Tag: Vocabulary

On Ramp

RORY: And what are you worried about happening?
LORELAI: Well, what you guys were on the on-ramp for up at Luke’s the other day. Your basic boy/girl stuff. Especially with this new boy, you girl stuff.
RORY: Well, the boy is different, but I’m still me. That hasn’t changed.

On ramp, the short section of road which allows a driver to enter the highway. Lorelai has taken one look at Jess and Rory making out, and seen that as a short step to the highway of sexual intercourse.

She tries to give Rory the “cool mom” version of the sex talk, but Rory says she is too busy to be even thinking about sex, and says that if she were thinking about it, she would talk about it with Lorelai first.

Lorelai has to be content with that, even though she’s clearly not happy at the idea of leaving Rory alone in the house overnight. She never worried about it when Rory was with Dean, even though Dean made some overtures, and did come over even after being explicitly told not to by Rory.

Rory claims she tells her mother “everything”, but in fact she keeps an awful lot of her personal life close to her chest. As a result, Lorelai never realises that Dean was not the knight in shining armour she seems to think he is.

Déjà vu

LORELAI: Déjà vu, huh?
RORY: Déjà vu.

Déjà vu, French loanword (literally “already seen”) for the phenomenon of feeling as though one has lived through the present situation before. It is an illusion of memory whereby – despite a strong sense of recollection – the time, place, and context of the “previous” experience are uncertain or impossible. Approximately two-thirds of people report experiencing déjà vu at least once in their lives.

Lorelai and Rory use the word jokingly to refer to the fact that they have each recently caught the other one kissing their boyfriend, causing some awkwardness.

Shanghaied

MISS PATTY: Okay, now, for those who just arrived, I’m trying out some material for my one-woman show and I need some feedback. You are my randomly picked audience.
DEAN: Randomly shanghaied.

Shanghaied, previously discussed.

Both Dean and Rory are among the crowd who are forced to watch Miss Patty try out her material for her one-woman show. Note the older woman sitting behind them who seems to be observing them closely. This could be a sign the Stars Hollow rumour mill is at work.

Cabana Boy, Schlepped

EMILY: And then she just brushed me off with a wave of her regal hand. Not even a word, just a . . . like I’m her cabana boy. Next thing you know, instead of just walking out of the room, she’ll make me bow and back out. Imperious attitude, she never gives it a rest. I schlepped her to the doctor the other day – by command, not request – and the elevator operator there greeted us nice and friendly. Her doctor’s on the second floor and by the time we got there, that operator was in tears.

In North America, a cabana is a hut, cabin, or shelter at beach or swimming pool, often part of a resort. They can be quite elaborate or luxurious. The word comes from the Spanish for “hut, cabin”. A cabana boy [pictured] is a young male attendant who serves guests from the cabana – typically, these young men are treated like servants by the wealthy, and will be willing to do many little tasks for them in the hopes of receiving tips or favours in return.

Schlepped: Informal American English, meaning “walked or proceeded somewhere in a reluctant manner, typically in the fulfilment of some unwanted burden or duty”. It is from the Yiddish shlepn, meaning “pull, drag”.

Trix moved back to her house in Hartford in January 2003, citing health concerns. It’s only early February, and she is already driving Emily up the wall, treating her like a servant.

Note that Trix had a doctor’s appointment, as a reminder that her health needs monitoring. By the way, Trix previously said that she couldn’t abide women driving, so how did Emily transport her to the doctor’s office?

Cahoots

LORELAI: Two dates with this guy and you’re already in cahoots with each other.

In cahoots, informal language meaning “colluding or conspiring secretly”. The word came into English from French, via the Scots. It’s found in Scots English in the 16th century as cahute, French for “cabin, small hut”. It may be a corruption of the French word cohorte, which meant a companion or partner.

Upon getting back from her fishing date with Alex, Lorelai says her next date with him will be camping. In winter! She has become frog girl. The relationship already feels doomed.

Note the rare chance to see the Gilmore girls’ bathroom in this scene.

Loons

LANE: Everybody’s still married. It’s like a factory system here. They all come to the weddings, find a spouse, get married and stay that way ’til they die.
RORY: They mate for life, like the loons.

A loon is the American name for the water bird which is otherwise known as a “diver”. Contrary to popular belief, they rarely mate for life.

Runner

MRS. KIM: This is Ho Kyung, she’ll sing with you … Watch the high notes, she’s a runner.

In singing, a run is when a singer starts off at a very high note and drops quickly down the scale on a single syllable. It’s quite a showy move, designed to feature the vocalist’s performance over the music.

You might remember Ho Kyung from the episode, “A Deep-fried Korean Thanksgiving”.

Rooked

LUKE: Why didn’t you tell me?
LORELAI: I don’t know. I just felt stupid getting rooked into the thing in the first place, and then . . . plus, you don’t wanna hear about my personal life.

Rook, informal language meaning to cheat or swindle, especially in a game of cards. The word in this sense dates to the 16th century, and is assumed to be after the bird, a member of the crow family, regarded as very cunning.

I can’t see how Lorelai was actually tricked into going fishing – Alex asked if she liked fishing, and she said yes! Maybe she means she tricked herself. After all, she was the only one who was in any way deceptive.