Abe Vigoda (1921-2016) Tribute List

Abe Vigoda died on January 26, 2016 at the age of 94. Vigoda will be remembered for his part as Tessio in The Godfather and his role as Detective Phil Fish on the sitcom Barney Miller and for a brief time in his own spinoff. Vigoda has the unusual distinction of having a premature announcement of his death published in the media not once but twice. By all accounts, Vigoda took the fact that people had a habit of pronouncing him dead when he was still very much alive with good humor. Here are eleven vocabulary words drawn from quotes from Abe Vigoda, his work, and some admirers.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. chisel
    carve with an edge tool
    Barzini's people chisel my territory and we do nothing about it. Pretty soon there won't be anyplace in Brooklyn that I can hang my hat.
    -The Godfather
  2. irritable
    easily annoyed
    Det. Sgt. Chano Amenguale: Hey, Fish! You wouldn't believe what makes a guy like that do what he does, man.
    Det. Phil Fish: It's the weather. When it gets damp and cold, people get depressed, irritable and unpleasant. In the winter, Scandinavia has more lunatics per capita than any other country in the world.
    Det. Sgt. Chano Amenguale: No kidding!
    Det. Phil Fish: Bernice is Scandinavian, but only on her mother's side. She usually cheers up around... the middle of February.
    - Barney Miller
  3. rampant
    occurring or increasing in an unrestrained way
    Wojo: What's going to happen to this city if the police go out of business?
    Fish: Crime will run rampant. There will be chaos in the streets. People will live in fear behind locked doors and it will be every man for himself.
    Yemana: That's the way it is now.
    - Barney Miller
  4. content
    satisfied or showing satisfaction with things as they are
    I've always been content just to be working and making a modest living for my wife and child
  5. modest
    marked by simplicity; having a humble opinion of yourself
    I've always been content just to be working and making a modest living for my wife and child
  6. pessimistic
    expecting the worst possible outcome
    [Fish] is not unhappy, but he is pessimistic...He knows things don’t always turn out the way they should.
  7. pagoda
    an Asian temple
    I got a girl in the castle and one in the pagoda
    You know I got rhymes like Abe Vigoda
    - Beastie Boys, Posse in Effect
  8. self-deprecating
    conscious of your own shortcomings
    Abe Vigoda was one of the nicest guys in the business ...talent with a capital T, self deprecating and so sweet... I had the privilege of sitting with him on the TODAY couch several times. He always left me with a smile on my face. And just thinking of him now fills me with joy.
    -Meredith Viera
  9. seldom
    not often
    Like Fish, we all meet with rejection, and things are seldom easy, no matter what we do.
  10. restrict
    place limits on
    Look, you can't stop the years from passing by. There comes a time when changes have to be made. Someone younger and stronger comes along to fill your shoes and a person has to gracefully step aside. Well, I'm not willing to do that. The way I figure, I'm worth more on restricted duty than all of you put together on full time. Good night, gentlemen.
    - Barney Miller
  11. obstruct
    hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of
    Yemana: Wojo and Harris chased the guy down into the sewer.
    Barney: The sewer?!
    Fish: [about to go into the bathroom] I'd better wait. I may be obstructing justice.
    - Barney Miller
Created on Tue Jan 26 15:57:29 EST 2016 (updated Wed Jan 27 10:22:41 EST 2016)

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