Editing 1218: Doors of Durin
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
| − | The comic is based on the ''{{w|Lord of the Rings}}'', specifically a scene from ''{{w|The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring}}'', where the eponymous fellowship is trapped outside the door to the {{w|Moria (Middle-earth)|Mines of Moria}}. There's a spoken password to open the doors, an Elvish inscription on them provides a clue: "Speak friend, and enter". The party leader ({{w|Gandalf}}) initially interprets this to mean that a friend could speak the password and enter. Only after many unsuccessful efforts does | + | The comic is based on the ''{{w|Lord of the Rings}}'', specifically a scene from ''{{w|The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring}}'', where the eponymous fellowship is trapped outside the door to the {{w|Moria (Middle-earth)|Mines of Moria}}. There's a spoken password to open the doors, an Elvish inscription on them provides a clue: "Speak friend, and enter". The party leader ({{w|Gandalf}}) initially interprets this to mean that a friend could speak the password and enter. Only after many unsuccessful efforts does Frodo realize it is actually a very simple riddle: The password is the Elvish word for "friend" ("mellon"), and the inscription should in fact be interpreted as "Speak [out loud the word] ''mellon'' [(the Elvish word for ''friend'')], and [you will be able to] enter". See the Wikipedia article {{w|Use–mention distinction}}. |
In this comic, Cueball, White Hat, and Megan reenact the scene, with Cueball taking the role of Gandalf. The doors apparently open off-panel when the password is spoken. White Hat then wonders aloud what the Elvish word for "frenemy" is, and Cueball postulates "mellogoth". This is a {{w|portmanteau}} of "mellon" and "coth", much like how "frenemy" is a portmanteau of "friend" and "enemy". The {{w|Sindarin}} word-root ''coth'', in its {{w|Lenition|lenited}} form ''goth'', is best known as part of the name of {{w|Morgoth}} (literally, "Black Enemy") of the ''{{w|Silmarillion}}''. The doors apparently immediately slam shut the moment Cueball says ''mellogoth''. It is unclear whether this is because the opposite of the password has been spoken, or because the doors take offense to the word/concept ''frenemy'', of which xkcd has previously made fun in [[919: Tween Bromance]]. | In this comic, Cueball, White Hat, and Megan reenact the scene, with Cueball taking the role of Gandalf. The doors apparently open off-panel when the password is spoken. White Hat then wonders aloud what the Elvish word for "frenemy" is, and Cueball postulates "mellogoth". This is a {{w|portmanteau}} of "mellon" and "coth", much like how "frenemy" is a portmanteau of "friend" and "enemy". The {{w|Sindarin}} word-root ''coth'', in its {{w|Lenition|lenited}} form ''goth'', is best known as part of the name of {{w|Morgoth}} (literally, "Black Enemy") of the ''{{w|Silmarillion}}''. The doors apparently immediately slam shut the moment Cueball says ''mellogoth''. It is unclear whether this is because the opposite of the password has been spoken, or because the doors take offense to the word/concept ''frenemy'', of which xkcd has previously made fun in [[919: Tween Bromance]]. | ||
