Thomas Davis: song The West's Asleep
obi = obeah - an amulet, charm, or fetish used by Negroes for magical purposes + (notebook 1922-23): 'obi = stomacher' → Irish Times 27 Jan 1923, 9/2: 'Glimpses of Japan': 'The ladies are also wearing the obi, a belt a foot wide, which is wound round the body over the kimono'.
ohne (ger) - without
overclothes - 'upper' or outer garments
choker - a wide neckcloth, white necktie, short necklace
Norse - Norwegian + noise
cartage - the process of conveying by cart + Cato the Elder proclaimed that Rome must destroy Carthage: "Delenda est Carthago." (Latin 'Carthage must be destroyed'). An 18th-century theory held that the Irish people was of Carthaginian origin.
royal road - a smooth or easy way + Ragnar Lodbrok ("shaggy breeches") - viking, saga hero who, tradition says, died in Ireland + Ragnarřkr (Old Norse) - destruction of the Norse gods.
Dulyn (Welsh) - Dublin + song The Rocky Road to Dublin.
snore - a sound resembling that of a snore; a loud roaring or droning noise
LAND OF BEULAH - Isaiah 62:4: 'Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married'. In Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, the land of joy where pilgrims wait until called to the Celestial City; a dream-world paradise on the way to Eden in William Blake's poetry; Byelo, Russ: "white".
maw - the stomach (of men and animals); a gull, esp. the Common gull, Larus canus + cows + Thomas Moore: song While History's Muse [air: Paddy Wack] + Thomas Moore: song While Gazing on the Moon's Light [air: Oonagh].
paddywhack - a rage, passion, temper; a severe thrashing
blind pig - a place that sells intoxicants or liquor illegally
Oonagh (Irish "Una,") - the air to T. Moore's "While Gazing on the Moon's Light."
mulling - bustle, stir, excitement + Mullingar
battering - that batters
or violently assails with blows + FDV: This battering all over the door
& sidepanels was not in the least remotest like
like a bottle of stout which would not rouse him out of sleep but much more
like the overture to the last day if anything.
babel - a confused turbulent medley of sounds + Tower of Babel (Babel related to Akkadian bab-ilu: gate of the god; hence 'door').
sidepost - one of the posts at either side of a doorway, a door-post
Belzebub - The Devil
babble - anarticulate or imperfect speech, such as that of infants; prattle + James Joyce: Letters I.388: letter 10/08/36 to Stephen Joyce ('The Cat and the Devil'): 'The devil mostly speaks a language of his own called Bellsybabble which he makes up himself as he goes along'.
booze - alcoholic drink, chiefly beer
rouse out - to awaken from sleep
song The West's Awake: 'Connaught lies in slumber deep'
martially - in a martial (of music: appropriate to warfare) manner + martialis (l) - of or belonging to Mars + song Marseillaise.
march - a tune or composition of marked rhythm, designed to accompany the marching of troops + Mars (l) - Roman god of war.
Musikant (ger) - musician
overture - an orchestral piece, of varying form and dimensions, forming the opening or introduction to an opera, oratorio, or other extended composition.
pompery - pomp, splendour, magnificence + pomper (French, Slang) - to booze, to drink + Pompeii - an Italian town, buried by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the year 79 a.d.
nooning - midday; a meal eaten at noon + meaningless
nocturne - a composition of a dreamy character
reine = rain + Reine (ger) - the pure one + reine (fr) - queen {Isolda}.
hippopotamus (hence, phrase crocodile tears) + potamos (gr) - river {Ana Livia}.
plore - to weep, wail + pouring
all over the place - disordered, irregular
ruinate - to demolish, destroy
boucher - butcher; one who has officially the charge of treasure, a treasurer
Schurz (ger) - apron
backer - a slaughterhouse worker; repairer of shoes; a supporter; esp. one who bets on a horse or event; one who supports by money or credit; a porter, carrier; baker.
wischen (ger) - wipe + Handtuch (ger) - towel.
Chandeleur (fr) - Candlemass (commemorates purification of Blessed Virgin Mary)
Rejane, Gabrielle - Parisian actress, much admired by Proust. Mr O Hehir suggests also the Regina Coeli (Queen of Heaven) jail in Rome + Regina Coeli (l) - Queen of Heaven (epithet of Blessed Virgin Mary; also the name of a prison in modern Rome).
wasch- (ger) - wash
welter - the rolling of the sea in a storm; water
whyte - white + night
pinch - a very small quantity + A stitch in time saves nine (proverb) - a timely effort will prevent more work later.
Astraea - Greek goddess of justice who, overwhelmed by the world's injustice, took her place among the stars as Virgo.
astrologer - an observer of the stars, a practical astronomer (obs.); one who pretends to judge of the influence of the stars upon human affairs.
for the love of - for the sake of, on account of
saunce = sanctus - the 'angelic hymn' (from Isa. vi. 3) beginning with the words 'Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus' ('Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts') + suns
pike (Slang) - depart
song Paddy Whack (This old man, he played ten. / He played knick-knack once again. / With a knick-knack, paddy whack, / Give a dog a bone. / This old man came rolling home) + paddy whack - a spank or spanking.
pamint-ul (Rumanian) - the land
reel - a noise, tumult, disturbance; a crash, peal + real + song 'O weel may the keel row': "As I came thro` Sandgate, / Thro` Sandgate, thro` Sandgate, / As I came thro` Sandgate, / I heard a lassie sing: / `O, weel may the keel row, / The keel row, the keel row, / O weel may the keel row / That my laddie`s in.`" ('keel' is a synecdochy for boat, row = procede, travel or be rowed).
smoke bush - the Venetian sumach, Cotinus coggygria, which has a feathery inflorescence suggestive of smoke.
cream - the most excellent element or part; the best of its kind; the choice part; the quintessence.
frolic - a scene or occasion of gaiety or mirth; a merry-making; a party
filon (gr) - leaf + filons! (French Colloquial) - let's scram!
cherchez la femme - A catch-phrase, first used (in the form cherchons la femme) by Alexandre Dumas père in his Les Mohicans de Paris (1864), used to indicate that the key to a problem or mystery is a woman, and that she need only be found for the matter to be solved + flamme (sp) - pudding.
famm (Slang) - hand
non oblitus (l) - not forgotten + nonnobli (Ido - an artificial language) - base.
facial + Fisch (ger) - fish.
expression + sprezzabile (it) - contemptible.
scapus (l) - shaft; cylinder; sheet of paper; beam of balance + scapula (late latin) - shoulder + scapolo (it) - bachelor.
bachelor's button + macellaio (it) - butcher.
musclebound - rigid, stiff, tense and enlarged
Beery, Noah - American movie actor
stone = stone weight (14 pounds; 1 pound = 453 gr.) + one
hazel hen - a european woodland groose
elder - an elder person, a parent + Elders - two ancient judges in the apocryphal book of Susanna. They first proposition the young matron and, when repulsed, accuse her of unchastity with a young man. Daniel unmaskes the Elders' lies. In Finnegans Wake they are Four elders, judges who first proposition, then accuse Issy-Isolde. They correspond to the Four wicked barons in Bédier's Tristan and Isolde who spy on the lovers and report to Mark of Cornwall.
fall for - to yield to the attractions of; to be captivated or carried away by