Once again, the Bulls welcome in the season of twinkling lights and tintinnabulation1 with an update to our family album. We are writing you from our lilliputian2 estate, The Bull Pen, while sipping Tom and Jerrys3 in front of the fire. John recently stripped out that horrible snotgreen4 wallpaper from the guest room, so friends who have been Bunburying5 for years in order to avoid sleeping there may now visit without fear. Everything was positively utopian6 in 1989. Jeanette hit the terrible age of the nymphette7; she has a boyfriend, a bit of a schlemeil8, who has dated her for the last six months despite her regular, vorpal9 attacks on him. I guess she's just playing the squeaky wheel10—hope she outgrows it fast! Ziggy is now a junior in college. He's studying quantum physics11—quarks12 and such nonsense. He says, "Science is no problem. I grok13 it all just fine," but we oldsters must admit it's all Greek to us14. Meanwhile, we're still waiting for Uncle Sid, the tycoon15, to drop dead, but he remains in A-116 condition, chortling17 and mumbling malapropisms18 as always. We suppose he has an unalienable right19 to live, but we sure could use some of his cash, especially at this time of year! Oh, well, until next Xmas,
This facetious holiday letter-puzzle contains twenty words and phrases that owe their coinage or currency to a particular printed source. Please link each reference number to the title of the originating poem, novel, play or publication, and list the author (or editor, if applicable).