Annotations to James Joyce's Ulysses/Oxen of the Sun/404
Annotations
[edit | edit source]Caramba! (Spanish) Good grief! A Spanish exclamation of shock, surprise, anger or vexation. But the word caramba is a euphemism for the vulgar carajo (penis).
Merci (French) Thank you.
Les petites femmes (French) Little women. This term was used to allude to women of loose virtue.[1]
Ex ! (Latin) Out! In the context of the bawdy version of the Eton Boat Song, this possibly refers to coitus interruptus, a method on contraception in which the man withdraws his penis from a woman's vagina prior to ejaculation, which takes place ex copula (outside of sexual union).
ad lib. (Latin) to whatever extent; without restriction. An abbreviated form of ad libitum.