explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2871: Definitely

2023-12-23T18:36:17Z

172.70.211.187: jumping on the joke.

Regrettably for someone who has mild dyslexia, and with it in All Caps, I have difficulty seeing the subtleties of the spellings. [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 09:08, 23 December 2023 (UTC)
:Seems intentional; it would be less funny if the typos were more obvious?
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 13:40, 23 December 2023 (UTC)

I have defiantly left this typo as-is, on purpose, before.
[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 13:40, 23 December 2023 (UTC)

I buffed up the Explanation (basically replaced it, the editor-suggestions for 'other not-wrong-honest spellings' didn't fit. Maybe I should transplant that down here as a game for us all to play 'aside' from any Explain). Some phrasing or language I can see being ripe for going under the scalpel/wrecking-ball of the next editor to arrive here, but I think it's a decent framework that covers most of the points. Just the one thing I nearly added, but left off, was actually going into the various Word-Meaning pairs. I can imagine why some of the Meanings are used (seem to have a sense that aligns with the letter-jumble that makes the Word wrong), but not enough to do a full table about it (as an obvious attempt at over-analysis). But if anyone else has a yen to do so then... Just remember that I thought of it first. ;) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.59|141.101.99.59]] 16:14, 23 December 2023 (UTC)
: You beat me to it. I was unable to ascertain any way to link clues in the misspellings to the meanings assigned to them, and I think that the meanings were haphazardly, even absurdly, assigned. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.186.248|162.158.186.248]] 16:28, 23 December 2023 (UTC)
Not sure whether or not this merits a table, but I think the apparent reference to the 2008 film "Definitely, Maybe" is worth mentioning, at least. (I probably put it in an awkward spot, though.)[[Special:Contributions/172.70.174.134|172.70.174.134]] 17:55, 23 December 2023 (UTC)

All options definotly accounted for. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.187|172.70.211.187]] 18:36, 23 December 2023 (UTC)

2848: Breaker Box

2023-10-31T02:59:24Z

172.70.211.187: Added description to kitchen, living room, and porch lights.

{{comic
| number = 2848
| date = October 30, 2023
| title = Breaker Box
| image = breaker_box_2x.png
| imagesize = 560x776px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Any electrician will warn you to first locate and flip the house's CAUSALITY circuit breaker before touching the CIRCUIT BREAKERS one.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a HIGH-PITCHED HUM GENERATOR THAT WAS LAST MENTIONED AROUND 1300 COMICS AGO (1258 to be precise) - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic shows an array of {{w|circuit breaker|circuit breakers}}, which are commonly found in homes to manually switch on and off entire sections of houses and protect appliances from overcurrent. The breaker box in this comic starts with simple items that would require power, but them gets more an more absurd, even being able to control the laws of physics.

===Kitchen lights===

Normal feature.

===Living room lights===

Normal feature.

===Porch lights===

Normal feature.

===Bathroom lights and one surprise mystery outlet somewhere===

===North-facing appliances===

===Bathtub drain light===

===Appliances whose names contain the letter "F"===

===Hot water heater===

===Regular water heater===

===Outlets in rooms that it's normal to eat pizza in===

===High-pitched hum generator===
A reference to [[1590: The Source]].

===The solution to the cryptogram below===

===Bugs===
May be a reference to [[2753: Air Handler]].

===A whirring fan you didn't realize was on until now===

===Dishwasher===

===Dishes===

===Hallway lights===

===Hallway outlets===

===Hallway floors===

===Social media===

===State law===

===Federal law===

===Second law of thermodynamics===

===Friction===

===Gravity===

===Circuit breakers===

Likely to control other circuit breakers nearby, or possibly even the circuit breaker shown in the comic. It is unknown how the circuit breaker could be turned on if this switch being turned off renders the circuit breaker unusable.

===(title text) Causality===

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[An open breaker box is shown. There are 26 labelled breakers, all of which are on, arranged in a 2 by 13 grid.]
:Kitchen lights / A whirring fan you didn't realize was on until now
:Living room lights / Dishwasher
:Porch lights / Dishes
:Bathroom lights and one surprise mystery outlet somewhere / Hallway lights
:North-facing appliances / Hallway outlets
:Bathtub drain light / Hallway floors
:Appliances whose names contain the letter "F" / Social media
:Hot water heater / State law
:Regular water heater / Federal law
:Outlets in rooms that it's normal to eat pizza in / Second law of thermodynamics
:High-pitched hum generator / Friction
:[There are words that are too small to read on the left breaker's label.]
:The solution to the cryptogram below: / Gravity
:Bugs / Circuit breakers

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:2847: Dendrochronology

2023-10-30T04:34:52Z

172.70.211.187:

Hello wonderful person. IYKYK

Is the set of bones supposed to signify something? Human perhaps? I see vertebrae. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.46.30|172.70.46.30]] 13:27, 28 October 2023 (UTC)

: The bones depicted appear to represent a subset of "generalized vertebrate animal", including arm, leg, and jaw bones in addition to the vertebrae. Humans are cited as prey species, but the bones in this specimen are far too small to be human. If a typical tree ring is 2 mm wide, the 1635 CE ring would have to be 40 mm wide to accommodate a 20 mm diameter human femur with free space, as shown. The ring is ca. 12 mm wide. This tree ate smaller vertebrates. Of course, different tree species likely had different prey ranges, as with carnivorous animals. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.206.220|172.70.206.220]] 16:15, 28 October 2023 (UTC)

: Yes, that's what he means by "carnivorous", he's claiming that one year this tree was eating humans, those bones are the remains of those humans. :) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 06:01, 29 October 2023 (UTC)
:: "Carnivorous" doesn't ''necessarily'' mean "man-eater". It's eating creatures (and generally you'd go for "insectivorous" for certain eater-of-invertibrate diets, but it'll probably cover consuming anything in the Animal Kingdom, fish, fowl, etc). He actually only claims one ''human'' was eaten (the eponymous researcher of the phenomenon), even if it was possible that others also got fatally surprised by it. But it could be any arboreal creature (and maybe some unwise unarboreal but tree-adjacent ones). [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.8|162.158.34.8]] 18:05, 29 October 2023 (UTC)
::: "Carnivore" can indeed apply to creatures that aren't herbivores (animal vs plant consumption), although a common connotation is "a consumer of vertebrate animals, especially mammals, captured live." Subsets exist, for instance piscivores (fish eaters) and insectivores. The caption's "horrible summer of 1635" implies widespread predation of trees on humans, even if only one such human is (facetiously) named, and the specimen shown is too small (or the wrong tree species) to attack <i>H. sapiens</i>. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.187|172.70.211.187]] 04:34, 30 October 2023 (UTC)

So this tree was cut down in late 1642? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.42.182|172.70.42.182]] 13:37, 28 October 2023 (UTC)

: Its year of death was indeed 1642 CE per dendrochronology. As for being cut down ... given the dense layer of calcium phosphate in the sapwood, and the saws available in the mid-1600s, the question "how?" [https://www.dude-n-dude.com/2023/10/27/amoebas-lorica-dendrochr-ohno-logy/ is nontrivial]. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.206.220|172.70.206.220]] 16:15, 28 October 2023 (UTC)
: Wouldn't the bark make it 1643? Isn't a ring a complete year, the bark is the current year's ring forming? [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 06:05, 29 October 2023 (UTC)
:: The bark is on the other side of the {{w|vascular cambium}} from the xylem tissue, so it isn't part of a tree ring and doesn't count as a year, as I understand the matter. However, the drawing does permit the interpretation that a ring is forming under the bark. Since the bulk of a tree ring normally forms at the beginning of a growing season, this would indicate that the tree died in the first couple of months of the local growing season in 1643 CE. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.210.112|172.70.210.112]] 08:09, 29 October 2023 (UTC)

So is the year 1635 a reference to some real event, or just totally random? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.230.26|162.158.230.26]] 17:57, 28 October 2023 (UTC)
:If it was totally random it would have been 4AD! [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.5|141.101.99.5]] 18:23, 28 October 2023 (UTC)
:at first I thought maybe the {{w|Carrington Event}} (similar but smaller EM storm as Miyake events), but that was 1859. The only vaguely related thing I saw for 1635 was the first recorded US hurricane... you might say I'm Stumped (and if that's the meta joke here, insert Capt Kirk "Khan!" clip here, with the subtitle "Monroe!") - [[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.39|172.68.34.39]] 19:41, 28 October 2023 (UTC)

Actually, the carnivorous trees aren't true trees. They are part of the same species as broccoli and kale. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.247.48|172.69.247.48]] 22:37, 29 October 2023 (UTC)

2843: Professional Oaths

2023-10-19T05:28:17Z

172.70.211.187: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2843
| date = October 18, 2023
| title = Professional Oaths
| image = professional oaths.png
| titletext = Interpretations of the Hermeneutic Oath differ.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a HUMAN UNDER OATH.}}
The {{w|Hippocratic Oath}} is an "oath" of ethics taken by medical professionals, which includes the phrase "do no harm". Technically speaking, the exact phrase "first, do no harm" is not in the oath, but this meaning is implied.

Randall takes other words that sound similar to "hippocratic" and creates "oaths" for them.

# The word hyperbaric means "of or involving a gas at a pressure greater than normal", so thus a "hyperbaric oath" would indeed involve getting used to (acclimating) to a different pressure.
# Holographic refers to produced using holograms, which often involve shimmering images.
# Histrionics is "exaggerated dramatic behavior designed to attract attention."
# {{w|Hydroelectricity}} is producing energy using water power, typically using {{w|turbine}}s.
# A {{w|hippodrome}} is a circular arena that was historically used for racing chariots.
# Hypnagogic is "relating to the state immediately before falling asleep".
# A hypergolic substance is one which ignites spontaneously when coming into contact with another substance.
# (title text) {{w|Hermeneutics}} is the "study" of interpreting texts, thus the "Hermeneutic Oath" could have several interpretations as to its meaning.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Doctor Ponytail]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Medicine]]
[[Category:Physics]]

2843: Professional Oaths

2023-10-19T05:28:00Z

172.70.211.187: /* Explanation */ more

{{comic
| number = 2843
| date = October 18, 2023
| title = Professional Oaths
| image = professional oaths.png
| titletext = Interpretations of the Hermeneutic Oath differ.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a HUMAN UNDER OATH.}}
The {{w|Hippocratic Oath}} is an "oath" of ethics taken by medical professionals, which includes the phrase "do no harm". Technically speaking, the exact phrase "first, do no harm" is not in the oath, but this meaning is implied.

Randall takes other professions or phrases that sound similar to "hippocratic" and creates "oaths" for them.

# The word hyperbaric means "of or involving a gas at a pressure greater than normal", so thus a "hyperbaric oath" would indeed involve getting used to (acclimating) to a different pressure.
# Holographic refers to produced using holograms, which often involve shimmering images.
# Histrionics is "exaggerated dramatic behavior designed to attract attention."
# {{w|Hydroelectricity}} is producing energy using water power, typically using {{w|turbine}}s.
# A {{w|hippodrome}} is a circular arena that was historically used for racing chariots.
# Hypnagogic is "relating to the state immediately before falling asleep".
# A hypergolic substance is one which ignites spontaneously when coming into contact with another substance.
# (title text) {{w|Hermeneutics}} is the "study" of interpreting texts, thus the "Hermeneutic Oath" could have several interpretations as to its meaning.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Doctor Ponytail]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Medicine]]
[[Category:Physics]]

2843: Professional Oaths

2023-10-19T05:27:06Z

172.70.211.187: /* Explanation */ unlink

{{comic
| number = 2843
| date = October 18, 2023
| title = Professional Oaths
| image = professional oaths.png
| titletext = Interpretations of the Hermeneutic Oath differ.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a HUMAN UNDER OATH.}}
The {{w|Hippocratic Oath}} is an "oath" of ethics taken by medical professionals, which includes the phrase "do no harm". Though, technically speaking, the exact phrase "first, do no harm" is not in the oath, this meaning is implied.

Randall takes other professionals and creates "oaths" for them.

# The word hyperbaric means "of or involving a gas at a pressure greater than normal", so thus a "hyperbaric oath" would indeed involve getting used to (acclimating) to a different pressure.
# Holographic refers to produced using holograms, which often involve shimmering images.
# Histrionics is "exaggerated dramatic behavior designed to attract attention."
# {{w|Hydroelectricity}} is producing energy using water power, typically using {{w|turbine}}s.
# A {{w|hippodrome}} is a circular arena that was historically used for racing chariots.
# Hypnagogic is "relating to the state immediately before falling asleep".
# A hypergolic substance is one which ignites spontaneously when coming into contact with another substance.
# (title text) {{w|Hermeneutics}} is the "study" of interpreting texts, thus the "Hermeneutic Oath" could have several interpretations as to its meaning.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Doctor Ponytail]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Medicine]]
[[Category:Physics]]