explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

744: Walkthrough

2013-03-25T06:44:39Z

Dmeff: Created page with "{{comic | number = 744 | date = 2010-05-24 | title = Walkthrough | image = Walkthrough.png | titletext = "There's nothing hotter than porn dubbed over with a ..."

{{comic
| number = 744
| date = 2010-05-24
| title = Walkthrough
| image = Walkthrough.png
| titletext = "There's nothing hotter than porn dubbed over with a poorly-mic'd teenager's voice explaining each step in a droning monotone. 'okay, we're almost at the spawn point ... separate the labia, but watch out, there are more inside them ..."
}}

==Explanation==

Walkthrough Videos are recorded explanations of how to accomplish a certain task, usually beat a particular videogame. Speed-runs are walkthrough videos showing the fastest way to finish the game. The man is implying that, because of following the speed-run video, intercourse didn't last enough.

==Transcript==
:[A man sits at a computer. His friend enters the room.]

:Man at computer: How did the date go?
:Friend: I wanted to be prepared, so I looked up a sex walkthrough video.

:[The two men sit silently contemplating the words of the previous moment.]

:Man at computer: ...and?
:Friend: It turns out it was a speed run.
:Man at computer: Ouch.

{{comic discussion}}

762: Analogies

2013-03-25T06:37:17Z

Dmeff:

{{comic
| number =
| date = 2010-07-05
| title = Analogies
| image = Analogies.png
| titletext = "I just call all of them Synecdoche"
}}

==Explanation==

This comic revolves around the similarities (And differences) between the concepts of "Analogy", "Simile" and "Metaphor"

The dictionary defines a "metaphor" as a figure of speech that uses one thing to mean another and makes a comparison between the two. For example, Shakespeare's line, "All the world's a stage," is a metaphor comparing the whole world to a theater stage. Metaphors can be very simple, and they can function as most any part of speech. "The spy shadowed the woman" is a verb metaphor. The spy doesn't literally cast his shadow on the woman, but he follows her so closely and quietly that he resembles her own shadow.

A simile, also called an open comparison, is a form of metaphor that compares two different things to create a new meaning. But a simile always uses "like" or "as" within the phrase and is more explicit than a metaphor. For example, Shakespeare's line could be rewritten as a simile to read: "The world is like a stage." Another simile would be: "The spy was close as a shadow." Both metaphor and simile can be used to enhance writing.

An analogy is a bit more complicated. At the most basic level, an analogy shows similarity between things that might seem different -- much like an extended metaphor or simile. But analogy isn't just a form of speech. It can be a logical argument: if two things are alike in some ways, they are alike in some other ways as well. Analogy is often used to help provide insight by comparing an unknown subject to one that is more familiar. It can also show a relationship between pairs of things. This form of analogy is often used on standardized tests in the form "A is to B as C is to D."

==Transcript==
:[Two men sit in front of the TV, one on the couch, the other on the floor. A woman stands by the TV set.]

:Woman: While I'm up, does anyone want a sandwich?
:Man 1: Is "sandwich" a metaphor?

:Woman: No, I'm bad at metaphors. But I could try a simile.
:Man 1: I guess that's like a metaphor. Sure.

:[As the woman starts to walk away, the men continue to speak.]

:Man 2: Well, "a simile is like a metaphor" is a simile.
:Man 1: Is that simile itself a metaphor for something?
:Man 2: Maybe it's a metaphor for analogy.

:[The two men are still sitting in the same place while the woman is out of the panel.]

:Man 1: Similes are like metaphors in that they're both analogies.
:Woman: Analogies are like sandwiches in that I'm making one now.

762: Analogies

2013-03-25T06:36:14Z

Dmeff:

{{comic
| number =
| date = 2010-07-05
| title = Analogies
| image = [http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/analogies.png]
| titletext = "I just call all of them Synecdoche"
}}

==Explanation==

This comic revolves around the similarities (And differences) between the concepts of "Analogy", "Simile" and "Metaphor"

The dictionary defines a "metaphor" as a figure of speech that uses one thing to mean another and makes a comparison between the two. For example, Shakespeare's line, "All the world's a stage," is a metaphor comparing the whole world to a theater stage. Metaphors can be very simple, and they can function as most any part of speech. "The spy shadowed the woman" is a verb metaphor. The spy doesn't literally cast his shadow on the woman, but he follows her so closely and quietly that he resembles her own shadow.

A simile, also called an open comparison, is a form of metaphor that compares two different things to create a new meaning. But a simile always uses "like" or "as" within the phrase and is more explicit than a metaphor. For example, Shakespeare's line could be rewritten as a simile to read: "The world is like a stage." Another simile would be: "The spy was close as a shadow." Both metaphor and simile can be used to enhance writing.

An analogy is a bit more complicated. At the most basic level, an analogy shows similarity between things that might seem different -- much like an extended metaphor or simile. But analogy isn't just a form of speech. It can be a logical argument: if two things are alike in some ways, they are alike in some other ways as well. Analogy is often used to help provide insight by comparing an unknown subject to one that is more familiar. It can also show a relationship between pairs of things. This form of analogy is often used on standardized tests in the form "A is to B as C is to D."

==Transcript==
:[Two men sit in front of the TV, one on the couch, the other on the floor. A woman stands by the TV set.]

:Woman: While I'm up, does anyone want a sandwich?
:Man 1: Is "sandwich" a metaphor?

:Woman: No, I'm bad at metaphors. But I could try a simile.
:Man 1: I guess that's like a metaphor. Sure.

:[As the woman starts to walk away, the men continue to speak.]

:Man 2: Well, "a simile is like a metaphor" is a simile.
:Man 1: Is that simile itself a metaphor for something?
:Man 2: Maybe it's a metaphor for analogy.

:[The two men are still sitting in the same place while the woman is out of the panel.]

:Man 1: Similes are like metaphors in that they're both analogies.
:Woman: Analogies are like sandwiches in that I'm making one now.

762: Analogies

2013-03-25T06:30:33Z

Dmeff: Created page with "{{comic | number = | date = 2010-07-05 | title = Analogies | image = File:http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/analogies.png | titletext = "I just call all of them..."

{{comic
| number =
| date = 2010-07-05
| title = Analogies
| image = [[File:http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/analogies.png]]
| titletext = "I just call all of them Synecdoche"
}}

==Explanation==

This comic revolves around the similarities (And differences) between the concepts of "Analogy", "Simile" and "Metaphor"

The dictionary defines a "metaphor" as a figure of speech that uses one thing to mean another and makes a comparison between the two. For example, Shakespeare's line, "All the world's a stage," is a metaphor comparing the whole world to a theater stage. Metaphors can be very simple, and they can function as most any part of speech. "The spy shadowed the woman" is a verb metaphor. The spy doesn't literally cast his shadow on the woman, but he follows her so closely and quietly that he resembles her own shadow.

A simile, also called an open comparison, is a form of metaphor that compares two different things to create a new meaning. But a simile always uses "like" or "as" within the phrase and is more explicit than a metaphor. For example, Shakespeare's line could be rewritten as a simile to read: "The world is like a stage." Another simile would be: "The spy was close as a shadow." Both metaphor and simile can be used to enhance writing.

An analogy is a bit more complicated. At the most basic level, an analogy shows similarity between things that might seem different -- much like an extended metaphor or simile. But analogy isn't just a form of speech. It can be a logical argument: if two things are alike in some ways, they are alike in some other ways as well. Analogy is often used to help provide insight by comparing an unknown subject to one that is more familiar. It can also show a relationship between pairs of things. This form of analogy is often used on standardized tests in the form "A is to B as C is to D."

==Transcript==
[[Two men sit in front of the TV, one on the couch, the other on the floor. A woman stands by the TV set.]]
Woman: While I'm up, does anyone want a sandwich?
Man 1: Is "sandwich" a metaphor?

Woman: No, I'm bad at metaphors. But I could try a simile.
Man 1: I guess that's
like
a metaphor. Sure.

[[As the woman starts to walk away, the men continue to speak.]]
Man 2: Well, "a simile is like a metaphor" is a simile.
Man 1: Is that simile itself a metaphor for something?
Man 2: Maybe it's a metaphor for analogy.

[[The two men are still sitting in the same place while the woman is out of the panel.]]
Man 1: Similes
are
metaphors in that they're both analogies.
Woman: Analogies are like sandwiches in that I'm making one now.