OOTS #1297 - The Discussion Thread

[bunsen_h]

I'm with Peelee here, even though on a personal level semantic drift is annoying to keep up with for a middle aged shut-in like myself. And I'm still privately a little annoyed by 'literally' as an intensifier.

I don't like semantic drift to the extent that it impairs communication. Addition of new words to the language is fine with me. Changed meaning of old words I can tolerate, if the new meaning is obvious; it bugs me to the extent that my brain hiccups. The loss of "literally" is bad because in many cases it's not instantly obvious that it's being used merely as an intensifier, and because (so far as I can recall) there isn't any common word that can take up the old load.

English is incredibly messy, and while I think certain uses are annoying, I have to remember that in 1970, when I was hunting foxes and hanging out with my bros listening to groovy sounds, my parents' generation thought I was a complete idiot.

In that era, sounds were one of the things that could be described as "groovy" other than those items that were literally-literally grooved. If you were talking about LPs.

[KorvinStarmast]

The loss of "literally" is bad because in many cases it's not instantly obvious that it's being used merely as an intensifier, and because (so far as I can recall) there isn't any common word that can take up the old load.

It isn't even necessary to describe anything. It has become a complete throwaway.

In that era, sounds were one of the things that could be described as "groovy" other than those items that were literally-literally grooved. If you were talking about LPs.

I still have a few hundred LPs.

[Peelee]

I still have a few hundred LPs.

Conversely i have space.

I actually bought a Police LP for a friend like 15 years or so ago. She didn't even have a record player at the time, but she got one because of that (its her favorite band). I bought it because i was in Best Buy at the time and it had a sticker on it saying "DRM FREE". I figured the marketing department earned that sale.

[Mic_128]

So, had a thought: do we think that the last panel of the page is just a cutaway gag, or will we stay with the paladins as they try to get back/wander around?

[Rollin]

So, had a thought: do we think that the last panel of the page is just a cutaway gag, or will we stay with the paladins as they try to get back/wander around?

I think cutaways to important characters have usually carried over for at least a few panels, as a matter of pacing for a reader of the book if nothing else. But if there's to be an exception, it seems like it would come at a time like this, when we can assume the reader's attention to be as fixed on the outcome of the fight as, say, mine is.

[hroþila]

Don't you guys hate it when people say "thing" when they don't mean an assembly or even a legal case but rather a wight, ugh so annoying

[Robots]

So, had a thought: do we think that the last panel of the page is just a cutaway gag, or will we stay with the paladins as they try to get back/wander around?

I particularly doubt it. IMO it would be kind of weird in terms of pacing.

[Peelee]

So, had a thought: do we think that the last panel of the page is just a cutaway gag, or will we stay with the paladins as they try to get back/wander around?

Five bucks on not staying with the paladins.

[Tubercular Ox]

So, had a thought: do we think that the last panel of the page is just a cutaway gag, or will we stay with the paladins as they try to get back/wander around?

If something noisy happens, it's possible for focus to stay on the Paladins while still advancing the Calder fight. But I spent some time with BRitF and cutaways outnumber segues by a lot.

[Kardwill]

Five bucks on not staying with the paladins.

Posted 14 minutes after you commented on the next comic, that has no paladin in sight. I guess that's a pretty safe bet? ^^

[Peelee]

Posted 14 minutes after you commented on the next comic, that has no paladin in sight. I guess that's a pretty safe bet? ^^

I don't like to lose.

[Mordar]

The groovy sounds were solid fox bait, bro. Especially if it had a little funk on it.

I don't remember "bro" from that period at all. I wonder if that is just because bro-culture from the 00s obliterated it from my memory?

I believe some people from this thread are also participating in the "Dwarves aren't cool anymore" thread, and over the weekend I hit on an interesting conflation of the two.

I hate the Scottish dwarf thing, with clipped and drifting articulation, and I think I know why now. Dwarves to me are craftsdwarves with techniques developed over millenia, and honed in the individual crafter over centuries. The exacting nature of their...well, natures, wouldn't be so imprecise. They would be more protective of their language and presentation than modern-day France is of French.

Now, could certainly argue that the Scottish accent is just how they speak Common, and that when we were viewing dwarven interactions without other races around we were presented Dwarven-as-Common, so while their are workarounds, my headcanon dislikes them.

Durkon/OotS get a pass because it all started as a joke...but that joke was based on insufficient concern for the destruction of the true Dwarven language by those darn kids!

- M

[Peelee]

I hate the Scottish dwarf thing, with clipped and drifting articulation, and I think I know why now. Dwarves to me are craftsdwarves with techniques developed over millenia, and honed in the individual crafter over centuries. The exacting nature of their...well, natures, wouldn't be so imprecise. They would be more protective of their language and presentation than modern-day France is of French.

Who's to say they aren't? Dwarvish isn't Common.

Also, i like the implication that French are protective of their language because of their long tradition of craftsmanship.

[Mordar]

Who's to say they aren't? Dwarvish isn't Common.

Hey, I said that in my original post too.

Also, i like the implication that French are protective of their language because of their long tradition of craftsmanship.

Plus, you know, the snooty elf thing...

- M

[brian 333]

I don't remember "bro" from that period at all. I wonder if that is just because bro-culture from the 00s obliterated it from my memory?
- M

Brother became brotha, became bro, which became bra before it went away. It came back as bruh.

Damn the mutability of English slang.

[Mordar]

Brother became brotha, became bro, which became bra before it went away. It came back as bruh.

Damn the mutability of English slang.

Brah. Different origin, same meaning, subsequently co-opted. Still highly active in many areas.

I just didn't remember the "bro" variant being used in the 70s, but it was a long time ago, and regional differences exist!

- M

[KorvinStarmast]

I don't remember "bro" from that period at all. I wonder if that is just because bro-culture from the 00s obliterated it from my memory?

I remember it. Interesting take on Dwarves. I think their accent ought to be German. Oh well, it isn't.

Brother became brotha, became bro, which became bra before it went away. It came back as bruh.

Yep. Along the way, bro and brew/broo were active at the same time.

I just didn't remember the "bro" variant being used in the 70s, but it was a long time ago, and regional differences exist!

That too.

[hroþila]

Is 'broski' still a thing

[The MunchKING]

Is 'broski' still a thing

Only to the Long Island Iced Z.

[brian 333]

Is 'broski' still a thing

No! Broski is not, and was never a thing! Neither was brewski! And unless you are Pauley Shore, combining the two in a single sentence, such as in, "Drinking brewskis with my broski's," is an offense to everything Webster. And you can look that up in your Funk and Wagnall.

[Peelee]

No! Broski is not, and was never a thing! Neither was brewski! And unless you are Pauley Shore, combining the two in a single sentence, such as in, "Drinking brewskis with my broski's," is an offense to everything Webster. And you can look that up in your Funk and Wagnall.

I checked with Webster on being called broski. This was the reply:

Spoiler

Show

[gbaji]

I actually bought a Police LP for a friend like 15 years or so ago. She didn't even have a record player at the time, but she got one because of that (its her favorite band). I bought it because i was in Best Buy at the time and it had a sticker on it saying "DRM FREE". I figured the marketing department earned that sale.

Ok. That is brilliant! And highlights the difference between "clever" and "clueless". With "gluten free" lables on things that never had gluten in them, being on the other end of that scale.

[Peelee]

Ok. That is brilliant! And highlights the difference between "clever" and "clueless". With "gluten free" lables on things that never had gluten in them, being on the other end of that scale.

Agreed. Like i said, for my money, the marketing department earned that sale. Excellent way to advertise an older but still viable form of media by taking advantage of an unpopular direction the newer, more convenient media was heading in.

[Mordar]

Ok. That is brilliant! And highlights the difference between "clever" and "clueless". With "gluten free" lables on things that never had gluten in them, being on the other end of that scale.

Can it really be clueless if it is intentional and effective for the reasons intended? So many tricks...like reducing size and slightly altering calories/unit and then claiming large calorie reduction that is really just based on size.

Advertisers first. Then lawyers.

- M

[gbaji]

Can it really be clueless if it is intentional and effective for the reasons intended? So many tricks...like reducing size and slightly altering calories/unit and then claiming large calorie reduction that is really just based on size.

Advertisers first. Then lawyers.

Assiuming you mean "against the wall", agreed!

I think "clever" is when the advertising ties into consumers who "get it". Most consumers of music understand DRM, and totally "get the joke" when vinyl records are advertised as "DRM free". So... that's good. I will buy that advertiser a cookie.

"Clueless", on the other hand, is when the advertisers are playing (preying) on people's lack of knowledge and understanding. Most people don't actually know what gluten is, or what food types it is in. They just know that they've been told it's bad for them (which itself is incorrect unless they actually have an intolerance, which most people don't), so a "gluten free" lable to clueless people means "it's good for me" (which it most definitely does *not*). So the existence of such labels on foods that never had gluten in the first place, is literally playiing on people's ignorance to get them to think those products are somehow better or "more healthy for you", when they... er... are not.

[Peelee]

Assiuming you mean "against the wall", agreed!

Everyone says that, and then when **** goes down suddenly it's time to sing "Send lawyers guns and money".

[bunsen_h]

I checked with Webster on being called broski. This was the reply:

Spoiler

Show

Is that... in front of Worf (or someone else wearing a Klingon sash on a gold Starfleet uniform) on a TNG Enterprise bridge set?

[Peelee]

Is that... in front of Worf (or someone else wearing a Klingon sash on a gold Starfleet uniform) on a TNG Enterprise bridge set?

Yes! I've known about that clip for a long time, and didn't intend to use rhat exact one. It's just there's not a lot of decent quality gifs of Webster out there. You know, being a largely forgotten short-lived 80s sitcom and all. Plus he looked really happy there, and i liked that.

[brian 333]

Yes! I've known about that clip for a long time, and didn't intend to use rhat exact one. It's just there's not a lot of decent quality gifs of Webster out there. You know, being a largely forgotten short-lived 80s sitcom and all. Plus he looked really happy there, and i liked that.

I can't believe I got Emmanuel-rolled. On the other hand, move over, Rick!

And, yes, that really happened. The '80s were a shameful time.

[Peelee]

I can't believe I got Emmanuel-rolled.

I aim to please.