The Under Toad
 

(Just so you know. Just so it's documented here.)

Duncan began talking about Walt and the undertow- a famous family story. For as far back as Duncan could remember, the Garps had gone every summer to Dog's Head Harbor, New Hampshire, where the miles of beach in front of Jenny Fields' estate were ravaged by a fearful undertow. When Walt was old enough to venture near the water, Duncan said to him- as Helen and Garp had, for years, said to Duncan- "Watch out for the undertow." Walt retreated, respectfully. And for three summers, Walt was warned about the undertow. Duncan recalled all the phrases.

"The undertow is bad today."
"The undertow is strong today."
"The undertow is wicked today." Wicked was a big word in New Hampshire- not just for the undertow.

And for years, Walt watched out for it. From the first, when he asked what it could do to you, he had only been told that it could pull you out to sea. It could suck you under and drown and you and drag you away.

It was Walt's fourth summer at Dog's Head Harbor, Duncan remembered, when Garp and Helen and Duncan had observed Walt watching the sea. He stood ankle deep in the foam from the surf and peered into the waves, without taking a step, for the longest time. The family went down to the water's edge to have a word with him.

"What are you doing, Walt?" Helen asked?
"What are you looking for, Dummy?" Duncan asked him.
"I'm trying to see the Under Toad, " Walt said.
"The what?" said Garp?
"The Under Toad," Walt said. "I'm trying to see it. How big is it?"

And Garp and Helen and Duncan held their breath; they realized that all these years, Walt had been dreading a giant toad, lurking offshore, waiting to suck him under and drag him out to sea. The terrible Under Toad.

Garp tried to imagine it with him. Would it ever surface? Did it ever float? Or was it always down under, slimy and bloated and ever watchful for ankles its coated tongue could snare? The vile Under Toad.

Between Helen and Garp, the Under Toad became their code word for anxiety. Long after the monster was clarified for Walt ("Undertow, dummy, not Under Toad!" Duncan had howled), Garp and Helen evoked the beast as a way of referring to their own sense of danger. When the traffic was heavy, when the road was icy- when depression had moved in overnight- they said to each other "The Under Toad is strong today."

- John Irving, The World According to Garp

There are those times in life when one falls totally and unequivocally in some sort of love.

Which doesn't mean there isn't a giant toad, waiting to grab your ankle with it's tongue and drag you out to sea.:frog:

I always liked that book UT.

When I first started explaining to HM about why the Cellar wasn't just a chatroom, I mentioned your name. He asked immediately if it was from Garp. "Damn," I thought, "I knew I knew it from somewhere!"

You've since confirmed it on another thread of course.

I had recognized the name because since reading Garp we have adopted the phrase. Also, "It's pre-disastered!" I imagine we've all stolen some of our traditions from imagination of authors, but The Undertoad is one of the most useful.

It's a dolphin!

I didn't realize Irving had written that. I loved the movie. And I loved Cider House Rules. I'll have to read it soon.

The books are so much better than the films could ever be.

I agree. Much better.

Garp's one of my all time favourite books. It was one of those books that 'did the rounds' in my family. We all read it. And Hotel New Hampshire, Ciderhouse Rules and a Prayer for Owen Meany.

His books are so full, his characters are so complete, that by the time you reach the end of one you feel like you've witnessed another lifetime.

I must admit I never read Garp. I am more of a non-fiction guy. I always believed if you are going to read you should be learning something useful. I have just begun to read an occasional fiction book, but it is hard to break the habit.

lol. You're such a bloke, Merc:P

My first Irving was The Water-Method Man. Probably frightfully dated now.

Oh I loved the Water-Method Man. I remember J bould me it one birthday years ago:)