Post by Jeff on Jun 9, 2022 12:07:16 GMT -5
Auctioning some of F's junk today at Hindman. One piece is the silver coated flask featured in SB180. It sold for an astounding $6k. Estimate was $0.3k. Whoever bought this: I've got a bridge somewhere...
This SB, like many others, discusses things hidden. At the most simplistic this would refer to the treasure chest, which was still out there for finding at the time this SB was written. I always thought these referred to information hidden in the poem in some clever, analytical, puzzle-like way, but there is no unequivocal evidence supporting this idea and Jack seemingly entirely discounts it.
The elaborate hip flask is essentially a "hip cup": a mondegreen for hiccup, which is a lead in to in the golf tournament story. There is a contrast between the clear description on the bottom "3/16th pint" (something underneath) and the barely legible monogram on the front (something out in the open). The flask's silver overlay is described as similar to oklad; this is a technique that is ornate, like the monogram, and protective but ends up obscuring the underlying painting (i.e. the Russian icon).
Hidden, underneath, clear but protected by something open, overt, and not entirely clear.
Like the elaborate letters and silver overlay on the flask, the binoculars guy is described as ornate: "nattily dressed." This ornate man "disguised his odd drinking practice" with his binoculars. Again, F develops the idea of something hidden under something else. Something openly seen vs. something hidden.
However, the hidden item led to the hiccup which led to the missed putt (i.e. no treasure chest). Perhaps because the overt item (binoculars) wasn't also being used (the guy wasn't actually watching the golfer).
Loved F's SB humor: this one ends with the thought that "our government" will pass "legislation that prohibits anyone from drinking and watching golf at the same time;" as golfers drive the ball, he's getting at "drinking and driving."