OOTS #1267 - The Discussion Thread

[ZhonLord]

Initial thoughts. On. This. Page. About xykon getting teased.

1. I love that the Quinton is straight up calling Xykon a senile old man. It's amusing to know that even pure lawful beings have a sense of humor.

2. It may seem like MITD is pushing his luck, but everyone in that group (as well as us as the readers) knows that if the situation were reversed Xykon would totally be asking similar questions to mess with Redcloak or whoever else was the one who had to watch what they say. Turnabout is fair play lich-boy.

3. I have to wonder if Team Stick is going to try and trick xykon the same way MITD is, to see if he'll fall for it from someone else - especially in a fit of anger.

[Carl]

Yikes, did not expect the MITD to be so blatant. I get the feeling if they did actually stumble onto the gate somehow he might actually attack team evil.

[Doug Lampert]

The ad thing really killed me

Good thing Xykon's being so oblivious with regard to the MitD. However, the Inevitable will probably catch on that something is up.

He is quite aware that the MitD is trying to get him to goof up on the odd letter thing, he just (presumably) does not yet know why he's doing it, yet.

[Peelee]

Grammatical gender has next to nothing to real sex. See also "das Mädchen" (the girl), "die Wolke" (the cloud) and "der Wahnsinn" (insanity).

Aaaaand a reminder of why I keep putting off learning German.

[Reboot]

Yikes, did not expect the MITD to be so blatant. I get the feeling if they did actually stumble onto the gate somehow he might actually attack team evil.

Gate? What Gate?

[Peelee]

See also all the French linguists trying to figure out whether CoViD is masculine or feminine.

The real shame of it is the French are the one people who could easily neutralize everything. At least, formally.

[Flame of Anor]

What is the capital of Anywhere?

what’s up with the „not a paladin“ ?

The demon roach is referring to the Sapphire Guard, who commonly use a lot of synonyms for "blue" (as in "Sapphire Guard" and "Azure City").

[Tzardok]

Grammatical gender is stupid and its face is stupid! (I.e. yes, I know. I just like to pretend there's a measure of balance and order in the world.)

I like grammatical gender. It means you don't have to deal with things like zhe or hir.

That's just the diminutive at work, though. Ancient Greek did pretty much the same with -ιον.

I know. It's just my easiest example for a grammatically neutral person. Of course, it's also an example how specific genders can come to be over the course of a language's evolution.

See also all the French linguists trying to figure out whether CoViD is masculine or feminine.

Easiest way to do: Use the same gender as whatever French for virus is.

Edit: I think we've stumbled away from the topic. Mea culpa.

[Psyren]

Grammatical gender is stupid and its face is stupid! (I.e. yes, I know. I just like to pretend there's a measure of balance and order in the world.)

I strongly suggest that you not study language if that's what you're looking for

MitD is being dangerously obvious in his attempt to subvert Team Evil's goals here. Even if we assume that no one overheard his remark in panel 7, despite it not being marked as a whisper, I'd say that there's a good chance Xykon at least has figured out why MitD is asking him all these questions.

They might just chalk it up to him being an annoying kid. They seem to be blissfully unaware of his development, both intellectual and moral.

Man, Xykon is sharp. And MitD is really pushing his luck now. And Blackwing, for that matter. Xykon might remember him.

I think an even bigger danger here is the Quinton. It will almost certainly notice a seemingly random bird acting in a very orderly.... fashion.

With no specifics on what its contractees are looking for, it has a reason to pay attention for any anomaly at all.

[GooeyChewie]

I can’t wait until Xykon figures out he can cause chaos by mixing British and American spellings. He can end one sentence with color. And then another with behaviour.

[Peelee]

I like grammatical gender. It means you don't have to deal with things like zhe or hir.

English doesn't have grammatical gender and I still don't have to deal with things like zhe or hir. "They" is a perfectly good pronoun base already.

[Mastikator]

Every time the pupper speaks I love the him a little bit more

[Metastachydium]

I like grammatical gender. It means you don't have to deal with things like zhe or hir.

Quite on the contrary. In languages without grammatical gender there are no gendered pronouns and therefore no abominable hybrids borne out of them either.

I know. It's just my easiest example for a grammatically neutral person. Of course, it's also an example how specific genders can come to be over the course of a language's evolution.

True enough!

Easiest way to do: Use the same gender as whatever French for virus is.

That was exactly the issue! People kept using the correct gender for virus when they should have been using the one for disease.

I strongly suggest that you not study language if that's what you're looking for

I studied Greek. I wept. A lot.

[Resileaf]

What is the capital of Anywhere?

Xykon just told you, it's 'No clue at all'!

[ZhonLord]

Every time the pupper speaks I love the him a little bit more

And Xykon replied to his *ahem* "gray view" in a manner that shows he's much more accommodating to the warg than Redcloak ever was.

[Tzardok]

That was exactly the issue! People kept using the correct gender for virus when they should have been using the one for disease.

That reminds me that I once heard that number one cause of divorces in Germany was arguing on wether it was called "die Nutella" or "das Nutella". It's das Nutella.

I studied Greek. I wept. A lot.

I wish I knew Greek. I only learned Latin.

[Fyraltari]

Grammatical gender is stupid and its face is stupid! (I.e. yes, I know. I just like to pretend there's a measure of balance and order in the world.)

Nah, it's pretty neat. The issue is in tying it up with human gender. Bring back abstract and physical, dammit!

See also all the French linguists trying to figure out whether CoViD is masculine or feminine.

Nah, the linguists were quite happy to go with the general consensus of masculine. The académiciens were the ones who decided to be a pain.

Edit:

The real shame of it is the French are the one people who could easily neutralize everything. At least, formally.

What do you mean?

[Timy]

Nah, the linguists were quite happy to go with the general consensus of masculine. The académiciens were the ones who decided to be a pain.

It has me wonder if another language has also a group of people who decide how is the correct way to speak...

[b_jonas]

I like this because if Xykon messes up then the Gated Quinton will punish Redcloak, possibly even killing him, per the description of the Gate spell.

[hroþila]

Bold of English speakers with their "he" and their "she" and their "his" and their "her" and their compounds in "-man" to look down on other languages with grammatical gender.

Anyway, I feel MitD might be pushing it. At this rate his aura of uselessness will stop protecting him eventually.

[Fyraltari]

It has me wonder if another language has also a group of people who decide how is the correct way to speak...

They don't. They just act like they do.

[KorvinStarmast]

Looks like we're about to get a change of scene.

Hope so. Nice, fun jokey stuff, but Redcloak nails it with
Not talking is a choice it's never too late to make.
Nice variation on "Talkie-man talk too much!"

MiTD: pushing the boundaries.

Redcloak: "Skip ad!"
*Applause*

[Rack]

I can’t wait until Xykon figures out he can cause chaos by mixing British and American spellings. He can end one sentence with color. And then another with behaviour.

Easier and more in character for him to just add “you moron” to the end of every sentence.

[bunsen_h]

1. I love that the Quinton is straight up calling Xykon a senile old man. It's amusing to know that even pure lawful beings have a sense of humor.

The way I read it, the Quinton is showing a lot of computer-like behaviour. I think it would respond to a similar cue in similar fashion regardless of the age of the speaker. It's going to take any opportunity to get mortal beings involved in logical processes. I don't think that my phone and computer are regularly spitting out ads for "decrease the age of your brain!" games because my brain is mush -- that is, I don't think it's a targeted operation. I could be wrong, of course.

[Sutremaine]

I wonder why Redcloak isn't telling the MitD to knock it off. If the Modron disappears, any replacement is going to be coming out of Redcloak's soul.

[masamune1]

I think if the Quinton notices anything about the MitD it will be that the Monster actually spoke his plan aloud when walking right next to the Quinton rather than thinking it to himself.

[Peelee]

What do you mean?

The académiciens. And:

They don't. They just act like they do.

Is why I said "at least, formally".

[Quizatzhaderac]

I'm thinking about all of those dead worlds, lost to the snarl. Maybe fragments survive? As an app.

It has me wonder if another language has also a group of people who decide how is the correct way to speak...

Most try. Note that there are three in America.

[Fyraltari]

[QUOTE=Peelee;25573365]

The académiciens. And:

Is why I said "at least, formally". [/QUOTE]

Pardon?

[gatemansgc]

xykon actually succeeding!

also i can't wait to see just what random ads the quinton is going to have each chapter!