Takes a bite of food--
J: Salmonella...what the hell is that?
Salmonella is a group of bacteria, some types of which live in food and cause illness in people who eat the food (courtesy Cambridge Dictionaries Online).

R: Well, Moya has been -- for as long as I can remember -- our protector, our home, our companion, and our friend.
J: Amen.
"Amen" is the traditional closing to a Christian prayer. It is also sometimes used as an affirmation during church services as a way of agreeing with what someone says.

Aeryn startles John in the blue Moya--
J: Whoa. Whoa. Whoa! You almost gave me a heart attack.
Heart attack, also known as myocardial infarction (MI), refers to the death of some portion of the heart muscle when it loses its blood supply. (courtesy WebMD)

Rygel refers to John's behavior as "cute"--
J: "Cute?!" I don't know what you've been smoking, Buckwheat.
Buckwheat is a character in the "Our Gang" series of short films of the 1930s. These films were also known as "The Little Rascals."

John prepares to slide down the shaft--
J: Okay, Alice. Once more into the looking glass.
From the Lewis Carroll book Through the Looking Glass (and what Alice found there)....most people are more familiar with Carroll's other work, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Z: Then why can't we see them?
P: Because--
J: Because you don't have X-ray vision, do you?
Unlike Superman...
An X-ray is a type of radiation that can go through many solid substances, allowing hidden objects such as bones and organs in the body to be photographed. (courtesy Cambridge Dictionaries Online)

Z: I've always wondered what could be beyond height and width, depth and time.
J: Nausea.
I've always loved this line--not a pop-culture reference, but very funny.

A: I modified flight headsets to block out acoustic wavelengths, that's all.
J: It's not bad for a girl who hates to do homework.

J: Just wait 300 microts then...forward.
D: I have no time-keeping device.
J: One-Mississippi-one, one-Mississippi-two, one-Mississippi-three...300...forward.
D: One mippippippi...two mippippippi...three mippippippi...four mippippippi...
I realized late that this quote might need some explaining. If you've ever tried to count off time in seconds, you probably found yourself speeding up and slowing down and never quite accurately counting seconds. Someone, at some point in the past, somewhere in the United States decided that including the word "Mississippi" in between the numbers as you count keeps the time accurate so by the time you hit 60-Mississippi, you would be at exactly 1 minute elapsed time. Frankly, I'm skeptical.

A: Good luck.
J: Back at you, baby.
"Back at you" or "Right back at you" is a way of returning a compliment or sentiment back to the person who complimented you or, as in this case, wished you good luck.

Rygel in the yellow Moya--
J: Still auditioning for Star Search, I see.
Star Search was a t.v. talent show in the '80s.