Benford's G&S Lexicon Entries for The Zoo

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Act

Covent Garden

At that time London’s main wholesale flower market.

Park hack

A hack is a horse let out for hire; so a park hack is a rented horse intended for riding in a park.

Greenwich

A borough of London on the south bank of the Thames. Known to Savoyards as the site of the infamous One-Tree Hill (see page 34).

Season

Presumably refers to the period of the year when social activities in London were in full sway. That would include most of the year except the summer months.

Richmond

A municipal borough and residential suburb of Greater London, lying southwest of the center of the city. It is the site of a large deer park.

Hampton Court

The magnificent palace built a few miles up the Thames from London by Cardinal Wolsey. Completed in 1525, it was taken over by Henry VIII the following year and remained the royal residence for more than a century. The palace and formal gardens, laid out by Christopher Wren, remain popular tourist attractions today (105).

Dover

A port city in Kent on the narrowest part of the English Channel, about 75 miles from London. It is known as a favorite seaside and pleasure resort.

Parlie [Thomas Parlie]

Apparently just a made up name to rhyme with Charlie.

Progenitor

Father

City [a respectable man in the City]

Specifically, Lætitia refers to the ancient central part of London. In more general terms she means Carboy will become a successful business man.

Heartstrings

Affections or emotions. A heartstring is an imaginary tendon bracing the heart.

Grizzly [the grizzly one]

Presumably the grizzly bear.

Armadillo

A small mammal chiefly identified by its armor-like protective shell made up of articulated bony plates.

Cockatoo

A variety of parrot with a crested head.

Titivate

To tidy up. Perhaps the word should read “Titillate”: to stimulate pleasurable sensations.

Hymen [By Hymen joined]

The Greek god of marriage.