Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0016887, Thu, 7 Aug 2008 19:07:53 +0100

Subject
Re: one more anagram
Date
Body
On 06/08/2008 18:07, "jansymello" <jansy@AETERN.US> wrote:

> Alexey:I was taking a walk in the Ostrova (a quiet and most inspiring park
> area in St. Petersburg, near which I happen to live) yesterday, when another
> interesting combination occurred to me [...] Ada. Trofim Fartukov, the
> coachman in Ardis the Second, calls that Van: Barin, a barin, dazhe skvoz'
> kozhanyi fartuk ne stal by ya trogat' etu frantsuzskuyu devku ("Master, even
> through a leathern apron I wouldn't have thought of touching this French wench
> [Blanche, whom Trofim later marries]"):
>
> JM: I was familiar with Lucette's complaint about another coachman: ŒIl pue.¹
> Also related to various postings about Ada's nicknaming her half-sister "my
> pet".
> Alexey here brought to our attention Fartukov and his words in Russian,
> warning Van off Blanche, containing "fartuk".
> Knowing no Russian I can only wonder about another mysterious wordgame.
> I wonder if we may, then " dip or redip, spider, into this " matter? Or
> explore two simultaneous directions of language by applying Van's theories on
> a Bergsonian perspective on time?
> -----
> No enduring mystery, JM. Fartuk is po-russki for APRON (nom. sing.). The
> coachman who happens to be called Fartukov has probably endured a lifetime of
> giggles* (as when English soccer fans encounter the players Nicky Butt [ManU]
> or Arshavin [Zenit]), but it no longer bothers him. He uses the phrase
> kozhnyi fartuk (leather apron) with the merest Nabokovian wink -- just as Mr
> Tailor visits his tailor without causing widespread hilarity.
>
> * "Hey Mr Apron, nice Apron you're wearing." "Piss off!"
>
> Extreme form of this "non-joke" in Monty Python.
>
> Eric Idle: my name's Smoktoomuch, Fred Smoketoomuch.
> Cleese: well you better give it up, then -- hee hee -- nudge, nudge
> EI: I don't follow ...
> C: Come on, people must have been joking about your name for years ...
> EI: No ... it never struck me before. Yes, I see it now; quite funny --
> Smoketoomuch -- better give it up ...
>
> skb
>


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