mills_bomb]

'''Santa Flavia''' 
Santa Flavia is a small town in Sicily known for its picturesque coastal scenery, as well as its Mafia presence which has historically included significant power and activity. The municipality has been identified as a key area for Cosa Nostra operations, including drug trafficking, extortion, and other organized criminal activities. Mafia activity in Sicily during the 1930s focused on controlling businesses and local politics through extortion and intimidation, rather than operating under formal, legitimate fronts like a chamber of commerce.

==Page 3==
'''Bruno Airmont''' 
Possible appropriation (including the homonym "heir") of the name of Belgian-French filmmaker Bruno Dumont, the great director of the long-form quasi-series of films P'tit Quinquin [2014], Ma Loute [2016; released outside of France as "Slack Bay"], and Coincoin et les Z’Inhumains [Coincoin and theee Extrahumans, 2018].

'''drinkin Singapore Slings out of a fire hose''' 
The Singapore Sling is a classic cocktail derived from Singapore's esteemed Raffles Hotel's (featured in Jon M. Chu's 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians) unique Long Bar concoction, created by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon, of: gin, Grand Marnier, cherry brandy, Benedictine, pineapple juice, lime juice, bitters, and club soda.

A similar scenario can be found in Pynchon's Vineland.

'''Daphne''' 
Also the name of one of the members of the Mystery Incorporated 'agency' in Hanna-Barbera's cartoon series Scooby-Doo.

==Page 4==
'''some North Shore loophound''' 
A "loop-hound" is a dated, vulgar slang term for a person who frequented a specific downtown district, known as the Loop (in this case, Chicago), in search of amusement and cheer. The term implies someone who "hounded" after such entertainment within the crowded and noisy Loop, a reference that is now mostly found in older texts.

Consonant with the slang term "bloodhound" (taken from the type of dog) which connotes someone who's a detective or, at least, on some kind of trail.

'''G. Rodney Flaunch of the Glencoe Flaunches''' 
Glencoe, in this instance, refers to a tony village located on Chicago's North Shore.

Pynchon appears to have taken this formulation from a line in Elaine May's debut feature film from 1971, A New Leaf, as spoken by Walter Matthau at a cocktail party, in reference to the similarly posh Glencoe on Long Island, New York. An excerpt from the moment can be found in filmmaker Craig Keller's 2016 short essay-film on May's films, Elaine's, viewable [https://vimeo.com/194607579|here for free on Vimeo].

'''Skeet Wheeler''' 
cf. Zoyd Wheeler, the protagonist of Pynchon's Vineland (transmuted into the Leonardo DiCaprio character "Bob" in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2025 film One Battle After Another).

==Page 5==
'''REO Speed Wagon''' 
a light motor truck model manufactured by REO Motor Car Company. An ancestor of the pickup truck, it was first introduced in 1915 and production continued through at least 1953. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REO_Speed_Wagon Wikipedia]

In the current day, the moniker is most generally associated with the band REO Speedwagon, who reached multi-platinum prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. The band hail from Champaign, Illinois.

==Page 6==
'''run his usual unsociable O-O''' 
In detective and law-enforcement slang, “run an O-O” means to conduct an “observation operation,” which is shorthand for a stakeout or surveillance job.

Also referenced in Pynchon's Vineland.

==Page 7==
'''front page of the ''Journal''''' 
''The Milwaukee Journal'' was a dominant force in Milwaukee during the 1930s. It was known for its widespread readership and large circulation, making it the largest newspaper in Wisconsin at the time.

'''Maybe for the MPD and them, bomb always equals Italian''' 
cf. Pynchon's Against the Day

==Page 8==
'''doubtful tomato quality''' 
In the 1930s, the slang term "tomato" most commonly referred to an attractive, good-looking woman. The term originated in the late 1920s and was based on the idea of "juicy plumpness". In this context, amateur or non-professional criminal matters were low rent, including the attractiveness of the women involved.

==Page 9==
'''a Christmas crèche''' 
In French villages the Christmas crib (crèche) traditionally contains figurines representing a miller, a wood-cutter and other villagers as well as the Holy Family and the traditional cow, donkey and shepherds. The Three Wise Men are added to the nativity scene at Epiphany (6 January, Twelfth Night).

==Page 10==
'''"Starting a ticket, I knew it."''' 
In the parlance of a detective agency of the time, a ticket refers to an assignment or case.

==Page 11==
'''time-motion snoopers''' 
The phrase "time-motion snoopers" is a derogatory term for the practice of using employee monitoring to conduct time and motion studies. While traditional time and motion studies were an industrial engineering technique to improve efficiency, the term "snoopers" implies surveillance, distrust, and an invasive, dehumanizing approach to management.

'''swindle sheets''' 
A derogatory slang term for an expense account or a log sheet, implying the document is used to deceive or defraud someone. The term originated in the US in the early 20th century and was famously used by truckers to describe log books where they would falsify entries to show proper rest when they were actually driving more hours.

'''Badger All-Risk Fiduciary Life''' 
Or, for short, "BARF Life."

'''Old Log Cabin''' 
During prohibition (1920-1933), Old Log Cabin, an American company, was made in Canada and became a favorite import of bootleggers, especially Al Capone’s infamous smuggling operations. [https://oldlogcabin.com/about/old-log-cabin-history/ Old Log Cabin website]

'''Korbel brandy''' 
While Korbel wasn't a big favorite in Wisconsin, Wisconsin drinkers did develop a taste for brandy during the Prohibition era, primarily from other California producers ([https://www.korbel.com/brandy/ Korbel] is located in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California). Milwaukee and Wisconsin drinkers enjoyed the broader availability of brandy and incorporated fruit and soda into their old fashioneds, a practice that continued after Prohibition ended.

Chapter 1

2026-02-17T00:36:39Z

Jkvannort2025: /* Page 1 */

==Page 1==
'''North Shore Line''' 
The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad was an interurban line that connected the two cities. It was relatively high speed for the time and used quality cars. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_North_Shore_and_Milwaukee_Railroad]

'''the Lake''' 
Lake Michigan, on the western shore of which is Milwaukee. Chicago is 100 miles to the south of Milwaukee on the southern shore. [https://www.google.com/search?q=lake+michigan Map...]

'''Big Al in the federal pokey in Atlanta''' 
On October 18, 1931, Al Capone, the notorious Chicago gangster (1899-1947), aka "Scarface," was convicted after trial on various charges including tax evasion and prohibition-related and, on November 24, was sentenced to eleven years in federal prison, fined $50,000 and charged $7,692 for court costs, in addition to $215,000 plus interest due on back taxes. The six-month contempt of court sentence was to be served concurrently. While awaiting the results of appeals, Capone was confined to the Cook County Jail. Upon denial of appeals, he entered the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, serving his sentence there and at Alcatraz. [https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/al-capone More...]

'''Hicks McTaggart''' 
Introducing our Scots-American (McTaggart = "the priest's son") protagonist, Lindy-hopper, globe-trotter, encounterian via "tickets" (assignments) activated by his private detective agency employer. The McTaggart motto is “By reason, not by force.” [https://www.houseofnames.com/mctaggart-family-crest]

'''Vito Guardalebene''' 
Guardalebene grew up in Santa Flavia, Sicily (see below) where the local mafia controlled the grapefruit orchards and the docks. Vito moved from Sicily to Milwaukee and brought many of his gang with him. He became the first Mafia boss of Milwaukee. [https://gangstersinc.org/2015/06/11/the-milwaukee-mafia-family-dont-sell-it-short/] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_crime_family]

'''the Chicago Outfit''' 
The Chicago Outfit is an Italian American Mafia crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, and throughout the Greater Chicago area, originating in the city's South Side in the early 1910s. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Outfit]

'''so forth''' 
Pynchon uses this phrase multiple times (42 exactly) throughout the book. He doesn't use it at all in ''CoL49'' and ''Gravity's Rainbow''. Is this a shortcut instead of the usual lengthy descriptions and explanations or is there another purpose? [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/and%20so%20forth]

==Page 2==
'''grabbing Hicks''' 
Pynchon avoids using the formulation "says" throughout the novel, opting for present-tense derivations based on action.

'''pineapples come…''' 
In the 1930s, "pineapples" was a colloquial term for the Mk 2 fragmentation grenades, which became a military standard during this period. While actual pineapples were not exploding, the iconic grenade's grooved, cast-iron body gave it a strong resemblance to the fruit. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mills_bomb]

'''Santa Flavia''' 
Santa Flavia is a small town in Sicily known for its picturesque coastal scenery, as well as its Mafia presence which has historically included significant power and activity. The municipality has been identified as a key area for Cosa Nostra operations, including drug trafficking, extortion, and other organized criminal activities. Mafia activity in Sicily during the 1930s focused on controlling businesses and local politics through extortion and intimidation, rather than operating under formal, legitimate fronts like a chamber of commerce.

==Page 3==
'''Bruno Airmont''' 
Possible appropriation (including the homonym "heir") of the name of Belgian-French filmmaker Bruno Dumont, the great director of the long-form quasi-series of films P'tit Quinquin [2014], Ma Loute [2016; released outside of France as "Slack Bay"], and Coincoin et les Z’Inhumains [Coincoin and theee Extrahumans, 2018].

'''drinkin Singapore Slings out of a fire hose''' 
The Singapore Sling is a classic cocktail derived from Singapore's esteemed Raffles Hotel's (featured in Jon M. Chu's 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians) unique Long Bar concoction, created by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon, of: gin, Grand Marnier, cherry brandy, Benedictine, pineapple juice, lime juice, bitters, and club soda.

A similar scenario can be found in Pynchon's Vineland.

'''Daphne''' 
Also the name of one of the members of the Mystery Incorporated 'agency' in Hanna-Barbera's cartoon series Scooby-Doo.

==Page 4==
'''some North Shore loophound''' 
A "loop-hound" is a dated, vulgar slang term for a person who frequented a specific downtown district, known as the Loop (in this case, Chicago), in search of amusement and cheer. The term implies someone who "hounded" after such entertainment within the crowded and noisy Loop, a reference that is now mostly found in older texts.

Consonant with the slang term "bloodhound" (taken from the type of dog) which connotes someone who's a detective or, at least, on some kind of trail.

'''G. Rodney Flaunch of the Glencoe Flaunches''' 
Glencoe, in this instance, refers to a tony village located on Chicago's North Shore.

Pynchon appears to have taken this formulation from a line in Elaine May's debut feature film from 1971, A New Leaf, as spoken by Walter Matthau at a cocktail party, in reference to the similarly posh Glencoe on Long Island, New York. An excerpt from the moment can be found in filmmaker Craig Keller's 2016 short essay-film on May's films, Elaine's, viewable [https://vimeo.com/194607579|here for free on Vimeo].

'''Skeet Wheeler''' 
cf. Zoyd Wheeler, the protagonist of Pynchon's Vineland (transmuted into the Leonardo DiCaprio character "Bob" in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2025 film One Battle After Another).

==Page 5==
'''REO Speed Wagon''' 
a light motor truck model manufactured by REO Motor Car Company. An ancestor of the pickup truck, it was first introduced in 1915 and production continued through at least 1953. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REO_Speed_Wagon Wikipedia]

In the current day, the moniker is most generally associated with the band REO Speedwagon, who reached multi-platinum prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. The band hail from Champaign, Illinois.

==Page 6==
'''run his usual unsociable O-O''' 
In detective and law-enforcement slang, “run an O-O” means to conduct an “observation operation,” which is shorthand for a stakeout or surveillance job.

Also referenced in Pynchon's Vineland.

==Page 7==
'''front page of the ''Journal''''' 
''The Milwaukee Journal'' was a dominant force in Milwaukee during the 1930s. It was known for its widespread readership and large circulation, making it the largest newspaper in Wisconsin at the time.

'''Maybe for the MPD and them, bomb always equals Italian''' 
cf. Pynchon's Against the Day

==Page 8==
'''doubtful tomato quality''' 
In the 1930s, the slang term "tomato" most commonly referred to an attractive, good-looking woman. The term originated in the late 1920s and was based on the idea of "juicy plumpness". In this context, amateur or non-professional criminal matters were low rent, including the attractiveness of the women involved.

==Page 9==
'''a Christmas crèche''' 
In French villages the Christmas crib (crèche) traditionally contains figurines representing a miller, a wood-cutter and other villagers as well as the Holy Family and the traditional cow, donkey and shepherds. The Three Wise Men are added to the nativity scene at Epiphany (6 January, Twelfth Night).

==Page 10==
'''"Starting a ticket, I knew it."''' 
In the parlance of a detective agency of the time, a ticket refers to an assignment or case.

==Page 11==
'''time-motion snoopers''' 
The phrase "time-motion snoopers" is a derogatory term for the practice of using employee monitoring to conduct time and motion studies. While traditional time and motion studies were an industrial engineering technique to improve efficiency, the term "snoopers" implies surveillance, distrust, and an invasive, dehumanizing approach to management.

'''swindle sheets''' 
A derogatory slang term for an expense account or a log sheet, implying the document is used to deceive or defraud someone. The term originated in the US in the early 20th century and was famously used by truckers to describe log books where they would falsify entries to show proper rest when they were actually driving more hours.

'''Badger All-Risk Fiduciary Life''' 
Or, for short, "BARF Life."

'''Old Log Cabin''' 
During prohibition (1920-1933), Old Log Cabin, an American company, was made in Canada and became a favorite import of bootleggers, especially Al Capone’s infamous smuggling operations. [https://oldlogcabin.com/about/old-log-cabin-history/ Old Log Cabin website]

'''Korbel brandy''' 
While Korbel wasn't a big favorite in Wisconsin, Wisconsin drinkers did develop a taste for brandy during the Prohibition era, primarily from other California producers ([https://www.korbel.com/brandy/ Korbel] is located in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California). Milwaukee and Wisconsin drinkers enjoyed the broader availability of brandy and incorporated fruit and soda into their old fashioneds, a practice that continued after Prohibition ended.

Chapter 1

2026-02-17T00:34:55Z

Jkvannort2025: /* Page 1 */

==Page 1==
'''North Shore Line''' 
The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad was an interurban line that connected the two cities. It was relatively high speed for the time and used quality cars. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_North_Shore_and_Milwaukee_Railroad]

'''the Lake''' 
Lake Michigan, on the western shore of which is Milwaukee. Chicago is 100 miles to the south of Milwaukee on the southern shore. [https://www.google.com/search?q=lake+michigan Map...]

'''Big Al in the federal pokey in Atlanta''' 
On October 18, 1931, Al Capone, the notorious Chicago gangster (1899-1947), aka "Scarface," was convicted after trial on various charges including tax evasion and prohibition-related and, on November 24, was sentenced to eleven years in federal prison, fined $50,000 and charged $7,692 for court costs, in addition to $215,000 plus interest due on back taxes. The six-month contempt of court sentence was to be served concurrently. While awaiting the results of appeals, Capone was confined to the Cook County Jail. Upon denial of appeals, he entered the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, serving his sentence there and at Alcatraz. [https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/al-capone More...]

'''Hicks McTaggart''' 
Introducing our Scots-American (McTaggart = "the priest's son") protagonist, Lindy-hopper, globe-trotter, encounterian via "tickets" (assignments) activated by his private detective agency employer. The McTaggart motto is “By reason, not by force.” [https://www.houseofnames.com/mctaggart-family-crest]

'''Vito Guardalebene''' 
Guardalebene grew up in Santa Flavia, Sicily (see below) where the local mafia controlled the grapefruit orchards and the docks. Vito moved from Sicily to Milwaukee and brought many of his gang with him. He became the first Mafia boss of Milwaukee. [https://gangstersinc.org/2015/06/11/the-milwaukee-mafia-family-dont-sell-it-short/] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_crime_family]

'''the Chicago Outfit''' 
The Chicago Outfit is an Italian American Mafia crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, and throughout the Greater Chicago area, originating in the city's South Side in the early 1910s. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Outfit]

'''so forth''' 
Pynchon uses this phrase multiple times (42 exactly) throughout the book. He doesn't use it at all in ''CoL49'' and ''Gravity's Rainbow''. Is this a shortcut instead of the usual lengthy descriptions and explanations or is there another purpose?

==Page 2==
'''grabbing Hicks''' 
Pynchon avoids using the formulation "says" throughout the novel, opting for present-tense derivations based on action.

'''pineapples come…''' 
In the 1930s, "pineapples" was a colloquial term for the Mk 2 fragmentation grenades, which became a military standard during this period. While actual pineapples were not exploding, the iconic grenade's grooved, cast-iron body gave it a strong resemblance to the fruit. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mills_bomb]

'''Santa Flavia''' 
Santa Flavia is a small town in Sicily known for its picturesque coastal scenery, as well as its Mafia presence which has historically included significant power and activity. The municipality has been identified as a key area for Cosa Nostra operations, including drug trafficking, extortion, and other organized criminal activities. Mafia activity in Sicily during the 1930s focused on controlling businesses and local politics through extortion and intimidation, rather than operating under formal, legitimate fronts like a chamber of commerce.

==Page 3==
'''Bruno Airmont''' 
Possible appropriation (including the homonym "heir") of the name of Belgian-French filmmaker Bruno Dumont, the great director of the long-form quasi-series of films P'tit Quinquin [2014], Ma Loute [2016; released outside of France as "Slack Bay"], and Coincoin et les Z’Inhumains [Coincoin and theee Extrahumans, 2018].

'''drinkin Singapore Slings out of a fire hose''' 
The Singapore Sling is a classic cocktail derived from Singapore's esteemed Raffles Hotel's (featured in Jon M. Chu's 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians) unique Long Bar concoction, created by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon, of: gin, Grand Marnier, cherry brandy, Benedictine, pineapple juice, lime juice, bitters, and club soda.

A similar scenario can be found in Pynchon's Vineland.

'''Daphne''' 
Also the name of one of the members of the Mystery Incorporated 'agency' in Hanna-Barbera's cartoon series Scooby-Doo.

==Page 4==
'''some North Shore loophound''' 
A "loop-hound" is a dated, vulgar slang term for a person who frequented a specific downtown district, known as the Loop (in this case, Chicago), in search of amusement and cheer. The term implies someone who "hounded" after such entertainment within the crowded and noisy Loop, a reference that is now mostly found in older texts.

Consonant with the slang term "bloodhound" (taken from the type of dog) which connotes someone who's a detective or, at least, on some kind of trail.

'''G. Rodney Flaunch of the Glencoe Flaunches''' 
Glencoe, in this instance, refers to a tony village located on Chicago's North Shore.

Pynchon appears to have taken this formulation from a line in Elaine May's debut feature film from 1971, A New Leaf, as spoken by Walter Matthau at a cocktail party, in reference to the similarly posh Glencoe on Long Island, New York. An excerpt from the moment can be found in filmmaker Craig Keller's 2016 short essay-film on May's films, Elaine's, viewable [https://vimeo.com/194607579|here for free on Vimeo].

'''Skeet Wheeler''' 
cf. Zoyd Wheeler, the protagonist of Pynchon's Vineland (transmuted into the Leonardo DiCaprio character "Bob" in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2025 film One Battle After Another).

==Page 5==
'''REO Speed Wagon''' 
a light motor truck model manufactured by REO Motor Car Company. An ancestor of the pickup truck, it was first introduced in 1915 and production continued through at least 1953. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REO_Speed_Wagon Wikipedia]

In the current day, the moniker is most generally associated with the band REO Speedwagon, who reached multi-platinum prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. The band hail from Champaign, Illinois.

==Page 6==
'''run his usual unsociable O-O''' 
In detective and law-enforcement slang, “run an O-O” means to conduct an “observation operation,” which is shorthand for a stakeout or surveillance job.

Also referenced in Pynchon's Vineland.

==Page 7==
'''front page of the ''Journal''''' 
''The Milwaukee Journal'' was a dominant force in Milwaukee during the 1930s. It was known for its widespread readership and large circulation, making it the largest newspaper in Wisconsin at the time.

'''Maybe for the MPD and them, bomb always equals Italian''' 
cf. Pynchon's Against the Day

==Page 8==
'''doubtful tomato quality''' 
In the 1930s, the slang term "tomato" most commonly referred to an attractive, good-looking woman. The term originated in the late 1920s and was based on the idea of "juicy plumpness". In this context, amateur or non-professional criminal matters were low rent, including the attractiveness of the women involved.

==Page 9==
'''a Christmas crèche''' 
In French villages the Christmas crib (crèche) traditionally contains figurines representing a miller, a wood-cutter and other villagers as well as the Holy Family and the traditional cow, donkey and shepherds. The Three Wise Men are added to the nativity scene at Epiphany (6 January, Twelfth Night).

==Page 10==
'''"Starting a ticket, I knew it."''' 
In the parlance of a detective agency of the time, a ticket refers to an assignment or case.

==Page 11==
'''time-motion snoopers''' 
The phrase "time-motion snoopers" is a derogatory term for the practice of using employee monitoring to conduct time and motion studies. While traditional time and motion studies were an industrial engineering technique to improve efficiency, the term "snoopers" implies surveillance, distrust, and an invasive, dehumanizing approach to management.

'''swindle sheets''' 
A derogatory slang term for an expense account or a log sheet, implying the document is used to deceive or defraud someone. The term originated in the US in the early 20th century and was famously used by truckers to describe log books where they would falsify entries to show proper rest when they were actually driving more hours.

'''Badger All-Risk Fiduciary Life''' 
Or, for short, "BARF Life."

'''Old Log Cabin''' 
During prohibition (1920-1933), Old Log Cabin, an American company, was made in Canada and became a favorite import of bootleggers, especially Al Capone’s infamous smuggling operations. [https://oldlogcabin.com/about/old-log-cabin-history/ Old Log Cabin website]

'''Korbel brandy''' 
While Korbel wasn't a big favorite in Wisconsin, Wisconsin drinkers did develop a taste for brandy during the Prohibition era, primarily from other California producers ([https://www.korbel.com/brandy/ Korbel] is located in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California). Milwaukee and Wisconsin drinkers enjoyed the broader availability of brandy and incorporated fruit and soda into their old fashioneds, a practice that continued after Prohibition ended.

Chapter 1

2026-02-17T00:33:26Z

Jkvannort2025: /* Page 1 */

==Page 1==
'''North Shore Line''' 
The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad was an interurban line that connected the two cities. It was relatively high speed for the time and used quality cars. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_North_Shore_and_Milwaukee_Railroad]

'''the Lake''' 
Lake Michigan, on the western shore of which is Milwaukee. Chicago is 100 miles to the south of Milwaukee on the southern shore. [https://www.google.com/search?q=lake+michigan Map...]

'''Big Al in the federal pokey in Atlanta''' 
On October 18, 1931, Al Capone, the notorious Chicago gangster (1899-1947), aka "Scarface," was convicted after trial on various charges including tax evasion and prohibition-related and, on November 24, was sentenced to eleven years in federal prison, fined $50,000 and charged $7,692 for court costs, in addition to $215,000 plus interest due on back taxes. The six-month contempt of court sentence was to be served concurrently. While awaiting the results of appeals, Capone was confined to the Cook County Jail. Upon denial of appeals, he entered the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, serving his sentence there and at Alcatraz. [https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/al-capone More...]

'''Hicks McTaggart''' 
Introducing our Scots-American (McTaggart = "the priest's son") protagonist, Lindy-hopper, globe-trotter, encounterian via "tickets" (assignments) activated by his private detective agency employer. The McTaggart motto is “By reason, not by force.” [https://www.houseofnames.com/mctaggart-family-crest]

'''Vito Guardalebene''' 
Guardalebene grew up in Santa Flavia, Sicily (see below) where the local mafia controlled the grapefruit orchards and the docks. Vito moved from Sicily to Milwaukee and brought many of his gang with him. He became the first Mafia boss of Milwaukee. [https://gangstersinc.org/2015/06/11/the-milwaukee-mafia-family-dont-sell-it-short/] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_crime_family]

'''the Chicago Outfit''' 
The Chicago Outfit is an Italian American Mafia crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, and throughout the Greater Chicago area, originating in the city's South Side in the early 1910s.

'''so forth''' 
Pynchon uses this phrase multiple times (42 exactly) throughout the book. He doesn't use it at all in ''CoL49'' and ''Gravity's Rainbow''. Is this a shortcut instead of the usual lengthy descriptions and explanations or is there another purpose?

==Page 2==
'''grabbing Hicks''' 
Pynchon avoids using the formulation "says" throughout the novel, opting for present-tense derivations based on action.

'''pineapples come…''' 
In the 1930s, "pineapples" was a colloquial term for the Mk 2 fragmentation grenades, which became a military standard during this period. While actual pineapples were not exploding, the iconic grenade's grooved, cast-iron body gave it a strong resemblance to the fruit. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mills_bomb]

'''Santa Flavia''' 
Santa Flavia is a small town in Sicily known for its picturesque coastal scenery, as well as its Mafia presence which has historically included significant power and activity. The municipality has been identified as a key area for Cosa Nostra operations, including drug trafficking, extortion, and other organized criminal activities. Mafia activity in Sicily during the 1930s focused on controlling businesses and local politics through extortion and intimidation, rather than operating under formal, legitimate fronts like a chamber of commerce.

==Page 3==
'''Bruno Airmont''' 
Possible appropriation (including the homonym "heir") of the name of Belgian-French filmmaker Bruno Dumont, the great director of the long-form quasi-series of films P'tit Quinquin [2014], Ma Loute [2016; released outside of France as "Slack Bay"], and Coincoin et les Z’Inhumains [Coincoin and theee Extrahumans, 2018].

'''drinkin Singapore Slings out of a fire hose''' 
The Singapore Sling is a classic cocktail derived from Singapore's esteemed Raffles Hotel's (featured in Jon M. Chu's 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians) unique Long Bar concoction, created by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon, of: gin, Grand Marnier, cherry brandy, Benedictine, pineapple juice, lime juice, bitters, and club soda.

A similar scenario can be found in Pynchon's Vineland.

'''Daphne''' 
Also the name of one of the members of the Mystery Incorporated 'agency' in Hanna-Barbera's cartoon series Scooby-Doo.

==Page 4==
'''some North Shore loophound''' 
A "loop-hound" is a dated, vulgar slang term for a person who frequented a specific downtown district, known as the Loop (in this case, Chicago), in search of amusement and cheer. The term implies someone who "hounded" after such entertainment within the crowded and noisy Loop, a reference that is now mostly found in older texts.

Consonant with the slang term "bloodhound" (taken from the type of dog) which connotes someone who's a detective or, at least, on some kind of trail.

'''G. Rodney Flaunch of the Glencoe Flaunches''' 
Glencoe, in this instance, refers to a tony village located on Chicago's North Shore.

Pynchon appears to have taken this formulation from a line in Elaine May's debut feature film from 1971, A New Leaf, as spoken by Walter Matthau at a cocktail party, in reference to the similarly posh Glencoe on Long Island, New York. An excerpt from the moment can be found in filmmaker Craig Keller's 2016 short essay-film on May's films, Elaine's, viewable [https://vimeo.com/194607579|here for free on Vimeo].

'''Skeet Wheeler''' 
cf. Zoyd Wheeler, the protagonist of Pynchon's Vineland (transmuted into the Leonardo DiCaprio character "Bob" in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2025 film One Battle After Another).

==Page 5==
'''REO Speed Wagon''' 
a light motor truck model manufactured by REO Motor Car Company. An ancestor of the pickup truck, it was first introduced in 1915 and production continued through at least 1953. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REO_Speed_Wagon Wikipedia]

In the current day, the moniker is most generally associated with the band REO Speedwagon, who reached multi-platinum prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. The band hail from Champaign, Illinois.

==Page 6==
'''run his usual unsociable O-O''' 
In detective and law-enforcement slang, “run an O-O” means to conduct an “observation operation,” which is shorthand for a stakeout or surveillance job.

Also referenced in Pynchon's Vineland.

==Page 7==
'''front page of the ''Journal''''' 
''The Milwaukee Journal'' was a dominant force in Milwaukee during the 1930s. It was known for its widespread readership and large circulation, making it the largest newspaper in Wisconsin at the time.

'''Maybe for the MPD and them, bomb always equals Italian''' 
cf. Pynchon's Against the Day

==Page 8==
'''doubtful tomato quality''' 
In the 1930s, the slang term "tomato" most commonly referred to an attractive, good-looking woman. The term originated in the late 1920s and was based on the idea of "juicy plumpness". In this context, amateur or non-professional criminal matters were low rent, including the attractiveness of the women involved.

==Page 9==
'''a Christmas crèche''' 
In French villages the Christmas crib (crèche) traditionally contains figurines representing a miller, a wood-cutter and other villagers as well as the Holy Family and the traditional cow, donkey and shepherds. The Three Wise Men are added to the nativity scene at Epiphany (6 January, Twelfth Night).

==Page 10==
'''"Starting a ticket, I knew it."''' 
In the parlance of a detective agency of the time, a ticket refers to an assignment or case.

==Page 11==
'''time-motion snoopers''' 
The phrase "time-motion snoopers" is a derogatory term for the practice of using employee monitoring to conduct time and motion studies. While traditional time and motion studies were an industrial engineering technique to improve efficiency, the term "snoopers" implies surveillance, distrust, and an invasive, dehumanizing approach to management.

'''swindle sheets''' 
A derogatory slang term for an expense account or a log sheet, implying the document is used to deceive or defraud someone. The term originated in the US in the early 20th century and was famously used by truckers to describe log books where they would falsify entries to show proper rest when they were actually driving more hours.

'''Badger All-Risk Fiduciary Life''' 
Or, for short, "BARF Life."

'''Old Log Cabin''' 
During prohibition (1920-1933), Old Log Cabin, an American company, was made in Canada and became a favorite import of bootleggers, especially Al Capone’s infamous smuggling operations. [https://oldlogcabin.com/about/old-log-cabin-history/ Old Log Cabin website]

'''Korbel brandy''' 
While Korbel wasn't a big favorite in Wisconsin, Wisconsin drinkers did develop a taste for brandy during the Prohibition era, primarily from other California producers ([https://www.korbel.com/brandy/ Korbel] is located in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California). Milwaukee and Wisconsin drinkers enjoyed the broader availability of brandy and incorporated fruit and soda into their old fashioneds, a practice that continued after Prohibition ended.

Chapter 1

2026-02-17T00:31:23Z

Jkvannort2025: /* Page 1 */ adding Vito Guardalebene entry and link

==Page 1==
'''North Shore Line''' 
The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad was an interurban line that connected the two cities. It was relatively high speed for the time and used quality cars. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_North_Shore_and_Milwaukee_Railroad]

'''the Lake''' 
Lake Michigan, on the western shore of which is Milwaukee. Chicago is 100 miles to the south of Milwaukee on the southern shore. [https://www.google.com/search?q=lake+michigan Map...]

'''Big Al in the federal pokey in Atlanta''' 
On October 18, 1931, Al Capone, the notorious Chicago gangster (1899-1947), aka "Scarface," was convicted after trial on various charges including tax evasion and prohibition-related and, on November 24, was sentenced to eleven years in federal prison, fined $50,000 and charged $7,692 for court costs, in addition to $215,000 plus interest due on back taxes. The six-month contempt of court sentence was to be served concurrently. While awaiting the results of appeals, Capone was confined to the Cook County Jail. Upon denial of appeals, he entered the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, serving his sentence there and at Alcatraz. [https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/al-capone More...]

'''Hicks McTaggart''' 
Introducing our Scots-American (McTaggart = "the priest's son") protagonist, Lindy-hopper, globe-trotter, encounterian via "tickets" (assignments) activated by his private detective agency employer. The McTaggart motto is “By reason, not by force.” [https://www.houseofnames.com/mctaggart-family-crest]

'''Vito Guardalebene''' 
Guardalebene grew up in Santa Flavia, Sicily (see below) where the local mafia controlled the grapefruit orchards and the docks. Vito moved from Sicily to Milwaukee and brought many of his gang with him. He became the first Mafia boss of Milwaukee. [https://gangstersinc.org/2015/06/11/the-milwaukee-mafia-family-dont-sell-it-short/]

'''the Chicago Outfit''' 
The Chicago Outfit is an Italian American Mafia crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, and throughout the Greater Chicago area, originating in the city's South Side in the early 1910s.

'''so forth''' 
Pynchon uses this phrase multiple times (42 exactly) throughout the book. He doesn't use it at all in ''CoL49'' and ''Gravity's Rainbow''. Is this a shortcut instead of the usual lengthy descriptions and explanations or is there another purpose?

==Page 2==
'''grabbing Hicks''' 
Pynchon avoids using the formulation "says" throughout the novel, opting for present-tense derivations based on action.

'''pineapples come…''' 
In the 1930s, "pineapples" was a colloquial term for the Mk 2 fragmentation grenades, which became a military standard during this period. While actual pineapples were not exploding, the iconic grenade's grooved, cast-iron body gave it a strong resemblance to the fruit. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mills_bomb]

'''Santa Flavia''' 
Santa Flavia is a small town in Sicily known for its picturesque coastal scenery, as well as its Mafia presence which has historically included significant power and activity. The municipality has been identified as a key area for Cosa Nostra operations, including drug trafficking, extortion, and other organized criminal activities. Mafia activity in Sicily during the 1930s focused on controlling businesses and local politics through extortion and intimidation, rather than operating under formal, legitimate fronts like a chamber of commerce.

==Page 3==
'''Bruno Airmont''' 
Possible appropriation (including the homonym "heir") of the name of Belgian-French filmmaker Bruno Dumont, the great director of the long-form quasi-series of films P'tit Quinquin [2014], Ma Loute [2016; released outside of France as "Slack Bay"], and Coincoin et les Z’Inhumains [Coincoin and theee Extrahumans, 2018].

'''drinkin Singapore Slings out of a fire hose''' 
The Singapore Sling is a classic cocktail derived from Singapore's esteemed Raffles Hotel's (featured in Jon M. Chu's 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians) unique Long Bar concoction, created by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon, of: gin, Grand Marnier, cherry brandy, Benedictine, pineapple juice, lime juice, bitters, and club soda.

A similar scenario can be found in Pynchon's Vineland.

'''Daphne''' 
Also the name of one of the members of the Mystery Incorporated 'agency' in Hanna-Barbera's cartoon series Scooby-Doo.

==Page 4==
'''some North Shore loophound''' 
A "loop-hound" is a dated, vulgar slang term for a person who frequented a specific downtown district, known as the Loop (in this case, Chicago), in search of amusement and cheer. The term implies someone who "hounded" after such entertainment within the crowded and noisy Loop, a reference that is now mostly found in older texts.

Consonant with the slang term "bloodhound" (taken from the type of dog) which connotes someone who's a detective or, at least, on some kind of trail.

'''G. Rodney Flaunch of the Glencoe Flaunches''' 
Glencoe, in this instance, refers to a tony village located on Chicago's North Shore.

Pynchon appears to have taken this formulation from a line in Elaine May's debut feature film from 1971, A New Leaf, as spoken by Walter Matthau at a cocktail party, in reference to the similarly posh Glencoe on Long Island, New York. An excerpt from the moment can be found in filmmaker Craig Keller's 2016 short essay-film on May's films, Elaine's, viewable [https://vimeo.com/194607579|here for free on Vimeo].

'''Skeet Wheeler''' 
cf. Zoyd Wheeler, the protagonist of Pynchon's Vineland (transmuted into the Leonardo DiCaprio character "Bob" in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2025 film One Battle After Another).

==Page 5==
'''REO Speed Wagon''' 
a light motor truck model manufactured by REO Motor Car Company. An ancestor of the pickup truck, it was first introduced in 1915 and production continued through at least 1953. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REO_Speed_Wagon Wikipedia]

In the current day, the moniker is most generally associated with the band REO Speedwagon, who reached multi-platinum prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. The band hail from Champaign, Illinois.

==Page 6==
'''run his usual unsociable O-O''' 
In detective and law-enforcement slang, “run an O-O” means to conduct an “observation operation,” which is shorthand for a stakeout or surveillance job.

Also referenced in Pynchon's Vineland.

==Page 7==
'''front page of the ''Journal''''' 
''The Milwaukee Journal'' was a dominant force in Milwaukee during the 1930s. It was known for its widespread readership and large circulation, making it the largest newspaper in Wisconsin at the time.

'''Maybe for the MPD and them, bomb always equals Italian''' 
cf. Pynchon's Against the Day

==Page 8==
'''doubtful tomato quality''' 
In the 1930s, the slang term "tomato" most commonly referred to an attractive, good-looking woman. The term originated in the late 1920s and was based on the idea of "juicy plumpness". In this context, amateur or non-professional criminal matters were low rent, including the attractiveness of the women involved.

==Page 9==
'''a Christmas crèche''' 
In French villages the Christmas crib (crèche) traditionally contains figurines representing a miller, a wood-cutter and other villagers as well as the Holy Family and the traditional cow, donkey and shepherds. The Three Wise Men are added to the nativity scene at Epiphany (6 January, Twelfth Night).

==Page 10==
'''"Starting a ticket, I knew it."''' 
In the parlance of a detective agency of the time, a ticket refers to an assignment or case.

==Page 11==
'''time-motion snoopers''' 
The phrase "time-motion snoopers" is a derogatory term for the practice of using employee monitoring to conduct time and motion studies. While traditional time and motion studies were an industrial engineering technique to improve efficiency, the term "snoopers" implies surveillance, distrust, and an invasive, dehumanizing approach to management.

'''swindle sheets''' 
A derogatory slang term for an expense account or a log sheet, implying the document is used to deceive or defraud someone. The term originated in the US in the early 20th century and was famously used by truckers to describe log books where they would falsify entries to show proper rest when they were actually driving more hours.

'''Badger All-Risk Fiduciary Life''' 
Or, for short, "BARF Life."

'''Old Log Cabin''' 
During prohibition (1920-1933), Old Log Cabin, an American company, was made in Canada and became a favorite import of bootleggers, especially Al Capone’s infamous smuggling operations. [https://oldlogcabin.com/about/old-log-cabin-history/ Old Log Cabin website]

'''Korbel brandy''' 
While Korbel wasn't a big favorite in Wisconsin, Wisconsin drinkers did develop a taste for brandy during the Prohibition era, primarily from other California producers ([https://www.korbel.com/brandy/ Korbel] is located in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California). Milwaukee and Wisconsin drinkers enjoyed the broader availability of brandy and incorporated fruit and soda into their old fashioneds, a practice that continued after Prohibition ended.

Chapter 1

2026-02-14T13:18:34Z

Jkvannort2025: /* Page 2 */ adding link to pineapple

==Page 1==
'''North Shore Line''' 
The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad was an interurban line that connected the two cities. It was relatively high speed for the time and used quality cars. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_North_Shore_and_Milwaukee_Railroad]

'''the Lake''' 
Lake Michigan, on the western shore of which is Milwaukee. Chicago is 100 miles to the south of Milwaukee on the southern shore. [https://www.google.com/search?q=lake+michigan Map...]

'''Big Al in the federal pokey in Atlanta''' 
On October 18, 1931, Al Capone, the notorious Chicago gangster (1899-1947), aka "Scarface," was convicted after trial on various charges including tax evasion and prohibition-related and, on November 24, was sentenced to eleven years in federal prison, fined $50,000 and charged $7,692 for court costs, in addition to $215,000 plus interest due on back taxes. The six-month contempt of court sentence was to be served concurrently. While awaiting the results of appeals, Capone was confined to the Cook County Jail. Upon denial of appeals, he entered the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, serving his sentence there and at Alcatraz. [https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/al-capone More...]

'''Hicks McTaggart''' 
Introducing our Scots-American (McTaggart = "the priest's son") protagonist, Lindy-hopper, globe-trotter, encounterian via "tickets" (assignments) activated by his private detective agency employer. The McTaggart motto is “By reason, not by force.” [https://www.houseofnames.com/mctaggart-family-crest]

'''the Chicago Outfit''' 
The Chicago Outfit is an Italian American Mafia crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, and throughout the Greater Chicago area, originating in the city's South Side in the early 1910s.

'''so forth''' 
Pynchon uses this phrase multiple times (42 exactly) throughout the book. He doesn't use it at all in ''CoL49'' and ''Gravity's Rainbow''. Is this a shortcut instead of the usual lengthy descriptions and explanations or is there another purpose?

==Page 2==
'''grabbing Hicks''' 
Pynchon avoids using the formulation "says" throughout the novel, opting for present-tense derivations based on action.

'''pineapples come…''' 
In the 1930s, "pineapples" was a colloquial term for the Mk 2 fragmentation grenades, which became a military standard during this period. While actual pineapples were not exploding, the iconic grenade's grooved, cast-iron body gave it a strong resemblance to the fruit. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mills_bomb]

'''Santa Flavia''' 
Santa Flavia is a small town in Sicily known for its picturesque coastal scenery, as well as its Mafia presence which has historically included significant power and activity. The municipality has been identified as a key area for Cosa Nostra operations, including drug trafficking, extortion, and other organized criminal activities. Mafia activity in Sicily during the 1930s focused on controlling businesses and local politics through extortion and intimidation, rather than operating under formal, legitimate fronts like a chamber of commerce.

==Page 3==
'''Bruno Airmont''' 
Possible appropriation (including the homonym "heir") of the name of Belgian-French filmmaker Bruno Dumont, the great director of the long-form quasi-series of films P'tit Quinquin [2014], Ma Loute [2016; released outside of France as "Slack Bay"], and Coincoin et les Z’Inhumains [Coincoin and theee Extrahumans, 2018].

'''drinkin Singapore Slings out of a fire hose''' 
The Singapore Sling is a classic cocktail derived from Singapore's esteemed Raffles Hotel's (featured in Jon M. Chu's 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians) unique Long Bar concoction, created by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon, of: gin, Grand Marnier, cherry brandy, Benedictine, pineapple juice, lime juice, bitters, and club soda.

A similar scenario can be found in Pynchon's Vineland.

'''Daphne''' 
Also the name of one of the members of the Mystery Incorporated 'agency' in Hanna-Barbera's cartoon series Scooby-Doo.

==Page 4==
'''some North Shore loophound''' 
A "loop-hound" is a dated, vulgar slang term for a person who frequented a specific downtown district, known as the Loop (in this case, Chicago), in search of amusement and cheer. The term implies someone who "hounded" after such entertainment within the crowded and noisy Loop, a reference that is now mostly found in older texts.

Consonant with the slang term "bloodhound" (taken from the type of dog) which connotes someone who's a detective or, at least, on some kind of trail.

'''G. Rodney Flaunch of the Glencoe Flaunches''' 
Glencoe, in this instance, refers to a tony village located on Chicago's North Shore.

Pynchon appears to have taken this formulation from a line in Elaine May's debut feature film from 1971, A New Leaf, as spoken by Walter Matthau at a cocktail party, in reference to the similarly posh Glencoe on Long Island, New York. An excerpt from the moment can be found in filmmaker Craig Keller's 2016 short essay-film on May's films, Elaine's, viewable [https://vimeo.com/194607579|here for free on Vimeo].

'''Skeet Wheeler''' 
cf. Zoyd Wheeler, the protagonist of Pynchon's Vineland (transmuted into the Leonardo DiCaprio character "Bob" in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2025 film One Battle After Another).

==Page 5==
'''REO Speed Wagon''' 
a light motor truck model manufactured by REO Motor Car Company. An ancestor of the pickup truck, it was first introduced in 1915 and production continued through at least 1953. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REO_Speed_Wagon Wikipedia]

In the current day, the moniker is most generally associated with the band REO Speedwagon, who reached multi-platinum prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. The band hail from Champaign, Illinois.

==Page 6==
'''run his usual unsociable O-O''' 
In detective and law-enforcement slang, “run an O-O” means to conduct an “observation operation,” which is shorthand for a stakeout or surveillance job.

Also referenced in Pynchon's Vineland.

==Page 7==
'''front page of the ''Journal''''' 
''The Milwaukee Journal'' was a dominant force in Milwaukee during the 1930s. It was known for its widespread readership and large circulation, making it the largest newspaper in Wisconsin at the time.

'''Maybe for the MPD and them, bomb always equals Italian''' 
cf. Pynchon's Against the Day

==Page 8==
'''doubtful tomato quality''' 
In the 1930s, the slang term "tomato" most commonly referred to an attractive, good-looking woman. The term originated in the late 1920s and was based on the idea of "juicy plumpness". In this context, amateur or non-professional criminal matters were low rent, including the attractiveness of the women involved.

==Page 9==
'''a Christmas crèche''' 
In French villages the Christmas crib (crèche) traditionally contains figurines representing a miller, a wood-cutter and other villagers as well as the Holy Family and the traditional cow, donkey and shepherds. The Three Wise Men are added to the nativity scene at Epiphany (6 January, Twelfth Night).

==Page 10==
'''"Starting a ticket, I knew it."''' 
In the parlance of a detective agency of the time, a ticket refers to an assignment or case.

==Page 11==
'''time-motion snoopers''' 
The phrase "time-motion snoopers" is a derogatory term for the practice of using employee monitoring to conduct time and motion studies. While traditional time and motion studies were an industrial engineering technique to improve efficiency, the term "snoopers" implies surveillance, distrust, and an invasive, dehumanizing approach to management.

'''swindle sheets''' 
A derogatory slang term for an expense account or a log sheet, implying the document is used to deceive or defraud someone. The term originated in the US in the early 20th century and was famously used by truckers to describe log books where they would falsify entries to show proper rest when they were actually driving more hours.

'''Badger All-Risk Fiduciary Life''' 
Or, for short, "BARF Life."

'''Old Log Cabin''' 
During prohibition (1920-1933), Old Log Cabin, an American company, was made in Canada and became a favorite import of bootleggers, especially Al Capone’s infamous smuggling operations. [https://oldlogcabin.com/about/old-log-cabin-history/ Old Log Cabin website]

'''Korbel brandy''' 
While Korbel wasn't a big favorite in Wisconsin, Wisconsin drinkers did develop a taste for brandy during the Prohibition era, primarily from other California producers ([https://www.korbel.com/brandy/ Korbel] is located in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California). Milwaukee and Wisconsin drinkers enjoyed the broader availability of brandy and incorporated fruit and soda into their old fashioneds, a practice that continued after Prohibition ended.

Chapter 2

2026-02-14T13:07:01Z

Jkvannort2025: /* Page 14 */

==Page 12==
'''prohis''' 
"prohis" was a slang term for federal Prohibition agents, who were tasked with enforcing the ban on alcohol during the Prohibition era (1920–1933). The term comes from the shortening and slang-ification of "prohibition".

'''Mistletoe gin''' 
No major distiller actually marketed a brand called Mistletoe Gin in the 1930s. However, the phrase turns up in literature, old jokes, and cocktail columns as a tongue-in-cheek name — a wink to the idea of “a Christmas spirit that guarantees a kiss.”

==Page 13==
'''Infernal Machine Of Presumed Italian Origin''' 
If disregarding the "Of" as is common practice in dealing with acronyms (deviating from the establishment of "IMOPIO" from the preceding page): "IMPIO," "impio," Italian for "unholy" or "impious."

'''These are the people who invented the meatball, the bocce ball – rolling objects, it comes naturally to them''' 
Those Italians and the ball bearing

'''1917 and the bomb that went off...''' 
The single deadliest event in national law enforcement history occurred in Milwaukee on November 24, 1917, when nine officers and two citizens were killed in a bomb blast. The bomb exploded inside the assembly of the Central Police Station at Broadway and Oneida Street, now known as Wells Street. Police were not the intended target. [https://city.milwaukee.gov/police/About-MPD/Memorial-Page/1917-Bombing More...]

'''some strictly inter-Italian beef''' 
As every Chicagoan or Upper Peninsula resident or transplant (Arizona-heavy) knows, an Italian beef is a staple of the diet, equal to the Philly cheesesteak, the Chicago hot dog, etc.

==Page 14==
'''We're the MPD. Ever since that fateful night it's always the force are gonna have first call''' 
This paragraph mirrors the contemporary American situation of 2025 and of the 21st century so far in general, with regard to the so-called hyper-ephemeral War on Terror, or War on (Everything, Take Your Pick). As of this entry written on December 12, 2025, one wonders whether ICE and 'the troops' will be descending concertedly upon Milwaukee, of all places, or who knows where next?

'''Hoagie Hivnak''' 
This name is a homonym of Hungarian “hogy hívnak” which means “What’s your name?” informally. [https://www.facebook.com/groups/943246729103874/posts/6981387951956358/]

'''Ideal Pharmacy''' 
While the Masur’s Ideal Pharmacy no longer exists, the building does. [https://wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Property/HI117514]

==Page 15==
'''ice cream cones''' 
During the Great Depression, ice cream was recognized as an enduring comfort food that could provide a psychological lift during difficult times. Ice cream consumption initially dipped during the 1929 stock market crash but endured as a "sweet" and uplifting food that contrasted with the "depressing foods" common during the era, such as mustard sandwiches. The popular Rocky Road ice cream flavor was invented during the Depression to help lift people's spirits. Its name was intended as a metaphor to help people cope with the "broken, rocky pieces" of life at the time. [https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/milk-strikes-1933-were-worst-year-wisconsin-dairy-farms-and-culminated-farmers-death The Wisconsin Milk Strikes of 1933]

Chapter 2

2026-02-14T13:06:01Z

Jkvannort2025: /* Page 14 */ adding Ideal Pharmacy Link

==Page 12==
'''prohis''' 
"prohis" was a slang term for federal Prohibition agents, who were tasked with enforcing the ban on alcohol during the Prohibition era (1920–1933). The term comes from the shortening and slang-ification of "prohibition".

'''Mistletoe gin''' 
No major distiller actually marketed a brand called Mistletoe Gin in the 1930s. However, the phrase turns up in literature, old jokes, and cocktail columns as a tongue-in-cheek name — a wink to the idea of “a Christmas spirit that guarantees a kiss.”

==Page 13==
'''Infernal Machine Of Presumed Italian Origin''' 
If disregarding the "Of" as is common practice in dealing with acronyms (deviating from the establishment of "IMOPIO" from the preceding page): "IMPIO," "impio," Italian for "unholy" or "impious."

'''These are the people who invented the meatball, the bocce ball – rolling objects, it comes naturally to them''' 
Those Italians and the ball bearing

'''1917 and the bomb that went off...''' 
The single deadliest event in national law enforcement history occurred in Milwaukee on November 24, 1917, when nine officers and two citizens were killed in a bomb blast. The bomb exploded inside the assembly of the Central Police Station at Broadway and Oneida Street, now known as Wells Street. Police were not the intended target. [https://city.milwaukee.gov/police/About-MPD/Memorial-Page/1917-Bombing More...]

'''some strictly inter-Italian beef''' 
As every Chicagoan or Upper Peninsula resident or transplant (Arizona-heavy) knows, an Italian beef is a staple of the diet, equal to the Philly cheesesteak, the Chicago hot dog, etc.

==Page 14==
'''We're the MPD. Ever since that fateful night it's always the force are gonna have first call''' 
This paragraph mirrors the contemporary American situation of 2025 and of the 21st century so far in general, with regard to the so-called hyper-ephemeral War on Terror, or War on (Everything, Take Your Pick). As of this entry written on December 12, 2025, one wonders whether ICE and 'the troops' will be descending concertedly upon Milwaukee, of all places, or who knows where next?

'''Hoagie Hivnak''' 
This name is a homonym of Hungarian “hogy hívnak” which means “What’s your name?” informally. [https://www.facebook.com/groups/943246729103874/posts/6981387951956358/]

‘’'Ideal Pharmacy’’’ 
While the Masur’s Ideal Pharmacy no longer exists, the building does. [https://wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Property/HI117514]

==Page 15==
'''ice cream cones''' 
During the Great Depression, ice cream was recognized as an enduring comfort food that could provide a psychological lift during difficult times. Ice cream consumption initially dipped during the 1929 stock market crash but endured as a "sweet" and uplifting food that contrasted with the "depressing foods" common during the era, such as mustard sandwiches. The popular Rocky Road ice cream flavor was invented during the Depression to help lift people's spirits. Its name was intended as a metaphor to help people cope with the "broken, rocky pieces" of life at the time. [https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/milk-strikes-1933-were-worst-year-wisconsin-dairy-farms-and-culminated-farmers-death The Wisconsin Milk Strikes of 1933]

Chapter 2

2026-02-13T10:10:03Z

Jkvannort2025: /* Page 14 */

==Page 12==
'''prohis''' 
"prohis" was a slang term for federal Prohibition agents, who were tasked with enforcing the ban on alcohol during the Prohibition era (1920–1933). The term comes from the shortening and slang-ification of "prohibition".

'''Mistletoe gin''' 
No major distiller actually marketed a brand called Mistletoe Gin in the 1930s. However, the phrase turns up in literature, old jokes, and cocktail columns as a tongue-in-cheek name — a wink to the idea of “a Christmas spirit that guarantees a kiss.”

==Page 13==
'''Infernal Machine Of Presumed Italian Origin''' 
If disregarding the "Of" as is common practice in dealing with acronyms (deviating from the establishment of "IMOPIO" from the preceding page): "IMPIO," "impio," Italian for "unholy" or "impious."

'''These are the people who invented the meatball, the bocce ball – rolling objects, it comes naturally to them''' 
Those Italians and the ball bearing

'''1917 and the bomb that went off...''' 
The single deadliest event in national law enforcement history occurred in Milwaukee on November 24, 1917, when nine officers and two citizens were killed in a bomb blast. The bomb exploded inside the assembly of the Central Police Station at Broadway and Oneida Street, now known as Wells Street. Police were not the intended target. [https://city.milwaukee.gov/police/About-MPD/Memorial-Page/1917-Bombing More...]

'''some strictly inter-Italian beef''' 
As every Chicagoan or Upper Peninsula resident or transplant (Arizona-heavy) knows, an Italian beef is a staple of the diet, equal to the Philly cheesesteak, the Chicago hot dog, etc.

==Page 14==
'''We're the MPD. Ever since that fateful night it's always the force are gonna have first call''' 
This paragraph mirrors the contemporary American situation of 2025 and of the 21st century so far in general, with regard to the so-called hyper-ephemeral War on Terror, or War on (Everything, Take Your Pick). As of this entry written on December 12, 2025, one wonders whether ICE and 'the troops' will be descending concertedly upon Milwaukee, of all places, or who knows where next?

'''Hoagie Hivnak''' 
This name is a homonym of Hungarian “hogy hívnak” which means “What’s your name?” informally. [https://www.facebook.com/groups/943246729103874/posts/6981387951956358/]

==Page 15==
'''ice cream cones''' 
During the Great Depression, ice cream was recognized as an enduring comfort food that could provide a psychological lift during difficult times. Ice cream consumption initially dipped during the 1929 stock market crash but endured as a "sweet" and uplifting food that contrasted with the "depressing foods" common during the era, such as mustard sandwiches. The popular Rocky Road ice cream flavor was invented during the Depression to help lift people's spirits. Its name was intended as a metaphor to help people cope with the "broken, rocky pieces" of life at the time. [https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/milk-strikes-1933-were-worst-year-wisconsin-dairy-farms-and-culminated-farmers-death The Wisconsin Milk Strikes of 1933]

Chapter 2

2026-02-13T10:09:15Z

Jkvannort2025: /* Page 14 */ Adding Hoagie Hivnak entry

==Page 12==
'''prohis''' 
"prohis" was a slang term for federal Prohibition agents, who were tasked with enforcing the ban on alcohol during the Prohibition era (1920–1933). The term comes from the shortening and slang-ification of "prohibition".

'''Mistletoe gin''' 
No major distiller actually marketed a brand called Mistletoe Gin in the 1930s. However, the phrase turns up in literature, old jokes, and cocktail columns as a tongue-in-cheek name — a wink to the idea of “a Christmas spirit that guarantees a kiss.”

==Page 13==
'''Infernal Machine Of Presumed Italian Origin''' 
If disregarding the "Of" as is common practice in dealing with acronyms (deviating from the establishment of "IMOPIO" from the preceding page): "IMPIO," "impio," Italian for "unholy" or "impious."

'''These are the people who invented the meatball, the bocce ball – rolling objects, it comes naturally to them''' 
Those Italians and the ball bearing

'''1917 and the bomb that went off...''' 
The single deadliest event in national law enforcement history occurred in Milwaukee on November 24, 1917, when nine officers and two citizens were killed in a bomb blast. The bomb exploded inside the assembly of the Central Police Station at Broadway and Oneida Street, now known as Wells Street. Police were not the intended target. [https://city.milwaukee.gov/police/About-MPD/Memorial-Page/1917-Bombing More...]

'''some strictly inter-Italian beef''' 
As every Chicagoan or Upper Peninsula resident or transplant (Arizona-heavy) knows, an Italian beef is a staple of the diet, equal to the Philly cheesesteak, the Chicago hot dog, etc.

==Page 14==
'''We're the MPD. Ever since that fateful night it's always the force are gonna have first call''' 
This paragraph mirrors the contemporary American situation of 2025 and of the 21st century so far in general, with regard to the so-called hyper-ephemeral War on Terror, or War on (Everything, Take Your Pick). As of this entry written on December 12, 2025, one wonders whether ICE and 'the troops' will be descending concertedly upon Milwaukee, of all places, or who knows where next?

‘’’Hoagie Hivnak’’’ 
This name is a homonym of Hungarian “hogy hívnak” which means “What’s your name?” informally. [https://www.facebook.com/groups/943246729103874/posts/6981387951956358/]

==Page 15==
'''ice cream cones''' 
During the Great Depression, ice cream was recognized as an enduring comfort food that could provide a psychological lift during difficult times. Ice cream consumption initially dipped during the 1929 stock market crash but endured as a "sweet" and uplifting food that contrasted with the "depressing foods" common during the era, such as mustard sandwiches. The popular Rocky Road ice cream flavor was invented during the Depression to help lift people's spirits. Its name was intended as a metaphor to help people cope with the "broken, rocky pieces" of life at the time. [https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/milk-strikes-1933-were-worst-year-wisconsin-dairy-farms-and-culminated-farmers-death The Wisconsin Milk Strikes of 1933]

Chapter 1

2026-01-29T12:04:04Z

Jkvannort2025: /* Page 1 */ Adding information and link for Hicks McTaggart

==Page 1==
'''North Shore Line''' 
The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad was an interurban line that connected the two cities. It was relatively high speed for the time and used quality cars. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_North_Shore_and_Milwaukee_Railroad]

'''the Lake''' 
Lake Michigan, on the western shore of which is Milwaukee. Chicago is 100 miles to the south of Milwaukee on the southern shore. [https://www.google.com/search?q=lake+michigan Map...]

'''Big Al in the federal pokey in Atlanta''' 
On October 18, 1931, Al Capone, the notorious Chicago gangster (1899-1947), aka "Scarface," was convicted after trial on various charges including tax evasion and prohibition-related and, on November 24, was sentenced to eleven years in federal prison, fined $50,000 and charged $7,692 for court costs, in addition to $215,000 plus interest due on back taxes. The six-month contempt of court sentence was to be served concurrently. While awaiting the results of appeals, Capone was confined to the Cook County Jail. Upon denial of appeals, he entered the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, serving his sentence there and at Alcatraz. [https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/al-capone More...]

'''Hicks McTaggart''' 
Introducing our Scots-American (McTaggart = "the priest's son") protagonist, Lindy-hopper, globe-trotter, encounterian via "tickets" (assignments) activated by his private detective agency employer. The McTaggart motto is “By reason, not by force.” [https://www.houseofnames.com/mctaggart-family-crest]

'''the Chicago Outfit''' 
The Chicago Outfit is an Italian American Mafia crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, and throughout the Greater Chicago area, originating in the city's South Side in the early 1910s.

'''so forth''' 
Pynchon uses this phrase multiple times (42 exactly) throughout the book. He doesn't use it at all in ''CoL49'' and ''Gravity's Rainbow''. Is this a shortcut instead of the usual lengthy descriptions and explanations or is there another purpose?

==Page 2==
'''grabbing Hicks''' 
Pynchon avoids using the formulation "says" throughout the novel, opting for present-tense derivations based on action.

'''pineapples come…''' 
In the 1930s, "pineapples" was a colloquial term for the Mk 2 fragmentation grenades, which became a military standard during this period. While actual pineapples were not exploding, the iconic grenade's grooved, cast-iron body gave it a strong resemblance to the fruit.

'''Santa Flavia''' 
Santa Flavia is a small town in Sicily known for its picturesque coastal scenery, as well as its Mafia presence which has historically included significant power and activity. The municipality has been identified as a key area for Cosa Nostra operations, including drug trafficking, extortion, and other organized criminal activities. Mafia activity in Sicily during the 1930s focused on controlling businesses and local politics through extortion and intimidation, rather than operating under formal, legitimate fronts like a chamber of commerce.

==Page 3==
'''Bruno Airmont''' 
Possible appropriation (including the homonym "heir") of the name of Belgian-French filmmaker Bruno Dumont, the great director of the long-form quasi-series of films P'tit Quinquin [2014], Ma Loute [2016; released outside of France as "Slack Bay"], and Coincoin et les Z’Inhumains [Coincoin and theee Extrahumans, 2018].

'''drinkin Singapore Slings out of a fire hose''' 
The Singapore Sling is a classic cocktail derived from Singapore's esteemed Raffles Hotel's (featured in Jon M. Chu's 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians) unique Long Bar concoction, created by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon, of: gin, Grand Marnier, cherry brandy, Benedictine, pineapple juice, lime juice, bitters, and club soda.

A similar scenario can be found in Pynchon's Vineland.

'''Daphne''' 
Also the name of one of the members of the Mystery Incorporated 'agency' in Hanna-Barbera's cartoon series Scooby-Doo.

==Page 4==
'''some North Shore loophound''' 
A "loop-hound" is a dated, vulgar slang term for a person who frequented a specific downtown district, known as the Loop (in this case, Chicago), in search of amusement and cheer. The term implies someone who "hounded" after such entertainment within the crowded and noisy Loop, a reference that is now mostly found in older texts.

Consonant with the slang term "bloodhound" (taken from the type of dog) which connotes someone who's a detective or, at least, on some kind of trail.

'''G. Rodney Flaunch of the Glencoe Flaunches''' 
Glencoe, in this instance, refers to a tony village located on Chicago's North Shore.

Pynchon appears to have taken this formulation from a line in Elaine May's debut feature film from 1971, A New Leaf, as spoken by Walter Matthau at a cocktail party, in reference to the similarly posh Glencoe on Long Island, New York. An excerpt from the moment can be found in filmmaker Craig Keller's 2016 short essay-film on May's films, Elaine's, viewable [https://vimeo.com/194607579|here for free on Vimeo].

'''Skeet Wheeler''' 
cf. Zoyd Wheeler, the protagonist of Pynchon's Vineland (transmuted into the Leonardo DiCaprio character "Bob" in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2025 film One Battle After Another).

==Page 5==
'''REO Speed Wagon''' 
a light motor truck model manufactured by REO Motor Car Company. An ancestor of the pickup truck, it was first introduced in 1915 and production continued through at least 1953. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REO_Speed_Wagon Wikipedia]

In the current day, the moniker is most generally associated with the band REO Speedwagon, who reached multi-platinum prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. The band hail from Champaign, Illinois.

==Page 6==
'''run his usual unsociable O-O''' 
In detective and law-enforcement slang, “run an O-O” means to conduct an “observation operation,” which is shorthand for a stakeout or surveillance job.

Also referenced in Pynchon's Vineland.

==Page 7==
'''front page of the ''Journal''''' 
''The Milwaukee Journal'' was a dominant force in Milwaukee during the 1930s. It was known for its widespread readership and large circulation, making it the largest newspaper in Wisconsin at the time.

'''Maybe for the MPD and them, bomb always equals Italian''' 
cf. Pynchon's Against the Day

==Page 8==
'''doubtful tomato quality''' 
In the 1930s, the slang term "tomato" most commonly referred to an attractive, good-looking woman. The term originated in the late 1920s and was based on the idea of "juicy plumpness". In this context, amateur or non-professional criminal matters were low rent, including the attractiveness of the women involved.

==Page 9==
'''a Christmas crèche''' 
In French villages the Christmas crib (crèche) traditionally contains figurines representing a miller, a wood-cutter and other villagers as well as the Holy Family and the traditional cow, donkey and shepherds. The Three Wise Men are added to the nativity scene at Epiphany (6 January, Twelfth Night).

==Page 10==
'''"Starting a ticket, I knew it."''' 
In the parlance of a detective agency of the time, a ticket refers to an assignment or case.

==Page 11==
'''time-motion snoopers''' 
The phrase "time-motion snoopers" is a derogatory term for the practice of using employee monitoring to conduct time and motion studies. While traditional time and motion studies were an industrial engineering technique to improve efficiency, the term "snoopers" implies surveillance, distrust, and an invasive, dehumanizing approach to management.

'''swindle sheets''' 
A derogatory slang term for an expense account or a log sheet, implying the document is used to deceive or defraud someone. The term originated in the US in the early 20th century and was famously used by truckers to describe log books where they would falsify entries to show proper rest when they were actually driving more hours.

'''Badger All-Risk Fiduciary Life''' 
Or, for short, "BARF Life."

'''Old Log Cabin''' 
During prohibition (1920-1933), Old Log Cabin, an American company, was made in Canada and became a favorite import of bootleggers, especially Al Capone’s infamous smuggling operations. [https://oldlogcabin.com/about/old-log-cabin-history/ Old Log Cabin website]

'''Korbel brandy''' 
While Korbel wasn't a big favorite in Wisconsin, Wisconsin drinkers did develop a taste for brandy during the Prohibition era, primarily from other California producers ([https://www.korbel.com/brandy/ Korbel] is located in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California). Milwaukee and Wisconsin drinkers enjoyed the broader availability of brandy and incorporated fruit and soda into their old fashioneds, a practice that continued after Prohibition ended.

N

2026-01-29T11:21:53Z

Jkvannort2025: Adding North Shore Line entry

'''Nazis''' 
66, National Socialists; Germans "especially of the Nazi persuasion" in Milwaukee, 71; "European Fascist uniforms," 78; "The Nazis are even less easy to get a story out of," 113;

''''Ndrangheta''' 
50, heavyweight, aka Don Peppino; The ’Ndrangheta is the name of the powerful Mafia-type criminal organization from Calabria, the southern “toe” of Italy. In Calabrian dialect, ’ndranghita came to mean honor, bravery, or strength, and by extension referred to the code of masculine honor among Calabrian men. Over time, the word evolved from describing a kind of chivalric bravery to identifying the secret criminal brotherhood that claimed to embody that code. So literally, ’Ndrangheta ≈ “the society of the brave (men)” or “the brotherhood of honor.”; 120;

'''North Shore Line''' 
1, The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad was an interurban line that connected the two cities. It was relatively high speed for the time and used quality cars. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_North_Shore_and_Milwaukee_Railroad]

'''Nunzi''' 
48, One of Don Peppino's two "boys" or "torpedoes," the other being Dominic

{{ST Alpha Nav}}

Chapter 1

2026-01-29T11:19:22Z

Jkvannort2025: /* Page 1 */ adding North Shore Line entry

==Page 1==
'''North Shore Line''' 
The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad was an interurban line that connected the two cities. It was relatively high speed for the time and used quality cars. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_North_Shore_and_Milwaukee_Railroad]

'''the Lake''' 
Lake Michigan, on the western shore of which is Milwaukee. Chicago is 100 miles to the south of Milwaukee on the southern shore. [https://www.google.com/search?q=lake+michigan Map...]

'''Big Al in the federal pokey in Atlanta''' 
On October 18, 1931, Al Capone, the notorious Chicago gangster (1899-1947), aka "Scarface," was convicted after trial on various charges including tax evasion and prohibition-related and, on November 24, was sentenced to eleven years in federal prison, fined $50,000 and charged $7,692 for court costs, in addition to $215,000 plus interest due on back taxes. The six-month contempt of court sentence was to be served concurrently. While awaiting the results of appeals, Capone was confined to the Cook County Jail. Upon denial of appeals, he entered the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, serving his sentence there and at Alcatraz. [https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/al-capone More...]

'''Hicks McTaggart''' 
Introducing our Scots-American (McTaggart = "the priest's son") protagonist, Lindy-hopper, globe-trotter, encounterian via "tickets" (assignments) activated by his private detective agency employer.

'''the Chicago Outfit''' 
The Chicago Outfit is an Italian American Mafia crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, and throughout the Greater Chicago area, originating in the city's South Side in the early 1910s.

'''so forth''' 
Pynchon uses this phrase multiple times (42 exactly) throughout the book. He doesn't use it at all in ''CoL49'' and ''Gravity's Rainbow''. Is this a shortcut instead of the usual lengthy descriptions and explanations or is there another purpose?

==Page 2==
'''grabbing Hicks''' 
Pynchon avoids using the formulation "says" throughout the novel, opting for present-tense derivations based on action.

'''pineapples come…''' 
In the 1930s, "pineapples" was a colloquial term for the Mk 2 fragmentation grenades, which became a military standard during this period. While actual pineapples were not exploding, the iconic grenade's grooved, cast-iron body gave it a strong resemblance to the fruit.

'''Santa Flavia''' 
Santa Flavia is a small town in Sicily known for its picturesque coastal scenery, as well as its Mafia presence which has historically included significant power and activity. The municipality has been identified as a key area for Cosa Nostra operations, including drug trafficking, extortion, and other organized criminal activities. Mafia activity in Sicily during the 1930s focused on controlling businesses and local politics through extortion and intimidation, rather than operating under formal, legitimate fronts like a chamber of commerce.

==Page 3==
'''Bruno Airmont''' 
Possible appropriation (including the homonym "heir") of the name of Belgian-French filmmaker Bruno Dumont, the great director of the long-form quasi-series of films P'tit Quinquin [2014], Ma Loute [2016; released outside of France as "Slack Bay"], and Coincoin et les Z’Inhumains [Coincoin and theee Extrahumans, 2018].

'''drinkin Singapore Slings out of a fire hose''' 
The Singapore Sling is a classic cocktail derived from Singapore's esteemed Raffles Hotel's (featured in Jon M. Chu's 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians) unique Long Bar concoction, created by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon, of: gin, Grand Marnier, cherry brandy, Benedictine, pineapple juice, lime juice, bitters, and club soda.

A similar scenario can be found in Pynchon's Vineland.

'''Daphne''' 
Also the name of one of the members of the Mystery Incorporated 'agency' in Hanna-Barbera's cartoon series Scooby-Doo.

==Page 4==
'''some North Shore loophound''' 
A "loop-hound" is a dated, vulgar slang term for a person who frequented a specific downtown district, known as the Loop (in this case, Chicago), in search of amusement and cheer. The term implies someone who "hounded" after such entertainment within the crowded and noisy Loop, a reference that is now mostly found in older texts.

Consonant with the slang term "bloodhound" (taken from the type of dog) which connotes someone who's a detective or, at least, on some kind of trail.

'''G. Rodney Flaunch of the Glencoe Flaunches''' 
Glencoe, in this instance, refers to a tony village located on Chicago's North Shore.

Pynchon appears to have taken this formulation from a line in Elaine May's debut feature film from 1971, A New Leaf, as spoken by Walter Matthau at a cocktail party, in reference to the similarly posh Glencoe on Long Island, New York. An excerpt from the moment can be found in filmmaker Craig Keller's 2016 short essay-film on May's films, Elaine's, viewable [https://vimeo.com/194607579|here for free on Vimeo].

'''Skeet Wheeler''' 
cf. Zoyd Wheeler, the protagonist of Pynchon's Vineland (transmuted into the Leonardo DiCaprio character "Bob" in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2025 film One Battle After Another).

==Page 5==
'''REO Speed Wagon''' 
a light motor truck model manufactured by REO Motor Car Company. An ancestor of the pickup truck, it was first introduced in 1915 and production continued through at least 1953. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REO_Speed_Wagon Wikipedia]

In the current day, the moniker is most generally associated with the band REO Speedwagon, who reached multi-platinum prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. The band hail from Champaign, Illinois.

==Page 6==
'''run his usual unsociable O-O''' 
In detective and law-enforcement slang, “run an O-O” means to conduct an “observation operation,” which is shorthand for a stakeout or surveillance job.

Also referenced in Pynchon's Vineland.

==Page 7==
'''front page of the ''Journal''''' 
''The Milwaukee Journal'' was a dominant force in Milwaukee during the 1930s. It was known for its widespread readership and large circulation, making it the largest newspaper in Wisconsin at the time.

'''Maybe for the MPD and them, bomb always equals Italian''' 
cf. Pynchon's Against the Day

==Page 8==
'''doubtful tomato quality''' 
In the 1930s, the slang term "tomato" most commonly referred to an attractive, good-looking woman. The term originated in the late 1920s and was based on the idea of "juicy plumpness". In this context, amateur or non-professional criminal matters were low rent, including the attractiveness of the women involved.

==Page 9==
'''a Christmas crèche''' 
In French villages the Christmas crib (crèche) traditionally contains figurines representing a miller, a wood-cutter and other villagers as well as the Holy Family and the traditional cow, donkey and shepherds. The Three Wise Men are added to the nativity scene at Epiphany (6 January, Twelfth Night).

==Page 10==
'''"Starting a ticket, I knew it."''' 
In the parlance of a detective agency of the time, a ticket refers to an assignment or case.

==Page 11==
'''time-motion snoopers''' 
The phrase "time-motion snoopers" is a derogatory term for the practice of using employee monitoring to conduct time and motion studies. While traditional time and motion studies were an industrial engineering technique to improve efficiency, the term "snoopers" implies surveillance, distrust, and an invasive, dehumanizing approach to management.

'''swindle sheets''' 
A derogatory slang term for an expense account or a log sheet, implying the document is used to deceive or defraud someone. The term originated in the US in the early 20th century and was famously used by truckers to describe log books where they would falsify entries to show proper rest when they were actually driving more hours.

'''Badger All-Risk Fiduciary Life''' 
Or, for short, "BARF Life."

'''Old Log Cabin''' 
During prohibition (1920-1933), Old Log Cabin, an American company, was made in Canada and became a favorite import of bootleggers, especially Al Capone’s infamous smuggling operations. [https://oldlogcabin.com/about/old-log-cabin-history/ Old Log Cabin website]

'''Korbel brandy''' 
While Korbel wasn't a big favorite in Wisconsin, Wisconsin drinkers did develop a taste for brandy during the Prohibition era, primarily from other California producers ([https://www.korbel.com/brandy/ Korbel] is located in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California). Milwaukee and Wisconsin drinkers enjoyed the broader availability of brandy and incorporated fruit and soda into their old fashioneds, a practice that continued after Prohibition ended.

Chapter 1

2025-12-02T20:20:34Z

Jkvannort2025: /* Page 1 */

==Page 1==
'''the Lake''' 
Lake Michigan, on the western shore of which is Milwaukee. Chicago is 100 miles to the south of Milwaukee on the southern shore. [https://www.google.com/search?q=lake+michigan Map...]

'''Big Al in the federal pokey in Atlanta''' 
On October 18, 1931, Al Capone, the notorious Chicago gangster (1899-1947), aka "Scarface," was convicted after trial on various charges including tax evasion and prohibition-related and, on November 24, was sentenced to eleven years in federal prison, fined $50,000 and charged $7,692 for court costs, in addition to $215,000 plus interest due on back taxes. The six-month contempt of court sentence was to be served concurrently. While awaiting the results of appeals, Capone was confined to the Cook County Jail. Upon denial of appeals, he entered the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, serving his sentence there and at Alcatraz. [https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/al-capone More...]

'''the Chicago Outfit''' 
The Chicago Outfit is an Italian American Mafia crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, and throughout the Greater Chicago area, originating in the city's South Side in the early 1910s.

'''so forth''' 
Pynchon uses this phrase multiple times (42 exactly) throughout the book. He doesn't use it at all in ''CoL49'' and ''Gravity's Rainbow''. Is this a shortcut instead of the usual lengthy descriptions and explanations or is there another purpose?

==Page 2==
'''pineapples come…''' 
In the 1930s, "pineapples" was a colloquial term for the Mk 2 fragmentation grenades, which became a military standard during this period. While actual pineapples were not exploding, the iconic grenade's grooved, cast-iron body gave it a strong resemblance to the fruit.

'''Santa Flavia''' 
Santa Flavia is a small town in Sicily known for its picturesque coastal scenery, as well as its Mafia presence which has historically included significant power and activity. The municipality has been identified as a key area for Cosa Nostra operations, including drug trafficking, extortion, and other organized criminal activities. Mafia activity in Sicily during the 1930s focused on controlling businesses and local politics through extortion and intimidation, rather than operating under formal, legitimate fronts like a chamber of commerce.

==Page 4==
''' prominent loophound ''' 
A "loop-hound" is a dated, vulgar slang term for a person who frequented a specific downtown district, known as the Loop (in this case, Chicago), in search of amusement and cheer. The term implies someone who "hounded" after such entertainment within the crowded and noisy Loop, a reference that is now mostly found in older texts.

==Page 5==
'''REO Speed Wagon''' 
a light motor truck model manufactured by REO Motor Car Company. An ancestor of the pickup truck, it was first introduced in 1915 and production continued through at least 1953. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REO_Speed_Wagon Wikipedia]

==Page 6==
'''run his usual unsociable O-O''' 
In detective and law-enforcement slang, “run an O-O” means to conduct an “observation operation,” which is shorthand for a stakeout or surveillance job.

==Page 7==
'''front page of the ''Journal''''' 
''The Milwaukee Journal'' was a dominant force in Milwaukee during the 1930s. It was known for its widespread readership and large circulation, making it the largest newspaper in Wisconsin at the time.

==Page 8==
'''doubtful tomato quality''' 
In the 1930s, the slang term "tomato" most commonly referred to an attractive, good-looking woman. The term originated in the late 1920s and was based on the idea of "juicy plumpness". In this context, amateur or non-professional criminal matters were low rent, including the attractiveness of the women involved.

==Page 9==
'''a Christmas créche''' 
In French villages the Christmas crib (crèche) traditionally contains figurines representing a miller, a wood-cutter and other villagers as well as the Holy Family and the traditional cow, donkey and shepherds. The Three Wise Men are added to the nativity scene at Epiphany (6 January, Twelfth Night).

==Page 10==
'''"Starting a ticket, I knew it."''' 
In the parlance of a detective agency of the time, a ticket refers to an assignment or case.

==Page 11==
'''time-motion snoopers''' 
The phrase "time-motion snoopers" is a derogatory term for the practice of using employee monitoring to conduct time and motion studies. While traditional time and motion studies were an industrial engineering technique to improve efficiency, the term "snoopers" implies surveillance, distrust, and an invasive, dehumanizing approach to management.

'''swindle sheets''' 
a derogatory slang term for an expense account or a log sheet, implying the document is used to deceive or defraud someone. The term originated in the US in the early 20th century and was famously used by truckers to describe log books where they would falsify entries to show proper rest when they were actually driving more hours.

'''Old Log Cabin''' 
During prohibition (1920-1933), Old Log Cabin, an American company, was made in Canada and became a favorite import of bootleggers, especially Al Capone’s infamous smuggling operations. [https://oldlogcabin.com/about/old-log-cabin-history/ Old Log Cabin website]

'''Korbel brandy''' 
While Korbel wasn't a big favorite in Wisconsin, Wisconsin drinkers did develop a taste for brandy during the Prohibition era, primarily from other California producers ([https://www.korbel.com/brandy/ Korbel] is located in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California). Milwaukee and Wisconsin drinkers enjoyed the broader availability of brandy and incorporated fruit and soda into their old fashioneds, a practice that continued after Prohibition ended.

Chapter 1

2025-11-04T00:09:27Z

Jkvannort2025: /* Page 1 */

==Page 1==
'''the Lake''' 
Lake Michigan, on the western shore of which is Milwaukee. Chicago is 100 miles to the south of Milwaukee on the southern shore. [https://www.google.com/search?q=lake+michigan Map...]

'''Big Al in the federal pokey in Atlanta''' 
On October 18, 1931, Al Capone, the notorious Chicago gangster (1899-1947), aka "Scarface," was convicted after trial on various charges including tax evasion and prohibition-related and, on November 24, was sentenced to eleven years in federal prison, fined $50,000 and charged $7,692 for court costs, in addition to $215,000 plus interest due on back taxes. The six-month contempt of court sentence was to be served concurrently. While awaiting the results of appeals, Capone was confined to the Cook County Jail. Upon denial of appeals, he entered the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, serving his sentence there and at Alcatraz. [https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/al-capone More...]

'''the Chicago Outfit''' 
The Chicago Outfit is an Italian American Mafia crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, and throughout the Greater Chicago area, originating in the city's South Side in the early 1910s.

'''so forth''' 
Pynchon uses this phrase multiple times throughout the book. He doesn't use it at all in ''CoL49'' and ''Gravity's Rainbow''. Is this a shortcut instead of the usual lengthy descriptions and explanations or is there another purpose?

==Page 2==
'''pineapples come…''' 
In the 1930s, "pineapples" was a colloquial term for the Mk 2 fragmentation grenades, which became a military standard during this period. While actual pineapples were not exploding, the iconic grenade's grooved, cast-iron body gave it a strong resemblance to the fruit.

'''Santa Flavia''' 
Santa Flavia is a small town in Sicily known for its picturesque coastal scenery, as well as its Mafia presence which has historically included significant power and activity. The municipality has been identified as a key area for Cosa Nostra operations, including drug trafficking, extortion, and other organized criminal activities. Mafia activity in Sicily during the 1930s focused on controlling businesses and local politics through extortion and intimidation, rather than operating under formal, legitimate fronts like a chamber of commerce.

==Page 4==
''' prominent loophound ''' 
A "loop-hound" is a dated, vulgar slang term for a person who frequented a specific downtown district, known as the Loop (in this case, Chicago), in search of amusement and cheer. The term implies someone who "hounded" after such entertainment within the crowded and noisy Loop, a reference that is now mostly found in older texts.

==Page 5==
'''REO Speed Wagon''' 
a light motor truck model manufactured by REO Motor Car Company. An ancestor of the pickup truck, it was first introduced in 1915 and production continued through at least 1953. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REO_Speed_Wagon Wikipedia]

==Page 6==
'''run his usual unsociable O-O''' 
In detective and law-enforcement slang, “run an O-O” means to conduct an “observation operation,” which is shorthand for a stakeout or surveillance job.

==Page 7==
'''front page of the ''Journal''''' 
''The Milwaukee Journal'' was a dominant force in Milwaukee during the 1930s. It was known for its widespread readership and large circulation, making it the largest newspaper in Wisconsin at the time.

==Page 8==
'''doubtful tomato quality''' 
In the 1930s, the slang term "tomato" most commonly referred to an attractive, good-looking woman. The term originated in the late 1920s and was based on the idea of "juicy plumpness". In this context, amateur or non-professional criminal matters were low rent, including the attractiveness of the women involved.

==Page 9==
'''a Christmas créche''' 
In French villages the Christmas crib (crèche) traditionally contains figurines representing a miller, a wood-cutter and other villagers as well as the Holy Family and the traditional cow, donkey and shepherds. The Three Wise Men are added to the nativity scene at Epiphany (6 January, Twelfth Night).

==Page 10==
'''"Starting a ticket, I knew it."''' 
In the parlance of a detective agency of the time, a ticket refers to an assignment or case.

==Page 11==
'''time-motion snoopers''' 
The phrase "time-motion snoopers" is a derogatory term for the practice of using employee monitoring to conduct time and motion studies. While traditional time and motion studies were an industrial engineering technique to improve efficiency, the term "snoopers" implies surveillance, distrust, and an invasive, dehumanizing approach to management.

'''swindle sheets''' 
a derogatory slang term for an expense account or a log sheet, implying the document is used to deceive or defraud someone. The term originated in the US in the early 20th century and was famously used by truckers to describe log books where they would falsify entries to show proper rest when they were actually driving more hours.

'''Old Log Cabin''' 
During prohibition (1920-1933), Old Log Cabin, an American company, was made in Canada and became a favorite import of bootleggers, especially Al Capone’s infamous smuggling operations. [https://oldlogcabin.com/about/old-log-cabin-history/ Old Log Cabin website]

'''Korbel brandy''' 
While Korbel wasn't a big favorite in Wisconsin, Wisconsin drinkers did develop a taste for brandy during the Prohibition era, primarily from other California producers ([https://www.korbel.com/brandy/ Korbel] is located in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California). Milwaukee and Wisconsin drinkers enjoyed the broader availability of brandy and incorporated fruit and soda into their old fashioneds, a practice that continued after Prohibition ended.