Editing 2570: Captain Picard Tea Order

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| titletext = We can ask the Earl for his order once he's fully extruded from the dispenser.
 
| titletext = We can ask the Earl for his order once he's fully extruded from the dispenser.
 
}}
 
}}
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*This was the fifth comic to come out after the [[Countdown in header text]] started.
  
 
==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
Captain {{w|Jean-Luc Picard}} is a primary character in the science fiction TV series ''{{w|Star Trek: The Next Generation}}'', which is focused on the crew of a starship. The ship is equipped with {{w|Replicator (Star Trek)|replicators}}, which can create virtually any object or material requested, including food and drink, and which respond to verbal commands.  
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{{incomplete|Created by EXTRUDED EARL GREY- Please change this comment when editing this page. There would be way too many additional [[285: Wikipedian Protester|citations needed]] for it to work here. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
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Captain {{w|Jean-Luc Picard}} is the captain of the starship ''USS Enterprise'' in the TV series ''{{w|Star Trek: The Next Generation}}''. {{w|Earl Grey tea}} is a beverage that he requests many times in the series, with the exact phrase "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaAT6-dY1QI Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.]"
  
In the show, Picard's beverage of choice is {{w|Earl Grey tea}}.  His habitual method for ordering is to first specify what he wants (tea, in this case), then specify a particular type (Earl Grey), and then give specific instructions for how it is to be served (hot, as opposed to {{w|iced tea}}).  Because this is his favored drink, he repeatedly places the exact order "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaAT6-dY1QI Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.]" The first picture in the strip implies that the display shows each part of the order, and provides a list of options for the next step.
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[[Randall]] is parodying this expression with [[#Other Words|other words]] that could follow "Tea. Earl Grey.", starting from "normal" moving to "less normal" down a long and winding arrow.
  
[[Randall]] parodies this repeated order by suggesting [[#Other Words|other words]] that could follow "Tea. Earl Grey.", starting from ones he considers more "normal" moving to those he presumes increasingly "less normal" down a long and winding arrow.
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The machine that Picard is using is a {{w|Replicator (Star Trek)|replicator}}, which can create objects, such as Picard's requested Earl Grey tea. And thus in principle anything can be ordered, so a bit boring that it is almost just tea. And always hot.
  
The results of two examples from the normal/less-normal scale are also illustrated: Sticky tea and loud tea. Sticky is kind of obvious, though perhaps not immediately understandable, the loud version is a tea that screams "Teeee..."  The vibrating and screeching teacup may be a reference to the various ''Star Trek'' episodes about {{w|tribble}}s, which behave in a similar way in the presence of Klingons.
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It is shown when Picard orders normal tea, with other options on his mind than hot. And then two examples are given where he used some of the other words on the arrow of less and less normal words. Sticky tea and loud tea. Sticky is kind of obvious, but the loud version is a tea that screams Teeee...
  
The very last qualifying addition, the least normal is not a single word but "Tea for him, too." This reinterprets the meaning of the standard introductory words, suggesting that "tea", and "Earl Grey" are separate orders, which implies that he wants the replicator to produce tea, then replicate a human being named Earl Grey (either one of the {{w|Earl Grey|Earls Grey}} or a person surnamed Grey with the given name of Earl), then a second tea to serve to this newly created person. {{w|Earl Grey tea}} is named after the {{w|Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey}}, a 19th century British Prime Minister, and Captain Picard possibly wishes to have said Earl be generated to provide him with company.
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The very last word, the least normal is: "Tea for him, too." This presumes that the replicator has produced a regular (unspecified) tea as well as an actual "Earl Grey", like a living person (either one of the {{w|Earl Grey}}s or a person named Grey with the title of {{w|earl}}). Picard has on purpose ordered both tee from him self, a person called Earl Grey and has on top of this requested a tea for this new person.  
  
In contrast to the often trivial use of a replicator as merely a potentially infinitely versatile vending machine, the comic sets up a number of quite esoteric options, culminating in Earl Grey himself potentially drinking (generic) tea, after both the tea and he have been replicated into existence by Picard.
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In the title text, someone tells Picard that they could also wait until the Earl has been fully extruded from the dispenser to know what he actually wishes to drink, in case he is not interested in tea. It could obviously take some time to get a full person (living) out of the replicator. Again another joke on the boring things the replicator is used for in the series.
  
In the title text, someone tells Picard that they should wait until the Earl has been fully extruded from the dispenser, and ''then'' ascertain what he would actually wish to drink. The presumption is that it could take some time to get a full living person out of the replicator.  This sort of operation would be better suited for the holodeck, which has been used to create simulacra of other historical figures, including Stephen Hawking, Albert Einstein, and Sir Isaac Newton, with the limitations that they are mere simulations without their own autonomy and cannot exist beyond the limits of the fixed holotransmitters; though at least two others seem to have gained full sentience, and granted (or be convinced they were granted) physical freedom.
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However, where the replicator can create other things than food it is {{w|Replicator_(Star_Trek)#Origins_and_limitations|stated in the series}} that it cannot create living things as the resolution is too low. So this order would not work.
 
 
In the various versions of ''{{w|Star Trek}}'', it's established that {{w|Replicator_(Star_Trek)#Origins_and_limitations|replicators aren't capable of producing living things}}, so canonically this version of the order could not be filled.
 
  
 
===Other Words===
 
===Other Words===
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|-
 
|-
 
| Hot
 
| Hot
| A fairly normal word to be used when ordering tea. Although that it even needs specifying is itself a clue that other variations (such as "Iced", below) are available. This is the chosen word of the five visible words Picard is potentially presented with in the first drawing. The act of requesting this is thus illustrated, though not of the appearance of the tea itself.
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| A fairly normal word to be used when ordering tea. Although that it even needs specifying is itself a clue that other variations (such as "Iced", below) are available. This is the chosen word of the five words Picard is thinking about in the first drawing. The act of requesting this is thus illustrated, though not of the appearance of the tea itself.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Iced
 
| Iced
| {{w|Iced tea}} is a typical variation of tea. In the United States, iced tea is a popular alternative to soft drinks and makes up about 85% of all tea consumed, although (perhaps owing to being from Boston, whose climate is not too sweltering to motivate cold drinks) Randall classifies it as less normal than hot Earl Grey.
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| {{w|Iced Tea}} is a 'normal' variation of tea.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Decaf
 
| Decaf
| Traditional teas (from {{w|Camellia sinensis}}) tend to have caffeine in them. Asking for {{w|Decaffeination|decaffeinated}} tea is not particularly uncommon if the drinker requires it. In the series ''Picard'', set several decades after ''The Next Generation'', Picard does actually order "Tea, Earl Grey, decaf" in [https://tvline.com/2020/01/26/star-trek-picard-premiere-easter-eggs-earl-grey-decaf/ one scene]. Earl Grey tea typically has [https://simplelooseleaf.com/blog/black-tea/earl-grey-tea-caffeine/ about 30 milligrams of caffeine,] depending on how long it is {{w|Steeping|steeped}}.
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| Traditional teas (from {{w|Camellia sinensis}}) tend to have caffeine in them. Asking for {{w|Decaffeination|decaffeinated}} tea is not particularly uncommon if the drinker requires it.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Good
 
| Good
| A normal, subjective term. Most people drinking tea would want it to be good, but to specify it like this would perhaps be strange. This is one of the words in the first drawing, as a listed alternative to Hot. It is possible that he is saying it after the machine has dispensed its tea.
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| A normal, subjective term. Most people drinking tea would want it to be good, but to specify it like this would perhaps be strange. This is one of the five words Picard is thinking about in the first drawing.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Lukewarm
 
| Lukewarm
| While this is a temperature that tea can be at, most people (including Jean-Luc) do not want their teas to be lukewarm.  
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| While this is a temperature that tea can be at, most people do not want their teas to be lukewarm.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Tasty
 
| Tasty
| Similar to good, most people would want their tea to be tasty, or at least flavorsome. This word being below 'lukewarm' may imply that Randall dislikes Earl Grey. Or perhaps he actually considers it implicit, and thus is fairly redundant to specify - unlike even 'hot'.
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| Similar to good, most people would want their tea to be tasty, or at least flavorsome.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Boiled
 
| Boiled
| Boiling the water used to make the tea is a common way to increase the flavor and nutrients extracted from the tea leaves. It is suggested that the ideal temperature for hot water is 75-98°C (167-210°F), according to whether it is a light tea or a dark one, and that it should be sipped at around 65°C/150°F-ish if desired 'hot' to prevent scalding.
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| Boiling the water used to make the tea is a common and normal way to increase the flavor and nutrients extracted from the tea leaves, though it is suggested that the actual ideal temperature of hot water is 75-98°C (167-210°F), according to whether it is a light tea or a dark one, and that perhaps it should be sipped at around 65°C/150°F-ish if desired 'hot'.
This command/specification may be meant as a contrast to a cold brew and using 'boiled' rather than 'hot' clarifying the intention for a tea brewed in hot water rather than a tea brewed in cold water and then heated up, which some detractors claim negatively affects the taste, although if that is the case then that implies Picard has been drinking heated up cold tea for most of the series.
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Having made a tea and ''then'' bringing it back to the boil (especially after adding milk/etc) may destroy some of the desirable qualities previously imbued.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Watery
 
| Watery
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|-
 
|-
 
| Sour
 
| Sour
| Many people do not enjoy sour tea or coffee, which is usually a sign of overextraction and thus a strange thing to specify when ordering Earl Grey tea. Lemon tea can perhaps be considered a sour tea, although most, if not all, people would say 'lemon' rather than 'sour'.
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| Many people do not enjoy a sour taste, which can indicate rot and is a strange thing to specify when ordering Earl Grey tea. Although lemon juice is often an additive used in the same way (but as a complete alternative) to milk.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Meaty
 
| Meaty
| Most teas are plant-based. While meat-based teas such as {{w|beef tea}} do exist they are more generally regarded as either a soup or a medicine, and unlikely to be combined with actual tea. Meaty is also a descriptive term that could be used for robustly flavoured teas, such as an Assam. However, Earl Grey is a light, floral tea, for which this descriptor is unlikely to be appropriate.
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| Most teas are plant-based.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Solid
 
| Solid
| Tea is usually drunk as a liquid. It would be strange to ask for solid tea, although given the setting of the series perhaps Picard wishes to bring along the solid tea so he can make a cup while off the ''Enterprise''. Alternatively, Picard could be asking for frozen tea, or ice, which would begin solid but melt in his mouth. 
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| Tea is usually drunk as a liquid. It would be strange to ask for solid tea.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Dry
 
| Dry
| {{w|Dryness (taste)|"Dry"}} most often describes alcoholic beverages with no sweetening ingredients, and all the sugar has been consumed by the fermentation. It can refer to a particular "mouth feel," also caused by lack of sweetness. While unsweetened tea is nothing unusual, describing it as "dry tea" is. Alternatively Picard might be asking for literal dry tea, either unmade (e.g. tea leaves in their un-infused form) or freeze-dried back into a dehydrated form.  
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| Tea is a liquid typically made with water and may have milk. A dry version might be either unmade (e.g. tea leaves in their un-infused form) or freeze-dried back into a dehydrated form.
 
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("Dry" can also be used to describe {{w|Dryness (taste)|astringent varities of wine}} ''or'' {{w|Prohibition|enforced alcohol-free scenarios}}. For either option, it assumes a default serving with an {{w|Hot_toddy#Variations|alcoholic component}}, or an entirely {{w|Long Island iced tea|alternate basis}} for the beverage, which the request needs to be specify it is not.) This is one of the five words Picard is thinking about in the first drawing.
This is one of the five words Picard was seen presented with in the first drawing.
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Raw
 
| Raw
| This describes tea that has not been "cooked", so it would just be tea made with room-temperature water. {{w|Iced_tea#Sun_tea|Sun tea}} is a form of iced tea that can be brewed by placing tea in a large glass container with water and leaving the container in the sun for hours, resulting in a smoother flavor. A replicator could likely produce sun tea at the same speed as hot tea, making it a viable (if somewhat exotic) choice of preparation.
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| This describes tea that has not been "cooked", so it would just be tea made with room-temperature water. This is {{w|Iced_tea#Sun_tea|possible}} but generally takes many hours.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Deep-fried
 
| Deep-fried
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|-
 
|-
 
| Sticky
 
| Sticky
| Perhaps significantly dehydrated, or thickened with enough of a hydrophilic substance, this would produce something very unlike most teas that would usually be requested.  For example, the addition of significant amounts of sugar may lead to a more viscous brew.
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| Perhaps significantly dehydrated, or thickened with enough of a hydrophilic substance, this would produce something very unlike most teas that would usually be requested.
 
This scenario is illustrated to show a clearly messy product that awkwardly sticks to and drips from the replicator as well as Picard.
 
This scenario is illustrated to show a clearly messy product that awkwardly sticks to and drips from the replicator as well as Picard.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Grilled
 
| Grilled
| Meats and vegetables can be prepared via grilling, as can sandwiches and other foods. However, the grilling process requires that the comestible in question be solid so as not to fall through the grill; beverages are notorious for lacking solidity, and thus are not typically grilled.
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| Tea is not usually grilled.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Fossilized
 
| Fossilized
| Fossilizing leaves replaces their biological molecules with minerals. Brewing fossilized tea leaves would dissolve some of those and produce a beverage that resembles mineral water more than tea.
+
| Since tea is a liquid, it would be tricky to figure out how to fossilize it.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Magnetic
 
| Magnetic
| Tea is not magnetic. Some teas contain metals that ''can'' be magnetic, such as {{w|Irn-Bru}} (which has iron), although ''non''-magnetic iron is usually used. Magnetic metals in tea may have adverse consequences. In addition, consuming more than one magnetic source may end up squeezing tissues in the intestines or bowels, with potentially lethal consequences.
+
| Tea is not magnetic. Magnetic metals would have to be added to the tea, which would not be pleasant to drink.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Ballistic
 
| Ballistic
| Usually the replicated beverage is deposited within a stationary cup, but Picard could ask for it to be dropped or thrown out instead. Unless the good captain has a sufficiently quick reaction time and the dexterity to catch the projectile cup, the tea will likely end up spilled onto the floor or splattered against a wall. It could, however, be a novel method to counter intruders.
+
| Usually, the replicated beverage is deposited in a stationary cup, but Picard could ask for it to be dropped or thrown out instead.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Unstable
 
| Unstable
| This word is often used to refer to radioactive or explosive materials, which hopefully is not a property of something meant to be ingested. Particularly concerning given that the world of ''Star Trek'' features a plethora of such substances, many of which are incredibly potent - for example, the tea could be made from antimatter, which would cause an explosion that could destroy the entire ship. Alternatively, this could imply that the receptacle into which the tea is delivered should be unstable - being unbalanced, or lacking a flat bottom. This is likely to lead to the tea being spilled.
+
| This word is often used to refer to radioactive or explosive materials, which hopefully is not a property that would apply to something meant to be ingested. Alternatively, this could imply that the receptacle into which the tea is delivered should be unstable - being unbalanced, or lacking a flat bottom. This is likely to lead to the tea being spilled.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Blessed
 
| Blessed
| Tea is a beverage, and it may be strange to ask a machine to create 'blessed' tea. However, if the machine were to use holy water, already blessed by a human, it is [https://www.quora.com/When-does-Holy-water-lose-its-Holiness-If-its-boiled-is-the-resulting-water-vapor-still-considered-Holy-Does-it-lose-its-Holy-property-when-it-transfers-into-a-gas-Is-it-still-Holy-when-it%E2%80%99s-frozen#:~:text=In%20other%20words%2C%20as%20long,else%2C%20it%20remains%20holy%20water.&text=a%20simple%20change-,Never.,He%20is%20faithful possible] for it to remain "blessed" after the water is used to make tea. It is also possible that this is a reference to tea which could be used in [http://www.archbishoplefebvre.com/blog/baptism-can-i-use-any-liquid baptism].
+
| Tea is a beverage, and it may be strange to ask a machine to create 'blessed' tea.
In role-playing games, items can be Blessed, i.e. having greater positive or lesser negative effects. This includes potions, a class of drinks that do not usually include any teas but could contain the "potion of water", which may also, therefore, be the basis of this blessed brew.
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In role-playing games, items can be Blessed, i.e. having greater positive or lesser negative effects. This includes potions, a class of drinks that do not include any teas but could contain the "potion of water", which may therefore be the basis of this blessed brew.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Blurry
 
| Blurry
| Being blurry is not a normal state for tea to have. Cloudy, on the other hand, is quite normal for certain brews.
+
| Being blurry is not a normal state for tea to have.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Loud
 
| Loud
 
| While molecules in tea (especially hot tea, and vitally so in an {{w|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (novel)|Infinite Improbability Drive}}) do move vigorously, this does not usually result in distinct audible effects.
 
| While molecules in tea (especially hot tea, and vitally so in an {{w|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (novel)|Infinite Improbability Drive}}) do move vigorously, this does not usually result in distinct audible effects.
However, as illustrated, it seems the requested cup of tea is produced capable of emitting a high-pitched, high-volume whining sound that entirely dominates the vicinity. It actually appears to somewhat vocalize what it is, Teeeee...
+
However, as illustrated, it seems the requested cup of tea is produced capable of emitting a high-pitched, high-volume whining sound that entirely dominates the vicinity. It actually says what it is, Teeeee...
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Virtual
 
| Virtual
| In our (physical) world virtual tea cannot be exist, so asking a physical tea machine for it would be very strange (and paradoxical). However, ''Star Trek'' features the Holodeck, which creates a virtual physically interactive environment made from "holo-matter", which is stated to be not the same as real matter (though not how).
+
| Virtual tea cannot be produced physically, so asking a physical tea machine for it would be very strange.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Intravenous
 
| Intravenous
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|-
 
|-
 
| Expanding
 
| Expanding
| In a sense, most hot tea is expanding: water (and thus tea), like most materials, expands as it increases in temperature. Water has the unusual property of {{w|Water_%28molecule%29#Density_of_water_and_ice|''contracting slightly''}} from 0° C to 4° C, but provided the tea is above that it would classify. Possibly beyond, and explosively so, if {{w|Superheating|superheated}} and then nucleating points are introduced.
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| In a sense, most hot tea is expanding: as the water in the tea evaporates, it becomes much less dense, increasing in "size".
On the other hand, this tea may simply be tea spilled on the floor, which could then spread out as it evaporated.
+
 
 +
But most people would probably argue that the evaporated water is no longer part of the tea. Water, like most materials, usually expands as it increases in temperature—except between freezing and about 4° C, where it has the unusual property of {{w|Water_%28molecule%29#Density_of_water_and_ice|''contracting slightly''}} as temperature increases. If tea behaves similarly despite the extra dissolved compounds, then "expanding tea" would describe any tea between 4° C and boiling point. Possibly beyond, and explosively so, if {{w|Superheating|superheated}} and then nucleating points are introduced.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Ironic
 
| Ironic
| How tea could be ironic will be a mystery if your culture has no understanding of irony.  The irony of the most celebrated Frenchman in science fiction history delighting in a very British beverage is a nice touch of cosmopolitanism. There is also a possibility that the tea will speak or otherwise communicate in ironic terms. While this is very strange and unlikely, it can be considered, given the other scenarios on this list.
+
| How tea could be ironic is a mystery.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Segmented
 
| Segmented
| Tea is usually served in a cup. There is the simple explanation that the cup is divided into segments, though this is the cup, and not technically the tea itself. Tea tends to stick together and form one liquid making it hard to segment. Separating the tea into segments would not be possible without some form of an emulsifying gel.
+
| Tea is usually served in a cup. It tends to stick together and form one liquid. Separating the tea into segments would not be possible.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Verbose
 
| Verbose
| This describes using lots of words and language, and would not likely be used for tea, because it cannot speak. Command-line computer programs often run in a 'silent' mode without displaying every step of what happens on the screen. Such programs may have a {{w|Verbose mode|''-verbose'' parameter}} that disables the silent mode. As the replicator is run by a computer, the verbose parameter could be applied to the process of tea-making, with the replicator providing an info-dump on the molecular arrangement of the tea, together with the cup of liquid.
+
| This describes using lots of words and language, and would not likely be used for tea, because it cannot speak. Command-line computer programs often run in a 'silent' mode without displaying every step of what happens on the screen. Such programs may have a {{w|Verbose mode|''-verbose'' parameter}} that disables the silent mode. As the replicator is run by a computer, the verbose parameter could be applied to the process of tea-making, with the replocator providing an info-dump on the molecular arrangement of the tea, together with the cup pf liquid.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Cursed
 
| Cursed
| As with "Blessed", above, items can be Cursed in role-playing games, i.e. having greater negative or lesser positive effects; while there are strategic uses for Cursed items, generally the player would prefer uncursed ones (neutral or blessed). Amongst curseable items are potions, a class of consumables that do not usually include any teas but does contain the "potion of water", which may therefore be the cause of this cursed cuppa.
+
| As with "Blessed", above, items can be Cursed in role-playing games, i.e. having greater negative or lesser positive effects; while there are strategic uses for Cursed items, generally the player would prefer uncursed ones (neutral or blessed). Amongst the curseable items are potions, a class of consumables that do not include any teas but does contain the "potion of water", which may therefore be the cause of this cursed cuppa.
 
 
"Cursed items" are more vaguely defined in real life, with various sources claiming that it applies to objects that cause people "irritation" or "confusion".
 
 
 
 
Cursed items have featured in xkcd previously: [[2332: Cursed Chair]], [[2376: Curbside]], and [[:Category:Cursed Connectors]].
 
Cursed items have featured in xkcd previously: [[2332: Cursed Chair]], [[2376: Curbside]], and [[:Category:Cursed Connectors]].
 
|-
 
|-
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|-
 
|-
 
| Bipedal
 
| Bipedal
| Bipedal organisms have two feet.  As tea does not walk, this would be a very strange term to use when describing tea.
+
| Tea does not walk.{{citation needed}} This would be a very strange term to use when describing tea.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Afraid
 
| Afraid
| Tea does not have feelings.  Although water {{w|Water memory|may remember things}} (at least pseudo-scientifically) or [https://www.quotes.net/mquote/901305 consider some things to be unpleasant].
+
| Tea does not have feelings.  Although [https://www.quotes.net/mquote/901305 water may consider some things to be unpleasant].
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Infinite
 
| Infinite
| The scope of this request is unclear. It could mean endless production (a steady stream of tea, without obvious limits so long as servicing the request remains practical), an instantaneous production of an infinite volume of tea (possibly more immediately shown to be flawed in its method of execution), or tea which will exceed the heat death of the universe. All could result in an infinitely ''dense'' tea (eventually?), but this may no longer be {{w|No-hair theorem|identifiable as tea}} so might be one of the less practical options, even amongst those on this list. Indeed, Randall ranks it as the least 'normal', except for just ''one'' further named order.
+
| The scope of this request is unclear. It could mean endless production (a steady stream of tea, without obvious limits so long as servicing the request remains practical) or an instantaneous production of an infinite volume of tea (possibly more immediately shown to be flawed in its method of execution). Either could result in an infinitely ''dense'' tea (eventually?), but this may no longer be {{w|No-hair theorem|identifiable as tea}} so might be one of the less practical options, even amongst those on this list.
 +
Indeed, Randall ranks it as the least 'normal', except for just ''one'' further named order.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Tea for him, too
 
| Tea for him, too
| The comic ends its punchline by reinterpreting the syntax. Instead of adding a second adjective, Picard adds a second order of tea for an unseen guest. In ''Star Trek'', Jean-Luc Picard often offers tea to other people, so it is unclear why this would be the least normal, other than to place it at the bottom of the chart.
+
| {{w|Earl Grey tea|Earl Grey}} is a tea blend.
The change in syntax can be further combined with the title text: now this Replicator order is for "Tea" (with no specifics as to kind, temperature, state or quality), plus a replicated version ''of'' the Earl Grey (one or other of those {{w|Earl Grey|of that name}}, possibly the {{w|Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey|2<sup>nd</sup> Earl}} for whom the tea blend was supposedly named), and a second such beverage for him to later drink. See more in the [[#Explanation|explanation]] above regarding the title text.
+
Taken along with the context of the title text, this Replicator order is for "Tea" (not otherwise qualified), a replicated version ''of'' the Earl Grey (one or other of those {{w|Earl Grey|of that name}}, possibly the {{w|Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey|2<sup>nd</sup> Earl}} for whom the tea blend was supposedly named) and a second such beverage for him to later drink. See more in the [[#Explanation|explanation]] above regarding the title text
 
|-
 
|-
! colspan="2" | Words Picard could have seen in the first drawing, but which were not included as labels on the line
+
! colspan="2" | Words Picard thinks about in the first drawing, but which where not included as labels on the line
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Cold
 
| Cold
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|-
 
|-
 
| Pink
 
| Pink
| Earl grey is usually an orange-brown color, not pink. There are, however, a wide variety of [https://www.adagio.com/search/index.html?query=rose teas which come from pink leaves] or [https://www.flourandspiceblog.com/karachi-style-kashmiri-chai-pink-tea/ whose color is "pinkish"].
+
| Earl grey is usually an orange-brown color, not pink.
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
:[At the top of the panel, there is a large caption covering two lines with a sub-caption below in a normal-sized font:]
+
:[At the top of the panel there is a large caption covering two lines with a subcaption below in a normal sized font:]
 
:<big>Other words Captain Picard tried at the end of his tea order before settling on "hot"</big>
 
:<big>Other words Captain Picard tried at the end of his tea order before settling on "hot"</big>
 
:From most normal to least
 
:From most normal to least
  
:[Bellow this we see Picard, drawn bald except for a bit of hair near his ears and behind his head. He stands next to a machine, which is a standing rectangle of the same dimensions as Picard. In the front, there is an opening around the middle, a dispenser from where the ordered items can be retrieved. There is a label at the top of the machine. Picard is giving a command to the machine. His first three words are clearly spoken out as they stand, but then at the end of the sentence, instead of just adding one more word, there is a list of five words in a column between two gray lines. Five words are visible, but the top and bottom words are fading out, presumably other words are above and below, but no longer visible. All except the middle are gray. The middle word is placed as the direct follow up to the first three words in the sentence Picard speaks out, and this word is black like the previous three words. So this middle word is clearly the one he actually speaks out. The others were options, presumably on his mind.]
+
:[Bellow this we see Picard, drawn bald except for a bit of hair near his ears and behind his head. He stands next to a machine, that is a standing rectangle of the same dimensions as Picard. In the front there is an opening around the middle, from where the ordered items can be retrieved. There is a label at the top of the machine. Picard is giving a command to the machine. His first three words are clearly spoken out as they stand, but then at the end of the sentence, in stead of just adding one more word, there is a list of five words in a column between two gray lines. Five words are visible, but the top and bottom words are fading out, presumably other words are above and below, but no longer visible. All except the middle are gray. The middle word is placed as the direct follow up to the first three words in the sentence Picard speaks out, and this word is black like the previous three words. So this middle word is clearly the one he actually speaks out. The others where options, presumably on his mind.]
 
:Label: Replicator
 
:Label: Replicator
 
:Picard:  
 
:Picard:  
Line 168: Line 166:
 
                   <font color="Gray">Pink.</font>
 
                   <font color="Gray">Pink.</font>
  
:[To the left of the machine, a long arrow begins snaking its way towards the bottom, where it ends in an arrow pointing down towards the bottom of the panel. At the top, there is a broad and thick bar from which it starts. Beneath this there are several ticks, the first three are close together and on a part of the arrow that goes almost straight down. But then the arrow curves in under the drawing of Picard, and goes over another drawing of him, placed in a captioned frame. The arrow goes around this and up on the other side, where it goes around another drawing of Picard in a similarly captioned frame. After having gone around this frame it goes a bit up before turning almost straight down before the final arrowhead that points down. In total there are 36 labeled ticks on the arrow, see labels below. The ticks have very varying distances between them. There are especially long between them around the first panels with Picard, but closer together at the start and towards the very end. Above the top bar from where the arrow starts there is also a label and just below this and to the left of the long arrow is a smaller arrow pointing down in the direction of the long arrow. This small arrow has a label at its starting point.]
+
:[To the left of the machine a long arrow begins snaking it's way to wards the bottom, where it ends in an arrow pointing down towards the bottom of the panel. At the top there is a broad and thick bar from which it start. Beneath this there are several ticks, the first three are close together and on a part of the arrow that goes almost straight down. But then the arrow curves in under the drawing of Picard, and goes over another drawing of him, placed in a captioned frame. The arrow goes around this and up on the other side, where it goes around another drawing of Picard in a similarly captioned frame. After having gone around this frame it goes a bit up before turning almost straight down before the final arrow head that points down. In total there are 36 labeled ticks on the arrow, see labels below. The ticks have very varying distance between them. There are especially long between them around the first panels with Picard, but closer together at the start and towards the very end. Above the top bar from where the arrow starts there is also a label and just below this and to the left of the long arrow is a smaller arrow pointing down in the direction of the long arrow. This small arrow has a label at its starting point.]
 
:Bar label: Normal
 
:Bar label: Normal
 
:Small arrow label: Less normal
 
:Small arrow label: Less normal
Line 176: Line 174:
 
:Label: Replicator
 
:Label: Replicator
  
:[The third drawing of Picard, only displays him and not the machine. He is holding a vibrating cup in both hands and has now turned the other way, away from where the machine was in the previous drawings (again clearly seen by his hair). Very large letters are displayed in three lines behind him to the exclusion of all else. Four of the 15 letters are partly hidden behind the panel's frame, and seven of them are partly covered by Picard. Above is a label inside a frame overlaid on the top line of the panel, with what Picard ordered:]
+
:[The third drawing of Picard, only displays him and not the machine. He is holding a vibrating cup in both hands, and has now turned the other way, away from where the machine was in the previous drawings (again clearly seen by his hair). Very large letters are displayed in three lines behind him to the exclusion of all else. Four of the 15 letters are partly hidden behind the panels frame, and seven of them are partly covered by Picard. Above is a label inside a frame overlaid on the top line of the panel, with what Picard ordered:]
 
:"Tea. Earl Grey. Loud."
 
:"Tea. Earl Grey. Loud."
 
:Teacup: <big>'''Teeeeeeeeeeeeee'''</big>
 
:Teacup: <big>'''Teeeeeeeeeeeeee'''</big>
Line 216: Line 214:
 
:Infinite
 
:Infinite
 
:Tea for him, too
 
:Tea for him, too
 
==Trivia==
 
This was the fifth comic to come out after the [[Countdown in header text]] started.
 
  
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
{{comic discussion}}
Line 224: Line 219:
 
[[Category:Star Trek]]
 
[[Category:Star Trek]]
 
[[Category:Food]]
 
[[Category:Food]]
[[Category:Comics with cursed items]] <!-- Optional subvariety of Earl Grey Tea -->
 

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