Footnotes to the TV series
LORELAI: Why are you dressing in here?
RUNE: The bathrooms are full and the lousy madrigal singers are bullguarding the supply closet so this is the only place.
Bullguarding is US slang for hogging or taking advantage of something, depriving others of the chance to use or enjoy it.
SOOKIE: No! It tastes too twentieth century guys. It’s gotta shout Washington Irving, not Irving my accountant.
Washington Irving (1783-1859), American author most famous for his stories “Rip van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, both of which appear in his collection, The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., previously mentioned as the source of the Bracebridge Dinner.
The Bracebridge Dinner at the Ahwahnee Hotel is in fact quite contemporary, and doesn’t shout Washington Irving either. Sookie may be too stressed to remember that she is actually living and cooking in the twenty-first century.
RORY: Hey Clara. Nice, is that a Stella McCartney?
CLARA: It’s a Walmart.
Stella McCartney (born 1971), English fashion designer, and the daughter of Paul McCartney and his wife Linda, previously discussed. In 2001, she launched her own fashion house, in a joint venture with Gucci, and now has more than fifty stores around the world.
Walmart, previously discussed. There is a Walmart in Hartford where Mrs Forester could have bought Clara’s dress.
PARIS: I just have to let Nanny know. [takes out cell phone and dials] Nanny? É Paris. Vou jantar com Rory hoje à noite. Eu telefono no caminho de casa. Tchau.
Paris says: Nanny? It’s Paris. I’m having dinner with Rory tonight. I’ll call on the way home. Goodbye.
It’s notable that Paris is now seventeen and still has a nanny, as if she was a small child. Presumably her nanny has been kept on as a loyal retainer and become part of the family, now acting as more of a companion to Paris. Because of Nanny, Paris has become fluent in Portuguese (it is perhaps slightly surprising that Nanny hasn’t become fluent in English after all these years).
Also note that Paris must have spoken about Rory to Nanny often enough that she doesn’t need any explanation or reminders of who Rory is.
PARIS: Well, my parents are out of town, so my Portuguese nanny will make dinner and then I’ll either get back to reading The Iliad or we’ll play Monopoly. I crush her every time.
The Iliad, an ancient Greek epic poem, attributed to Homer, and usually dated to around the 8th century BC. The poem is set during the final weeks of the Trojan War, but contains so many allusions to past and future events that by the end it has told the entire story.
Monopoly, a board game where players roll dice to move around the board while buying and trading property. First published by Parker Brothers in 1935, and based on the 1903 The Landlord’s Game created by Lizzie Magie, it is one of the most well-known board games in the world.
Paris’ parents have gone away just as Paris goes on her break from school. It’s almost as if they’re trying to get away from her; they’re certainly not including her in their plans … no wonder the poor kid needs a nanny.
PARIS: Oh. Okay, well, I’ll get out of your way. Call if you need to talk things through, and oh – she uses the Prince version of writing. A letter U for you and a picture of an eye for an I.
The pop star Prince, previously discussed. Some of his song titles are I Would Die 4 U, U Got the Look, and Nothing Compares 2 U, a notation which became common in 1990s songs, and foreshadowed text speak. I can’t find an example of him using a picture of an eye for the letter I, but there are enough references to him doing so that I don’t think Paris is exaggerating.
PARIS: Madeline’s 500 words on test anxiety spends 400 of them arguing that stretch corduroy is the best material for low-rise jeans.
Corduroy is a durable fabric with a distinctive raised texture that gives the illusion of stripes. Stretch corduroy has a small amount of spandex added to the fabric so that it can flex both vertically and horizontally.
Low-rise jeans, or low-cut jeans, are jeans that sit low on, or below, the hips, usually at least 8 cm below the navel. They came into use in the 1990s for both sexes, with their popularity increasing in the 2000s.
RORY: Are you alone?
MRS. KIM: Lane!
LANE: My wedding night’s gonna be very interesting.
Despite Lane’s concerns, her mother does give her space and privacy on her future wedding night. Although she’s correct that her wedding night is by no means dull.
BABETTE: Morey hates being the first anywhere. He thinks it hurts his street credibility.
MOREY: Charlie Parker was late to everything.
BABETTE: Charlie Parker had more drugs in him than a Rite-Aid.
Charlie Parker, previously discussed [pictured].
Rite-Aid is a chain of pharmacies or drugstores, founded in Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1962 as the Thrift D Discount Center, changing its name in 1968. They have numerous stores in Connecticut, and other US states.
RORY: Hey, how’s Sookie doing in there?
LORELAI: Ah, well, she’s paper bagging it.
RORY: What?
LORELAI: You know… [Lorelai breathes into a pretend paper bag]
Breathing into a paper bag is a well known treatment for panic attacks, as (when done correctly) it helps to regulate breathing and prevent hyperventilation. Please note, it can only help with breathing problems brought on by panic. Never use it if you have asthma or lung problems.
The Annotated Gilmore Girls 