Guys & Dolls Glossary
For those of you who want to understand some of the lingo used in Guys and Dolls a bit more see below list of references, places, people etc used in the show.
Thanks to http://www.oocities.com/tf_mcq/theater/guys_and_dolls_glossary.html for compiling this as it saved me lots of time rather than doing this myself from scratch.
References are to a particular character or song, followed by the Act (I or II) and Scene (i-x)
guy: In 1605, Guy Fawkes, a fanatical catholic, was part of a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament with gunpowder. Guy Fawkes Day has been celebrated in Britain ever since with an annual custom to make effigies of Fawkes on November 5 and to ask for “a penny for the Guy”. In Britain the term guy still refers to a person of grotesque appearance, but in America it has become a general term for a man, or fellow. (The British equivalent would be chap.)
doll: Refers to a child’s toy, but in this show to a woman, especially a sweetheart or darling. [May be short for idol, or more likely short for Dolly, a diminutive form of the name Dorothy or Dorothea; may have been named for Dolley Madison, wife of President James Madison, and hostess also for President Jefferson.] Other slang terms for a woman or girl include broad, tomato [Big Jule, II, iii, the sewer scene, where he refers to Sarah as a “praying tomato”], and pancake (used by Runyon, but not in Guys and Dolls).
“Runyonland” is that part of Manhattan where Damon Runyon’s Broadway stories take place: Broadway between Times Square and Columbus Circle. Broadway crosses 44th Street at Times Square, and 59th Street at Columbus Circle. 59th Street is the southern boundary of Central Park. This stretch of Broadway includes the northern section of the Theater District. To the west is Hell’s Kitchen.
craps: a game played with two dice with these rules. If on his first roll, the shooter rolls a 7 or 11 (called a natural) he wins. If he rolls a 2 (“snake eyes”), 3, or 12 (“box cars”), he loses. (This roll is called craps). If he rolls any other number, play continues, with the number he rolled (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) called his point. If the shooter rolls his point before he rolls a 7, he wins (He “makes his point”). If he rolls a 7 before his point, he craps out, and loses. Craps can be played anywhere, with just a pair of dice. But it is usually played in a casino on a table. In that case, you can make all kinds of side bets, and all payoffs are arranged so that the house has an advantage. If you bet “against the shooter”, you actually have an advantage, so the house usually pushes (neither pays nor collects) bets against the shooter if he rolls a 12 (sometimes a 2, or even a 3).
“the hard way“: to make a point by rolling a double; for example, to make a point of 6 by rolling a double 3. (There are five ways to make a 6: 1-5, 2-4, 3-3, 4-2, and 5-1. Thus it is “harder” to make 3-3 than the other four rolls.)
A fugue in music is an imitative polyphonic composition following fairly strict rules; in psychiatry it refers to a pathological amnesiac condition during which one is apparently conscious of one’s actions but has no recollection of them after returning to a normal state. This condition, usually resulting from severe mental stress, may persist for as long as several months. (Thanks to Jacqueline “Jackie” Jones for this.) [“Fugue for Tinhorns”: I, i]
A tinhorn is someone, especially a gambler, who pretends to be important but really has little influence, significance, or money. From this is derived the adjective tinhorn, meaning “cheap” or “insignificant”. (Thanks to Jacqueline “Jackie” Jones for this.) [“Fugue for Tinhorns”: I, i]
The Roxy Theater in New York was built in 1927 by Samuel Lionel “Roxy†Rothapfel. Located at 153 W. 50th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues; about two blocks east of Broadway), it was one of the grandest of movie palaces, and held 5920 seats. Unfortunately, it was demolished in 1961, at the beginning of a period of “urban renewal” that also saw the demolition of Pennsylvania Station. [Nicely Nicely in “Fugue for Tinhorns”: I, i]
The Morning Line is the approximate odds usually printed on the program for a horse race track, and a prediction of how the wagering will go on a race. [Benny in “Fugue for Tinhorns”: I, i]
Equipoise, great-grandfather of “Epitaph”, was a famous thoroughbred from 1928 to 1938. “The ‘Chocolate Soldier’ won 29 of 51 in six years of racing and was a three-time champion including Horse of the Year twice.” [Rusty Charlie in “Fugue for Tinhorns”: I, i]
Radio City Music Hall is still the largest indoor theater in the world, with 5874 seats. Built in 1932, in Art Deco style, it functioned primarily as a movie house from 1933 and 1975. Narrowly escaping demolition in 1979, it received a complete restoration shortly thereafter. It now has been restored to its original purpose, live performances featuring the famous Rockettes, a high-stepping, long-legged dance troupe. [Nathan: I, i]
marker: a written, signed promissory note [Nathan: I, i, et al.]
In the 1940s the Biltmore Hotel was located on Madison Avenue between 43rd and 44th Streets, part of a complex connected to Grand Central Terminal. The audience is expecting Nathan to hold the crap game in the hotel, but of course it’s only in Joey Biltmore’s garage!
Penicillin was the first “miracle” antibiotic drug. It was discovered by Dr Sir Alexander Fleming in 1929 in London, and became practical around 1940. Research was moved to the United States in 1942, because of the bombing of London. World War II greatly expanded the need for penicillin. In 1943 it became widely available. [Nathan, referring to Sky: I, i]
Brooks Brothers has been selling tailored suits since 1818. They were originally in Lower Manhattan, and they now sell all kinds of clothes for men, women, and boys. They now have a store in Los Angeles. [I, ii]
Howard Johnson built a chain of restaurants and mid-price motor hotels, which were franchisee-owned, originally in the eastern United States. They gained the concession at rest stops on many toll roads, and were a familiar site to the motoring public. Now they operate throughout the United States and Canada, as well as many other countries. [Sky: I, ii]
Gideon Bible. The Gideons are well known for placing Bibles in hotel rooms. The organization was started in 1898 by two men who shared a room when a hotel was crowded. The next year they formed an association of Christian traveling men, and selected the name “Gideons”, based on the story of Gideon in Judges 6 & 7. Since they were traveling men, they proposed putting a Bible in every hotel, so that a traveler who requested it could borrow a Bible at the desk. But in 1907 a trustee proposed putting a Bible in every room. The cost was met by solicitations to churches for funds for that purpose. Today the Gideons distribute Bibles in many places, such as college campuses. [Sky: I, ii]
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were the Babylonian names of the three young men who were companions of Daniel, in the book of Daniel. Their Hebrew-form names were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, respectively. When they refused to worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, they were thrown into a burning fiery furnace. [Sky: I, ii]
Scarsdale Galahad: Scarsdale is perhaps the richest suburb in the country. Sir Galahad was one of the legendary knights of King Arthur’s round table. Galahad was always known as the “Perfect Knight†: “perfect” in courage, gentleness, courtesy, and chivalry. Galahad was the son of Sir Lancelot and the Lady Elaine of Corbenic.. He once rescued Sir Perceval, and he is best known as the knight who achieves the quest for the Holy Grail. [Sky, in “I’ll Know”: I, ii]
two pairs of pants: refers to the fact that many suits were sold with one coat, (possibly) one vest, and two pairs of pants, since the pants were more likely to wear out before the coat or vest [Sky, in “I’ll Know”: I, ii]
Studebaker: The Studebaker company began making electric motor cars in 1902, and gasoline powered models in 1904. Their cars were in the mid-price range. But their financial picture was poor after World War II. In 1956 they merged with Packard, but the Packard line was discontinued in 1958. The last Studebaker was made in the United States in 1963, and in Canada in 1966. [Nathan: I, iii]
psychosomatic: refers to illnss due, not to infection, but to neuroses or imagination [“Adelaide’s Lament”: I, iv]
bushel: a unit of dry measure equal to four pecks; hence, a large amount [“Bushel and a Peck”: I, iv]
peck: a unit of dry measure equal to 8 quarts or approximately 537.6 cubic inches; hence, also, a large amount; may also refer to a light or quick kiss. [“Bushel and a Peck”: I, iv]
barrel: a liquid measure of 31 to 42 gallons (31.5 gal. for wine; 36 for beer; 42 for oil); informally, a large amount [“Bushel and a Peck”: I, iv]
la grippe: synonym for flu or influenza [“Adelaide’s Lament”: I, iv]
Saratoga: A former village (now Schuylerville) and town (which includes Schuylerville) on the west (right) bank of the Hudson River in New York State in Saratoga County, site of two battles of the Revolutionary War. Adelaide is referring, though, to Saratoga Springs, about 10 miles to the west, which is the site of mineral springs, in use at least since 1767, and by the Indians much earlier. The water has been bottled since 1826. It became a social center especially since the Saratoga race track was built. There were other forms of gambling at Saratoga Springs, until they were outlawed in 1910, which greatly depressed the local economy. Race track betting is back, though. {G} [“Adelaide’s Lament”: I, iv]
Taj Mahal: In his capital city of Agra, the Mughal (or Mogul) emperor of India, Shah Jehan, after the death of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, built her a magnificent mausoleum, which is known as the Taj Mahal. [Nicely (in title song): I, v]
mug: informal for “the human face” (as in mug shot); also used for a thug, or hoodlum [Benny (in title song): I, v]
jug: slang for “prison” or “jail” [Benny (in title song): I, v]
Vitalis®: a line of hair-care products for men, made by Bristol-Myers. In the 1940s, they were probably referring to Vitalis® Hair Cream; later they developed sprays and other products. [Benny (in title song): I, v]
Barbasol®: a brand of shaving cream for men. The name comes from the Latin barba, meaning “beard”, and solution. [Benny (in title song): I, v]
New Rochelle is located in Westchester County, New York, and adjacent to New York City (The Bronx). In the 1930s New Rochelle was the richest city in New York state, by per-capita income. Perhaps it had that distinction around 1950, the time frame for the show. But today New Rochelle has been surpassed by White Plains, Tarrytown, and Scarsdale, all of them also in Westchester County. [Nicely: I, v]
The Pimlico race course in Baltimore, Maryland, is the site of the Preakness, the second race in horse racing’s triple crown. (The other two are the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes). [Benny: I, vii]
Elkton, Maryland, is the county seat of Cecil County, in the northeast corner of the state, and hence closest to New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. This made it the “Gretna Green” of the United States, at least until 1938, when they passed a 48-hour marriage law. Even then Maryland did not require a blood test, and New York required a blood test, then 30 days to apply for a license. Elkton is on (what was formerly) the Pennsylvania Railroad, and also US 40. [Brannigan: I, vii]
Blossom Time, with book and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly and music by Sigmund Romberg, opened on Broadway in 1921 and ran for 516 performances. It was based on a Viennese operetta, and is hardly the kind of show you would expect to see Runyon-esque gamblers in. [Brannigan: I, vii]
welch or welsh: to cheat by avoiding payment of a bet; informally, to swindle or to fail to pay a debt.
Obadiah, from the Hebrew meaning “servant of the LORD”, is “Sky” Masterson’s first name. There are 13 men with this name in the Bible. Perhaps the best known Obadiah was the pious governor of King Ahab’s house (1 Kings 18). In the shortest book in the Old Testament, the prophet Obadiah condemns the Edomites for their cruelty. Other biblical names are Nathan, Benjamin (“Benny”), and Sarah.
Dulce de leche, Spanish for “sweet of milk”, is a traditional dessert from Latin America, made by caramelizing the sugar in milk. My South American friends tell me it is like taffy. But in this show it seems to be a beverage fortified with rum. [I, viii]
Bacardi: a brand of rum–The Bacardà family were distillers in Spain for about 300 years. In 1862 Facundo Bacardà moved to Santiago de Cuba and founded a successful rum distillery. In 1960 their property was confiscated by the new communist regime, and they fled Cuba to the Bahamas, where in 1965 they re-founded the company. [I, viii]
Canasta is a card game, a variation of rummy, played with two decks, that became all the rage in the 1950s, displacing bridge temporarily as the most popular card game. [Nathan: I, x]
Dough, lettuce, and potatoes are slang for money. Other such slang terms for specific denominations include:
$1: slug
$5: fin [probably from Yiddish finf, meaning five (related to German fünf)], or pound note [from the value of the pound sterling at one time]
$10: sawbuck
$50: half yard
$100: yard, or C [from Latin centum, or Spanish cien, or French cent, all meaning hundred], or C-note
$1000: G [short for grand], or G-note
Hollanderize means to dye a fur coat of inferior material (usually muskrat) to make it look like mink. The term originated from the fur dealer Hollander and Sons. Thus Adelaide’s “mink” is really muskrat. (Thanks to Jacqueline “Jackie” Jones for this insight.) [Adelaide, “Take Back Your Mink”: II, i]
A & P is The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, , one of the largest supermarket chains in the United States, with over 700 stores in the Northeast, the Midwest, New Orleans, and Ontario, Canada. [Letter from Adelaide’s mother to Nathan: II, iv]
The Whitney colors are white and green, the livery colors of the Whitney family. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney founded the Whitney Museum, when the Metropolitan Museum declined her collection of over 500 works. It now has the largest collection of American art. In one of Runyon’s stories (“Pick the Winner”), the prototype for Adelaide, Miss Cutie Singleton, longs for a green and white house. [Nathan, II, iv]
Holy Rollers is a term applied, usually disparagingly, to Pentecostal Christians, because of their ecstatic style of worship, often with shouts and vigorous bodily movement. Of course, this is also a pun on rollers of dice. [Brannigan: II, v]
majordomo: the chief steward or butler in a great household; hence, one who acts on behalf of or directs the affairs of another. [Sky: II, v]
stool pigeon: a pigeon used as a decoy to draw others within a net; hence, a person used as a decoy or informer, especially one who is a spy for the police. [Benny: II, v]
Bronx cheer: a sound expressing disapproval; a raspberry (i.e., a derisive or contemptuous sound made by vibrating the extended tongue and the lips while exhaling) [direction: II, v]
scratch sheet: a form listing the horses scratched from the day’s races and also the handicapper’s rating of the horses in the races.
Mesentheorum: I assume that Harry the Horse is trying to say Chrysanthemum. [Harry: II, vii]
Emily Post published her book Etiquette in 1922, and soon the phrase “according to Emily Post” became the last word on manners and etiquette.
according to Hoyle: Edmond Hoyle (1672?-1769) published a book on card games. His name has since become synonymous with the authority on card games and parlor games, so according to Hoyle means “in accordance with accepted rules”. [Sky: II, v]
Roseland: Located at 239 West 52nd Street (between Broadway and 8th Avenue), 10019, on the margin of the Hell’s Kitchen section of Manhattan, Roseland Ballroom sizzled in the 1940s as a swing dance hall; today, it is more of a medium-priced concert club, featuring primarily Hip-Hop and Alternative Rock. It is also available for shows, conventions, and parties. [Sky: II, v]
fade: to meet the bet of (an opposing player) in dice. {from dictionary.com: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition; Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.} [Nicely, in “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat”: II, v]
Vicks® VapoRub® has been around for many years as an external remedy for cold and flu symptoms. Today Vicks® has a large line of cold and flu medications. [“Adelaide’s Lament”, 2nd reprise: II, vi]
Wanamaker’s: one of the pioneers in department stores, the first Wanamaker’s opened in 1861 in Philadelphia. In 1896 John Wanamaker bought A. T. Stewart’s store on Broadway between 8th and 9th streets in New York, and this became Wanamaker’s in New York. [Adelaide “Marry the Man Today”: II, vi]
Saks: Saks Fifth Avenue, located at 611 Fifth Avenue, New York, is the well-known department store. [Adelaide “Marry the Man Today”: II, vi]
S. Klein was a retailer of inexpensive women’s apparel. [Adelaide “Marry the Man Today”: II, vi]
Reader’s Digest, Guy Lombardo, Rogers Peet, golf, galoshes, and Ovaltine are symbols of domesticated middle-class life. [Adelaide & Sarah: “Marry the Man Today”: II, vi]
Guy Lombardo (1902-1977) was a popular band leader, who became known as “Mr New Year’s Eve”, leading his Royal Canadians at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel every New Year’s Eve from 1929 to 1976. He added the phrase “the sweetest music this side of heaven” to popular speech. [II, vi]
Rogers Peet operated four clothing stores in New York City. They are no longer in business. [ II, vi]
Hell’s Kitchen is the section of Manhattan bounded by Eighth Avenue, 34th St, 59th St, and the Hudson River. This area was formerly a violent and seedy residential area, and until recently the haunt of immigrant gangs of the type that inspired West Side Story and Daredevil of Marvel Comics. During the 1950s all of the elevated railways had been torn down, letting the sunshine in again, and the neighborhood was improving. Being adjacent to the theater district, the area became home to many actors and off-Broadway theaters. The residents chased out hoodlums, and began referring to the area as “Clinton”, an older designation, named for DeWitt Clinton who was mayor (1803-15) of New York and governor (1817-23) of New York. By the 1990s the area was undergoing “gentrification”, sometimes called “yuppification”, and many working-class people were no longer able to afford to live in the neighborhood.
The Save-A-Soul Mission is based on the Salvation Army, which began in London’s East End in 1865, by William Booth, a Methodist minister, who ministered to the poor in the slums. In 1878 the ministry organized itself with a semi-military structure, adopted uniforms, and Booth became its first General. In 1880 the Army began in the United States. Their bands of street musicians and soldiers standing outside stores in December are familiar to many.. The commissioned ranks in the army are: Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, Commissioner, and General. (There are also Cadets and Lieutenants, but they are considered non-comissioned officers; there are no sergeants or corporals. Ordinary members are called soldiers.) There is only one General, who operates out of the worldwide headquarters in London. The Army has been operating in Cuba for 83 years. In Act I, Scene i, Sarah tells us the Save-A-Soul Mission is located at 409 W 49th Street. That would put it between 9th and 10th Avenues, about 1½ blocks from Broadway.This is near the theater district, but right in the middle of Hell’s Kitchen.
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References
