Subject
Re: Fwd: TT-20 Introductory Notes
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Donald B. Johnson wrote:
> The OED has both "in the arms of Murphy" and "in the arms of Morpheus" as
> idioms meaning "asleep."
I often find that a Nabokov allusion / word play / etc has more
that a single resonance. One of my typical off the wall
reactions to the current passage was to recall what was
once a standard object in "bed-sitter" apartments, and
in some hotel rooms was a double bed that folded up into
the wall, hiding behind what seemed to be an innocuous
double door, leaving more living space, and providing a
quick place to bed down. This object was called, of course
a "Murphy Bed": I have no notion why.
John
p. s. Glad to "see" everyone again after the puzzling hiatus
> Jamie Olson
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Donald B. Johnson" <chtodel@gss.ucsb.edu>
> To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> Sent: Monday, November 01, 2004 10:22 AM
> Subject: Re: Fwd: TT-20 Introductory Notes
>
>
> Jansy, I think that is really possible. I did not write, but I also thought
> "Murphy" could be from morphine, i. e. from Morpheus.
>
> And thank you for the beautiful Cocteau quotation.
>
> Akiko
>
>
----- End forwarded message -----
> The OED has both "in the arms of Murphy" and "in the arms of Morpheus" as
> idioms meaning "asleep."
I often find that a Nabokov allusion / word play / etc has more
that a single resonance. One of my typical off the wall
reactions to the current passage was to recall what was
once a standard object in "bed-sitter" apartments, and
in some hotel rooms was a double bed that folded up into
the wall, hiding behind what seemed to be an innocuous
double door, leaving more living space, and providing a
quick place to bed down. This object was called, of course
a "Murphy Bed": I have no notion why.
John
p. s. Glad to "see" everyone again after the puzzling hiatus
> Jamie Olson
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Donald B. Johnson" <chtodel@gss.ucsb.edu>
> To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> Sent: Monday, November 01, 2004 10:22 AM
> Subject: Re: Fwd: TT-20 Introductory Notes
>
>
> Jansy, I think that is really possible. I did not write, but I also thought
> "Murphy" could be from morphine, i. e. from Morpheus.
>
> And thank you for the beautiful Cocteau quotation.
>
> Akiko
>
>
----- End forwarded message -----