ACADEMIC-MINDED – adjective; excessively concerned with intellectual matters and lacking experience of practical affairs having an aptitude for study.

AMISH – a group of traditionalist Christian church fellowships with Swiss German Anabaptist origins. They are closely related to, but a distinct branch off from Mennonite churches.

BALLET WALTZ #3 BY HERMAN BEEFTINK – also known as the “Dance of the Woods,” is a trio for flute, alto flute and piano by Herman Beeftink, who is a composer from the Netherlands.

BANK JOB – refers to the slang for robbing a bank.

BRIDGE CLUB – a group of students or people interested in learning, teaching, and playing the card game of bridge.

BRITNEY SPEARS – an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. She is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s, for which she is referred to as the “Princess of Pop.”

BROADWAY – refers to the theatrical performances presented in the 41 professional theatres, each with 500 or more seats, located in the Theater District and Lincoln Center along Broadway, in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.

CALIFORNIA – a western U.S. state, stretches from the Mexican border along the Pacific for nearly 900 miles. Its terrain includes cliff-lined beaches, redwood forest, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Central Valley farmland and the Mojave Desert. The city of Los Angeles is the seat of the Hollywood entertainment industry. Hilly San Francisco is known for the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island and cable cars.

CHICAGO – located on Lake Michigan in Illinois, is among the largest cities in the U.S. Famed for its bold architecture, it has a skyline punctuated by skyscrapers such as the iconic John Hancock Center, 1,451-ft. Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) and the neo-Gothic Tribune Tower. The city is also renowned for its museums, including the Art Institute of Chicago with its noted impressionist and Post-Impressionist works.

CHIKARA BY ROBERT SKIMIN – a historical novel about an epic family drama of the two great countries, America and Japan.

CHRISTMAS – an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world.

COKE – also known as Coca-Cola, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by The Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century.

COLLECTOR’S CUP – unique or custom, sometimes handmade pieces created specifically for a person or location. Can sometimes be found at destination spots for people to collect.

DEMEROL – also known as meperidine, is an opioid and narcotic used to treat moderate to severe pain. It can cause respiratory distress and death when taken in high doses or when combined with other substances, especially alcohol. It is considered high risk for addiction and dependence. Sometimes used during labor.

DEMOCRACY – a form of government in which the people have the authority to choose their governing legislation. Who people are and how authority is shared among them are core issues for democratic theory, development and constitution.

DENSE – refers to a person being stupid.

DIABETICS – refers to a person with diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes. The hormone insulin moves sugar from the blood into your cells to be stored or used for energy. With diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t effectively use the insulin it does make.

EASTER – also called Pascha (Greek, Latin) or resurrection Sunday, is a festival and holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day after his burial following his crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary c. 30 AD.

EMINEM – Marshall Bruce Mathers III, known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer.

FEMINISM – a range of social movements, political movements, and ideologies that aim to define, establish, and achieve the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes.

FLAGELLATION – also known as flogging, whipping, or lashing, is the act of beating the human body with special implements such as whips, lashes, rods, switches, the cat o’ nine tails, the sjambok, the knout, etc.

FLO JO – Florence Delorez Griffith Joyner, also known as Flo-Jo, was an American track and field athlete. She was regarded as one of the fastest woman of all time, setting world records in1988 for both the 100m and 200m. However, Elaine Thompson-Herah surpassed Florence's record in 2021 at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

FORREST GUMP – 1994 film directed by Robert Zemeckis and with Tom Hanks in the title role. In the film, Forrest’s mother, played by Sally Field, has sex with the principal to persuade him to allow her simple-minded son (IQ of 75) to attend school.

HARTFORD – the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. Home to the Mark Twain House & Museum.

HARVARD – Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, clergyman John Harvard, Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world.

HEARTLAND BY GEORGE STRAIT – a song written by Steve Dorff and John Bettis and recorded by American country music artist George Strait. Released in January 1993.

HERMAN MELVILLE – was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works are Moby Dick, Typee, a romanticized account of his experiences in Polynesia, and Billy Budd, Sailor, a posthumously published novella.

HUCKLEBERRY FINN – a fictional character created by Mark Twain who first appeared in the book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and is the protagonist and narrator of its sequel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884).

I TRY BY MACY GRAY – a song released in 1999 that was co-written and recorded by American musician Macy Gray.

JACK KEROUAC – was an American writer best known for the novel On the Road, which became an American classic, pioneering the Beat Generation in the 1950s.

KILT – a type of knee-length non-bifurcated skirt with pleats at the back, originating in the traditional dress of Gaelic men and boys in the Scottish Highlands. It is first recorded in the 16th century as the great kilt, a full-length garment whose upper half could be worn as a cloak.

M.I.T – known as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The institute is a land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant university, with an urban campus that extends more than a mile alongside the Charles River.

MACY GRAY – an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, musician, record producer and actress. She is known for her distinctive raspy voice and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday. Gray has released ten studio albums, and received five Grammy Award nominations, winning one.

MADAME BOVARY – see Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert.

MADAME BOVARY BY GUSTAVE FLAUBERT – originally published as Madame Bovary: Provincial Manners, is the debut novel of French writer Gustave Flaubert, published in 1856. The eponymous character lives beyond her means in order to escape the banalities and emptiness of provincial life.

MARK TWAIN – Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publishers, and lecturer. He was lauded as the “greatest humorist [in the United States] has produced,” and William Faulkner called him “the father of American literature.”

MELVILLE – see Herman Melville.

MIME – an artist or person who uses mime as a theatrical medium or as a performance art. Miming involves acting out a story through body motions, without the use of speech. In earlier times, in English, such a performer would typically be referred to as a mummer.

MISTRESS OF MELLYN BY VICTORIA HOLT – the first Gothic romance novel written by Eleanor Hibbert under the pen name Victoria Holt.

MOBY DICK – see Moby Dick by Herman Melville.

MOBY DICK BY HERMAN MELVILLE – also known as “The Whale,” is an 1851 novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is the sailor Ishmael’s narrative of the obsessive quest of Ahab, captain of the whaling ship Pequod, for revenge on Moby Dick, the giant white sperm whale that on the ship’s previous voyage bit off Ahab’s leg at the knee.

MOMMIE DEAREST – a 1981 American biographical drama film directed by Frank Perry. The film depicts Christina Crawford’s adoptive mother, actress Joan Crawford, as an abusive and manipulative mother who hurt her adopted children.

MUUMUU – a loose dress originating in Hawaii. It literally means “cut-off” as it is a shorter version of more formal Hawaiian wear.

MY LITTLE CORNER OF THE WORLD BY KIT PONGETTI – song released in 1995 by the artist Kit Pongetti.

NICK AT NITE – an American nighttime programming block that broadcasts over the channel space of Nickelodeon. Marketed as a separate network from Nickelodeon for ratings purposes, similar to Cartoon Network, due to the airing of more adult content.

OBSCENE – adjective; so excessive as to be offensive.

OFFICER KRUPKE – a minor character in the movie West Side Story. Though he constantly throws out verbal threats of bodily harm or at least a trip down to the police station, Krupke’s bark is shown to be far worse than his bite.

ON THE ROAD BY JACK KEROUAC – an American novel by American writer Jack Kerouac, based on the travels of Kerouac and his friends across the United States. It is considered a defining work of the postwar Beat and Counterculture generations, with its protagonists living life against a backdrop of jazz, poetry, and drug use.

OPRAH – Oprah Gail Winfrey in an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, which ran from 1986 to 2011, broadcast from Chicago, which was the highest-rated talk show in history.

PATÉ – a paste, pie or loaf consisting of forcemeat that at least contains liver. Common additions include ground meat from pork, poultry, fish or beef, fat, vegetables, herbs, spices and either wine or brandy.

PROCTOLOGIST – a doctor specializing in the colon, rectum and anus, an expert in proctology.

PROTESTANTS – a member or follower of any of the Western Christian churches that are separate from the Roman Catholic Church and follow the principles of the Reformation, including the Baptist, Presbyterian, and Lutheran churches.

PULL A MENENDEZ – refers to Lyle and Erik Menendez (born 1968 and 1970). They are two American brothers who were convicted in a high-profile criminal trial in 1994 for the 1989 murder of their wealthy parents José and Kitty, shooting them at their Beverley Hills mansion. The Menendez brothers claimed that they had killed their parents after years of sexual and physical abuse, but their defense was ruled inadmissible as evidence by the court. The lavish lifestyles they led after their parents’ deaths made it seem as if the motive was mainly financial. Both men are currently serving life sentences without parole at separate prisons.

RADISH ROSES – refers to a radish cut into the shape of a rose. Usually used as a garnish or décor.

ROSEMARY’S BABY – a 1968 American psychological horror film written and directed by Roman Polanski, based on the 1967 novel of the same name by Ira Levin. It features a young wife who comes to believe that her offspring is not of this world.

RUPAUL – an American drag queen, actor, model, singer, songwriter, and television personality. Since 2009, he has produced and hosted the reality competition series RuPaul’s Drag Race, for which he received six Primetime Emmy Awards.

RUTH GORDON – Ruth Gordon Jones was an American actress, screenwriter, and playwright. She began her career performing on Broadway at age nineteen. Known for her nasal voice and distinctive personality, she gained international recognition and critical acclaim for film roles that continued into her seventies and eighties.

SNIPPETS – noun; a small piece or brief extract.

STEPHEN KING – Stephen Edwin King is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. His books have sold more than 350 million copies, and many have been adapted into films, television series, miniseries, and comic books.

SUCRE – translates to the word “sugar” in French.

TANNIS ROOT – a fictional herb used by the neighbors of Rosemary in the film Rosemary’s Baby to demonstrate the power of the devil worshippers.

THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN BY MARK TWAIN – a novel by Mark Twain, first published in the United Kingdom in December 1884 and in the United States in February 1885.

THE BEST LAID PLANS – a paraphrase from Robert Burns’ Scottish poem, To a Mouse, on Turning Her Up in Her Next With the Plough, November, 1785. The original lines are The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft agely, commonly translated into English as The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. The idiom means that the most carefully detailed plan can go wrong when put into practice.

THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL – see The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen.

THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN – a literary fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen. The story, about a dying child’s dreams and hope, was first published in 1845. It has been adapted to various media, including animated and live-action films, television musicals, and video games.

THE SECOND SEX BY SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR – a 1949 book by the French existentialist Simone de Beauvoir, in which the author discusses the treatment of women throughout history. Beauvoir researched and wrote the book in about 14 months between 1946 and 1949. She published it in two volumes, Facts and Myths and Lived Experience.

THERE SHE GOES BY THE LA’S – a song by English rock band The La’s, written by the band’s frontman, Lee Mavers. The song reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart.

TO A MOUSE BY ROBERT BURNS – full name To a Mouse, on Turning Her Up in Her Next With the Plough, November, 1785, is a Scots-language poem written by Roberts Burns in 1785, and was included in the Kilmarnock volume and all of the poet's later editions, such as the Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect.

VAT – a large tank or tub used to hold liquid.

WEST SIDE STORY – a musical in which a modern-day Romeo and Juliet are involved in New York street gangs. On the harsh streets of the upper west side, two gangs battle for control of the turf. The situation becomes complicated when a gang member falls in love with a rival’s sister.

WHERE THE COLORS DON’T GO BY SAM PHILLIPS – a song released in 1991. Featured on the album Cruel Inventions by American singer and songwriter Leslie Ann Phillips, better known by the stage name Sam Phillips.

WOODSTOCK ’99 – the second large-scale music festival (after Woodstock’94) that attempted to emulate the original Woodstock festival of 1969. The attendance was approximately 400,000 over four days.

X-RAY EYES – a possible illusion to the 1963 sci-fi horror film The Man with the X-Ray Eyes, directed by Roger Corman and with Ray Milland in the title role. Made on a shoestring budget, it was nonetheless successful and well-received.

ZSA ZSA GABOR – was a Hungarian-American actress and socialite. Her sisters were actresses Eva and Magda Gabor. She began her stage career in Vienna and was crowned Miss Hungary in 1936. She emigrated from Hungary to the United States in 1941.

INDEX BY CATEGORY

[ back to top ]

LITERATURE

Chikara by Robert Skimin

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

Mistress of Mellyn by Victoria Holt

Moby Dick by Herman Melville

On the Road by Jack Kerouac

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen

The Second Sex by Simone De Beauvoir

To a Mouse by Robert Burns

LOCATIONS

California

Chicago

Hartford

Harvard

M.I.T

FILM

Forrest Gump (1994)

Mommie Dearest (1981)

Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

West Side Story (1961)

X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963)

MUSIC

Ballet Waltz #3 by Herman Beeftink

Heartland by George Strait

I Try by Macy Gray

My Little Corner of the World by Kit Pongetti

There She Goes by The La’s

Wendy by Wesley Yang & Gavin McNett

Where the Colors Don’t Go by Sam Phillips

POP CULTURE

Britney Spears

Eminem

Flo Jo

Herman Melville

Huckleberry Finn

Jack Kerouac

Macy Gray

Madame Bovary

Mark Twain

Melville

Moby Dick

Nick at Nite

Officer Krupke

Oprah

Pull a Menendez

RuPaul

Ruth Gordon

Stephen King

The Little Match Girl

Woodstock ’99

X-Ray eyes

Zsa Zsa Gabor

QUOTES

“A grunt of acknowledgment might be nice.” – Lorelai

“An education is the most important thing in the world, next to family.” “And pie.” – Emily & Lorelai

“Boys don’t like funny girls.” “Noted.” – Mrs. Kim & Rory

“Does he have a motorcycle? Cause if you’re gonna throw your life away, he better have a motorcycle!” – Lorelai

“Good. Make a note. You wouldn’t want to forget where the round cakes are.” – Rory

“He’s got quite a pair this guy.” – Lorelai

“How much did you hear?” “Not much. You know, snippets.” “Snippets?” “Little snippets.” “So basically everything?” “Basically, yes.” – Lorelai & Rory

“I’m still fuzzy on what’s fun about sitting in the cold for two hours with a bundle of sticks up your butt.” “Don’t expect me to clear it up for you.” – Rory & Lane

“People are particularly stupid today. I can’t talk to any more of them.” – Michel

“People die, we pay. People crash cars, we pay. People lose a foot, we pay.” “Well at least you have your new slogan.” – Richard & Lorelai

“You didn’t… with the principal… did you?” – Rory

“You do not want to grow up to be like your mom.” “Sorry, too late.” – Luke & Rory

“You’re happy.” “Yeah.” “Did you do something slutty?” “I’m not that happy.” – Rory & Lorelai

VOCABULARY

Academic-minded

Amish

Bank job

Bridge club

Broadway

Christmas

Coke

Collector’s cup

Demerol

Democracy

Dense

Diabetics

Easter

Feminism

Flagellation

Kilt

Mime

Muumuu

Obscene

Paté

Proctologist

Protestants

Radish roses

Snippets

Sucre

Tannis root

The best laid plans

Vat

INDEX A - Z