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Archive-name: firesign-theatre/lexicon/part3
Last-modified: 1994/8/30 Version: 2.0 See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge
Side 4) The Firesign Theatre: Lexicon and Concordance File(3/4)
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[H]
---
HCYB: How Can You Be in {TWO PLACES} at Once, When You're Not Anywhere
at All?
HEMLOCK STONES: Yet another FT detective, loosely based on Sherlock
Holmes. Known as "Hemlock Stones, the Great Defective". His sidekick is
{FLOTSAM JETSAM}.
Michael Rogers writes,
For those who are not devotees of Sherlock Holmes I came across
this while reading Conan Doyle a couple of weeks ago:
"'Matilda Briggs was not the name of a young woman,
Watson,' said Holmes in a reminiscent voice. 'It was
a ship which is associated with the giant rat of Sumatra,
a story for which the world is not yet prepared.'"
-from _The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire_
clavazzi@nyx.cs.du.edu (The_Doge) continues,
Actually, there are a fair number of Canonical references in
"Giant Rat"....
For example: "Violet Dawn Dudley" refers to the fact that some
of the more interesting heroines in the Canon are named Violet ("The
Solitary Cyclist" is one example). And then there's the frequent use
of the name "Moriarity" in various guises. And the fact that Watson
had just returned from the Afghani wars when he met Holmes..
Bill Johnson writes,
What B+W Sherlock Holmes movie with Basil Rathbone had an
opening sequence strikingly like the one which opens the Hemlock
Stones mystery, where he is playing his violin while his asssistant
is trying to find food, and both are discussing a case they just
finished?
John Burkardt answers,
>The movie you saw was "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", starring
>Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.
>Holmes was plucking his violin, trying to find a frequency that would
>disturb flies, reasoning that if he found such a frequency, he could
>have a simple fly repeller.
>The movie was made about 1939, I believe.
HIDEO GUMP: A Japanese business man, whose son Hideo Gump, Jr.played
the role of {YOUNG GUY}, Motor Detective!
HINDE: Refers either to the {GOLDEN HINDE} or Bob Hinde, the host of
the show. Briefly appeared in {DWARF}, and in {EYKIW}, where we first
meet the aliens. They have appeared in several {MST3K} episodes as well.
HOLOGRAM: A 3D cybernetic {CLONE} of someone, made popular in the play
{ITWABOTB}.
HOPI: Hopi Indian culture has a lot of influence on FT terms.
John V. Scialli writes:
<pre>
I know that the Native Amnerikan stuff on Electrician
derived from the three or four boises from I da know (Proctor stayed
behind with his show) spending time living amongst the Hopi in Hopiland
(Arizona & New Amerikanexprexico). They brought back material for a
serious documentary and information which was accurate. The legend of
the Great White Brother is moralistic, but it is moralistic to the Hopi
who *had* (may still be if they haven't lost hopi) welcomed the Anglo's
arrival as a Sign, sign here.
I bet you think the character Mudhead derived from the Archie
comicbooks. Of course and not so. Mudhead is a very important (& my
favorite) Kachina. Mudhead is the last Kachina during pageants. He is
the Clown who provides comic relief. Kachina have multiple layers of
meaning. I know the one where Mudhead is the living embodiment of the
warning against brother-sister incest, less a baby with a bizarre head
pop out (of the sodium shop). Phil Proctor said that at a deeper level,
Mudhead appears at the end of ceremonies to mock what has gone on
before. He admonishes children not to believe anything they have just
been taught by adults and especially not to respect the opinions of
tribal leaders, these leaders are out of touch. Phil came up with this
great phrase, "Their leaders have heads of mud while our's
have feet of clay." Wouldn't that be a great album title "Heads of mud,
feet of clay," huh? And what a paradocs in that it is the elders putting
on the ceremony. Kinda like Principal Pooproctor "fuck you'ing" the kids
back. Anyway, the high school madness plot is derived from this and
other legends. If you found Electrician too moralizing it has to do with
technique, not message. Dwarf taught the same things but infiltrated our
consciousnesses with only 10% of the effect "visible" at the time.
</pre>
HUMBOLDT: See {HUMBOLT}.
HUMBOLT: Temporarily Humboldt (Humbolt) County.
wweber@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (W. John Weber) writes,
In a radio show prepared by David {OSSMAN}, and heard only in Seattle
and Bloominton, IN, celebrating the 20th birthday of Electrician it was
explained. Humbolt County is an actual county in which the FT boys had
friends, and they were fairly interested in Native American politics.
The government (white) had declared the area Humbolt County, but the
Indians in order to refuse the whites appelation (and I guess to remind
them that no man really owns the land) called it Temporarily Humbolt
County.
[I]
---
I CHING: "The Book of Changes". A Chinese fortune telling device,
involving the tossing of coins or (more traditionally) the dividing and
counting of yarrow stalks,called {POOH STICKS} by some. The binary
patterns which come up are used in looking up the corresponding pattern
in an I CHING dictionary of patterns. In "Return for Regrooving" on the
{ELECTRICIAN} album, the Hippie Republic of China reported, "We threw I
Ching... out the window! We are now unanimous!"
There was also a Sally I CHING who just turned 12 today on {DWARF}.
By far the most insightful translation of the I Ching is one by Richard
Wilhelm, with introduction by C.G. Jung. In fact this is the trans used
by FT, as the wording on the albums IS the Wilhelm wording.
The Firesign Theatre, in writing their {EVERYMAN} plays, had a
tradition of throwing the I CHING before and after each of their plays.
For example, in {BOZO}'s, the first words we hear are "Biting
Through...", which is an I CHING.
The {TWO PLACES} album uses The Army hexagram, where Nick Danger says,
NICK: Well, Bradshaw -- It's like in The Army, you know--The Great
Prince issues commands, founds states, vests families with fiefs.
Inferior people should not be employed
BRADSHAW: Nick, I can't know success, but you still put me through
too many changes.
(This last remark refers to the fact that the "I Ching" means "Book of
Changes")
The last line of {NICK DANGER} in {TWO PLACES} may also be found in the
Unix version documentation for ching(6), under "DIAGNOSTICS", which is
based upon the Wilhelm translation. In fact, using "ching" we can
determine the exact configuration that was thrown for the {TWO PLACES}
album. In the liner notes for one of the CD's it was noted that they
threw the hexagram "The Army", with the changing line leading to
"Youthful folly".
The way all this stuff works is, you throw some yarrow sticks (also
called pooh sticks) or coins, and derive a set of six numerical
values, between 6 and 9. The even numbers represent the -- --
broken line, and the odd numbers represend the ------ solid line.
Also, lines which came from the numbers 6 and 9 are called changing
lines; if there are any changing lines then they are considered
unstable, and will turn into their opposite. So, you have to
also use the hexagram resulting from flipping the changing lines.
Now, The Army is: And Y. Folly is: So the configuration was:
-- -- ------ 6 (change)
-- -- -- -- 8 (no change)
-- -- -- -- 8 (no change)
-- -- -- -- 8 (no change)
------ ------ 7 (no change)
-- -- -- -- 8 (no change)
So, let's go to our favorite unix-box and throw the Firesign Theatre's
exact hexagram:
$ /usr/games/ching 878886
7. Shih / The Army
-- --
-- -- above K'un The Receptive, Earth
-- --
-- --
----- below K'an The Abysmal, Water
-- --
The Judgement
The Army. The army needs perseverance
And a strong man.
Good fortune without blame.
The Image
In the middle of the earth is water:
The image of the Army.
Thus the superior man increases his masses
By generosity toward the people.
The Lines
Six at the top means:
The great prince issues commands,
Founds states, vests families with fiefs.
Inferior people should not be employed.
4. Meng / Youthful Folly
-----
-- -- above Ken Keeping Still, Mountain
-- --
-- --
----- below K'an The Abysmal, Water
-- --
The Judgement
Youthful Folly has success.
It is not I who seek the young fool;
The young fool seeks me.
At the first oracle I inform him.
If he asks two or three times, it is importunity.
If he importunes, I give him no information.
Perseverance furthers.
The Image
A spring wells up at the foot of the mountain:
The image of Youth.
Thus the superior man fosters his character
By thoroughness in all that he does.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
An interesting sidelight; note the reference to Ken, Keeping Still.
If any of you have read the FT's Big Mystery Joke Book, the last
play is one called "The Dream Play, (for Monkey, Dreamer, Mudhead
and Snake)" written by Phil Austin. It starts out with the Dreamer
reciting:
Once upon a time, when time was nothing like it is today,
you must imagine that you sat still, upon the side of a
mountain called Keeping Still. You have clear eyes and
they are very strong and they see a great land and beyond
it a great sea and above it a great sky...
I'm pretty sure that "Ken" is actually K'en, which was the name of
one of the characters Phil {PROCTOR} played in {DWARF}.
Unforturnately, we don't know the changing lines for the other hexagram
thrown for {BOZO}s, "Biting Through", so we cant get the exact
judgement. In any case, this is what we get with all the changing lines
activated (we'll ignore the changed hex, since it could have been
any of the 63 others):
% /usr/games/ching 966969
21. Shih Ho / Biting Through
-----
-- -- above Li The Clinging, Flame
-----
-- --
-- -- below Chen The Arousing, Thunder
-----
The Judgement
Biting Through has success.
It is favorable to let justice be administered.
The Image
Thunder and lightning:
The image of Biting Through.
Thus the kings of former times made firm the laws
Through clearly defined penalties.
The Lines
Nine at the beginning means:
His feet are fastened in the stocks,
So that his toes disappear.
No blame.
Six in the second place means:
Bites through tender meat,
So that his nose disappears.
No blame.
Six in the third place means:
Bites on old dried meat
And strikes on something poisonous.
Slight humiliation. No blame.
Nine in the fourth place means:
Bites on dried gristly meat.
Receives metal arrows.
It furthers one to be mindful of difficulties
And to be persevering.
Good fortune.
() Six in the fifth place means:
Bites on dried lean meat.
Receives yellow gold.
Perseveringly aware of danger.
No blame.
Nine at the top means:
His neck is fastened in the wooden cangue,
So that his ears disappear.
Misfortune.
Now *there's* something to chew on! :-)
Final note: Peter {BERGMAN} remarks that as far as he can remember,
there was no particular hexagram for the other two albums.
ITNWYOYO: In the Next World You're On Your Own. An FT album.
ITWABOTB: I Think We're All {BOZO}S On This Bus. One of the
cornerstones of FT philosophy and viewpoints, and the fourth in the
FT's {EVERYMAN} cycle of plays.
INSANE: See {NOT INSANE}.
[J]
---
JOE SWINE: "Ok, swami whatever-your-name-is, we'll be back to this
Christ-consciousness racket in just a minute.". Definitely Joe Pine,
a radio/tv interview show host. An early version of Wally George and
Morton Downey. From {DWARF}.
[K]
---
Kali Yuga: From "TV or Not TV", "Umperor Kali Yuga" is a play on the
Roman Emperor Caligula and the hindu term Kali Yuga. Bongo sez:
Kali Yuga is a hindu term for the age just (thankfully) coming to an
end, in a system that (more or less) defines human spiritual receptivity
as a cyclical function emcompassing multiple thousands of years.
In such a system, Kali Yuga is considered the darkest age, which some
believe bottomed out about 500 or 600 A.D. As we are now supposedly on
the ascendant cusp exiting the age, "watching Kali Yuga pass" is a
nicely poignant pun on the times in which we live.
[L]
---
LANGERHANS: As in The Far-flung Islets of Langerhans:
The Rocket Man writes:
Well, the Islets of Langerhans aren't on any map.
In 1869, Paul Langerhans, a German pathologist, described
cells in the human pancreas which secrete insulin. These
cells became know as the 'Islets of Langerhans'.
Diabetes is a disorder where the Islets of Langerhans do
not properly supply the body with insulin.
LEPRECHAUNS: Posed the {PORRIDGE BIRD} question to {EVERYMAN}. And
just look at the havok THAT recked!
LOMPOC: Another town in Southern California. Also used by W.C.Fields:
Cat writes:
The reason Fields used Lompoc, aside from the fact that it was fun to
pronounce, was that it was the capitol of the temperence movement in the
US, and you know W.C. Field's tolerance for temperence; at least that
was the surmise of David Ossman when he visited Lompoc in 1970, and
reported back to the other Crazee Guys on their radio show at the time.
Dave said it was actually pronounced lom-poke, but he may have been high
on pork at the time.
LOOSTNERS: Caster-oil flakes. One of {NICK DANGER}'s sponsors. "With
real glycerin vibra-fome!"
LOS ANGELES: A city featured in many Firesign Theatre terms. The
FT got their start in Peter Bergman's Radio Free Oz on KPFK in
Los Angeles. Here are some LA related terms:
{RALPH SPOILSPORT} - Ralph Williams
{JOE SWINE} - Joe Pine ("Ok, Swami..")
{YUCAIPA HEAP} - Yucaipa/Uriah Heep hybrid.
George {TIREBITER}
{PICO} and {ALVARADO}
{ANTELOPE FREEWAY} - "one five-hundred-twelfth mile"
Mulholland Drive
{SEPULVEEDA}
{SAN FERNANDINO} - San Fernando
{OXNARD}
The {GOLDEN HINDE}
{LOMPOC}
{TAJUNGA}
LOVE IN: A 60's phenomenon whose name and event was coined and
created by Peter Bergman. The first one occurred in Echo Park in
{LOS ANGELES} with 40,000 people.
LUPINO: Ida Lupino, an old Hollywood actress. See Ralph {BUNCHE}.
[M]
---
MARK TIME: A space-adventurer from the Circum-Solar Federation,
serialized by the FT in their "Dear Friends" album, and also a
ride in the {FUTURE FAIR}. His side-kick is {BOB BUNNY}.
MEMORY: See {DOCTOR MEMORY}!
MOUSE: Deacon E. L. Mouse, one of the characters in {DWARF}, serving
under pastor Rod Flash. He was apparently named after a pet beetle
that Phil {AUSTIN} had of the same name.
MUDHEAD: {PORGIE} {TIREBITER}'s friend in the movies. Motivated
by Jughead and Archie, and by Henry Aldrich, the old radio show.
Speculation: Starting with the second film, Henry's pal was a certain
"Dizzy" Stevens. The connection between Dizzy and Jughead is via
baseball: "Dizzy" Dean was a renowned pitcher, and "Mudhead" was
one of the nicknames of an early black baseball great.
This may also be a reference to the Zuni mudheads.
MALMBORG: See {QUID MALMBORG IN PLANO}
MST3K: Mystery Science Theatre 3000. A TV series on the Comedy Channel
which often makes references to obscure Firesign Theatre phrases,
including loose shoes, {SHOES} for industry, hi i'm joe beets, dear
friends, sit in a tree and learn to play the flute, as well as the
{GOLDEN HINDE}.
Hal Broome writes:
This time on Mystery Science Theater 3000; the "experiment" was
a Jack Palance stinker called THE OUTLAW, and the robot's line was:
"Don't crush that {DWARF}, hand me the pliers".
There was sort of an albino-type dwarf ("a negative of Herche V.")
which received this line. The whole movie seemed an Italian rip-off
of the GOR series (a feminist S.F. series -- NOT!).
[N]
---
NANCY: Also known as Melanie Haber, Audrey Farber, Susan
Underhill,and... Betty Jo Bialowsky! {NICK DANGER}'s old college beau,
in "Cut 'em off at the Past!". Her name is a {BEATLES} reference.
Tom Teslacle names his "Automated Pushover" after Nancy, based on
{TESLACLE'S DEVIANT}, a corollary to {FUDD'S LAW}, in {BOZO}.
Also, in British Slang Nancy is a prostitute or loose woman. "Comes in
and goes out like anything!"
NASI GOERING: An FT song. Also a type of dutch food, apparently:
Nasi Goreng..."A Spicy Dutch Treat"
Indonesian Rice, vegetables and pork, with a fried egg and
Kroepoek
NICK DANGER: A private-eye, made popular in the FT play,"Nick Danger,
Third Eye", on the {TWO PLACES} album, and in the video episode, "The
Case 0f the Missing {YOLKS}". His Japanese counterpart is {YOUNG GUY},
Motor Detective! He is tied to George {TIREBITER} via {ANCHOVIES},
which George doesn't like on his {PIZZA}s. He is also tied to {BOZO}s
when the Whisperin' Squash suggests to {CLEM} that he could "Cut Em'
Off at the Past". Parts of the "Cut 'Em Off at the Past" episode are
conjectured to have been influenced by Philip K. Dicks 1962 novel,
_The Man In The High Castle_, which also used the {I CHING}.
NOT INSANE: The reason you should have voted for {PAPOON}, rather than
those other {BERZERKERS} and {BOZO}S. He's not insane! Refers also to
the FT's album of the same name. Crazy {ROCKY} also said, "I'm not
insane!" in the {YOLKS} video.
The 1960 Lenny Bruce album "Togetherness" contains a bit called "Our
Governers." On it, Lenny does a surreal take on a supposedly real
comment made by "Gov. Long" (probably Earl Long of Louisiana). The gov.
apparently said, on the campaign trail, "I'M NOT A NUT!!!!!!--which
Lenny really admires as a political slogan, adding: "I DON'T WET THE
BED---ELECT ME!"
Also: George McGovern's original 1972 running mate, Thomas Eggleton, who
was dropped from the ticket when revelations of earlier psychiatric
analysis came out. The comments at the time referred to the fact that
whatever had been wrong with him had been cured...thus he was now
diagnosed as "Not Insane".
[O]
---
OIL: A famous prayer in {TWO PLACES} goes:
"...annointed with oil on troubled waters? oh Heavenly Grid,
help us bear up thy *Standard, our *Chevron flashing
bright across the *Gulf of Compromise, standing
*Humble on the *Rich Field of *Mobile *American Thinking?
Here in this *Shell, we call Life..."
which has 8(*) oil-company references in it.
In {HEMLOCK STONES} there was also Pignut Oil (not {PIG NITE}), and
Boyle M. Owl and his Bowel Oil Company.
OM: OM MANE PADME HUM; An ancient (Sanskrit) buddhist mantra. Referred
to in {NICK DANGER}. The phrase "Om mane padme hum" translates from
Sanskrit as "Hail to the jewel in the lotus". Related to the chant
"Namu Myoho Renge Kyo", used in some Japanese buddhist sects."Myoho
Renge Kyo" is the title of the Lotus Sutra, tranlated into Chinese by
Kumarajiva and then transliterated into Japanese. Loosely translated,
"Nam Myoho Renge Kyo" becomes "Hail to the Mystic Law(jewel) of the
Lotus Sutra"
OSSMAN: David Ossman, one of the FT members.
OXNARD: A real place on the California coast, home of the {YOLK}s.
{ROCKY ROCOCO} is thought to be responsible for everything bad that
happens there. (In the FT video, "The case of the missing {YOLK}s").
OZ: The land of {BOZOS}. Refers to Radio Free Oz, on Pacifica-sponsored
KPFK radio in Los Angeles, where the FT used to broadcast their show.
David {OSSMAN} is also referred to sometimes as Oz.
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