Nine Stories Study Guide

Glossary of Terms

"Les Saltimbanques"

A 1905 work by Pablo Picasso.

Akim Tamiroff

A film actor of Armenian descent who lived from 1899-1972. Starred in such films as The Buccaneer, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and The Miracle of Morgan's Creek.

amalgamation

a combination, mixture, or melding

ascetics

those people who lead austere lifestyles, shunning various forms of societal or physical pleasure

Beauty and the Beast

referenced in "Just Before the War with the Eskimos" as the 1946 film of the fairy tale.

blue period

refers to Pablo Picasso's so-called "blue period," a phase of the artist's career in which he painted mostly representational works with a strong overtone of melancholy and desperation.

cuticle

an outer covering; can refer to dead epidermis

denominational

religious or bound to a specific religious organization

dinghy

a small boat, often towed by a larger boat

drip

slang for a tiresome or boring person

fortement

French for "strongly"

gabardine

a fabric with diagonal ribs; known for its firmness

galoshes

a type of shoe designed especially for snow and slush

gossamer

light, feathery; can specifically refer to a film of cobwebs

hernia

the physical condition that results when an organ or a tissue protrudes though what normally contains it (be it muscle, membrane, or other tissue)

Jean Cocteau

A French poet, artist, playwright, and film director (of, among other films, the 1946 Beauty and the Beast). Known for his avant-garde tendencies, melded with a devotion to classical forms and narratives.

mercurochrome

usually spelled "merchurochrome"; a chemical substance used to treat wounds

mink

like or relating to the fur (known for its shiny texture) of the mink, an animal resembling the weasel

mirthless

without mirth; without gaiety or amusement

pauvre

French for "poor"

sans

French for "without"

sequins

beads used for decoration

sextant

an instrument for measuring altitudes of celestial objects, such as the sun or moon, from the horizon

tiller

a lever attached to the rudder of a boat; allows one to turn the rudder

treble

a high-pitched tone of voice