What did he mean?

>>8759563
Here it is in context:

>In Westland row he halted before the window of the Belfast and Oriental Tea Company and read the legends of leadpapered packets: choice blend, finest quality, family tea. Rather warm. Tea. Must get some from Tom Kernan. Couldn’t ask him at a funeral, though. While his eyes still read blandly he took off his hat quietly inhaling his hairoil and sent his right hand with slow grace over his brow and hair. Very warm morning. Under their dropped lids his eyes found the tiny bow of the leather headband inside his high grade ha. Just there. His right hand came down into the bowl of his hat. His fingers found quickly a card behind the headband and transferred it to his waistcoat pocket.

>>8759593
>>8759563
I'm stumped and can only think of pleb interpretations.

File: ha.gif (2KB, 100x238px) Image search: [Google]

2KB, 100x238px

>>8759659
I have one now.
http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/religion/ha.htm

>>8759659
For the pleb one, you've read it all so far right? You know it's just a reference at least on the surface to his hat being second hand and the label being worn?

>>8759563
>>8759593
>window-shopping at a tea shop
>spelling "hat" with no "t"
I see the connection and it's stupid.

>>8759563
His eyelids are closed half way, so he sees only a part of the hat. Joyce gave you only a part of the word to make a joke.

dont read dont care. Joyce is just Gombrowicz for plebs

>>8759907

haha what a genius

>>8759666
Explain?

>>8759676
I knew about the worn label

>>8759677
>>8759907
These actually make sense

Dublin accent

>>8759677
maybe, but it's not the only mention.

>>8759907
Nope. It's actually how the label looks in the hat.

Seriously though, that's how Dubliners say hat. Me fuckin ha

>>8759999
Could it really be that simple? The lecturer made it seem like some grand mystery.

I'm guessing this is the pleb interpretation, but:

Maybe it's just supposed to his shortening of "aha", mixed in with the expectation of the word "hat". The paragraph describes him as reading "the legends of the leadpapered packets"; while his eyes are "still reading blandly", he takes off his hat and gives it a quick whiff. It seems that on a casual glance, he noticed the bow and had his "aha" moment, which led to reaching into the hat and getting the card.

>>8759958
>>8759999
makes sense. also, nice trips of truth
Joyce is like the Irish Faulkner, it makes sense

>>8760024
I considered it as an exclamation too...

We'll discuss it tomorrow and I'll put some of these ideas forward.

>>8759984
That too, but the joke still stands.

>>8759676
This. Scholars just like that quote because they see Ulysses as a "high grade ha" (upper crusty laugh). The high grade ha makes another appearance in Circe I think, or Ithaca.