explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:3237: Husband and Wife

2026-05-15T03:52:22Z

The-Daleks: Added comment

As a UKian, the most obvious reference here is Papa Lazarou in The League of Gentlemen. I assume that's not what Randall has in mind though (is LoG even a thing in the US?), and I have no idea what he might be thinking of. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 15:37, 24 April 2026 (UTC)
:It's in the title text: the movie "Borat". The title character's way of saying "my wife" became an earworm. Google it. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 15:43, 24 April 2026 (UTC)
:: Ah - OK - don't think the title text was appearing when I was initially looking at it. Found it now. Doesn't mean anything to me. Papa Lazarou is still more salient, and ''much'' worse. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 15:46, 24 April 2026 (UTC)
: I immediately thought of Kimura-sensei from Azumanga Daioh. [[Special:Contributions/70.40.121.82|70.40.121.82]] 16:03, 24 April 2026 (UTC)
: Hello Dave! You want to buy some pegs [[Special:Contributions/2A02:C7C:AD6D:1900:643A:9B89:E674:2F22|2A02:C7C:AD6D:1900:643A:9B89:E674:2F22]] 17:42, 24 April 2026 (UTC)
: Ah, you beat me to it. XKCD's been updating quite late in the day recently, so I thought I was safe not checking for a new strip until now - only to find that apparently it's been up for hours, and the ExplainXKCD comments have likewise. Yes, Papa Lazarou was my first thought. "You're my wife now!" :) [[Special:Contributions/50.45.232.78|50.45.232.78]] 20:31, 24 April 2026 (UTC)

Out of curiosity, does anyone actually use 'my wife/husband'? I've never heard about it before. Is it an American thing or something? [[User:GSLikesCats307|GSLikesCats307]] ([[User talk:GSLikesCats307|talk]]) 18:41, 24 April 2026 (UTC)
: In the UK it's more normal to use expressions such as "my better half" when talking about your spouse to somebody that doesn't know them, other than in that role [[Special:Contributions/2A02:C7C:AD6D:1900:643A:9B89:E674:2F22|2A02:C7C:AD6D:1900:643A:9B89:E674:2F22]] 17:45, 24 April 2026 (UTC)
::"My better half" can be said with genuine feeling or sarcasm, either way. Then there's "my other half", "(him/her) indoors", occasionally "my spouse", "my partner" (downplays the possibility of there being an actual full marriage/similar), "the first Mrs Surname" (usually for men who think it's funny to joke about a long-time relationship maybe ending one day), "the latest Mrs Surname" (for those, again, as well as any who have gone through that at least once), and "Mr" versions of those last two (on occasions). Also "the old man" (or lady/girl/lass, etc, to suit) and other regional variations. Rhyming slang versions include "the Trouble" (and Strife, ie. 'wife'), "pot" (and pan, 'old man'), even "Danger" (mouse, 'spouse') etc... [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 19:48, 24 April 2026 (UTC)
:::You forgot SWMBO, "She Who Must Be Obeyed" - from an old Edgar Rice Burroughs story, I believe (Edit: I was wrong. It's H. Rider Haggard.), and popularised by Rumpole the defence lawyer in the books/TV show. [[Special:Contributions/50.45.232.78|50.45.232.78]] 20:31, 24 April 2026 (UTC)
:::: "The good lady/gentleman [insert profession here] indoors" [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 08:06, 27 April 2026 (UTC)
:::"...''anyone actually use 'my wife/husband'?''" I have been her 'starter husband' for 47 years now. OTOH, I was talking to a contractor and said 'Let's ask my Boss'...' Instantly understood. --[[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 05:44, 26 April 2026 (UTC)
: To me (an American), the phrases "my husband" and "my wife" are so common and ordinary that I'm surprised to hear someone say they've never heard them before. Out of curiosity, where is it that people ''don't'' say things like "I went to that restaurant with my wife once," and what do they say instead (assuming that the person being spoken to doesn't know the wife's name)? -- [[Special:Contributions/2601:404:C300:8040:7A4A:8D8C:3378:DA33|2601:404:C300:8040:7A4A:8D8C:3378:DA33]] 19:35, 24 April 2026 (UTC)
:: Same (as an Australian). It's so normal that 1. I can't understand anyone having an issue with it, and 2. I can't think of any other way to refer to them that doesn't sound MUCH weirder. [[Special:Contributions/2400:EC40:1112:6A00:593D:B855:D8E0:1CBE|2400:EC40:1112:6A00:593D:B855:D8E0:1CBE]] 03:09, 26 April 2026 (UTC)
:::THIS Australian hasn't heard "my wife" or "my husband" for decades. Or even more. "My partner" sometimes, even for hetro couples, and the American usages of "My Husband" for same-sex couples sounds weird, not because they are same sex, just because "My Husband" would be so weird -- maybe at a wedding speech, for a laugh, but just not used for any other purpose. And it's a movie meme: if you want to specifically call attention to your relationship status you say "My Partner", and if you say "My Partner", people think you are specifically calling attention to your relationship status. {{unsigned ip|2001:8003:dc65:7e01:e153:e2bd:89c1:6ef0|01:28, 27 April 2026 (UTC)}}
:::"This weird [woman|man] who's been hanging around me for years now despite my best efforts"? [[Special:Contributions/136.226.55.1|136.226.55.1]] 19:17, 27 April 2026 (UTC)
:: As another UKer, I'm frankly astonished to read about people from this country (or any other English-speaking one) finding these phrases uncommon or outdated. I wouldn't hesitate to use them, and feel like they are used all the time as everyday parts of the language. {{unsigned ip|146.90.102.115|11:19, 27 April 2026}}
: The idea that you have NEVER heard of the phrases "my husband" and "my wife" is so just.....wow. And the implication that this way to refer to your spouse is exclusive to America......truly amazing. Good job. [[User:Pieartsy|Pieartsy]] ([[User talk:Pieartsy|talk]]) 20:52, 26 April 2026 (UTC)

Where does it say Megan is concerned with "My" because it's possessive? I think she's just commenting on how fancy and formal it sounds. Also, I don't see how the comic age plays into anything. I do think there is definitely a nod to the ghost in #1108 though. [[Special:Contributions/170.187.32.34|170.187.32.34]] 17:50, 24 April 2026 (UTC)
:I agree, it doesn't seem to be related to the possessive pronoun, but with the title "husband", which is deeply rooted in how traditional heteronormative families are constructed. {{unsigned ip|177.68.176.56|17:58, 24 April 2026 (UTC)}}
::I also strongly doubt this is what concerns Megan. To me it's just the connotations to traditional, since outdated, family values that worries her. (This is probably why in the UK people appear to have stopped using the term, which must be an old thing as my parents who emigrated in the 80s also do it.) {{unsigned ip|109.88.43.61|20:48, 24 April 2026 (UTC)}}

Randall is a young pup. When someone says "my wife", the first thing I thought of wasn't Borat; it was Henny Youngman. [[Special:Contributions/136.226.20.200|136.226.20.200]] 19:33, 24 April 2026 (UTC)
:Exactly this! I was about to google if he died 20 years ago (I figured it was closer to 40. It's actually 28 years ago in 1998) when I saw the hover text.
:When I hear the phrase "my wife" I always end up finishing it with "Morgan Fairchild ... whom I've slept with" [[Special:Contributions/66.212.184.170|66.212.184.170]] 20:05, 24 April 2026 (UTC)'

There are a few questions about usage. Just to clarify, most (many?) Americans say "''My wife, Alice is... She likes... Alice does....''" Americans tend to say "my wife" *once* in a conversation to make the listener familiar with the relationship. I've known very few people who *never* use the spouse's name, but who consistently say "''My wife is... she likes... My wife does...''". The last person I heard doing it was a xennial from South Africa, maybe 20 years ago. That feels extremely possessive and insecure to me, particularly given that I was friends with his wife. Still, I think the comic is only commenting on one-off usage, not this insecure, possessive usage. I haven't heard any slang for "spouse" ("better half", "ball and chain") from anyone born after 1960. [[Special:Contributions/84.233.216.250|84.233.216.250]] 23:10, 24 April 2026 (UTC)
: So, out of curiosity from a non-English speaker, what word DO you use in conversations where the name would not be the central issue? For example, the plumber asks you whether he can come on thursday 4 pm, and you say "well, I'll have to ask [isert word] about this, since I'll not be home". --[[Special:Contributions/92.208.67.191|92.208.67.191]] 07:53, 27 April 2026 (UTC)
:: I would say "my wife/husband/spouse" one time (personally, I prefer common-gender nouns), and then use the appropriate pronoun for the remainder of the exchange. If it's a plumber I see frequently, rather than just once, I might say "my wife/husband/spouse, [name]". but for a one-instance transactional encounter like a cashier, etc., I wouldn't. [[Special:Contributions/191.101.157.22|191.101.157.22]] 13:31, 28 April 2026 (UTC)
Am I in the minority? When referring to spouses, especially the 1st time, I usually say "[your|my|their|the] [Mrs|Mr]" as a noun, not including any surname @ all. Avoids this whole thing neatly, while being utterly clear & a bit ''(intentionally)'' corny. --[[User:TPS|TPS]] ([[User talk:TPS|talk]]) 03:39, 25 April 2026 (UTC)
: Did you mean "not including any ''given'' name" (first name)? "Mr." and "Mrs. are normally followed by the surname (family name). [[Special:Contributions/191.101.157.28|191.101.157.28]] 19:20, 25 April 2026 (UTC)
: Whoops, never mind. I re-read your post. [[Special:Contributions/191.101.157.28|191.101.157.28]] 19:23, 25 April 2026 (UTC)
I was just around a bunch of colleagues (in America) in social settings (meals, driving around) and "my wife"/"my husband" was used frequently. Not necessarily only once per person per conversation. Though we often *did* throw in the spouses' names in too, for variety. On the question whether Megan was concerned about the possessive or the formality of "husband", it's definitely the latter. Complaining about the supposed possessive is just being dense or juvenile about language. Using the phrase when you're recently married is awkward for almost everyone. [[User:Gvanrossum|Gvanrossum]] ([[User talk:Gvanrossum|talk]]) 03:55, 25 April 2026 (UTC)

And I feel unaccustomed to call my mom "Mom" while speaking to her [[User:Cream Starlight|Cream S.L.]] ([[User talk:Cream Starlight|talk]] / [[Special:Contributions/Cream_Starlight|contribs]]) 04:56, 25 April 2026 (UTC)

This comic is *very nice* [[Special:Contributions/99.10.82.184|99.10.82.184]] 05:06, 25 April 2026 (UTC)

In summary, it seems Randall is vastly overestimating how many people have seen and remember Borat. Really, the "most salient cultural reference"? --[[User:Coconut Galaxy|Coconut Galaxy]] ([[User talk:Coconut Galaxy|talk]]) 06:34, 25 April 2026 (UTC)
:Indeed, I've never seen Borat. (And being British, I always called my mother "mum".) {{unsigned ip|2a00:23cc:d248:8901:94bc:c8d7:48aa:c9cb|08:42, 25 April 2026}}
::Yeah, also British and never particularly a fan of such 'character comedy' (his Borat/Ali G/etc, Trigger Happy TV, even back to Beadles About and its prank-type TV), though of course admire the chutzpah behind them (the whole "Cake drug" setup from Chris Morris/Brass Eye, the 'snail' using the zebra crossing, getting someone to ask an 'alien' if it would like some tea). So the specific Borat quote-reference passed me by (thank the non-existant pantheon of deities that explainxkcd was here to fill me in).
::My mum's also always been called "Mum" (well, since I stopped using "Mummy!", that is), too. "Husband"s can also be "hubbie"s (not sure that the obvious counterpart of "wifey" gets so much use, but then that isn't a vocal contraction, perhaps "the missis" (however you'd spell it) is the more used direct return-term by said hubbie), as in "your hubbie, my hubbie, their hubbie, all our hubbies...".
::Having "my" imply ownership, as suggested, is not particularly well founded, considering "my slave" (definite ownership, of the target referred to) and "my master (definite ownership, ''by '' the target referred to) but between there's everything else ("my replacement", "my opponent", "my ex", "my most distantly known relative") between where it's a matter of mere association, at best.
::If I have any insight into the popular use of "husband" and "wife", it's just that marriage isn't what it used to be. Both the potential transience of such partnerships (though many aren't, those for whom it is might repeat the transience with someone else later, upping the perceived occurances) and the rising tendency of 'mere' co-habiting (at least for a while ...I've been to weddings where the couple's kids take part as page-boys/girls, ring-bearers, etc) makes marriage neither the solid default option nor an easily assumed relationship (it used, at one point, to be that the more common variation was "Yes, lovely couple, I know them well... Of ''course'' they are both married, just not to each other...")
::It seems to imply a earlier-age formality (like the comic says). If a woman talks of "my wife" or a man talks of "my husband", it's to me not really more a shock to hear ''that'' than just have a heteronormative relationship pressed home accordingly. Maybe at most introduce "this is Jack... he's my husband..." or "my wife, Jill, will be along shortly/can't be here today" then refer to Jack/Jill by name only.
::The exception might be on TV, etc, by personalities, perhaps using "husband"/"wife" (then "they"ing them) in any statements they decide to avoid any greater detail (than their respective gender) being 'outed'. Even if said partner (and the doubly-ambiguous "partner" usage seems to be less, without any rise at all in the singly-ambiguous "spouse") is also a personality, likely already well known enough. Actually ''name-checking'' the partner (first name, never mind full name) is rare except for 'celebrity couples' who lean on that relationship consciously. And bear in mind that in such marital partnerships, likely both parties have retained their professional (if not legal) surnames, so Mr Abraham Smith is probably married to Mr/Mrs/implicitly-''Miss'' Betty Jones, and all the extra reverse combinations. David and Victoria Beckham is one exception, but then "Posh Spice" was not really going to hold as much kudos for her post-Spice pursuits. The ''other'' obvious David and Victoria (Mitchell and 'Coren Mitchell' neé Coren) did it by a sort of double barelling, in her case, which seems nust traditional enough but flexible enough to have worked well for them both.
::It's become rare to the point of near-extinction for the wife to have called herself "Mrs Arthur Brown", having only technically become "Amelia Brown (neé Green)". The most you hear of it is for those in the throws of considering such a marriage ("...if I play my cards right, I shall be Mrs Humphrey Basingstoke within the year!") or on the day of any such wedding itself. I don't think there's any real tendency to go any further than changing their surname (if they even do that!), nor much practical need to present themself (factually or as a 'front') as being a 'properly kept wife' for the purposes of mortgages or other business interests that at one time were tricky to maintain without such official marital 'sponsorship').
::...but how much of this is implicit to the comic's intended meaning is... debatable. ;) [[Special:Contributions/82.132.236.85|82.132.236.85]] 16:19, 25 April 2026 (UTC)
::: Re: ''And being British, I always called my mother "mum".'', I was reading a novel that took place in Birmingham, England, (IIRC) and was surprised to see the characters refer to their mother as "mom". So I suppose "being British" is factually correct, but not explanatory. [[Special:Contributions/191.101.157.97|191.101.157.97]] 22:14, 25 April 2026 (UTC)
:::: The British sometimes watch a lot of American TV, so anything is possible, but I would assume that you are reading an American publication of a British novel, with American editing. {{unsigned ip|2001:8003:dc65:7e01:e153:e2bd:89c1:6ef0|01:33, 27 April 2026 (UTC)}}
::::: You're free to assume wrong, if you choose, but no. There are people in Birmingham who are complaining that they don't have Mother's Day cards saying "mom". [https://noai.duckduckgo.com/?q=birmingham+%22mom%22+%22mum%22&noai=1&ia=web] [[Special:Contributions/191.101.157.23|191.101.157.23]] 15:27, 28 April 2026 (UTC)

I think the possessive pronouns is unlikely to be the issue presented. In Hebrew, the very word "husband" means "owner of", and it's become quite common for young people to shun it for feministic reasons.
In English that's much less prevalent though, so it's probably just how marriage is sometimes seen as an outdated, oldish, formal concept (a family consisting of a "husband and wife" does negate other forms of families). [[Special:Contributions/62.56.234.252|62.56.234.252]] 09:03, 25 April 2026 (UTC)
: Do you mean "possessive adjectives" rather than "possessive pronouns"? Possessive adjectives precede a noun: "Alex is her husband"; possessive pronouns stand on their own ("the car is hers"). Possessive adjectives include "my", "your", and "their", while possessive pronouns include "mine", "yours", and "theirs". [[Special:Contributions/191.101.157.28|191.101.157.28]] 19:20, 25 April 2026 (UTC)

Is this comic political or something? What's wrong with being called a wife? [[Special:Contributions/109.86.171.138|109.86.171.138]] 14:06, 25 April 2026 (UTC)
: No, it's a reference to usage in the film ''Borat''. [[Special:Contributions/191.101.157.28|191.101.157.28]] 19:23, 25 April 2026 (UTC)

The most salient cultural reference to "my wife" for me was uttered by Will Smith at the academy awards in 2022. But now I am going to suffer through Borat to hear Randall's meaning. Thanks? [[User:SeanNerd|SeanNerd]] ([[User talk:SeanNerd|talk]]) 14:22, 25 April 2026 (UTC)
:It wasn't really my cup of tea, but the film won many awards and is is on many lists of funniest movies of the 21st century. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 00:00, 26 April 2026 (UTC)

''Borat'' didn't come to mind at all. I saw that movie once, when it was in theaters, didn't like it, and never thought about it again until now. Although it's not "the most salient" cultural reference, the first thing that came to my mind with the phrase "my wife" was The Who's song, ''My Wife''. About a guy who gets drunk in a bar and spends the night in jail and is now afraid to go home because his wife will assume he's been cheating on her and will react with extreme violence. Not a funny topic, but John Entwistle's lyrics do make it into a humorous story. [[User:Shamino|Shamino]] ([[User talk:Shamino|talk]]) 16:32, 25 April 2026 (UTC)

Showing my age, I thought the "most salient cultural reference was the condescending tag line, "My Wife. I think I'll keep her!" from the Geritol commercial in the 1970s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lNfpQ_8tEw , referenced ironically in the 1990's Mary Chapin Carpenter song, "He thinks he'll keep her.").
[[Special:Contributions/2600:4040:5B41:7F00:D446:3D5D:F35D:E282|2600:4040:5B41:7F00:D446:3D5D:F35D:E282]]
:Not quite that long ago ('80s? '90s?) but "...and a fillet of fish for my wife" from a Mcdonalds ad is my equivalent of that, I think. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 18:29, 25 April 2026 (UTC)

I honestly thought this was something else, but then again, I've not watched Borat. (was sorta thinking it was the ASDFmovie 16 thing with Alex Rochon. dunno why.) [[User:Ilios2357|Cain-In-Vain]] ([[User talk:Ilios2357|talk]]) 06:36, 26 April 2026 (UTC)
:My initial thought was J. Geils band "No anchovies, please" though initially I could only remember "... MY WIFE!" and the voice. It took a while to place though. {{unsigned|Lordpishky|15:04, 26 April 2026 (UTC)}}

As another person showing their age, the most salient cultural reference that popped into my head was “that was no lady, that’s my wife!”. I’ve never been as confused by an XKCD as by this one. And the alt text only made it worse. Oh, well, everyone has to age out at some point. [[User:SSteve|SSteve]] ([[User talk:SSteve|talk]]) 06:02, 27 April 2026 (UTC)

It's rather hilarious that I seem to be in the minority for whom this comic ''immediately'' clicked [[Special:Contributions/52.213.77.206|52.213.77.206]] 07:06, 27 April 2026 (UTC)

Did anyone else get the implication that these two characters are, in fact, married (at least in the context of this strip)? -- [[User:Dtgriscom|Dtgriscom]] ([[User talk:Dtgriscom|talk]]) 18:25, 27 April 2026 (UTC)
: That seemed clear. More importantly, though, they are no-longer-just-recently married, given the adverb 'still' ("I still feel a little weird saying..."), implying that the wedding was maybe not in the past week, but maybe in the last year or two. [[Special:Contributions/191.101.157.22|191.101.157.22]] 13:31, 28 April 2026 (UTC)

Despite having seen Borat and being a jokester of all tropes, memester of some, my immediate connection was Azumanga Daioh. {{unsigned ip|2a02:1210:92b4:4a00:c426:cc0e:6627:3308|11:16, 1 May 2026}}

I think he might be using Borat (a character people will recognize) to refer to Sacha Baron Cohen. Prior to the Borat films, Cohen made a movie called 'Ali G Indahouse'. His character (Ali G), had a banner that went across the top of the windshield of his car that had ‘Ali G’ on the driver’s side and ‘Me Bitch’ on the passenger’s side. I never watched the whole movie to confirm whether he verbally refers to his wife as ‘Me Bitch’, though. [[Special:Contributions/2603:6010:6C00:DA:49BF:A509:106C:9458|2603:6010:6C00:DA:49BF:A509:106C:9458]] 14:36, 2 May 2026 (UTC)

Ironically, IIRC in the actual Victorian era using "my wife" was considered somewhat uncouth, since it was seen as objectifying women. This went doubly so for the second-person equivalent ("your wife"); the standard way of referring to someone's spouse was "Mr(s). [last name]". That said, "Mrs. [husband's full name]" was alright in formal contexts.

Talk:3006: Demons

2024-11-09T00:11:42Z

The-Daleks:

Instead of an iron pitchfork, he probably uses a silver hammer! [[Special:Contributions/172.71.26.54|172.71.26.54]] 16:34, 1 November 2024 (UTC)

🤓☝ moment [[User:CalibansCreations|'''Caliban''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]])
20:03, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
:Why are his hands backwards??? What did you do to him?! [[User:Psychoticpotato|P?sych??otic?pot??at???o ]] ([[User talk:Psychoticpotato|talk]]) 21:36, 1 November 2024 (UTC)

Note that while boiling souls in oil or casting them into flame pit is traditional, multiple authors already made the observation that it's not really that effective and that modern devils would likely go for psychological torture instead. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 01:15, 2 November 2024 (UTC)
:That's what I thought... it's a beautiful meta-comment that the comic makes this transition to modern torture coincide with the transition to modern physics, as it is embodied by Maxwell, who explained "large-scale effects" and "distant effects" microscopically resp. infinitesimally. [[User:Transgalactic|Transgalactic]] ([[User talk:Transgalactic|talk]]) 03:06, 2 November 2024 (UTC)
:As discussed in Pratchett's {{w|Eric (novel)|<s>Faust</s> Eric}}, both damned ''and'' demons might actually prefer traditional physical punishment to a more tedious psychological regime. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.36|172.70.162.36]] 03:28, 2 November 2024 (UTC)

The evolution of life (entropy-reversing agents) disproves the second law of thermodynamics, which is rooted in short-term statistics of large systems rather than systems where the duration of time greatly exceeds the number of particles. Maxwell’s Demon could be seen as a simplification of this —- that taking action to counter probability does indeed do so, and is indeed probable eventually. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.3.96|172.68.3.96]] 14:10, 2 November 2024 (UTC)
:Note that life doesn't disprove 2LD at all. The law applies to the whole interacting thermodynamic system, not just the a subset of the system. Life-altered entropy is entirely possible at the 'expense' of a wider rebalancing within 'whole' system. The Earth's biosphere is (mostly) 'fed' by (some of) the heat of the Sun, which in turn is provided by the gradual (but greater) entropy-obeying transition of the star into its various future forms. Life just hitches a ride on this. (It's an interesting question where the 'spare' entropy-change would go if the life wasn't here, actually, except that 2LD doesn't force a given magnitude of change, merely that it not be as if time-reversed.) [[Special:Contributions/172.70.58.5|172.70.58.5]] 16:54, 3 November 2024 (UTC)

Honestly, not necessarily a bad torture method depending on how it was implemented. You start out with people not knowing anything, and wandering around, but then they gradually flow through the door. Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, it slowly becomes more and more crowded as people drift into a limited space. As time goes on it only gets worse as more and more people enter the room and it becomes denser and denser. Eventually, you have everyone is crushed together in what is then basically a box stuffed to the brim with bodies, and even then they know it will only get worse and that had they only stayed outside they would have been fine. Combine this with a large enough group of people and an eternity of time, and it probably would work pretty well. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.22.191|172.68.22.191]] 05:27, 3 November 2024 (UTC)
: Let's compute the human equivalent temperature...T=mv^2/2/k...something around 10^23 K. Hot as hell :-) [[Special:Contributions/172.69.109.3|172.69.109.3]] 09:35, 3 November 2024 (UTC)

I wonder how they'd get along with daemons from computing. [[User:N-eh|N-eh]] ([[User talk:N-eh|talk]]) 20:25, 3 November 2024 (UTC)

"All of the other demons used to laugh and call him names. They never let poor Maxwell's demon join in any demon games. Then one hot night in Hell, Satan came to say: "Maxwell's demon with your love of violating entropy, won't you cool down hell tonight?" Then all the demons loved him, as they shouted out with glee: "Maxwell the entropy demon, you'll go down in history!" [[Special:Contributions/172.68.55.11|172.68.55.11]] 19:17, 4 November 2024 (UTC)
:Oh, that is '''wonderful'''. Truly a work of art. '''[[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]][[User talk:42.book.addict|Talk to me!]]''' 19:29, 4 November 2024 (UTC)
:: nice new signature! + the phrase "[https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiw2M-Y4MSJAxWIUKQEHZ2YF2sQwqsBegQIDRAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DGutK6q2lgMU&usg=AOvVaw1OkrfCuZiqckImXY2uSC-p&opi=89978449 truly a work of art]" forever haunts me [[User:CalibansCreations|'''Caliban''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 08:33, 5 November 2024 (UTC)

It's worth noting that despite being strongly associated with Christianity in popular culture, the stereotypical portrayal of demons as pitchfork-wielding fiends who "punish evil humans after death" isn't Christian. In Christianity, demons only encourage evil in the living (''a la'' the "demon on the shoulder" archetype and ''The Exorcist''-style possessions.) The "punish evil humans after death" superstition is a holdover from pre-Christian paganism. [[User:The-Daleks|The Daleks]] ([[User talk:The-Daleks|talk]]) 00:11, 9 November 2024 (UTC)

==New category: Infernal Strips==
What do you think about a new Infernal category for strips with demons or in hell? There are quite a few. [[501]], [[533]]... [[Special:Contributions/172.70.47.10|172.70.47.10]] 17:56, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
:I agree. [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 18:04, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
:: I just tagged a half-dozen strips, but a site admin will have to create the category page itself. It turns out there was some overlap with a "Religion" category, whodathunkit. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.46.243|172.70.46.243]] 19:01, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
:::They were tagged inconsistently (at least two different forms of the category). And as they were all redlinked I undid them all anyway.
:::The proper process is more like:
:::# Say something like ''Hey, I think we need a "Category:<Foo>"'',
:::#* To justify it, identify a handful of comics (or all of them, if you're being thorough). Unless perhaps the comic is called "SOMETHING SOMETHING NUMBER 1" and it very much looks like it's going to be the start of a series, although still might be best to wait for "SOMETHING SOMETHING NUMBER 2".
:::# Get comments (e.g. ''Yes, a good general idea, but it should probably be "Category:<Bar>" to be consistent/accurate/properly-inclusive/etc'') and additions (''Yeah, and comic in #1234 would fit too!'')
:::# When someone who can (e.g. 42, there) decides it's been successfully argued to an agreement (YMMV), they use the final list (and the agreed upon name) to create the category and at least start the process of adding the category memberships.
:::To be honest, though I agree about the relevence of the created [[:Category:Rockets]], as just done, I also think that one was done far too quickly. I'd at least wait a few days after the last "Good idea!", just in case someone who checks in regularly but not frequently (e.g. once a week) has any wise words to add. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.49|162.158.74.49]] 22:14, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
:I agree it would be nice with a list of possible comics, and maybe a better title. Is it to do with demons of hell. Could religion be used, just added that here as the other demons are typical Christian like demons. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 10:44, 2 November 2024 (UTC)
:Names for this category: Category:Demons, Category:Infernal, Category:Hell. Did I miss any? [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 18:11, 2 November 2024 (UTC)
Me again. Sorry about the IP address. Thanks for the suggestions. Does this wiki maybe have a page where we could discuss projects, or do we have to do all of the discussions in various strip entries? I'd love to have a page about Thought Experiments where we could list the various strips and all of the relevant experiments. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.46.178|172.70.46.178]] 23:08, 2 November 2024 (UTC)
:Yes, there is [[explain xkcd:Community_portal/Proposals]]. Should I move this conversation there? [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 23:59, 2 November 2024 (UTC)
:Update: I have added Category:Demons. If y’all want a name change, I can move the page once enough support has been shown. [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 17:59, 4 November 2024 (UTC)
:::Me again. Awesome, thanks! I'm looking through a few of the other category suggestions, It looks like there is also a proposal for a "ghost" sub-category. I guess infernal/demons, celestial/angels, ghosts, and religion could all be subcategories of "supernatural". Are there any other supernatural entities we could include? [[Special:Contributions/172.71.126.94|172.71.126.94]] 14:43, 6 November 2024 (UTC)

==New category: Classical Thought Experiments==
While I'm at it, I'd also suggest a new category for Classical Thought Experiments, everything from Maxwell's Demon to Schroedinger's Cat to the Trolley Problem. Readers may be familiar with some, but not all of the classical references, and it would be nice to have them all accessible from the same page. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.46.243|172.70.46.243]] 19:01, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
:I can see something like this being useful. Not ''entirely'' sure of the name, but maybe, and I'm not sure what a better one would be. (To start off the discussion, as described above.) [[Special:Contributions/172.70.58.21|172.70.58.21]] 22:17, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
:Second that, for whatever it's worth [[User:Yamaplos|Yamaplos]] ([[User talk:Yamaplos|talk]]) 00:54, 3 November 2024 (UTC)
:Third. [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 01:51, 3 November 2024 (UTC)
:Fourthed [[Special:Contributions/172.69.71.71|172.69.71.71]] 13:14, 4 November 2024 (UTC)
:come on baby, thought experiments category [[User:CalibansCreations|'''Caliban''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 08:57, 7 November 2024 (UTC)

There's some [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demon_(thought_experiment) other demons] made famous by thought experiments. I wonder how Maxwell's Demon would get along with the Evil Demon that tricks people into thinking they're 17th century philosophers. And I'm sure Laplace's Demon already knows how they'd get along. [[User:DanielLC|DanielLC]] ([[User talk:DanielLC|talk]]) 23:36, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
: Ah bother, ninjaed. Laplaces Demon was the first that came to my mind after reading the strip. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.160.115|172.71.160.115]]+
These demons are the nerds of hell [[Special:Contributions/172.69.71.71|172.69.71.71]] 13:14, 4 November 2024 (UTC)

Talk:2912: Cursive Letters

2024-03-28T20:38:44Z

The-Daleks:

That Q is pretty easy to read, but a lot of people write it in a way that looks more like 2. That Q always throws me off. The 2 goes close to the bottom left, neither cool nor legible. [[User:EebstertheGreat|EebstertheGreat]] ([[User talk:EebstertheGreat|talk]]) 21:28, 27 March 2024 (UTC)

Cursive has been in the news lately, almost half the US states have recently passed laws requiring that cursive writing be taught in elementary schools. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 21:30, 27 March 2024 (UTC)
:Recently? I think only California did it recently, most of those laws are older. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 22:14, 27 March 2024 (UTC)
::Well, California's move made the news last year, and sparked some nationwide discussion. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:24, 28 March 2024 (UTC)

Is this the default cursive taught in US American schools? I’ve often seen this capital I, G and Q on (older) Hollywood films, but the (standard) cursive writing in Germany or France looks completely different. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.99|162.158.154.99]] 21:49, 27 March 2024 (UTC)
:Yes for the most part, at least from when I was taught (early 2000s). Though, we were taught the Q that looks like a 2, like the poster above comments on. [[User:ZeWaka|ZeWaka]] ([[User talk:ZeWaka|talk]]) 06:43, 28 March 2024 (UTC)

Labelled: https://i.imgur.com/dTdLgO6.png [[User:Bewa|Bewa]] ([[User talk:Bewa|talk]]) 22:09, 27 March 2024 (UTC)

:This labelled should go in the explanation - without it I couldn't tell what half those were. In the UK cursive capitals haven't been taught in schools for at least 60 years, I don't know of anyone under 80 who could write these! {{unsigned ip|172.70.163.24|08:25, 28 March 2024}}
::Interestingly, when I was at primary school (mostly in the '70s), we were absolutely not allowed to use biros and (cursively or not, but we certainly learnt how to 'connect' our letters) our writing was full of various serifs and nib-flourishes.
::On moving to secondary school, we were absolutely ''required'' to use ball-points (so no more squeezing out those ink-capsules all over the place, or messing with blotting paper!), but I believe "joined up" writing was encouraged so long as it was legible. You definitely have to make more effort to add serifs with biros, though, where a nib positively encourages it. (BTW, the worst pens were the 'erasable biros', probably because their ink was made to be abraded off by their hard, gritty rubber, but this also made it so easily smearable by a hand when other inks would have more quickly dried in.)
::My handwriting was never that good, in either case. I did (separately, at night-school) pick up actual caligraphy, but that just let me write very neatly (and yet often unreadable - imagine the word "minimum" in what I know as "black gothic", close to that ided as 'Textur' on {{w|Blackletter|this page's sidebar}}...) but ''extremely slowly''... If I need to write ''readably'' (sometimes even by myself), it helps if I downplay that cursiveness that I certainly did learn.
::But at least my cursive letters aren't as exotic as those alleged-Zs. The most 'unblock' character is the 'k' (which loops between 'arms' not too dissimilarly to the comic version). I tend to reserve "looping verticals" to 'l' used for the litre (to differentiate from my digit 1, e.g. looks a bit like "|ℓ" for "one litre", so as not to look like eleven). My "£" (GBP) and "&" do both flourish significantly, even without any opportunity or reason to go fully-connected by cursivity, but perhaps to make them distinguishabld from the more similar alphabetic glyphs.
::I had a quick look for other people's experiences in the UK, and it seems to distil down into [https://www.quora.com/Do-British-people-use-cursive-writing-If-yes-what-does-it-look-like this sort of answer] (look out for Quora's latest attempt to answer with 'AI bot' and get you to sign in, it's just the human answer that's relevent, etc...). [[Special:Contributions/172.70.160.167|172.70.160.167]] 09:15, 28 March 2024 (UTC)
::When I was in school in the 60's and 70's, we used pencils in early grades and ballpoints in later grades. Cheap BIC pens were the norm where I grew up (I had to google to find out what "biro" means). Fountain pens were often just fancy gifts. I got into a fountain pen phase in high school, I think because they were different and seemed "cool", but it took some practice to write legibly with them. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:24, 28 March 2024 (UTC)

Meanwhile if this was Russian/Cyrillic cursive, almost every letter would be at y=0! [[Special:Contributions/172.69.7.49|172.69.7.49]] 00:10, 28 March 2024 (UTC)

Is that a "u" in the lower left? [[User:SDSpivey|SDSpivey]] ([[User talk:SDSpivey|talk]]) 03:11, 28 March 2024 (UTC)
:Hi, so this is my first ever comment; feel free to yell at me if I’m doing it wrong. But to answer your question, nope, that’s a lowercase v. That said, the two can be frustratingly similar in some handwritings. Also, while this isn’t the point of the comic (and I assume it uses Munroe’s own handwriting) some of those letters can be made more legible and/or much cooler looking if you just write them with an alternate style. — [[User:ThatSciNerd|ThatSciNerd]] ([[User talk:ThatSciNerd|talk]]) 03:31, 28 March 2024 (UTC)

Could someone add an image of the title text? My phone apparently can't display it - just those good ol' unicode boxes. The transcription let's me know what it says, but without seeing it in cursive it's not really the same effect. thanks to whoever added the transcription though! [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.69|162.158.74.69]] 08:07, 28 March 2024 (UTC)

RE: the purpose of cursive - wasn't it developed so you didn't have to lift your quill so much, reducing blobbing and spattering of ink? {{unsigned ip|162.158.74.69|09:20, 28 March 2024}}
:I essentialy mentioned that in the justifying comment when I changed "faster" for being more efficient, but didn't want to add too much clunky reasoning to the main text. From my time when I was regularly using a nibbed pen (not quite old enough to have used quills!), there were a number of factors behind choice of writing style, with a number of them (other than the speed/laziness) not really translating to ball-point use. (Nib-angle disappears when it became a ball, not a (thin) straight-edge, the ink doesn't splash or surge, there's not as much of an issue redragging the pen-tip over freshly 'wetted' surface, etc.)
:And, because 'modern' metal pen nibs tend to have their tip(s, either side of the 'wick-gap') feature a rounded contact surface, it probably doesn't have as much of an issue as a penknife-sharpened feather-quill with being 'pushed' up the paper/parchment, which likely influenced some forms of letters (like the 'Z's), where the angle of the implement (off the paper, and ''across'' the paper) not only dictated the widths of lines, according to whether it was a broad tip-width stroke or a narrow sideways slip, but also discouraged directly pushing strokes directly 'upwards' away from the angled hand. Some of the funny letters might have arisen from the better practice of only 'tacking' in that direction. Probably alongside the pressures that encouraged a right-leaning italic style, making awkward long risers move even more away from a direct push-angle of a typical right-handed angle of grip.
:Some 'mechanical' reasons probably remain, even now. Even if upwards 'digging in' is now esentially eliminated, the 'extension' of the travelling wrist is still not as easy as the rotation (and steady sideways movement), so a discrete lean probably is still a pervasive trend, even to block-writing, like an A looking angled like /|.
:...after having a quick look (couldn't see 'A' on the comic at first, until I narrowed it down), the comic's capital 'A' looks like a large version of the ɑ-like small one. I'm more used to capital and small being different (the former being the 'inverted ox-head' style). And though cursively, capitals 'need' lead-in cursivity less than characters more likely to be not at the start of words, surely this makes it harder to join up anything that does than a character with a handy foot to a riser on the left? I mean, this is probably what made a-style 'a's a more common font treatment than ɑ-style ones. (Limited by font, here, I cannot easily find an unambiguous "over-hook" codepoint for a that wouldn't become a hookless 'ɑ' in if viewed in something like Comic Sans. But you'll all know to what I refer, hopefully.) [[Special:Contributions/172.69.43.243|172.69.43.243]] 13:33, 28 March 2024 (UTC)

The reason for cursive 'r' not being easy to read is probably more to do with the fact that it does not much resemble the printed version, and is almost more like a mirror image of it. {{unsigned ip|141.101.76.12|o09:37, 28 March 2024}}
:That's the whole point of the Y axis -- "easy to tell what letter it is" directly corresponds to how similar the cursive version is to the printed version. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:24, 28 March 2024 (UTC)

Is that seriously how people are taught to write Z and z?? I could only tell what it was by process of elimination! I've always written my Z's as essentially the block letter, just with a slightly wavy top and bottom (like the top of lowercase r). Definitely agree with how Randall placed them on the graph. EDIT: Kind of like 𝒵, actually! [[Special:Contributions/172.71.103.11|172.71.103.11]] 12:14, 28 March 2024 (UTC)
:Randall is 15 years younger than me, but I think his cursive looks very much like what I was taught. But this is from memory, I haven't written much cursive in decades. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:24, 28 March 2024 (UTC)
: Randall's cursive is almost identical to that taught by the Zaner-Bloser Method (which, coincidentally, is also how I learned). People often customize their cursive as they grow older (for example, I add a top loop to the letter "s" to make it more readable to those who don't know cursive), but Zaner-Bloser is generally considered standard. Well, except by people who use the D'Nealian method, but they're a bunch of heretics. --[[User:The-Daleks|The Daleks]] ([[User talk:The-Daleks|talk]]) 20:38, 28 March 2024 (UTC)
p
I was 100% sure the graph included some Greek letters (commonly used in physics), such as nu, and that the lower right corner was zeta (or a weird reverse xi). Randall previously made fun of zeta ("a hair fell on the scanned page") so it made sense to me. Admittedly, English isn't my first language so I'm not used to reading cursive. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.134.207|172.71.134.207]] 14:19, 28 March 2024 (UTC)
:Definitely some of the forms, from the comic, are ones that I'd use more in algebra. An 'x' closer to a small touching ")("-shape, for example. But that's as taught to me by UK education system, i.e. that 'x' not to be confused with a '×', for example. Yet my zeros default as almost '∅'-like (for some reason available on my touchscreen keyboard, though isn't that actually a 'diameter' symbol...? ...and hopefully not confusable with a rushed theta ''or'' phi!), though that may be more under the influence of '70s/'80s system fonts on computers (to differentiate from any capital-O). [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.177|172.70.86.177]] 15:42, 28 March 2024 (UTC)

And then there is [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sütterlin Sütterlin] which basically looks like long zig zag lines with a few squiggles. My grandma wrote like that, I never managed to read her letters. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.248|162.158.158.248]] 17:46, 28 March 2024 (UTC)

Talk:2910: The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

2024-03-27T19:33:35Z

The-Daleks: Continuing a beautiful song.

well ''that'' was early. [[user talk:lettherebedarklight|youtu.be/miLcaqq2Zpk]] 11:47, 22 March 2024 (UTC)

This singer is a bit fast and loose with the rhyme-scheme; aAbCd(?D)eC with the "dD", especially, being Go+Most, Tune+Words(!), ¿This/As?+Words and Crimes+Time. And scansion is potentially off (mid-line endings definitely are). I would hope that another shipwreck wouldn't happen until this new guy has tightened up his own art a little. (But once he gets good enough, fair enough!) [[Special:Contributions/172.71.242.161|172.71.242.161]] 12:57, 22 March 2024 (UTC)

:"For it's challenging trying to write good" [[User:N0lqu|-boB]] ([[User talk:N0lqu|talk]]) 14:00, 22 March 2024 (UTC)

:"This singer is a bit fast and loose..." This is Gordon and his First Draft. Just strumming to see if the song has legs (fins?). We know Gordon could fiddle the rhyme and line-breaks as good as anybody. But prolly not on a dock on Lake Superior in November. (OTOH Sittin' on The Dock of the Bay, Otis Redding wrote in August on a rented houseboat in Sausalito, California; a much nicer workplace.) --[[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 23:05, 22 March 2024 (UTC)

:: ''Lightfoot'' was a bit fast and loose with the rhyme scheme; the version of the first verse shown is arguably closer to rhyming than the corresponding verse in the song itself (the rhyme chosen there for "seasoned" is "Wisconsin" rather than "Cleveland"; "Cleveland" does appear as a rhyming word in the song, but it's rhymed with "feelin'"). The worst rhymes here are no more "off" than the worst ones in the canonical song. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.186.95|162.158.186.95]] 19:14, 23 March 2024 (UTC)

Is the Cameron accusation also suggesting that he has actual time travel technology, as shown in his Terminator movies? [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:19, 22 March 2024 (UTC)

How long should we wait before using peoples' deaths as entertainment? Relatives and friends of the crew are still alive. Are the terrorist attacks of 2001 open yet for parody? ...or wait another decade or two? Please consider others. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.214.108|172.69.214.108]] 14:26, 22 March 2024 (UTC)
: Given that the original song turned it into entertainment less than a year after, and it's been widely parodied pretty much ever since, I think you may, if you'll pardon the phrase, have missed the boat on that one.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.53|141.101.98.53]] 14:59, 22 March 2024 (UTC)
::Although it was performed as entertainment, the song was written as a kind of memorial or tribute. That's quite different from using the accident as fodder for a joke. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 18:38, 22 March 2024 (UTC)

: It's important to consider sides. Like, deaths of Russian soldiers in Ukraine are open to parody immediately because they are enemies. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 18:39, 22 March 2024 (UTC)
::Ukraine, itself, has issued [https://colnect.com/en/stamps/stamp/1234340-Russian_warship_DONE-Ukrainian_Defiance_In_Face_of_Russian_Aggression_2022-Ukraine ''postage stamps''] mocking Russian losses.[[User:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For]] ([[User talk:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|talk]]) 21:56, 24 March 2024 (UTC)

: I have some bad news for you about the prevalence of 9/11 jokes. [[424: Security Holes|Within xkcd itself]], no less! [[User:Esogalt|Esogalt]] ([[User talk:Esogalt|talk]]) 09:28, 23 March 2024 (UTC)

What if Cueball bribed Gordon Lightfoot to bribe the mechanic so he could write a song about Lightfoot bribing the mechanic to write a song? [[User:AoPS is superior|AoPS is superior]] ([[User talk:AoPS is superior|talk]]) 00:24, 23 March 2024 (UTC)

Was it rammed by the Cat Stevens? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.144|172.70.211.144]] 04:57, 23 March 2024 (UTC)

The flags on the upside down eighth notes are backwards [[Special:Contributions/172.71.146.211|172.71.146.211]] 06:21, 23 March 2024 (UTC)
:Must be an inverted chord.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.160.172|172.70.160.172]] 17:22, 25 March 2024 (UTC)

My first reaction was, "this is not funny" because of the seriousness of the Edmund Fitgerald tragedy and the gravity of the song as tribute to the lost lives. My second reaction was that Randall is a really awful songwriter. My conclusion is that the only funny thing about this comic is the comically bad fake song. [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 11:47, 23 March 2024 (UTC)
: I full agree with that. Yet, we can look at it another way: we need to have some "lesser" xkcd comics to better appreciate the "better" ones. [[User:Ralfoide|Ralfoide]] ([[User talk:Ralfoide|talk]]) 18:05, 23 March 2024 (UTC)

Concerning the “Too Soon?” discussion, we might consider Les Barker’s “Have You Got Any News of the Iceberg”: https://youtu.be/iKDakrjmwJc?si=v3cdDBP75T5gOc2H

Reminded me of American Pie for some reason when I first read this. Beautiful song that is. bye, bye, miss American pie... [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 15:51, 26 March 2024 (UTC)
: Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry. --[[User:The-Daleks|The Daleks]] ([[User talk:The-Daleks|talk]]) 19:33, 27 March 2024 (UTC)

Talk:2905: Supergroup

2024-03-12T20:43:35Z

The-Daleks:

== Title text ==

Isn't the sum in the title text wrong? It should be ''99 Luftballoons'' (or the English cover ''99 Red Balloons'') + ''101 Dalmatians'' + ''I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)'' = 700 balloons, dalmatians and miles (not 1,200).--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.69.103|141.101.69.103]]
:Maybe it's about Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles"? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.65.245|172.69.65.245]] 22:13, 11 March 2024 (UTC)
:Note that ''I'm Gonna Be'' is actually about walking 1000 miles, not 500 miles. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.39.41|172.70.39.41]] 08:36, 12 March 2024 (UTC)
::Right! "I-hai would walk five hundred miles, and I-hai would walk five hundred more..." [[User:Transgalactic|Transgalactic]] ([[User talk:Transgalactic|talk]]) 15:29, 12 March 2024 (UTC)

"cover" implies that the combined song already exists and was performed by some other group. I would expect that this supergroup would have created the medley themselves, to fit their particular genre. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 22:23, 11 March 2024 (UTC)

"101 Dalmations" isn't a well known song AFAIK. It was written as the title song of the Disney movie, but wasn't actually used. Wikipedia says it got released on other albums. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 22:38, 11 March 2024 (UTC)

A supergroup cover of ''99 Luftballons'' would probably be ''awesome.'' --[[User:The-Daleks|The-Daleks]] ([[User talk:The-Daleks|talk]]) 20:43, 12 March 2024 (UTC)

== Comic ==

I don't know all the bands, but it looks like they are: 21 Pilots, 5 Seconds of Summer, 4 Non Blondes, 2 Live Crew, 100 GEC, 3 Doors Down, 9 Inch Nails, 1 Republic, 1 Direction, 30 Seconds to Mars.

== Missed Opportunity ==

I am surprised there were no references to orthosymplectic or superunitary groups.
:That's what I originally thought the joke would be about. This is much more mundane. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 22:34, 11 March 2024 (UTC)
:Well if ''G'' and ''H'' are groups and ''G'' ⊇ ''H'', then ''G'' is a supergroup of ''H'', isn't it? --[[User:Coconut Galaxy|Coconut Galaxy]] ([[User talk:Coconut Galaxy|talk]]) 13:39, 12 March 2024 (UTC)

== extras ==

throw in:

* {{w|23 Skidoo (band)|23 Skidoo}}
* {{w|400 Blows (British band)|400 Blows}}

--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.76|162.158.63.76]] 07:10, 12 March 2024 (UTC)

:{{w|Five Finger Death Punch}}
:{{w|Six Feet Under (band)|Six Feet Under}} --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 13:37, 12 March 2024 (UTC)

I remember a great film, ''The Magnificently Dirty Nineteen''. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.195.155|172.69.195.155]]
:Don't forget the sequel ''The Fantastic Ocean's Taking of Pelham Slaughterhouse 143'' [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:07, 12 March 2024 (UTC)
::And the supercut "The Fast and the Furious 41" --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 15:01, 12 March 2024 (UTC)

I like the alternate cut: 108 Dalmation Nation Army. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.247.48|172.69.247.48]]

== Group (math) connections ==

I think tat the description misses the connection to math:

* Group is a mathematical concept (**set** of elements with some properties and operations)
* Sub-group is a subset of a group that retains the properties; Super-group can be constructed similarrly;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_(mathematics) ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subgroup ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supergroup_(physics)

--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.132|141.101.105.132]] 18:28, 12 March 2024 (UTC)