An Affair To Forget

Porcelain vases produced during China's Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), highly prized and extremely valuable as collectible art objects.

“Gunnar makes a sudden slash, shattering a Ming vase.”— Niles

Jack Benny (1894–1974) was an American comedian and actor known for his deadpan comedy style, including his famous skeptical look.

“Marta frowns, while Frasier gives her a very Jack Benny look.”— Frasier

A traditional German/Bavarian liver dumpling, commonly served in soup or as a side dish in Southern German and Austrian cuisine.

“Mein kleine leberknodel...”— Gretchen

A traditional German sausage made from pork, beef, or veal, a staple of German cuisine.

“he says he loves her beautiful little body, as thin as his sword, and her skin as white as bratwurst”— Gretchen

A layered pastry of Austrian/German origin, most commonly filled with apples (apfelstrudel), used here as a cultural insult.

“There you are! Yes, I'm talking to you, strudel boy!”— Niles

HMS Bounty was a Royal Navy vessel famous for the 1789 mutiny led by Fletcher Christian against Captain William Bligh.

“Did I ever mention one of my ancestors was a mutineer on the H.M.S. Bounty?”— Daphne

A type of sailing vessel with fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts, commonly used in the 18th and 19th centuries.

“So you want to build a three-masted schooner.”— Niles

A type of warship, historically a fast and maneuverable vessel used for patrol and escort duties.

“Schooner? I thought it was a frigate.”— Daphne

A two-masted sailing vessel with a fully square-rigged foremast and a fore-and-aft rigged mainmast.

“No, no, that's a brigantine.”— Daphne

Educational model kits by Renwal/Skilcraft that allow users to assemble a transparent human figure with internal organs visible.

“remember that Christmas Mom got him the 'Visible Man and Woman?' He had to glue all of the internal organs in the right place.”— Frasier

An enclosed, lightless, soundproof tank filled with salt water for floating, used for relaxation and meditation, also known as an isolation tank.

“For weeks, all Maris did for excitement was float in her sensory deprivation tank.”— Niles

Harvard University, one of the most prestigious Ivy League universities in the United States, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

“Didn't they teach you anything at Harvard?”— Roz

A reference to Bavaria, a German state known for its distinct cultural identity, used to establish Gunnar's background as a championship fencer.

“Gunnar was the Bavarian champion three years running.”— Niles

A French fencing term meaning 'on guard,' used to signal the start of a fencing bout.

“All right, fine, you want to challenge me? En garde!”— Niles

A surgical procedure for delivering a baby through an incision in the abdomen, named after Julius Caesar who was legendarily born this way.

“He probably performed his own Caesarean!”— Frasier

A German word meaning 'driving pleasure,' famously used as a Volkswagen advertising slogan in the early 1990s.

“Farvegnugen!”— Niles

A German insult literally meaning 'pig-dog,' commonly used as an expletive equivalent to 'bastard' or 'scoundrel.'

“Schweinehund!”— Gunnar

The Austrian founder of psychoanalysis whose works were originally written in German. The transcript notes it is unusual for a confirmed Freudian like Frasier n…

“It is unusual for a confirmed Freudian such as Frasier to not have read Freud in the original German.”— Frasier

A remote British Overseas Territory in the South Pacific, settled by the HMS Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions in 1790.

“from what we could gather, he made it safely to Pitcairn Island, where he was quite fruitful and multiplied.”— Daphne

A single malt or unblended Scotch whisky aged for twelve years, described as peaty, suggesting an Islay or similar style.

“oh, and this lovely new bottle of twelve-year-old unblended scotch. It's a little bit peaty—”— Frasier

A fortified wine from the Jerez region of Spain, frequently enjoyed by Frasier and Niles throughout the series.

“I have a marvelous sherry here, a couple of fine ports...”— Frasier

A Portuguese fortified wine from the Douro Valley, typically sweet and served as a dessert wine.

“I have a marvelous sherry here, a couple of fine ports...”— Frasier

A spirit distilled from wine or fruit, commonly served as an after-dinner drink.

“Frasier, pour him a glass of brandy.”— Martin

A sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France, traditionally associated with celebration and romance.

“On the tray are an ice bucket with a bottle of champagne, and a red rose.”— Niles