"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
