Portman lobbies (pg.17) -- John Portman, an American architect, is known for his atrium hotel designs.
Atrium -- Glazed courtyard often extending through several floors at the entrance to a building.
Cantabrigian (pg. 142) -- A student or graduate of Cambridge University; or a native or resident of Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Postlapsarian (pg. 73)-- Of, relating to, or characteristic of the time or state after the fall of humankind described in the Bible.
Tripartile (pg. 231 --Divided into or composed of three parts
I opend the box. Plain donuts. Perfect.
"Do you know how to eat a donut?" I said.
"I'll watch you on the first one," Susan said.
...I ate half a donut.
"Ugh," Susan said. "Is that how it's done?"
"Girls sometimes take smaller bites," I said. -- (pg. 181)
My favorite quote is about the pumpkin pie Susan made, on page 41. To wit, in part, "Don't call her that thing," she said. "What if she hears you?"
"Donuts put a nice foundation under your morning." -- pg. 51.
Club Man (pg. 136) -- Probably refers to the Clubman line of colognes and such. I never heard of it, I was more of a Russian Leather kind of guy, back in the day when I used the stuff.
"Just so we're clear,", I said. "I'm not after your wife."... -- (pg. 31) I didn't understand the point of this exchange.
Tsimmis (pg. 174) -- Probably Tzimmis, one meaning of which is a state of confusion.
Defenestrated (pg. 65) -- Throwing of a person or thing out of a window.
Linguiça (pg. 104) -- Portuguese cured pork sausage.
Polemic (pg. 136) -- An aggressive attack on or refutation of the opinions or principles of another.
Formulaic Berbers (pg. 213) -- Don't know, maybe refers to something earlier in the story that I missed?
"What she does," I said, "is she tries not to want me to do things I don't want to do." -- (pg. 123) Spenser on the successful male/female relationship.
"Or maybe it is Margaret that I mourn for" -- Related to a poem by G. M. Hopkins (pg. 50)
Bench strength (pg. 219) -- The quality of the players sitting on the bench.
Inextricable (pg. 169) -- Incapable of being disentangled or untied.
"Frees their minds," I said,"to romp with the mind of god." -- (pg. 154)-- Now I have to read The Great Gatsby!
cathexis (pg. 220) -- Concentration of emotional energy on an object or idea. One source suggests a "crush" as an example.
Cathexis (pg. 41) -- From MSN Encarta: the concentration of a great deal of psychological and emotional energy on one particular person, thing, or idea
Ineffable (pb. 188)-- Incapable of being expressed in words. I've used the word, but, as usual, couldn't have put a coherent meaning to it.
Lunsmen (pg. 47) -- Probably mispeled "landman", fellow native in yiddish.
"This is exactly the right moment," I said, "for me to light two cigarettes and hand one to you."
"Makes you regret not smoking for a moment," Susan said.
Neurasthenia (pg. 231) -- A condition that is characterized especially by physical and mental exhaustion usually with accompanying symptoms (as headaches, insomnia, and irritability), is believed to result from psychological factors (as depression or emotional stress or conflict), and is sometimes considered similar to or identical with chronic fatigue syndrome. I think I've got it.