Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0002639, Wed, 17 Dec 1997 13:31:51 -0800

Subject
Re: Botkin/Kinbote/Shade (fwd)
Date
Body
From: "J. A. Rea" <JAREA@UKCC.uky.edu>
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <NABOKV-L@UCSBVM.ucsb.edu>
Subject: Re: Botkin/Kinbote/Shade (fwd)

>---------------------------------------------------------
>I forget who uncovered this gem, but according to the _OED_,
>one of the definitions of "bodkin" is "a person wedged in between two
>others where there is proper room for two only".
>
>Cary Henson

Hmmm! For those following Shakespearean intertextualities in VN this
would shed interesting light on Hamlet's (III i) quote, "When he himself
might his quietus make with a bare bodkin."
^^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^
given that the Shorter OED defines 'quietus' as 'discharge, release'!