cultural literacy 37 Flashcards
MI6
UK foreign intelligence service (M, i, 6)
Edie
Peter Gunn’s girlfriend on the TV series, played by Lola Albright
Olga Korbut
Russian gold medalist gymnast in 1972 and 1976
Jennifer Beals
actress in Flashdance
Owen Wister
father of Western fiction, biographer of U.S. Grant, author of the The Virginian series of novels
Bobsey Twins
series of children’s novels by Laura Lee Hope
Nan & Bert
older (girl and boy) Bobsey twins
Freddie & Flossie
younger (boy and girl) Bobsey twins
mummer
performer of a mumming (or mumming play), i.e. a play not performed by professional actors
to top
to chop the top part or head off of somone or something
Fotheringhay
village in North Northamptonshire, site of Mary Stuart’s beheading
duck, duckie
British term of endearment
bonce
(British slang) head, skull
Solihull
town in West Midlands
Basingstoke
town in Hampshire
oafish
clumsy, unmannered, stupid
groundling
ground-dwelling animal; uncultured, tasteless person
vole
subfamily of rodent known as field mouse in the U.S.
tosh
(British) nonsense
Guildford
town in west Surrey
jobbing
part-time, piecemeal (as regards work)
Jock
Scottish English nickname for “John”; by extension, derogatory term for a Scottish soldier or just a Scot
bint
(Brit.) derogatory term for girl or woman
to snaffle
to appropriate, pilfer, steal
piles
a nontechnical name for hemmorrhoids
sod
annoying, unpleasant person (British slang)
minx
pert, impudent or flirtatious girl
John Phillips, Cass Elliot
two members of The Mamas & the Papas
“Mama Cass”
nickname of Cass Elliot
McKenzie Phillips
actress on TV show One Day at a Time, daughter of John Phillips
fly in the ointment
a flaw that spoils an entire work or product
two Titan siblings
Atlas and Prometheus
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
movie directed and written by Paul Schrader about the author Yukio Mishima
The Book of Five Rings
a text on kenjutsu and the martial arts in general, written by the Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi around 1645
kenjutsu
umbrella term for all traditional schools of Japanese swordsmanship
taxi dancer
paid dance partner
to tromp
to roundly defeat, to shellac
anile
of or like a foolish, doddering old woman
Ernie Els
South African golfer
slough (verb)
(pronounced “sluff”) to jettison, dispose of, shed
slough (noun)
(pronounced “sloo”, also spelled “slew” or “slue”) swamp, hole; condition of degradation
das Hoheitsgewässer
territorial waters (Ger.)
der Dorsch
codfish (Ger.)
der Viecher
critter (Ger.)
bei jdm ist der Groschen gefallen
sb has understood (a lightbulb went on)
der Binnenmarkt
Common Market (Ger.)
der Hebel
lever
am längeren Hebel sitzen
to have the upper hand
Die Biene Maya
Maya the Bee (German cartoon)
“I Believe in Father Christmas”
Greg Lake Christmas rock song (“They say there’ll be peace on Christmas…”)
UK foreign intelligence service (M, i, 6)
MI6
Peter Gunn’s girlfriend on the TV series, played by Lola Albright
Edie
Russian gold medalist gymnast in 1972 and 1976
Olga Korbut
actress in Flashdance
Jennifer Beals
father of Western fiction, biographer of U.S. Grant, author of the The Virginian series of novels
Owen Wister
series of children’s novels by Laura Lee Hope
Bobsey Twins
older (girl and boy) Bobsey twins
Nan & Bert
younger (boy and girl) Bobsey twins
Freddie & Flossie
performer of a mumming (or mumming play), i.e. a play not performed by professional actors
mummer
to chop the top part or head off of somone or something
to top
village in North Northamptonshire, site of Mary Stuart’s beheading
Fotheringhay
British term of endearment
duck, duckie
(British slang) head, skull
bonce
town in West Midlands
Solihull
town in Hampshire
Basingstoke
clumsy, unmannered, stupid
oafish
ground-dwelling animal; uncultured, tasteless person
groundling
subfamily of rodent known as field mouse in the U.S.
vole
(British) nonsense
tosh
town in west Surrey
Guildford
part-time, piecemeal (as regards work)
jobbing
Scottish English nickname for “John”; by extension, derogatory term for a Scottish soldier or just a Scot
Jock
(Brit.) derogatory term for girl or woman
bint
to appropriate, pilfer, steal
to snaffle
a nontechnical name for hemmorrhoids
piles
annoying, unpleasant person (British slang)
sod
pert, impudent or flirtatious girl
minx
two members of The Mamas & the Papas
John Phillips, Cass Elliot
nickname of Cass Elliot
“Mama Cass”
actress on TV show One Day at a Time, daughter of John Phillips
McKenzie Phillips
a flaw that spoils an entire work or product
fly in the ointment
Atlas and Prometheus
two Titan siblings
movie directed and written by Paul Schrader about the author Yukio Mishima
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
a text on kenjutsu and the martial arts in general, written by the Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi around 1645
The Book of Five Rings
umbrella term for all traditional schools of Japanese swordsmanship
kenjutsu
paid dance partner
taxi dancer
to roundly defeat, to shellac
to tromp
of or like a foolish, doddering old woman
anile
South African golfer
Ernie Els
(pronounced “sluff”) to jettison, dispose of, shed
slough (verb)
(pronounced “sloo”, also spelled “slew” or “slue”) swamp, hole; condition of degradation
slough (noun)
territorial waters (Ger.)
das Hoheitsgewässer
codfish (Ger.)
der Dorsch
critter (Ger.)
der Viecher
sb has understood (a lightbulb went on)
bei jdm ist der Groschen gefallen
Common Market (Ger.)
der Binnenmarkt
lever
der Hebel
to have the upper hand
am längeren Hebel sitzen
Maya the Bee (German cartoon)
Die Biene Maya
Greg Lake Christmas rock song (“They say there’ll be peace on Christmas…”)
“I Believe in Father Christmas”
