explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1384: Krypton

2014-06-20T17:37:08Z

Cs7: /* Explanation */ added link to a second image of the early comic book versions of the rocket

{{comic
| number = 1384
| date = June 20, 2014
| title = Krypton
| image = krypton.png
| titletext = Their Sun and gravity will make you, uh, something, I guess. Out of earshot from Earth, mostly.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Probably needs lots of additional grammar revisions}}
This is an inverse of the origin story of the superhero character {{w|Superman}}.

In the Superman story, {{w|Jor-El}} and his wife {{w|Lara (comics)|Lara}} notice that their home planet {{w|Krypton (comics)|Krypton}} is about to be destroyed in a giant explosion, so they decide to send their baby {{w|Superman|Kal-El}} to Earth to save him. In the comic, [[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] also notice that planet Krypton is about to explode, but instead of attempting to save a baby from Krypton, they decide to send a baby there from Earth so that he'll stop annoying them with his crying.

In the fourth panel both spaceships can be seen: the rocket containing the Earth baby arrives at planet Krypton, while the crystal star shaped spaceship containing Kal-El leaves Krypton towards Earth. They may be references to two major versions of the Superman story: the first resembles [http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7D1hE_0cz0/TS88t-Rs2vI/AAAAAAAAEMY/EnIOj3AGFu8/s800/SupermanOrigins.jpg various] [http://thecomicmuseum.com/superman146.jpg versions] of the rocket that brought Superman to earth as depicted in early comic books, while the second resembles the [http://collectingsuperman.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/stmstoryboard1a.jpg version depicted] in the 1978 film.

In the {{w|Superman_(1978_film)|Superman movie}}, Kal-El carries with him a lot of information pre-recorded by his parents. During the very long trip he listens to the recordings, one of which explains that the Sun and gravity of Earth will give him (Kal-El) great powers (this is the way he becomes Superman). The title text is a satirical version of this information, given to the Earth baby during his trip: that nobody has the faintest idea what the Sun and gravity of Krypton will do to him, and furthermore nobody cares as long as his crying can't be heard from Earth.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball and Megan are standing near a telescope.]
:Cueball: The distant planet Krypton is becoming unstable.
:[From outside the panel] (baby crying): Waaaaaa
:Megan: That crying baby is really annoying

:[Cueball and Megan looking at each other]

:[Spaceship taking off]

:[Spaceship passing another spaceship on route to distant planet]

:[Planet exploding]

{{comic discussion}}

1384: Krypton

2014-06-20T17:24:58Z

Cs7: /* Explanation */ noted the apparent visual reference to the two versions of the spaceship from the1938 comic and 1978 film

{{comic
| number = 1384
| date = June 20, 2014
| title = Krypton
| image = krypton.png
| titletext = Their Sun and gravity will make you, uh, something, I guess. Out of earshot from Earth, mostly.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Probably needs lots of additional grammar revisions}}
This is an inverse of the origin story of the superhero character {{w|Superman}}.

In the Superman story, {{w|Jor-El}} and his wife {{w|Lara (comics)|Lara}} notice that their home planet {{w|Krypton (comics)|Krypton}} is about to be destroyed in a giant explosion, so they decide to send their baby {{w|Superman|Kal-El}} to Earth to save him. In the comic, [[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] also notice that planet Krypton is about to explode, but instead of attempting to save a baby from Krypton, they decide to send a baby there from Earth so that he'll stop annoying them with his crying.

In the fourth panel both spaceships can be seen: the rocket containing the Earth baby arrives at planet Krypton, while the crystal star shaped spaceship containing Kal-El leaves Krypton towards Earth. They may be references to two major versions of the Superman story: the first resembles the [http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7D1hE_0cz0/TS88t-Rs2vI/AAAAAAAAEMY/EnIOj3AGFu8/s800/SupermanOrigins.jpg drawing of the rocket] that brought Superman to earth as depicted in the original 1938 comic book, while the second resembles the [http://collectingsuperman.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/stmstoryboard1a.jpg version depicted] in the 1978 film.

In the {{w|Superman_(1978_film)|Superman movie}}, Kal-El carries with him a lot of information pre-recorded by his parents. During the very long trip he listens to the recordings, one of which explains that the Sun and gravity of Earth will give him (Kal-El) great powers (this is the way he becomes Superman). The title text is a satirical version of this information, given to the Earth baby during his trip: that nobody has the faintest idea what the Sun and gravity of Krypton will do to him, and furthermore nobody cares as long as his crying can't be heard from Earth.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball and Megan are standing near a telescope.]
:Cueball: The distant planet Krypton is becoming unstable.
:[From outside the panel] (baby crying): Waaaaaa
:Megan: That crying baby is really annoying

:[Cueball and Megan looking at each other]

:[Spaceship taking off]

:[Spaceship passing another spaceship on route to distant planet]

:[Planet exploding]

{{comic discussion}}

1370: President

2014-05-19T21:03:37Z

Cs7: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1370
| date = May 19, 2014
| title = President
| image = president.png
| titletext = Anyone who thinks we're all going to spend the 2032 elections poring over rambling blog posts by teenagers has never tried to read a rambling blog post by a teenager.
}}

==Explanation==

This strip shows a discussion between an adult and a teenager about an aspect of the future. [[Randall]] likes this setup, allowing to put in perspective the various "decay" predictions and shows his optimism.

Here, the subject is scandal. How will a generation that is documenting and leaving behind a permanent public record of its juvenile misadventures - immature and impolitic writings, photographs of inebriation at parties posted on Facebook, Twitter posts about breakups, etc. - produce successful future politicians? Won't future opposition researchers and reporters have enough embarrassing material to destroy any Millennial's public reputation? In previous generations, juveniles were freer to go through this phase of development without leaving behind a digital record, making it easier to sidestep or paper over rumors of youthful misbehavior. (See, e.g., George W. Bush, who dismissed questions about his rumored use of drugs in his youth by saying only, "When I was young and stupid, I was young and stupid.")

The child's answer, in addition to tweaking the adult about her generation's coming obsolescence, is that the next generation will be fine because in the future no one will care. The title text amplifies this optimistic message, suggesting that old blog posts by former teenagers will just seem boring, not salacious. [[Randall]] offers no explanation for this upbeat spin, but it is a recurring topic and some have argued elsewhere that the potential power of Internet-chronicled youthful indiscretions will be defused because everyone will be in the same boat, making future voters (and, in another context, employers) more tolerant of such things.

==Transcript==
:[Ponytail and a kid with curly hair are walking together.]
:Ponytail: I can't imagine anyone who grew up on the Internet being able to run for President.

:[Closeup of Curly.]
:Curly: Why? Because it'd mark the handover of a world that no longer needs you to a generation you don't understand?

:Curly: ...Or because there would be embarrassing pictures of us as teenagers?

:[Closeup of Ponytail.]
:Ponytail: Um. The pictures one?
:Curly: Pictures of teens! How will we even survive??

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Internet]]

1370: President

2014-05-19T12:44:18Z

Cs7:

{{comic
| number = 1370
| date = May 19, 2014
| title = President
| image = president.png
| titletext = Anyone who thinks we're all going to spend the 2032 elections poring over rambling blog posts by teenagers has never tried to read a rambling blog post by a teenager.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|The incomplete tag was removed too early. Too short, and the title text hasn't been explained.}}
This strip shows a discussion between an adult and a teen about an aspect of the future. Randall likes this setup, allowing to put in perspective the various "decay" predictions and shows his optimism.

Here, the subject is scandal. How will a generation that is documenting and leaving behind a permanent public record of its juvenile misadventures - immature and impolitic writings, photographs of inebriation at parties posted on Facebook, etc. - produce successful future politicians? Won't opposition research and media vetting have too much material to destroy anyone? In previous generations, juveniles were freer to go through this phase of development without leaving behind a digital record. Politicians have always faced this problem, but without documentary evidence it was easier to escape or paper over rumors of youthful misbehavior. (See, e.g., George W. Bush, who dismissed allegations he had used cocaine as a youth by saying only, "When I was young and stupid, I was young and stupid.")
making it easier for those who became politicians to escape.

The child's answer, that we can consider as being Randall's as well, is that the next generation will be fine because in the future no one will care. The title text amplifies this optimistic message, suggesting that old blog posts by teenagers will just seem familiar and boring.

==Transcript==
:[Ponytail and a kid with curly hair are walking together.]
:Ponytail: I can't imagine anyone who grew up on the Internet being able to run for President.

:[Closeup of Curly.]
:Curly: Why? Because it'd mark the handover of a world that no longer needs you to a generation you don't understand?

:Curly: ...Or because there would be embarrassing pictures of us as teenagers?

:[Closeup of Ponytail.]
:Ponytail: Um. The pictures one?
:Curly: Pictures of teens! How will we even survive??

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Internet]]

Talk:1369: TMI

2014-05-18T17:08:23Z

Cs7:

I assume "TMI" here stands for "too much information". Cueball stares at the screen (presumably with an Internet browser open) and realizes that he will never be able to internalize the amounts of data freely available on the net. The off-screen voice simply confirms it. The humor of the exchange seems to be derived from the fact that "too much information" is usually used to indicate that someone has publicly given away too much ''private'' and potentially embarrassing information and made others feel awkward. Cueball, however, uses the phrase in its most literal sense. --[[User:Koveras|Koveras]] ([[User talk:Koveras|talk]]) 06:47, 16 May 2014 (UTC)

TMI is probably {{Wiktionary|too much information|Too Much Information}} (taken literally, not figuratively about ''overshare'') --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 06:49, 16 May 2014 (UTC)

: ... despite lot of places on Internet where it CAN be used figuratively. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:13, 16 May 2014 (UTC)

It could also refer to Three Mile Island; but 'Too Much Information' or 'Too Much Internet' are the most likely meanings. TMA! (Too Many Acronyms!) [[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.123|173.245.53.123]] 07:06, 16 May 2014 (UTC)

The title text may be a reference to the quote from the Sherlock Holmes novel ''A Study in Scarlet'': "From a drop of water, a logician could infer the possibility of an Atlantic or a Niagara without having seen or heard of one or the other." If that logician stared into an entire sea worth of water drops, all the possible inferences would probably make his head explode from literally too much information. --[[User:Koveras|Koveras]] ([[User talk:Koveras|talk]]) 07:15, 16 May 2014 (UTC)

Maybe ''Everything'' is litteraly just information, like in ''{{W|Decoding Reality}}''. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.27|173.245.52.27]] 08:55, 16 May 2014 (UTC)

There were a explanation of the title text as to be a reference to Hemingway's "Old man and the sea" which sounded about right to me -- would somebody like to elaborate as to why it was removed? [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 17:04, 16 May 2014 (UTC)

The title text may also be a reference to a well-known quote from Isaac Newton: "I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me." Memoirs of the Life, Writings, and Discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton (1855) by Sir David Brewster (Volume II. Ch. 27) [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.118|199.27.128.118]] 20:24, 16 May 2014 (UTC)2minions (sorry, no login - I'm at work)

Would a mention of the similar themes in [[975: Occulting Telescope]] be relevant here? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.60|108.162.216.60]] 00:56, 17 May 2014 (UTC)

This may explain the mention to the sea http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/12/us/nasa-antarctica-ice-melt/ ...and the dramatic tone {{unsigned ip|173.245.56.78}}

There's a lot of speculation here about whether the title text is a deliberate reference to something. I'd added that it may echo Nietsche's famous warning "When you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you." But on reflection maybe there's no more reason to impute that one as any of of the others listed here (especially since none are a perfect fit), so I removed it. Probably gazing at the ocean/stars/emptiness/whatever is just a cliche image that gets recycled a lot.[[User:Cs7|Cs7]] ([[User talk:Cs7|talk]]) 17:08, 18 May 2014 (UTC)

Talk:1369: TMI

2014-05-18T17:07:10Z

Cs7:

I assume "TMI" here stands for "too much information". Cueball stares at the screen (presumably with an Internet browser open) and realizes that he will never be able to internalize the amounts of data freely available on the net. The off-screen voice simply confirms it. The humor of the exchange seems to be derived from the fact that "too much information" is usually used to indicate that someone has publicly given away too much ''private'' and potentially embarrassing information and made others feel awkward. Cueball, however, uses the phrase in its most literal sense. --[[User:Koveras|Koveras]] ([[User talk:Koveras|talk]]) 06:47, 16 May 2014 (UTC)

TMI is probably {{Wiktionary|too much information|Too Much Information}} (taken literally, not figuratively about ''overshare'') --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 06:49, 16 May 2014 (UTC)

: ... despite lot of places on Internet where it CAN be used figuratively. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:13, 16 May 2014 (UTC)

It could also refer to Three Mile Island; but 'Too Much Information' or 'Too Much Internet' are the most likely meanings. TMA! (Too Many Acronyms!) [[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.123|173.245.53.123]] 07:06, 16 May 2014 (UTC)

The title text may be a reference to the quote from the Sherlock Holmes novel ''A Study in Scarlet'': "From a drop of water, a logician could infer the possibility of an Atlantic or a Niagara without having seen or heard of one or the other." If that logician stared into an entire sea worth of water drops, all the possible inferences would probably make his head explode from literally too much information. --[[User:Koveras|Koveras]] ([[User talk:Koveras|talk]]) 07:15, 16 May 2014 (UTC)

Maybe ''Everything'' is litteraly just information, like in ''{{W|Decoding Reality}}''. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.27|173.245.52.27]] 08:55, 16 May 2014 (UTC)

There were a explanation of the title text as to be a reference to Hemingway's "Old man and the sea" which sounded about right to me -- would somebody like to elaborate as to why it was removed? [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 17:04, 16 May 2014 (UTC)

The title text may also be a reference to a well-known quote from Isaac Newton: "I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me." Memoirs of the Life, Writings, and Discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton (1855) by Sir David Brewster (Volume II. Ch. 27) [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.118|199.27.128.118]] 20:24, 16 May 2014 (UTC)2minions (sorry, no login - I'm at work)

There's a lot of speculation here about whether the title text is a deliberate reference to something. I'd added that it may echo Nietsche's famous warning "When you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you." But on reflection maybe there's no more reason to impute that one as any of of the others listed here (none of which is a perfect fit), so I removed it. Probably gazing at the ocean/stars/emptiness/whatever is just a cliche image that gets recycled a lot. [[User:Cs7|Cs7]] ([[User talk:Cs7|talk]]) 17:07, 18 May 2014 (UTC)

Would a mention of the similar themes in [[975: Occulting Telescope]] be relevant here? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.60|108.162.216.60]] 00:56, 17 May 2014 (UTC)

This may explain the mention to the sea http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/12/us/nasa-antarctica-ice-melt/ ...and the dramatic tone {{unsigned ip|173.245.56.78}}

1369: TMI

2014-05-18T17:02:29Z

Cs7: removed Nietsche gaze-into-abyss speculation

{{comic
| number = 1369
| date = May 16, 2014
| title = TMI
| image = tmi.png
| titletext = 'TMI' he whispered, gazing into the sea.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Final review mode now; we're close but not quite there yet}}
"TMI" is an acronym that means "too much information". It is typically used as a response to someone "oversharing" — telling personal details (e.g. "Sorry I just missed your call - I was urinating when the phone rang") that the listener would rather not have heard. Here, however, [[Cueball]] may be using it in a more literal and absolute sense: he feels {{w|Information overload|overwhelmed by the colossal amount of information}} that is now generally available to anyone with an Internet connection.

The title text amplifies this interpretation by evoking the image of an individual person who is overcome as he stands at the edge of the ocean, contemplating its vastness.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is sitting at a desk, looking at a laptop.]
:Cueball: Ugh, TMI.

:Offscreen: Oh? What?

:Cueball: Just... Everything.
:Offscreen: ''True.''

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

1369: TMI

2014-05-18T15:43:10Z

Cs7: add example of TMI, remove the disgust at Internet bit as unpersuasive, add discussion sea image and Nietsche 'gaze into the abyss' echo

{{comic
| number = 1369
| date = May 16, 2014
| title = TMI
| image = tmi.png
| titletext = 'TMI' he whispered, gazing into the sea.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Final review mode now; we're close but not quite there yet}}
"TMI" is an acronym that means "too much information". It is typically used as a response to someone "oversharing" — telling personal details (e.g. "Sorry I just missed your call - I was urinating when the phone rang") that the listener would rather not have heard. Here, however, [[Cueball]] may be using it in a more literal and absolute sense: he feels {{w|Information overload|overwhelmed by the colossal amount of information}} that is now generally available to anyone with an Internet connection.

The title text amplifies this interpretation by evoking the image of an individual person who is overcome as he stands at the edge of the ocean, contemplating its vastness. It may contain an echo of Nietsche's famous warning "When you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is sitting at a desk, looking at a laptop.]
:Cueball: Ugh, TMI.

:Offscreen: Oh? What?

:Cueball: Just... Everything.
:Offscreen: ''True.''

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

Talk:1368: One Of The

2014-05-16T20:08:17Z

Cs7:

There's a set of golden arches at Jefferson and Russell, Arguably more identifiable. {{unsigned ip|173.245.54.36}}

:If you are talking about the McDonald's arches, then well played, sir, well played. Definitely more identifiable. --[[User:Dangerkeith3000|Dangerkeith3000]] ([[User talk:Dangerkeith3000|talk]]) 14:57, 14 May 2014 (UTC)

::On the other hand, any ''specific set'' of McDonald's arches isn't very identifiable. One tends to look like any other. --[[User:Aaron of Mpls|Aaron of Mpls]] ([[User talk:Aaron of Mpls|talk]]) 11:12, 16 May 2014 (UTC)

"''Reporters on television and in other media try to only make statements they can verify in fact''"
Seriously??? Maybe once, but not now. The point of this cartoon is largely that reporters are hedging their bets on what's a fact.
When you have prominent reporters like Chuck Todd (one of the most prominent reporters on TV) saying [http://www.fair.org/blog/2013/09/18/inform-the-public-not-my-job-says-chuck-todd/|it's "not his job" to report factual information] but merely to repeat what politicians have said, or everyone on Fox "News" basically ignoring facts in favor of ideology, claiming reporters try to speak only facts is not supported by demonstrable facts.
[[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.84|199.27.128.84]] 16:42, 14 May 2014 (UTC)

: Or maybe it's because of the liability reporters face for reporting even errors made by the police. [http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/05/12/mistaken-identity-tv-show/8989189/ | Keith Todd or Todd Keith]. [[User:Pallas|Pallas]] ([[User talk:Pallas|talk]]) 19:16, 14 May 2014 (UTC)

:: "''In the complaint, Todd alleges that Eastpointe Police "incorrectly researched" databases and sent the wrong photo, name and information to the network.''" Sounds like the blame is really with the police, not the network. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.84|199.27.128.84]] 16:37, 15 May 2014 (UTC)

I know it's not really part of the joke, but should the explanation say who the reporter is talking about? Who designed the Gateway arch? I'm curious now.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.7|108.162.219.7]] 02:18, 15 May 2014 (UTC)

:The Gateway Arch was designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen and German-American structural engineer Hannskarl Bandel in 1947. As stated on the {{w|Gateway Arch|wikipedia page already linked from explanation}}. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:15, 15 May 2014 (UTC)

Note that the UK celebrates {{w|Mothering Sunday}} on the fourth Sunday in Lent as if it was Mother's Day. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.89.217|141.101.89.217]] 10:45, 15 May 2014 (UTC)

The explanation text misses the fact that stating "one of the world's greatest moms" is hardly perceived as an actual compliment by the recipient. [[User:Ralfoide|Ralfoide]] ([[User talk:Ralfoide|talk]]) 14:17, 15 May 2014 (UTC)
:Done - also added an explain and a wiki link to pet peeve - something not explained so far. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 18:53, 15 May 2014 (UTC)

: I don't think Randall misunderstands the practice - he's just pretending that to make a joke. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:16, 16 May 2014 (UTC)
::That is for sure true. I did not write it like that and have now corrected it acordingly [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:26, 16 May 2014 (UTC)
:::Interesting. Do you really think "Randall does not misunderstand anything" (from the history-edit explanation) and so any inaccuracy must be understood as a deliberate part of the joke? Even if the inaccuracy is about a matter outside of his field of expertise and is unnecessary to the joke? Maybe you're right in this case, but I doubt Randall himself would claim to be infallible. [[User:Cs7|Cs7]] ([[User talk:Cs7|talk]]) 20:08, 16 May 2014 (UTC)

No so much a real discussion item, but this is "One of the most useful Explain XKCDs out there"... {{unsigned ip|199.27.128.121}}

1368: One Of The

2014-05-16T00:49:39Z

Cs7:

{{comic
| number = 1368
| date = May 14, 2014
| title = One Of The
| image = one_of_the.png
| titletext = 'The world's greatest [whatever]' is subjective, but 'One of the world's greatest [whatever]s' is clearly objective. Anyway, that's why I got you this 'one of the world's greatest moms' mug!
}}

==Explanation==

When describing things, reporters try to make only factual statements. If reporters use absolutes - that something is the largest or the smallest thing of its class, or that it is unprecedented, to give several examples - they risk making errors: it is possible that some other example of the thing exists that is even larger or even smaller or that there was some similar incident in the past, and they were not aware of it. If a reader or viewer points out the existence of that thing, even if obscure or trivial, the reporter must issue a correction. As a result, reporters learn to hedge by using formulations such as "one of the biggest" or "a rare example of."

[[Randall|Randall]] states that it is his {{W|pet peeve}} when reporters avoid absolutes unnecessarily - that is, in cases where there's vanishingly little risk of error. As an absurd example, Randall depicts one such reporter using this language about the {{w|Gateway Arch}}. As the most well-known monument in Missouri and the largest free-standing arch in the world, it's indisputable that this would be the most recognizable arch in St. Louis.

In the title text, [[Randall|Randall]] inadvertently reveals that he misunderstands the practice of avoiding absolutes; he appears to think it is an ostentatious display of faux objectivity, as opposed to a correction-avoiding strategy. The title text refers to novelty mugs (and t-shirts, and other printed items) that use superlative descriptions such as "World's Greatest Mom" or "World's Greatest Dad." Obviously, such a statement is an expression of personal affection on the part of the family member who gave such a gift and is not meant to be understood as a literally true fact about the world. Using a parody of reporter-speak - if you gave a mug to your mother that says "one of the world's greatest moms" - would ruin the compliment by suggesting to her that you thought some other people's moms were as good or better.

The title text also refers to {{w|Mother's Day}}, which in the US was three days before this comic was published.

==Transcript==

:TV anchor: "... and he went on to design the Gateway Arch, one of the most recognizable arches in St. Louis."
:Caption: "Pet peeve: reporters unnecessarily hedging with "one of the"

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Pet Peeves]]

1368: One Of The

2014-05-16T00:48:42Z

Cs7: some fine-tuning

{{comic
| number = 1368
| date = May 14, 2014
| title = One Of The
| image = one_of_the.png
| titletext = 'The world's greatest [whatever]' is subjective, but 'One of the world's greatest [whatever]s' is clearly objective. Anyway, that's why I got you this 'one of the world's greatest moms' mug!
}}

==Explanation==

When describing things, reporters try to make only factual statements. If reporters use absolutes - that something is the largest or the smallest thing of its class, or that it is unprecedented, to give several examples - they risk making errors: it is possible that some other example of the thing exists that is even larger or even smaller or that there was some similar incident in the past, and they were not aware of it. If a reader or viewer points out the existence of that thing, even if obscure or trivial, the reporter must issue a correction. As a result, reporters learn to hedge by using formulations such as "one of the biggest" or "a rare example of."

states that it is his {{W|pet peeve}} when reporters avoid absolutes unnecessarily - that is, in cases where there's vanishingly little risk of error. As an absurd example, Randall depicts one such reporter using this language about the {{w|Gateway Arch}}. As the most well-known monument in Missouri and the largest free-standing arch in the world, it's indisputable that this would be the most recognizable arch in St. Louis.

In the title text, [[Randall|Randall]] inadvertently reveals that he misunderstands the practice of avoiding absolutes; he appears to think it is an ostentatious display of faux objectivity, as opposed to a correction-avoiding strategy. The title text refers to novelty mugs (and t-shirts, and other printed items) that use superlative descriptions such as "World's Greatest Mom" or "World's Greatest Dad." Obviously, such a statement is an expression of personal affection on the part of the family member who gave such a gift and is not meant to be understood as a literally true fact about the world. Using a parody of reporter-speak - if you gave a mug to your mother that says "one of the world's greatest moms" - would ruin the compliment by suggesting to her that you thought some other people's moms were as good or better.

The title text also refers to {{w|Mother's Day}}, which in the US was three days before this comic was published.

==Transcript==

:TV anchor: "... and he went on to design the Gateway Arch, one of the most recognizable arches in St. Louis."
:Caption: "Pet peeve: reporters unnecessarily hedging with "one of the"

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Pet Peeves]]

1368: One Of The

2014-05-15T23:02:38Z

Cs7: Explaining why reporters avoid absolutes - it's not about faux objectivity, but a correction avoidance strategy

{{comic
| number = 1368
| date = May 14, 2014
| title = One Of The
| image = one_of_the.png
| titletext = 'The world's greatest [whatever]' is subjective, but 'One of the world's greatest [whatever]s' is clearly objective. Anyway, that's why I got you this 'one of the world's greatest moms' mug!
}}

==Explanation==

When describing things, reporters try to make only factual statements. If reporter use superlatives or absolutes - that something is the largest or the smallest thing of its class, or that it is literally unprecedented or unique, to give several examples - they risk making an error: it is always possible that some other example of the thing exists that is even larger or even smaller or that there was some similar incident in the past. If a reader or viewer points out the existence of that thing, even if obscure or trivial, the reporter will have to issue a correction. As a result, reporters learn to hedge against that possibility by using formulations such as "one of the biggest" or "a rare example of."

[[Randall|Randall]], who appears to misidentify this error-avoiding strategy as instead being about faux objectivity, states that it is his {{W|pet peeve}} when reporters avoid absolutes unnecessarily - that is, in cases where there's vanishingly little risk of error. As an absurd example, Randall depicts one such reporter using this language about the {{w|Gateway Arch}}. As the most well-known monument in Missouri and the largest free-standing arch in the world, it's indisputable that this would be the most recognizable arch in St. Louis.

The title text refers to novelty mugs (and t-shirts, and other printed items) that use absolutes such as "World's Greatest Mom" or "World's Greatest Dad." Obviously, such a statement is an expression of love rather on the part of the family member who gave such a gift rather than literally true. That's fine, because it's not a news report. Using a parody of reporter-speak - giving a mug that says "one of the world's greatest moms" to one's mom - would humorously ruin the compliment by damning with faint praise.

The title text also refers to {{w|Mother's Day}}, which in the US was three days before this comic was published.

==Transcript==

:TV anchor: "... and he went on to design the Gateway Arch, one of the most recognizable arches in St. Louis."
:Caption: "Pet peeve: reporters unnecessarily hedging with "one of the"

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Pet Peeves]]