Difference between revisions of "Talk:2218: Wardrobe"

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
Jump to: navigation, search
(EU/E.U. doesn't belong in trivia either. Also various responses.)
Line 4: Line 4:
  
 
:This idea is…nonsensical. The question of whether to write EU or E.U. is solely a question of style, and it's not something that the EU can dictate. It is up to Randall to choose his own style, and up to this blog (explainxkcd) to choose our own, though we'd likely mirror Randall. For instance, one finds the New York Times [https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/03/world/europe/boris-johnson-brexit-eu.html mostly] [https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/01/world/europe/brexit-irish-border.html writes] [https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/18/world/europe/brexit-european-union-britain.html "E.U."] but sometimes writes [https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/23/opinion/brexit-boris-johnson.html "EU"]. The AP Stylebook specifies "'''European Union''' ''EU'' (no periods)." The Washington Post seems to [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/eu-leaders-consider-delaying-brexit-with-the-end-of-january-as-the-likeliest-date/2019/10/23/ac0e128e-f514-11e9-b2d2-1f37c9d82dbb_story.html mostly] [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/10/17/what-is-happening-with-brexit-now-boris-johnsons-plans-irish-border-eu-explained/ use] "E.U." Regardless of what is chosen, the explanation is not the proper place to lecture readers on style preferences — ''Removed''. [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 20:22, 23 October 2019 (UTC)
 
:This idea is…nonsensical. The question of whether to write EU or E.U. is solely a question of style, and it's not something that the EU can dictate. It is up to Randall to choose his own style, and up to this blog (explainxkcd) to choose our own, though we'd likely mirror Randall. For instance, one finds the New York Times [https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/03/world/europe/boris-johnson-brexit-eu.html mostly] [https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/01/world/europe/brexit-irish-border.html writes] [https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/18/world/europe/brexit-european-union-britain.html "E.U."] but sometimes writes [https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/23/opinion/brexit-boris-johnson.html "EU"]. The AP Stylebook specifies "'''European Union''' ''EU'' (no periods)." The Washington Post seems to [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/eu-leaders-consider-delaying-brexit-with-the-end-of-january-as-the-likeliest-date/2019/10/23/ac0e128e-f514-11e9-b2d2-1f37c9d82dbb_story.html mostly] [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/10/17/what-is-happening-with-brexit-now-boris-johnsons-plans-irish-border-eu-explained/ use] "E.U." Regardless of what is chosen, the explanation is not the proper place to lecture readers on style preferences — ''Removed''. [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 20:22, 23 October 2019 (UTC)
::Thats why I suggested to discuss it and to put it to TRIVIA (not to the explanation). However, writing it as E.U. seems to be mostly an American thing, which might be why Randall uses it, but I've not seen it before. By the way, of course the EU can dictate how it wants to be called. It gave the name to itself (but with a quick search I found no statement on a self-preferred-writing, but the EUs main homepage seems to use EU consequently: [[https://europa.eu/european-union/index_en]])
+
::That's why I suggested to discuss it and to put it to TRIVIA (not to the explanation). However, writing it as E.U. seems to be mostly an American thing, which might be why Randall uses it, but I've not seen it before. By the way, of course the EU can dictate how it wants to be called. It gave the name to itself (but with a quick search I found no statement on a self-preferred-writing, but the EUs main homepage seems to use EU consequently: [[https://europa.eu/european-union/index_en]])
 
+
:::I don't want to go too-too far down this path, but, '''No'''. 1: You've misrepresented your action. You didn't suggest "discussion and to put it to trivia," you added it to the explanation itself, see [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2218:_Wardrobe&diff=181566&oldid=181565 181566]. 2) It's certainly not solely an American thing. The BBC seems to use E.U. a fair bit on their web site, but also not consistently. 3) dic·tate: ''To issue orders or commands''; the EU has no authority to issue orders or to prescribe how others write punctuate their abbreviation. They can make a polite request, but it is not a dictate because they lack any such worldwide language dominion. 4) This does not belong in trivia at all. It is not trivia about this comic, it is trivia about the spelling/punctuation of a word that that this comic happens to use, and a well-known word at that. It would be as if the comic told us that "wardrobe" can mean "The excrement of the badger" (OED sense 1(b)). The fact that there are some English speakers who might not be familiar with Narnia or the way it interacts with this comic justifies a substantial discussion and discursion about Narnia and C.S. Lewis, but there is no analogous reasoning for E.U. It's my intention to remove your trivia section, but I'm conscious that doing so might give the impression of "edit warring," so I'm posting about it here first to see if there is any feedback from other editors before going ahead with it. 5) Please use an edit summary when you edit. You seem to do so sometimes, but not consistently. It helps everyone out. Thank you. [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 22:47, 24 October 2019 (UTC)
 
Huh, that's one way to boost the Narnian tourist industry. Good idea, Mr. Tumnus. [[User:GreatWyrmGold|GreatWyrmGold]] ([[User talk:GreatWyrmGold|talk]]) 12:47, 23 October 2019 (UTC)
 
Huh, that's one way to boost the Narnian tourist industry. Good idea, Mr. Tumnus. [[User:GreatWyrmGold|GreatWyrmGold]] ([[User talk:GreatWyrmGold|talk]]) 12:47, 23 October 2019 (UTC)
  

Revision as of 22:47, 24 October 2019


I did a change to the explanation, rewriting every E.U. and U.K. as EU and UK. Now I noticed that Randall writes E.U. in the comic itself. I (as a resident of the EU) have never seen it with the E.U. writing before (at least I think so). Should we use Randall's version in the explanation? Should we mention this in Trivia? --Lupo (talk) 09:11, 22 October 2019 (UTC)

This idea is…nonsensical. The question of whether to write EU or E.U. is solely a question of style, and it's not something that the EU can dictate. It is up to Randall to choose his own style, and up to this blog (explainxkcd) to choose our own, though we'd likely mirror Randall. For instance, one finds the New York Times mostly writes "E.U." but sometimes writes "EU". The AP Stylebook specifies "European Union EU (no periods)." The Washington Post seems to mostly use "E.U." Regardless of what is chosen, the explanation is not the proper place to lecture readers on style preferences — Removed. JohnHawkinson (talk) 20:22, 23 October 2019 (UTC)
That's why I suggested to discuss it and to put it to TRIVIA (not to the explanation). However, writing it as E.U. seems to be mostly an American thing, which might be why Randall uses it, but I've not seen it before. By the way, of course the EU can dictate how it wants to be called. It gave the name to itself (but with a quick search I found no statement on a self-preferred-writing, but the EUs main homepage seems to use EU consequently: [[1]])
I don't want to go too-too far down this path, but, No. 1: You've misrepresented your action. You didn't suggest "discussion and to put it to trivia," you added it to the explanation itself, see 181566. 2) It's certainly not solely an American thing. The BBC seems to use E.U. a fair bit on their web site, but also not consistently. 3) dic·tate: To issue orders or commands; the EU has no authority to issue orders or to prescribe how others write punctuate their abbreviation. They can make a polite request, but it is not a dictate because they lack any such worldwide language dominion. 4) This does not belong in trivia at all. It is not trivia about this comic, it is trivia about the spelling/punctuation of a word that that this comic happens to use, and a well-known word at that. It would be as if the comic told us that "wardrobe" can mean "The excrement of the badger" (OED sense 1(b)). The fact that there are some English speakers who might not be familiar with Narnia or the way it interacts with this comic justifies a substantial discussion and discursion about Narnia and C.S. Lewis, but there is no analogous reasoning for E.U. It's my intention to remove your trivia section, but I'm conscious that doing so might give the impression of "edit warring," so I'm posting about it here first to see if there is any feedback from other editors before going ahead with it. 5) Please use an edit summary when you edit. You seem to do so sometimes, but not consistently. It helps everyone out. Thank you. JohnHawkinson (talk) 22:47, 24 October 2019 (UTC)

Huh, that's one way to boost the Narnian tourist industry. Good idea, Mr. Tumnus. GreatWyrmGold (talk) 12:47, 23 October 2019 (UTC)

Title text

While it's clearly referring to the time remaining before 31/10, it could also be referring to the Government's proposed schedule for getting the withdrawal agreement bill through the House of Commons. (It'd still have to go through the House of Lords, and they may very well take their time.) 141.101.98.64 22:41, 21 October 2019 (UTC)

Background

Not sure if this is relevant or should make its way onto the main page - I'm a newbie. However ... the "How To" book tour visited Oxford on 11 Oct. Oxford was the home of C.S.Lewis, the Sheldonian Theatre is maybe 200m from The Eagle and Child pub, which was the Inklings' watering hole. And during the interview, Randall was asked about Brexit. Could these things have come together to provoke this comic? Exilefromgroggs (talk) 23:15, 21 October 2019 (UTC)

That could be relevant, if not elsewhere in the trivia section. Please refrain from starting new sections in the discussion. (Another had already done so, but I also removed that) --Kynde (talk) 09:29, 22 October 2019 (UTC)


Love when he makes comics about Narnia :-) And sooo funy, if the whole brexit situation was not sooo sad... --Kynde (talk) 09:29, 22 October 2019 (UTC)

I'm bookmarking this. This is one of the best explanations of the NI border problem with respect to Brexit I have seen Jeremyp (talk) 13:54, 22 October 2019 (UTC)

Ignore the time speed difference: imagine what would the presence of armed creatures do with speed of negotiations ... especially given how I expect would they react on so many people "visiting". -- Hkmaly (talk) 23:19, 22 October 2019 (UTC)

Better yet, have the White Witch turn the entire House of Lords to stone. Cellocgw (talk) 11:54, 23 October 2019 (UTC)