Subject
Re: TT 2 & 3 (fwd) Russian commode
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------------------ 'Commode' in Russian means a dresser.
- George
-----Original Message-----
From: Vladimir Nabokov Forum [mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU] On
Behalf Of D. Barton Johnson
Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2004 1:51 PM
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Subject: Re: TT 2 & 3 (fwd)
---------- Forwarded Message ----------
Date: Monday, July 12, 2004 9:07 PM -0500
From: John A Rea <j.rea2@insightbb.com>
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
Subject: Re: TT 2 & 3
------------------
1. Did anyone else find it strange that Hugh's room, supposedly 313,
is a bell chambre au quatrieme, i. e. the equivalent of American
fifth floor?
2. In the first line of chap 3, Amerlocs should be warned that
"commode" does not mean "flush toilet" as in this hemisphere,
but rather what we might term a free standing wardrobe closet.
John Rea
---------- End Forwarded Message ----------
EDNOTE. 1.The magic 3rd floor room HP wants at the beginning (he can
remember [wrongly] only that it was "in the MIDDLE !!!
three-hundreds)and
is put in the "belle chambre au quatrieme." He is able to get that room
only when it is vacated (TT-25).
2. We'll explain "Amerlocs" later. Re "commode": It is my impression
that
"commode" is no longer used by Americans although in my youth it was
still
used as a euphemism for the toilet fixure and also for a dresser. Maybe
a
Brit can fill us in.
---------- End Forwarded Message ----------
D. Barton Johnson
NABOKV-L