How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying
Glossary

J. Pierrepont Finch: This name is taken from John Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) and his son of the same name (1867-1943), of the banking firm of J. P. Morgan & Co.

Smitty was once a common nickname for anyone, especially female, named Smith.

Hedy LaRue: Named for Hedy Lamarr, born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in Vienna. She became famous in the Czech film known in English as "Ecstasy", where she appeared in the nude. She came to Hollywood in 1937 and, although she was not much of an acress, she appeared in roles where she only had to stand around and look beautiful, equating sex appeal with "looking stupid". She was not stupid, however; she with composer George Antheil received a patent for a device important in preventing the jamming of radio signals, and later in the development of cellular phones, although the patent had expired before it was put to use. See the article on Ms Lamarr in the Encyclopaedia Britannica, and also the obituary.  At least for the film version of How to Succeed, the character of Hedy was based in part on Marilyn Monroe.

Benjamin Burton Daniel Ovington: B B D O (Batten, Barton, Durstine, & Osborn) is one of the leading advertising firms in New York City, so it is appropriate that Ovington is being made head of advertising. 

Metrecal was the first high-energy, high protein beverage, like Slim-Fast or Ensure, introduced in 1959 by Mead Johnson Nutritionals (now owned by Bristol-Myers-Squibb), originally developed for those trying to gain weight. It quickly became popular among those trying to lose weight; one would drink Metrecal instead of lunch.  (It is also kosher for Passover.)  The Metrecal fad faded in the mid 1960s.  In the late 1960s, Mead Johnson introduced a product called Nutrament, for those trying to gain weight: you would drink it in addition to your lunch.  But Nutrament turned out to be the same product as Metrecal, with a different name. [Smitty: I, 2]

Dame Judith Anderson, actress, star of stage and screen, was known for playing "Cruella DeVil" type roles: powerful women gripped by strong emotions. She was born Frances Margaret Anderson-Anderson in Adelaide, South Australia, February 10, 1898. As a child, she was inspired to go into acting by Nellie Melba.  She came to America in 1918, and in 1922 she was performing on the New York stage.  In 1934 she changed her name to Judith Anderson. Her portrayal of the title role in Euripides' tragedy Medea is legendary. In 1930 she began appearing in movies, and is known particularly for the roles of Mrs Danvers in Rebecca (directed by Alfred Hitchcock), Ann Treadwell in Laura, Big Mama in Tennessee Williams's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and the Vulcan Priestess in Star Trek III.  In 1960, she was knighted by Queen Elizabeth. She appeared in the soap opera Santa Barbara, and she died in Santa Barbara, California, in 1992.  For more information, see the All Movie Guide, a brief remembrance, and an article from the National Library of Australia. [Rosemary, referring to Miss Jones: I, 3]

New Rochelle, White Plains, and Tarrytown are in Westchester County, New York, considered rich exurbs of New York City; perhaps analogous to El Segundo, Beverly Hills, and Manhattan Beach.  In the 1930s New Rochelle was the richest city in New York state, by per-capita income.  Perhaps it had that distinction around 1960, the time frame for the show.  But today New Rochelle has been surpassed by both White Plains and Tarrytown, and all of them by Scarsdale, also in Westchester County. [Rosemary: I, 2; I, 2; II, 1]

F. A. O. Schwarz is one of the leading toy stores in New York City.  They now have branches in other cities, including San Francisco; soon in Los Angeles. ["A Secretary Is Not a Toy": I, 6]

Vassar College, located in Poughkeepsie, New York, a small city on the Hudson River, 75 miles north of New York City, is one of the "seven sisters": seven traditionally all-women's colleges that maintained standards of education comparable to Ivy League colleges, in the days when the Ivy League was men only. Founded in 1865, Vassar became coeducational in 1969. (For those interested, the other "sisters" were: Radcliffe, Smith, Barnard, Mt Holyoke, Bryn Mawr, and Wellesley.) [I, 8]

Stouffer's opened their first restaurant in Cleveland in 1922. In the 1950s they began their frozen food operation. The company is now owned by NestlŽ, the Swiss chocolate company. ["Been a Long Day", Smitty: I, 7]

Bergdorf Goodman is a chain of fashionable department stores, with two stores in Manhattan. Owned by Neiman-Marcus, they are considered high-end, even for Neiman-Marcus. ["Cinderella Darling": II, 1]

Elizabeth Arden markets a line of cosmetics, sold in "finer" stores around the country; they operate a few boutiques and spas with their own name, where a woman can go for a one-day makeover. ["Cinderella Darling": II, 1]

Station wagons were the standard suburban vehicle in the 50s and 60s. By the 80s, they were being replaced with minivans, and in the 90s, by SUVs. ["Cinderella Darling": II, 1]

Twenty-One (or 21 Club) is a restaurant in Manhattan, which started as a speakeasy in the 1920s, is today frequented by celebrities.  They have a huge wine cellar, with secret exits, useful in prohibition days. 21 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019 (212) 582-7200 ["Cinderella Darling": II, 1]

Chintz is a colorful, usually glazed, plain-weave cotton fabric, usually dyed with at least five colors, used for clothing and interior decoration. ["Cinderella Darling": II, 1]

Gin and vermouth are the two main ingredients of a Martini (at least 2:1 gin to vermouth; place an olive in the bottom; some prefer it "shaken, not stirred").  Martinis were popular in the '40s, '50s, and '60s.  The phrase "slam, bang, tang" is an apt description.  After that, cocktails declined in popularity, to be replaced by wine. [Hedy: I, 12; "I Believe in You": II, 4]

Lionel is one of the biggest maker of toy trains.  A caboose used to be the last car on a freight train, where the conductor would ride and have his office, usually accompanied by one brakeman. ["A Secretary Is Not a Toy": I, 6]

A gavotte is a dance in 4/4 time popular in the 18th century. ["A Secretary Is Not a Toy": I, 6]

Mimeograph, originally a trade name, is a document duplication process.  A typist types the document on a stencil, which is attached to a cylinder. The cylinder is rotated by motor or by hand, and ink passes through the stencil to print on the paper.  It is useful for large duplication runs.  In the 1970s and 1980s, as xerography became cheaper and desk top computers became ubiquitous, mimeographing was largely superseded by photocopying. ["Paris Original": I, 12]

Pince-nez refers to spectacles clipped to the bridge of the nose, usually associated with "old people". [(stage direction, Biggley): II, 3]

A debenture is a certificate acknowledging a debt.  The speech really is gibberish. [Finch: II, 5]

Nepotism is favoritism shown to relatives by those in power, as by giving them jobs.  Literally, it means preference for one's nephews, and it originally referred to bishops, especially the pope, granting church offices to his nephews (as bishops, being celibate, were not supposed to have sons on whom to show favors).

The Elks (officially Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks: BPOE), founded in 1868, is one of the oldest fraternal organizations in the country.  Their local chapters are called lodges. The Shriners (officially Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine [A.A.O.N.M.S.]; the initials are probably an anagram of  "A MASON"), another fraternal organization, was founded in 1872. The members wear the fez, and their chapters are called temples.  All members are also master masons. They also operate the Shriners' Hospitals. ["Brotherhood of Man": II, 9]

Diners' Club was the first general charge card, first issued in 1950. (Before, credit cards were issued by individual merchants or by oil companies.) Today, it is still one of the most popular T&E cards, although perhaps not as well known as American Express. ["Brotherhood of Man": II, 9]

The Untouchables was a 1959 TV series based on the exploits of federal lawman Eliot Ness, who recruits an uncorruptable team to catch Chicago gangster Al Capone.  Machine guns are part of their arsenal.  Gatling was the inventor of a workable automatic gun.