Paranymphic glider in "Blues Beach"

[Dev]

I could not find a dictionary entry for the word "paranymphic" but it could go a few different ways.

"Nymphic" refers to nymphs, a nature deity usually depicted as a beautiful young woman. This would also invoke "nymphomania," certainly not an unlikely joke in the Steely Dan canon.

The "para-" prefix has a few different meanings:
1. Beside; near; alongside: parathyroid.
2. Beyond: paranormal.
3. Incorrect; abnormal: paresthesia.
4. Similar to; resembling: paratyphoid fever.
5. Subsidiary; assistant: paraprofessional.

Given their penchant for abnormal women I lean toward meaning 3 for the made-up word paranymphic.

Now dig this--the obscure meaning of "para" is:
A piece of Turkish money, usually copper, the fortieth part of a piaster. Your conceptual continuity dollars at work? Hmmm.....

-Dev

[John Misrahi]

Now dig this--the obscure meaning of "para" is:
A piece of Turkish money, usually copper, the fortieth part of a piaster. Your conceptual continuity dollars at work? Hmmm.....

-Dev

And..this is probably completely unrelated..but...in "Dr. Wu", the protagonist had '...spent the last piaster I could borrow.."

john

[cde]

Paranymph is an obscure word for a bridesmaid or best man

 

There is also a poem called The Paranymph by Charles Baudelaire

 

http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Arc/5340/01581.htm

 

For what it is worth.

 

-ce 

"John Misrahi" <lmou...@sprint.ca> wrote in message news:Qc9Ia.1410$Ab1....@newscontent-01.sprint.ca...

[John H.]

Read thorough this, or just hit Ctrl+F and do a search on paranymphic

http://www.kgsr.com/iTOOLIncludes/steelydan.php

fwiw....

"John Misrahi" <lmou...@sprint.ca> wrote in message news:<Qc9Ia.1410$Ab1....@newscontent-01.sprint.ca>...

> --

[John H.]

ok one more link on this subject...

http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/paranymph

"John Misrahi" <lmou...@sprint.ca> wrote in message news:<Qc9Ia.1410$Ab1....@newscontent-01.sprint.ca>...

> --

[Dev]

This is getting really funny now. The poem is given in the original
French plus a so-so English translation here:

http://www.piranesia.net/baudelaire/126bmonstre.html

The French title is "Le Monstre, ou le Paranymphe d'une nymphe macabre
"

The funny part is the footnote explaining the title:

*"Paranymphe": This comic term is difficult to translate adequately.
Just as, in French, an umbrella is a "parapluie" ["par-a-pluie" or
"wards off rain"], this poem is a "paranymphe," or something intended
to ward off a nymph -- in this case, a rather undesirable or "macabre"
nymph.

This puts the reference deeply into the Dan pocket of darkness.
Somehow they've melded this with an image of hang-gliding. This song
has redeeming values after all.

-Dev

"cde" <christian eckman(NO SPAM)@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<bcsorc$9ic$1...@slb0.atl.mindspring.net>...

> --

[Dev]

On a more mundane level, it's also a style of trout-fishing fly...

http://www.troutflies.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=D1047&Category_Code=Dry_Para

johnj...@yahoo.com (John H.) wrote in message news:<8fcd3b96.03061...@posting.google.com>...

[krisjon...@gmail.com]

“Everything Must Go” is the new album from Steely Dan. And we’re having a “One Hour Sale, A Conversation with Steely Dan.” That song was “Blues Beach.” First, what in the world is a paranymphic glider?
(B) See, this is why we don’t like to give the reviewers printed copies of the lyrics. Because that might have just slipped by, although now that I think about it, even people who have listened have asked that question. Paranymphic glider is an imaginary vehicle that you would take an imaginary girl on an imaginary date with.
(F) A particularly hot date.
(B) A very hot imaginary date.

Are they for sale on your website or —
(B) No, but it’s —
(F) We have a prototype. They’ll be available soon.